Which European countries does the Eurail pass cover?
Eurail passes entitle you to unlimited travel on Europe's extensive 100,000 mile rail network in the 17 Western countries of Europe. The 17 countries are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. England, Scotland, and Wales are not included.

Back to the top

Which European countries does the Europass cover?
The Europass covers France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. Additional country zones may be purchased and added to the Europass ticket.

Back to the top

When is a seat reservation required?
With a Eurail pass you may board the train, but you are not guaranteed a seat, sleeper, or couchette. To guarantee a seat, you must purchase a reservation. There is an additional fee for reservations in addition to your pass price. Most trains are open seating and a seat reservation is not mandatory, but seat reservations are required for most high-speed trains such as TGV, Pendolino, Thalys, Eurostar, X2000, and highly recommended for ICE and certain InterCity and EuroCity trains. Friday and Sunday afternoons and evenings are peak travel periods for Europeans, so you might consider a seat reservation. All long distance trains in Spain, Romania and most in Norway and Sweden require seat reservations. Many in Belgium, Netherlands, and Switzerland do not offer them. Seat reservations cannot be made in the USA for Portugal, Greece, Ireland, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and FYROM.

Back to the top

How do I make a train reservation?
If you are reserving from North America, you may do so through Rail Europe. You may also reserve directly at the train stations in Europe. We recommend at least 24 hours in advance. Seat reservations are about $11 USD per person, per train, and are non-refundable. Sleeper fares are based on distance and range from $25 to $200 USD. Couchette reservations are about $28 USD per person. Reservations can be confirmed up to 2 months prior to the date of travel. Please note prices are subject to change due to international exchange rates.

Back to the top

Does my pass cover sleepers?
Your railpass does not cover sleepers. Night trains require an advance reservation for a sleeper or couchette. If you will be utilizing a night train, it is necessary to make an advance reservation and there will be an additional cost.

Back to the top

What is the difference between first and second (coach) class?
First class is more quiet and spacious with fewer seats per compartment or car. There is more room for luggage and generally will be less crowded as most Europeans travel in second class.

Back to the top

Which tickets listed are first and second (coach) class?
The adult, senior, and child-fare tickets Eurail and Europass (saverpass and flexipass) available from TravelNow.com are first class tickets. The youth-fare tickets are only available as second (coach) class. This means if a family of five travel together-- 2 adults, 2 youth, and 1 child-- the adults and the child will be seated in first class and the 2 youths will be seated in second (coach) class. You have the option of purchasing adult-fare tickets for youth travelers.

Back to the top

Do trains provide meals?
Most long-distance trains have a restaurant or buffet car and some have bar cars. Meals are usually not available on overnight trains, but if they are, the sleeping car attendant will take your continental breakfast order. On shorter trips, snack vendors travel regularly through the train. Feel free to bring your own food and make a picnic on the train.

Back to the top

How do I validate my passes?
Validating your rail pass is one of the first things you'll do when arriving at the train station on your first day of travel. Validation is required once and commences the time period of validity for your pass. Do not make any marks on your rail pass prior to validation. When arriving at the train station on your first day of travel proceed to a ticket window and present your rail pass along with your passport and/or other positive identification. The attendent will then write in the beginning and ending dates of activity for your rail pass and your passport number on your pass. To make sure the dates entered by the attendent are correct you may want to write down the beginning and ending dates on a seperate piece of paper and present it along with your pass. Make sure that you and the rail representative are in agreement of the dates before he writes on your pass. This is especially helpful if you are pre-validating your pass. Be sure to write the dates in the European format of day/month. If you board a train with an un-validated pass you will be fined by the conductor. To avoid additional expenses and inconveniences, allow yourself the extra time to validate your pass before departure. If the dates or passport number entered by the rail attendent are incorrect, point it out immediately. Do not use the pass and proceed to the nearest Rail Aid office to have it exchanged. In the event that you validate or pre-validate your pass and do not use it, have the pass stamped "not-used" by a rail representative so you may use it again.

Back to the top

Using your validated rail passes
After having your pass validated, you're free to use the trains as much as you like within the validity of your pass. Holders of a consecutive day pass have virtually nothing left to do with their pass other than presenting the pass on the train or making an occassional reservation. Holders of a flexipass must write the day's date of travel (in ink) on their pass in the appropriate box before boarding the train. Failure to do so will result in a fine being levied. Be careful when entering the travel date on your pass, as incorrect dates result in the loss of the travel day. Tampering with the pass will result in a fine and/or confiscation, so be particularly careful when entering the days on your pass. When the train is underway the conductor will come by to check tickets. Have your pass ready to present when asked. If the train makes a number of stops en-route you may need to present your pass a few more times, especially on long distance trains when there is a personnel change. At some international borders you will need to present your pass to border patrol. Have your passport and identification ready and be cooperative.

Back to the top

How do I use a Flexipass and an overnight train?
Holders of a flexipass (Eurail and Europass) may take advantage of the "Overnight Rule" and save a day of travel. With the flexipass, if an overnight train leaves after 7:00 pm and arrives the next day (after 12:00 am), write in the next day's date in the appropriate box on your pass. Since the majority of train travel is taking place the next day, you will only be charged for one day, provided you didn't do any traveling before 7:00 pm. Otherwise, you will be using two travel days. If the train leaves before 7:00 pm, purchase a point-to-point ticket from the departure city to the first city that the train arrives after 7:00 pm. That way, you'll be able to take advantage of the Overnight Rule and save a travel day in the process.

Back to the top

What if I run out of days?
If you are traveling with a rail pass and either your pass expires or you use all the days, it is not possible to add days on to your pass. If you purchased a flexipass and determined before you ran out of travel days that you would need more, purchase point-to-point tickets for the shortest trips and save your pass for the long-distance trains. Short trips are typically inexpensive and you'll save even more by using your pass for long trips.

Back to the top

Do European cities have more than one train station?
Most major cities around the world have more than than one major train station. Determine before you travel if your departure or transfer city has more than one station. Make sure, if you are changing trains to continue to your destination, that the train departs from the station you are at. Ask at the information booth at the stations for more information.

Back to the top

These European cities have more than one rail station:
Antwerp, Athens, Barcelona, Basel, Belfast, Belgrade, Berlin, Bilbao, Boulogne, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest ,Calais, Casablance, Cologne, Como, Copenhagen, Dover, Dublin, Dunkerque, Essen, Exeter, Folkstone, Geneva, Genoa, Glasgow, Halsingborg, Hamburg, Harwich, Hendaye, Irun, Le Havre, Leningard, Liege, Lisbon, Liverpool, Lodz, London, Lyon, Madirid, Malmo, Machester, Marseilles, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Naples, Newhaven, Oporto, Orleans, Oslo, Paris, Portsmouth, Prague, Ramsgate, Rome, Rotterdam, San Sebastian, Seville, Southampton, Stockholm, Tilbury, Tours, Turin, Venice, Vienna ,Warsaw, Weymouth, Wiesbaden, Zurich.

Back to the top

What do I do if my passes are stolen while in Europe?
An optional Rail Pass Protection Plan is available for $15 per pass to reimburse the rail pass holder in the event of loss or theft of the pass while traveling in Europe. Insurance is non-refundable and must be purchased at the same time as the rail pass. The Rail Protection Plan is available for any pass purchased from TravelNow.com

Back to the top

How the Rail Pass Protection Plan Works:
If your pass is lost or stolen while in Europe, report the loss/theft to the local police at the train station IMMEDIATELY and obtain a police report. Purchase point-to-point tickets for the remainder of your trip. Within 30 days after returning to the US, file a claim for reimbursement. The claim should include: A notarized written report of the circumstances of loss or theft, official police report, receipt for replacement tickets. You will then be reimbursed for 100% of the unused portion of the pass.

Back to the top