But, before you book, read all the helpful time-saving tips in this online European Travel Guide and Tutorial.

Europe has over 160,000 miles of passenger tracks, stretching all the way from the Mediterranean beaches to the Arctic Circle and from the Atlantic Coast in Western Ireland to Greece.

You can reach nearly every part of Europe by train.

The benefits of rail travel in Europe…

• It’s very convenient for any distance – within a country or all across Europe and…very relaxing.
• Trains in Europe go often and connections are well timed. You rarely have to wait more than 2 hours before the next one.
• Most trains travel fast (although not all are the high-speed ones like the TGV in France). They are also comfortable. It’s often faster to take a train than a flight.
• Airport Rail links…many airports in Europe now offer quick direct rail service to the center of the cities…from Heathrow to Paddington Station in London, from Charles de Gaulle to Paris and from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam.

  Free luggage carts are available, making your walk underground to the airport railway stations easier.

• It's less expensive than renting a car if you're traveling by yourself.

And a few things to consider about European train vacations before you go…

• You must be able to handle your own luggage - no porters anymore. Not all stations have escalators to the platforms. Luggage carts are available at many stations with a refundable deposit.
• Since rail stations and some crowded trains are known for pickpockets, watch your luggage, particularly at stops.
• If you want to visit small villages, (hill towns in Provence for example) or the many archaeological sites, a train won’t do…however you can always take excursions from major cities listed on the Europe Travel Pass web site.
• Trains can be very crowded, especially during commuter times (many Europeans travel by rail to/from work), during the holiday seasons, or if something special is going on (an important soccer match, for example).

  For you this actually means they can be crowded anytime.

• You can book a seat in advance for most international trains. You may not need it, but you never know for sure! Think about enjoying your trip...standing for hours in a crowded train is no fun!

This Tutorial shows you how to make your European train vacations more enjoyable. It helps you avoid difficulties in Europe…in advance.

Some of the important basics will also help you to decide better what type of European train vacation to choose.

Regular point-to-point tickets…

First class or second class… It all depends on your budget…

• First class is roomier and quieter. There are fewer seats here, so you have more space for luggage.
• Economy class (also called second class) is 50% cheaper, but is more crowded.

Be careful...you are never guaranteed a seat unless you have a reservation. For the longer international trains you can make reservations before you leave from home or at the station before you depart.

What’s the best ticket for your European train vacations…you have four choices…

Regular point-to-point train tickets. Information on railpasses in Europe is listed below.

1. Economy class is restricted second class. You can’t change your tickets.
2. Freedom class, also in second class, you can change your schedule. (Eurail passes listed below offer even more flexibility)
3. Comfort class is restricted first class.
4. Premier class is similar to the Freedom class but offers you even more benefits such as rail lounges at certain stations and meals.

And what if you want to travel at night?

Traveling at night, from Madrid to Paris for example, offers you more time for sightseeing, a business meeting or other activities during the daytime.

The same four classes listed above apply to accommodations on overnight trains.

• In Economy class you relax in a reclining seat.
• In Freedom class you lay down in a couchette in a shared compartment with up to six benches.
• In Comfort class you’ll share a more relaxing compartment with two or three beds.
• Premier class offers you the best…a hotel on wheels, private accommodation for one or two with shower and toilet.

Note that Economy and Comfort class tickets are based on advance purchase, availability, and certain restrictions.

What about rail passes…do you save over point-to-point tickets?

The rail companies never guarantee saving money with a rail pass…but there are many reasons for you to have a pass, especially if you plan some long train trips or...a complete European train vacation.

Simply…the more time you use the trains the more you save over point-to-point tickets. If you only travel a little bit by train, of course, it’s better to have regular tickets or maybe a one-country pass.

The savings on passes depend on how long you plan to travel, and the number of countries and cities you plan to visit.

My recommendation

• If you plan to travel for more than 3 days consider a pass.
• For less than 3 days the point-to-point tickets are the best.
• You should also consider a pass if you’re not sure about your itinerary.

Four important points about railpasses for a European train vacation

1. Buy your rail pass before you leave home within 6 months of your vacation, and have it validated in Europe on your first day of travel. You can’t buy it in Europe.
2. The European Travel & Vacation Resource Center offers direct links to all information and prices you need for any pass, saving you an enormous amount of time.
3. Eurail passes do not include trains in Great Britain, but they do include Ireland. Great Britain has its own Britrail Pass. The Eurail Pass offers discounts on the ferries between Ireland and France but not between Great Britain and continental Europe.
4. Eurail passes offer two discounts…if you’re under 26, you can travel on a Youth Pass. When you travel with your own party between 2 and 5 people, you receive the Saver Pass discount.

Two Types of Railpasses in Europe...Consecutive Pass or Flexi Pass

1. Consecutive Passes provide unlimited rail travel every day for the duration of the pass. This is ideal if you plan to move around and travel by train each day. But it also means that if you do not travel for a day by train you lose that day!
2. A Flexipass is valid for a specific number of travel days within a longer period (e.g. 10 days within 2 months) This pass offers you more flexibility to choose the specific days you want to travel.

   On a per-day basis the Flexipass is understandably more expensive than the Consecutive Pass.

1. The Eurail Global Pass

   …unlimited travel in 21 countries

   You can travel all over Europe with the Consecutive Pass for 15 or 21 days or 1, 2 or 3 months.

   The Flexipass is for 10 or 15 days within a 2-month period. It is for first class travel, except the Youth Pass, which is for second class.

   Both passes offer Saver and Youth Pass discounts. Travel is in first class, with the exception of the Youth Pass which again is for second class.

2. The Eurail Select Pass

   …unlimited travel for the duration you select

   This Pass entitles you to travel for 5, 6, 8, 10 and 15 days within a 2-month period.

   You make your choice of 3, 4 or 5 connecting countries.

   This Pass is for first class travel. There is also a Youth Pass for second class.

   Two to five people traveling together at all times can share the Saver Pass.

3. The EurailDrive Pass

   …combining a train and a car

   This Pass offers you the convenience and the time saving of rail travel with the freedom and the flexibility of a car.

   It offers a choice of 4 or 10 days of train travel and 2 (or more) days of car rental within a 2 months period. (You can buy up to 60 additional "car" days)

   For example; you can take the train from Paris to Florence, have a car for two days driving through Tuscany, go back on the train to Vienna, then pick up another car for a side trip before going by train to Amsterdam.

   The train is for the long distances and the car for scenic touring.

   Your travel days can be consecutively or flexi. This Pass is for first class rail travel, and various car sizes are available.

   There are no Saver and Youth discounts for this type of European train vacation.

1. A Four-country pass

   The Scanrailpass is a popular four-country pass that covers European train vacations in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland in second class only.

   There are many discounts available with the pass on the ferries between these four countries.

2. A three-country pass

   The Benelux Pass combines The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg into one pass.

3. Two-country passes

   Eurail offers you many two-country combinations…Spain and Portugal, Italy and France…Germany and Switzerland…

   Here The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg are listed as one and called the Benelux.

   The number of days and class of travel may differ by pass…all details and prices are available by direct links from European Travel & Vacation Resource Center.

   For instance; the France & Italy pass is 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 days within a 2 month period, in both first and second class.

4. One-country passes

   You’ve got even more possibilities for these passes. Many countries offer them. Conditions for each can be different. The often-used France Pass, for example, offers 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 days of rail travel, both in first and second class.

   The Swiss Family Card is another money-saving pass. If you add this to a Swiss Card, it offers free travel for children under 16 who travel with at least one parent.

Also note that most passes offer special discounts…ferries, museums, cable cars and more.

The often-asked questions for railpasses in Europe

• Do I need a seat reservations with a railpass for European train vacations?

  You can board most regular trains with a pass, however, you must also purchase a reservation when riding high speeds trains and night trains.

  You can do this in Europe at rail stations or before you leave home, which is a little more expensive.

  But remember…without a reservation…you are never guaranteed a seat!

• Are there discounts?

  Yes...Youth and Saver Pass discounts

  Youth under 26 receive lots of discounts including on all Eurail Global and Eurail Select passes listed below.

  Families from 2 – 5 people traveling together, receive Saver Pass discounts on the Eurail Global and Eurail Select passes.

You can check the European Travel & Vacation Resource Center for details and direct links on all services listed below.

All-inclusive European train vacations, listed in the Land Vacations section in the Tutorial, are available in Ireland (with B&B or hotels), Spain and Scotland.

• Scenic European trains…if you’re planning to travel in Norway, do not miss the spectacular combined rail and fjord steamer Norway in a Nutshell journey.
• Switzerland offers many scenic rail journeys…the Glacier Express, Golden Pass, Bernina Express and the Chocolate Express…if you love chocolate!
• Historic trains…would you like to experience the romantic Orient Express atmosphere but only have one day to do it? Take a trip to Great Britain and settle into your British Pullman or Northern Belle trains. Or in Austria on the Majestic Imperator.

• Seat61.com is a very special private web site that shows you the best way to travel from London – by rail and ferry – to all over the Continent.
• For more general information on rail travel…get a copy of Frommer’s Europe by Rail. Also check RailEurope’s Frequently Asked Questions (see below.)
• Eurailpasses are not for Europeans. Travelers have to reside outside Europe but can be a citizen of a European country if they are living outside Europe…(like me, a Dutch citizen living in the U.S.)
• When buying a pass or rail ticket, check the conditions for refunds and unused passes. Once a pass has been used...there’s no refund unless you buy the rail protection insurance.

Decide before you book

• What countries do you plan to visit…one or two or…are you going all over Europe?
• What's the best for you…a regular point-to-point ticket or a rail pass?
• If you prefer a pass, which one is the most suitable for you…
• Do you want to travel first class or economy? See below to learn how you can find all the fares for most rail travel quickly.

And finally…

There are so many more facts about rail travel that it would take hundreds of pages to mention all of them.

That’s of course not the purpose of this Tutorial so...

• RailEurope is the major company for buying rail tickets, rail passes and making seat reservations in advance. Its site offers point-to-point fares between thousands of cities in Europe.
• If you’re new to train travel in Europe I suggest you visit their FAQ and click on the At the Station and On Board sections.
• The Europe Travel & Resource Center offers direct links to all passes for prices, important information and valuable country bonuses.
• New for Ireland in 2010. Free rail travel with the Golden Trekker Pass if you're over 66.

RailEurope offers most passes and rail tickets, however, you won’t find some of the drawbacks about rail travel you need to know.

It also does not give you details about European train vacation and products that are not offered by RailEurope.

Thus, the reason for this Tutorial is...to give you ALL the facts.

Enjoy your European Train Vacations wherever you may go!

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