Eurail Passes: Do the Numbers Add Up?
By NomadicMatt | Published: October 28, 2009
Despite all my European travel, I’ve never really been able to say I’ve “railed” across the continent. I am usually so scattered in my plans that I take a few trains and lots of planes. I end up in Venice and decide Amsterdam is fun and meeting my friends in Barcelona sounds like a great idea. My plans are never consistent enough for trains. This time around, I really wanted to experience what it was like to see Europe by train, see the countryside, and figure out if a Eurail pass was really a cheap option. I get a lot of questions about it, and while I have some knowledge of the pass, I don’t have first hand experience. It time was to get that experience.
So, I emailed Rail Europe and asked “Would it be possible to get a pass for an article on Eurail passes?” Surprisingly, they said yes. I actually didn’t think they would. I would have purchased one regardless, but I’ll never turn down a freebie of something I would have used anyways. So with my free pass in hand, I was off to ride the rails, like any good budget traveler.
What did I find? A Eurail pass is great value if a) you use ALL your segments and b) you are traveling great distances. To begin, here is a breakdown of costs with and without a Eurail pass for all my trips:
| With Eurail | Without Eurail (1st class) | Without Eurail (2nd class) | |
| Valencia->Barcelona | 6.75 | 67.50 | 41.10 |
| Barcelona->Madrid | 12 | 164.40 | 110 |
| Bordeaux->Paris | 6 | 106 | 68.50 |
| Paris->Brussels | 8 | 108 | 80 |
| Brussels->Brugge | 0 | 19.90 | 12.90 |
| Brugge->Den Bosch | 0 | 52.40 | 23 |
| Den Bosch->Rotterdam | 0 | 19.90 | 13.90 |
| Rotterdam->Den Haag | 0 | 7.50 | 4.40 |
| Den Haag->Amsterdam | 0 | 17.20 | 10.10 |
| Stockholm->Goteberg | 10 | 73 | 45 |
| Goteberg->Copenhagen | 8 | 37.75 | 50 |
| Copenhagen->Berlin | 3 | 205 | 130 |
| Berlin->Munich | 5 | 183 | 113 |
| Munich->Vienna | 5 | 131.20 | 79.40 |
| Total | 70.75 | 1192.50 | 781.30 |
Note: All these prices are in Euros. I convert them into dollars based on the average exchange rate of $1= €0.67. The first column is the reservation fee I paid. Moreover, these train prices are based on what was told me at the time I booked a ticket. Different trains might be a little more or a little less. All trains are roughly in the same price range, though. Prices change frequently, and you might not get the prices as I did.
The pass clearly saved me money. But there are very important things to note: First, what type of pass you get will greatly affect how much you save. There are a lot of different passes, two main passes most travelers use are the 1st class and 2nd youth (for those under 26) global flexi passes. A two month 15 day 2nd class ticket costs $774, with a value of $51.60 per trip. A 1st class adult ticket costs $1,190.00, with a value of $79 per trip. These passes let you travel all over Europe and give 10 or 15 trips in a one or two month period. Consecutive day passes can be bought for up to 3 months, but aren’t really that good of a deal if you aren’t traveling every other day since everyday you don’t use them is a lost day.
Did I Save Money?
The value of my travels would have cost $1,294 for the reservation fees and the pass. The cost without the Eurail pass would have been $1,767. For a second class ticket, assuming the same reservation fees, I would have spent $878, whereas the trip would have cost $1,157 without the pass.
Hundreds of dollars were saved.
But…
I saved money because I took long inter-country trains. I mentioned the value of each trip because looking back at my travels, some train rides cost below the value of a Eurail trip. Many trains I took cost a lot, and in these cases, the Eurail saved me money. But for short trips, using one of my Eurail trips would actually cost me money. The Brussels to Brugge ticket only cost €12, far below the $79 value of that segment. If you are just taking short trips around Europe, then getting a Eurail pass will cost you more. However, if you only take it across vast distances or on overnight trains, you’ll save money.
Conclusion
I wasn’t a believer in these passes before, but after seeing how the numbers add up, I think Eurail passes can be a great way for budget travelers to save money, if used correctly. Even in an age of RyanAir, Eurail tickets make a lot of budgetary sense. Just make sure you know how many trips you take and for how long. If you miscalculate cost and distance, the pass could end up costing you more than it is worth. If used properly though, Eurail you will save hundreds. And in Europe, that extra money can be a lifesaver.
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Great rundown. With the cost of discount airfare so low, and quality buses as well, I think the trains are almost a luxury these days. Unlike, say India, they are no longer such a necessary part of the backpacking experience in Europe. At least not for me.
Interesting, I’ve never used a Euro-rail pass but I’ve considered them in the past. Unfortunately they don’t apply to many of the countries I’ve spent a lot of time traveling in within Eastern Europe and the Balkans. I do think they are a good value for some though.
It would be a lot easier to understand the total costs if you added the railpass costs into your table.
I price out the pass prices in the paragraph below.
I took the Eurorail over 15 years ago, and back then it was a real bargain. Now it seems sooo expensive. But then again, it’s Europe and everything to me seems expensive after central america!
But the fact is, I can’t wait to get back on it again:)
what you say is true. But you do not mention that the prices are not applicable to every nationality. North American prices are cheaper. If a french buy this ticket it will cost even more. Or last time i check not even possible for european to buy. This is very important to mention.
Europeans can purchase an Interrail ticket…pretty much the same thing…but for europeans.
I love to travel by train – I did it across Canada and through Asia, and will do again as much as possible. It’s a great way to actually see something of the country you’re visiting, and it’s better for the environment too. Thanks for the article!
I agree. I really loved going through the countryside. It was very beautiful.
Well, for Europeans (especially under 25), Interrail is a really good option. They have different time scaling and travelling conditions but they have saved me a lot of money.
For example, 250 Euros to travel 4000 kilometers all across Europe with 7 long stops in big cities (and quite a few more day stops in little cities): now that’s a bargain.
Nice summary. I travelled with Eurail some years ago when air travel was more expensive and I priced out well ahead. I think as you imply that its real value is if you want to “sample” europe and spread travel across the continent – especially exploring the more expensive Scandinavian countries along with Germany and France. It also included (I assume it still does) some nice extras like free or 50% discounted ferries, boats on major rivers (Rhine/Danube) and private trains in Switzerland. As a bigger bonus, it also means not buying train tickets all the time – often just being able to leap on the train (though reservations can be a bit of a catch at times).
Really informative Matt! Especially since am planning a trip. Thanks!
We used Eurail passes to go around Europe and we discovered the same things, you need to go a long distance (between countries) and use it several days for it to be worth it. Within a country, there are usually cheaper options though we did enjoy not having to go to a ticket booth (and waiting in line) sometimes.
Oh, I forgot to mention, Eurail passes will also give you access to non-rail forms of transportation like ferries and the like. We took a ferry ride on the Rhine for “free” as it was included in the Eurail package.
Have just returned from a trip to France and Italy, we had a two country Eurail pass. I dont think we saved much, as it appears that these countries have expensive trains, compared to less sophisticated countries. What you fail to mention is a few nail-biting situations. In France, i was tryin to make a reservation for myself, husband and two daughters to get across to Italy, via Lyons and the Alps. No luck ! WHy ? Yes there were seats available, but so few are ear-marked for Eurail passenengers. Ggrrr. So, we had to re-route our entire trip, which meant cancelling accommodation in Lyon, and finding something in Ventimiglia, Italy.The lovely booking girl said this is a common problem with the Eurail pass, and, it was only April. Can you imagine the knockbacks you get if it is the Summer ?
Ok, as you know, you need reservations for the fast trains…in France this is only 3 euro per person, but in Italy it is 10 euro per person,per trip. This booking girl, and other staff we met, said, act now re. seats for the trips I had planned for Italy. So, I did…OK to buy your reservations for ther Italian train trips from France. HOWEVER, and this is the crucial thing…if the train in Italy is cancelled,( happens a bit, a country that loves to strike) you are in a difficult situation. I paid 80 euro for a booking for the four of us to go from Rome to Naples, and back to Rome in one day ( to see Pompeii) and, guess what ? A strike in Milan meant that my train to Naples was arriving 75 mins behind schedule…giving us only about an hour in Pompeii . gggrrr. The unhelpful staff at the Roma Termini basically said, tough luck, why did you buy your res in France?, you can not exchange it here ( which is NOT what I was told in France). I did the most dainty dummy-spit possible, given that I had to stay on the good side of these booking clerks. I was finally, after much sobbing, sent to an office on the platform, and, although I was made to feel like a criminal, the woman in charge wrote something on the back of the reso, enabling us to catch the next train out of Rome , a train NOT affected ny the strike. She also allowed us to catch a later train home from Pompeii, i.e later than the one I originally booked on.
A nail-biting experience we dont really neeed. Oh, and then having to explain it all to the ticket inspectors on both journeys, luckily , they believed me, and they read the scrawl on the back, PLUS, i had the brains to ask the lady at Roma Terminin her name, to quote her if I needed to.
Also, please note, there are different prices for the same journey on Italian trains, depending on whether you want to pay for a flexible fare or not.This info is close to impossible to find out before you go, again, making it hard to see if the Eurail pass is worth it.
In summary, I would NEVER buy a Eurail pass again….too many headaches.I had one as a single backpacker 20 years ago, great value. Remember, too, the risk ….they are like cash, and, if you lose it, you willnot have it replaced..so, buying separate tix is also less risky.
Happy travels
While it is definitely true that a pass will save you money on a lot of itineraries if you buy your tickets at the station, you will most likely save money if you buy point to point tickets in advance on country’s rail websites say 2 to 3 months in advance instead of buying a pass. They almost all have specials, the most dramatic being in Germany. For example you quoted the Copenhagen to Berlin journey as costing 130 euros, this fare can usually be bought for 29-39 euros in advance on bahn.de . If you really want to cut costs in travel, booking ahead of time and having a set itinerary is the way to go. If you do this, you can also factor in whether a flight will be less expensive, or even a bus. While this option gives a traveller no cherished flexibility, it is, I have found, the cheapest way to travel in Europe.
Hi! I’m planning to go to Madrid next year to attend the World Youth Day and wish to see the rest of Europe by train. One question, hope you could help me about it, how do you make the reservations? Can I do it online same time when I purchase the ticket?
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing this. However I have to agree with the previous commenters on the fact that tickets bought in advance are way cheaper than the prices you mentionned.
What’s expensive is the reservation fee. Having peace of mind is not cheap
I definitely don’t think travelling by train is luxury – taking a bus or plane only takes you from point A to point B, not allowing you to enjoy what’s inbetween. The train is a trip itself.
Hi,
Me and my husband are planning a trip in mid-June to Europe. We would be visiting three countries, France, Italy and Switzerland. We are planning to buy Eurail passes for three countries. Do we also need to make reservations and are there any specific trains or seat for people traveling on a pass.
Reservations are just showing up the day before. You need to do it in France but I don’t know about Italy or Switzerland.
hi there all
i am from australia and i have been trying to work out this eurail thing. i was going to do busabout but i would prefer to do eurail. On top of paying 1400 for my ticket. how much extra should i expect to pay for reservations? i will be going to get the global pass. does this mean i can jump on any train i want for free unless i need to make a reservation? i am just really confused with the whole thing i cant seem to understand it?
reservations are only 1 or 2 euros and you only need them in some countries. Yes, you can jump on any train you don’t need to make a reservation for.
hi again, so should i set aside an extra $500 for reservation fees?
i dont even know where ill be going in europe just where i feel like it, when i feel like it.
do you think it would be a good option for me??
why do lots of people talk about how bad eurail is?
There are lot of prizes coming up in the context of euro rail passes.lucky draws and free online competitions are coming up that are free for registration and one can participate in any number of lucky draws, thus increasing the chances of winning a draw….BUT only for UK
http://winthedraw.co.uk/z/zosw?ref=&w=
This is a wonderful message to travellers ,Very Nice Article.. My bunch of thanks for your interest. I will book mark and share with my friend