Is your bag practically packed for your long awaited European travel adventure this year and you still can’t decide on the best way to travel once you get there? Sure it’s hard to know the best way to book before you book, especially with all the ticket and pass programs that are up for grabs in Europe. Choosing between the BritRail or the France Pass or the Deutsche Bahn isn’t all that easy, when you’re not sure yourself in advance precisely where it is you’ll be going.
And precisely that is the trick. You have to decide NOW which countries you will be visiting. Before you know that, booking the best rail ticket for your needs will be more ineffective and most likely more expensive than it needs to be. So grab a piece of paper, plan a rough itinerary you WILL be sticking to (at least as far as the countries you’ll be visiting is concerned) and take a look at some of the following explanations and websites and they will set you straight.
1) If you are intent on the whole nine yards and/or banana, then the classic Eurailpass is definitely the way to go. This the monster of rail passes that everyone has heard of. And there is a good reason for this. It’s the pass you want in your pant pocket when you want to see it all. But never forget how easy it is to bite off more than you can chew while planning to “do” Europe. The real question to answer here is usually whether or not you will actually have the time to do so. If you don’t, Europe just might end up “doing” you. At any rate, Eurailpass holders enjoy the luxury of unlimited travel in 18 European countries. With a Eurailpass at your disposal, you can wake up in the morning with vague travel plans for Berlin dancing in your head and then decide at the train station to head off to Madrid instead. You’re as free as a bird, only you won’t be having to flap your arms. This is the kind of freedom of choice that has fascinated generations of young Eurailpass vagabonds discovering Europe. Get all the details in the Internet at Raileurope.com.
How about a slight variation to this plan? Could it be that you are only planning to have a look at, say, three to five European countries this summer (my recommendation)? Then your best option here is to consider the so-called Eurail Selectpass.. If you plan to explore France, Italy or Spain, for instance, the Eurail Selectpass can offer you unlimited rail travel in these three countries at a fair price. Within a six week period, for example (and depending upon how much you wish to pay), you could take advantage of 10, 12 or 15 days of rail travel within these three bordering countries. Read more at Eurailnet.com.
3) If you only plan to visit one country (or maybe two) in Europe, then purchasing “normal” tickets on the spot or on board the train is probably the most reasonable alternative. It’s the most flexible way to get around and when you’re free to buy your tickets whenever you like, you will also be free to take advantage of any special deals that might be available on short notice.
Most national train systems in Europe also offer discount cards, usually for a one-time fee. These can significantly reduce your overall ticket costs if you are planning to take a large number of trips within that given country. The BritRail site in the UK (Britrail.net) has such offers, as does BahnCard program in Germany (Bahn.de), but information agents at any other country you will be traveling to can tell you about their particular discount card program, as well.
And should you be a resident of Europe (i.e. foreign students etc.), the Inter Rail is also still alive and well. For decades now, the good old Inter Rail pass has proven to be a hassle-free passport for flexible travel throughout an ever-increasing network of European countries. It’s nothing more than an unlimited 2nd class train ticket with which you can travel through 30 “Inter Rail Community” countries for a specific period of time. These countries are currently organized into 8 zones which are broken down like this:
Zone A: United Kingdom, Ireland
Zone B: Finland, Norway, Sweden
Zone C: Austria, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland
Zone D: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia
Zone E: Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands
Zone F: Morocco, Portugal, Spain
Zone G: Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Turkey
Zone H: Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro
You just pick the zone or zones you want (and the times you want to travel) and then pay accordingly. Read more at Interrailnet.com.
So, have you made up your mind yet? Grab your toothbrush and your sleeping bag and head off for the airport. But don’t forget your passport – and the appropriate rail ticket for you.
ICE Line / IC Line - Germany
Last changed: Jan 14 2008 at 5:28 PM
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