Hopping on the Eurorail

Ready to Empty My Pockets in Western Europe!

Prepare to spend the same amount of money in the next 2 months in Western Europe as I did East of there! I anticipated spending loads more than I had been even though I have always wanted to spend months “Backpacking Europe.” Already was the shock of getting out of Serbia by train to get to Austria so that I could take more trains to get to Paris to meet up with David. When I got to It was a whole day of travel and meeting loads of people on the way. Here is the breakdown of my 1st experience on European Trains and some helpful info to get you started!

The Man in Seat 61
My favorite resource for all my train traveling needs. He lists in detail all the ins and outs of what you need to know about each country or region.

Eurail… Summarized

Fortunately, I had some time to think about which Eurail pass would be good for my type of travel and for me not to spend a fortune. When I got to Austria, it was wonderful that at the station there are service counters and travel agents that can help you make a decision if you cannot decipher it from the info online. Eurail passes are not cheap. Some of us Americans would immediately jump at the unlimited Global Pass trying to jam every stop in the time allotted. However, if you want to take your time in a country and plan to only hit a few… there is the Select Pass where you can pick 3-5 adjoining countries. Also many countries have their own country pass and regional passes that makes it cheaper to travel within an intimate area. I opted to get the 4 country Select Pass and then get a pass in Switzerland. Take the time to price compare if you have a plan.

Facts:

Min/Max time for a pass: 15 days/3 months

Overnight trains need reservations

You pay supplements for reservations and overnight trains

No supplements or reservation for open seating(so you can jump on a valid travel day)

Must validate in within 6 months

Conductors do not keep track of your stop so you must be aware of the time and listen or watch for announcements

Conductors DO check for valid tickets and passes

There are often lockers big enough for backpacks/luggage at main stations

Truths:

Sometimes the conductors don’t check for “validated” dates(or dates written in…wink wink)

It is wonderful to travel on a train…to have time to yourself and see the country

Trains DO leave on time(I know… I’ve missed a few)

It can be confusing upon entering each new European country so pay attention to changing connections

You can ride the Eurostar from Paris to Calais enroute to London included in your pass. But to get to London you can pay additional fees to ride it all the way through!

Loved the trains by the end of my trips. I even had the luxury of some premium seating with a nice breakfast into Paris! But the real luxury of trains is the time to yourself while enroute to your next destination! How many times do you really listen to yourself and then get to ponder those thoughts deeply? My favorite part of trip… And of course the traditional benefit of seeing the countryside without the worry of driving and freedom to roam in the cab if you like.

Any questions? …