The Eurail pass, formerly known as "Europass" or "Eurorail pass", is a train pass that allows pass holders to travel in 28 European countries on nearly all European railroads and some shipping lines. The product was launched in 1959 and is owned by a group of European rail carriers and shipping companies. A Eurail pass is available for non-Europeans, while European residents can travel with an Interrail pass.
Video Eurail
How it works
A pass will generally grant a passenger free transportation on an ordinary train (for example, EuroCity trains and Regional). Trains that require reservations are referred to as premier trains, these include:; TGV, Thalys, Eurostar, Eurostar Italia, AVE; Swiss Scenic Trains and night trains with sleeping compartments require a supplement. Both fares covered by the pass and reservation fees vary greatly from country to country; sleeper reservations fees depend on the accommodation selected and how far in advance they have been reserved.
A pass can cost more than walk-up fares in southern countries like Italy and Spain. In Italy, the per day cost of the pass plus the reservation fee can exceed the normal cost of a train journey. Rail Passes are very convenient for travelers planning to take many trains, instead of just a few smaller trips. In Spain, seat reservations are required for the high-speed AVE trains, however a person can use any regional service without paying any seat reservation cost. A Eurail pass may be cost-effective in France since TGV reservations for pass holders are subject to availability. France also has many regional services which do not require a seat reservation.
Pass Types
- The Eurail Global Pass allows a passenger to visit 28 countries throughout Europe in any order.
- The Eurail Select Pass provides the flexibility to plan a trip and comes with the most options; when picking a Select Pass, passengers can choose from two, three or four bordering countries.
- The Eurail One Country Pass is for exploring a single country or area; these passes are valid for one month, but the exact number of travel days available varies per country.
Maps Eurail
Coverage area
The traditional Eurail pass covers 28 countries, as of 2016: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey. Other passes, such as the Eurail Selectpass, allows one to select a series of bordering countries. For fare calculation purposes, some regions count as one country: Benelux, Slovenia-Croatia, and Serbia-Montenegro-Bulgaria. Except for Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom is not included in the Eurail pass.
Eligibility
Eurail passes can only be purchased by non European residents; other countries, whose nationals are not eligible to buy a Eurail Pass, include the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. It is possible for non Europeans to obtain passes in Europe, although they are cheaper and easier to procure outside it. For European residents Interrail is available, which has similar benefits, except that it is not valid in the buyer's country of residence.
See also
- Interrail - for European residents
- Indrail Pass - a similar railway ticket for travel on Indian Railways
- Japan Rail Pass - a similar railway ticket valid for travel on all major forms of transportation provided by the JR Group
- Korea Rail Pass - a similar railway ticket valid for travel on all major forms of transportation provided by Korail
References
External links
- Eurail Pass website
- Eurail Global Pass website
- Eurail Vacation website
- Interrail website
- Interrail Global Pass website
- Eurail Planner - Eurail trip planning website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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