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Are you traveling Europe this summer and still can’t make up your mind on where to go now that the entire continent is open restriction-free for the first time in three years? We might have just the solution for you.
You can travel to 7 or more European countries by train in under a month paying less than $300. Here’s how:
The Amazing Benefits Of An Eurail Pass
We know planning a Eurotrip can be challenging. With so many fairytale towns, world-class city breaks, and iconic landmarks to pick from, we always get huge FOMO (fear of missing out) when flying across the pond.
While it’s impossible to cram every single European highlight into a single trip, you can cover a lot of ground, and easily tick off as many as seven countries, during a month of traveling. Thanks to the Eurail Pass, fulfilling that ambitious itinerary has become much more easier – and cheaper.
Eurail is a European initiative aiming to promote train travel and boost cross-border connectivity between the sister nations.
With a single pass, travelers can explore up to 33 countries in the European space, without worrying about switching between different transport operators, and fluctuating fares.
Numerous passes are available to buy on the official website, but the most popular has to be the 7 Days in 1 Month Pass.
It allows you to travel freely between any of the signatory countries during 7 days of your choice in a calendar month, for only €264, or USD$283.
Holding the pass, you can reserve a seat on any international, or domestic train route of your liking, as long as it’s listed on the Eurail website.
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If your goal is to travel as many countries as possible, and in this case, 7 countries within a month, this means you are paying a mere USD$40.42 on tickets on average.
As those who have traveled around Europe know already, trains can be ridiculously expensive, with fast-speed service between London and Paris, or Paris and Brussels, costing over USD$200 when booked last minute.
Eurail gives you more flexibility, and saves you a ton of money when traveling by rail.
How To Use Eurail
Eurail is extremely easy to use. Once you buy the online pass, you are free to select which dates of the month you’ll be undertaking unlimited travel.
You can use as many trains as you want, whether it’s domestic or international service. Those are called your ‘travel days’.
For example, if you buy a 7 Days in 1 Month Eurail Pass for July 2023, you may select up to seven travel days between July 1 and July 31. Your pass is only valid on train networks where Eurail is accepted, but luckily, the list is quite extensive.
All of Europe’s main train operators participate in the deal, including, but not limited to these below:
- Deutsche Banh (Germany)
- OBB (Austria)
- Trenitalia (Italy)
- SNCF (France)
- Eurostar (France, Belgium, the Netherlands)
- Thalys (France, Belgium)
- SBB (Switzerland)
- Renfe (Spain)
In total, you can choose from 33 countries, both in the European Union and outside.
Which Countries Are Included In The Deal?
The full list can be seen here:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)
- Hungary
- Italy
- Ireland
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- The Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Turkey
Some of the countries above do not have a railway system, but you are still eligible for free travel with your Eurail on certain bus and ferry routes, where applicable (e.g. on some Greek islands, in Malta, and in Cyprus).
A Eurail Pass gives you the power to easily country-hop between some tried-and-true holiday faves, such as France and Italy, as well as go off the beaten path in the lesser-explored Balkan Peninsula or the Baltic states.
Travelers are reminded that travel days follow the Central European Time (CET) – the same as Paris, Brussels, or Luxembourg.
Some European destinations, such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, are one hour behind, while Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey are all one hour ahead.
This means a travel day may end slightly sooner, or later, depending on where you’re using it.
Do I Need To Book Tickets In Advance Using Eurail?
In general, Eurail Pass holders are not required to book seats in advance for local or regional trains, but they are advised to pre-select their travel days, and make the necessary reservations when traveling on high-speed, international, or overnight routes.
If you’re using one of your travel days within France, such as traveling from Paris to Rouen, the picturesque capital of Normandy, reservation may be optional.
However, using the Frecciarossa service linking Paris to Milan, in Italy, will require reservation.
Reservation is always free as long as you are booking seats on a pre-selected travel days.
At times, surcharges may be required also to guarantee seats, or other additional service, such as meals, drinks, or Wi-Fi, but the cost is usually minimal, ranging between USD$11 and USD$22.
Reservations can be made either directly at the station of departure, online through a carrier’s website or mobile app, or on the Eurail website.
Other deals are also available on the Eurail website, including an uninterrupted 3-month unlimited train travel pass costing USD$775.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com