- Depending on how much traveling you plan on doing, a Eurail pass can be quite a bit more cost effective than just buying point-to-point tickets. However there are certain considerations to make with the Eurail pass. Firstly, while Eurail passes can be used in lieu of tickets on most trains in Europe, you will be expected to pay extra for an overnight train. Eurail pass holders may also have to pay extra on certain fast trains in Europe such as the TGV and the Eurostar traveling from England to Europe does not take the Eurail pass at all.
- Careful planning before you depart for Europe has to be made to make sure that you get the right Eurail pass. There are several different kinds of passes available. Passes range from the Global pass which is good for six or more countries down to country passes that give you travel in only that country. Once you know which pass you need, you then need to choose between the flexi-passes that offer a certain amount of days worth of travel in a certain period of time, say 10 days in two months. Or if you don't plan to be stopping in one place for very long, you could get the consecutive pass which allows say, ten consecutive days of travel. You'll want to get the pass before you leave for Europe. You can buy them online through Rail Europe.
- When you get to Europe you will need to have the pass validated for travel. Do not have it validated until you plan to take your first train ride. You can have your pass validated at a railway station. You will be required to show your passport to prove that you are eligible to travel on the Eurail pass (European residents can only travel on the Inter-Rail system). By validating your pass, your pass is now activated which is why you don't want to validate it before your first train journey. The days that your pass is valid from is a 24 hour period starting going from midnight to midnight. If you travel on an overnight train, rules vary depending on the train company. If you start your journey at 7 p.m. and you won't arrive there until the next day, some train companies will only count that as one day, while others will count it as two days' travel. Check with the individual rail companies when you make your reservation. As mentioned, the Eurail pass is valid on most trains in Europe; however, it is not valid on other city transportation systems like buses.
