Posts Tagged ‘eurail passes’
Traveling Europe by rail
So you’ve decided to spend your summer backpacking Europe this year. Good choice. I assume you know how you will be getting from your hometown to Europe but how are you planning on getting around once you are there? Trains are a convenient mode of short, medium and long distance travel across Europe. Popular destinations like Western and Central Europe have a dense and widely used railway network.
Before you leave your own country to start your travels, it is a good idea to look into Eurail passes. These passes are flexible and convenient and come in a variety of packages. You will find that you will use trains a lot when you travel within Europe. For short distances, trains are fast, reliable and frequent. Even when going long distances trains are a great alternative to flying. If you have the time to take a train you will benefit by traveling a more scenic route in a more spacious and comfortable interior than a plane. Often train stations are located in the city center so that you won’t have to pay extra for transportation to your final destination. You may choose to take a train just to satisfy your romanticized idea of train travel.
If you decide to purchase a pass from Eurail be sure to have a fairly good idea of your itinerary before you buy. The pass is flexible but there are so many to choose from that without a basic plan you won’t know which one will actually save you money. There are Global Passes, 1 to 3-Country Passes and Regional Passes to suit your needs. You have to purchase the pass in your own country as once you arrive in Europe they are not available. Another great thing about the pass is that you will get discounts for other transportation in Europe, such as, shuttles to and from the airport/train station and ferry rides.
