The complete Eurail pass guide: What is eurail pass, how to use & what countries does Eurail pass cover

Traveling through many countries is a topic that many our readers are interested in when traveling to Europe. Which means of transportation should I choose to travel conveniently and economically? How to fully admire the beauty of Europe in one trip? Please read this article until the end to understand more about the Eurail Pass – the “powerful” transportation pass that every traveler that likes Europe must have.

So, what is Eurail Pass, is Eurail Pass worth it, where to buy Eurail Pass, what countries does Eurail Pass cover, what does Eurail Pass cover, how much does Eurail Pass cost, how to use Eurail Pass, how does Eurail Pass work? Let’s check out our complete Eurail Pass guide to find out the answers!

What is Eurail Pass? Where to buy Eurail Pass? How to use Eurail Pass? Please read the entire article about Eurail Pass to enjoy your trip to Europe.

Eurail pass guide: What is a Eurail Pass?

Are you bored with waiting in line for a long time to buy train tickets or having to buy a lot of train tickets to travel is also quite troublesome for you. Now, with just a Eurail Pass – this multi-purpose pass can take you to travel through European countries quickly and conveniently, while also saving a lot of money for your wallet.

Information for those who are new to the Eurail Pass, this will be the only pass that allows you to travel by rail, travel unlimitedly on trains many times and cross 33 countries in Europe. This means you can take as many trains as you like within a set period of time from 4 days to 3 months at a much “cheaper” price!

Why Should You Own a Eurail Pass?

For travelers, Europe is a wonderful destination that no one dreams of visiting, perhaps because of its captivating scenery and diverse cuisine and unique architecture… worthy of a perfect destination for your trip.

However, you don’t need to worry that traveling around different European countries and cities can be quite confusing for you, because you just need to prepare for your trip with a pass right here. That is the best solution for you to freely use unlimited rail services across European countries!

How Many Types of Eurail Pass Are There?

Eurail Pass is classified according to the following types: One Country Pass (travel within one country) such as Eurail pass for Germany or Eurail pass for France… or Eurail Global Pass (travel to all railway systems of European countries connects with Eurail).

The validity period of Eurail Pass also gives you many options such as: 3, 5, or 7 days within 1 month, 10 or 15 days within 2 months, 15 consecutive days, 1 month or 2 consecutive months. Regarding seat class, with the standard price you have 2 options: first class seat and second class seat. Depending on your needs, you can choose the most suitable seat for you, ready for your journey right away!

(*) Important note: Eurail pass is only for residents outside Europe (non-European nationals). If you currently reside in a European country, please purchase an Interrail Pass to use!

How Many Countries Can I Go To With The Eurail Global Pass?

With just this single “powerful” pass, you can travel through many European countries and explore many big cities such as London, Paris, Zurich, Rome, Florence, Bern, Amsterdam, etc. The 33 countries where the Eurail Global Pass is used are Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, UK, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Türkiye.

You can travel on regional trains, scenic trains, night trains, and high-speed trains. Some popular routes:

• London to Paris on Eurostar – 2 hours 28 minutes
• Paris to Amsterdam on Eurostar – 3 hours 20 minutes
• Paris to Geneva on TGV Lyria – 3 hours 5 minutes
• Paris to Barcelona on Renfe-SNCF train – 6 hours 15 minutes
• Rome to Milan on Le Frecce – 2 hours 55 minutes
• Milan to Venice on Le Frecce – 2 hours 25 minutes
• Prague to Vienna on EuroCity train – 4 hours 25 minutes

How much does a Eurail Pass cost?

Eurail Pass prices will vary depending on validity period (from 4 days to 3 months), seat class and pass type. Eurail Pass prices range from USD 267.15. Please choose the pass type that best suits your needs.

Where is the Cheapest Place to Buy a Eurail Pass?

Eurail Pass often has many “huge” promotions. You should watch for big promotional days like Black Friday, Thanksgiving or Christmas to “hunt” for Europe Rail Pass tickets with discounts of up to 45%. If your ticket purchase time is not during the shopping season, no need to worry.

Just order a Eurail Pass here, you will receive good prices with many incentives and benefits. Klook also has many discount codes to help you save more when traveling on your own. Remember to take advantage of this!

Do I need to reserve a seat in advance to use the Europe Rail Pass?

The biggest question of Eurail Pass users is whether they have to reserve a seat before boarding the train. You only need to reserve seats for mandatory trips. With regular train routes, you just take your Eurail Pass on the train and choose any seat you want.

There will be cases where you sit in a reserved seat (because they can get on the train at later stations, along the journey). You just need to return the seat to the person who reserved the seat when they get on. This is a very normal practice, so you don’t need to be shy. The important thing is that when you give your Europe Rail Pass to the ticket checker, you will be fine if do not have a troublesome. During peak times, many trains are often full. If you want a leisurely journey without having to stand, just make sure to reserve a seat in advance.

Trips requiring reservations are express trains or night trains. Reservation cost from 10 euros/trip. After reserve a seat on the website or app, you will receive confirmation via email, depending on the railway company. If not necessary, you can completely avoid trains that require reservations.

How to Activate Eurail Global Pass / Eurail One Country Pass

Just order a Eurail Pass at Klook, you will receive good prices with many incentives and benefits. Klook also has many discount codes for you to save even more! Once you have purchased this “powerful” pass, you don’t need to worry about how to redeem and activate it, Klook will guide you step by step so you can easily follow it.

Because the Eurail Pass will be a completely mobile pass (e-ticket on your smartphone), there is no need to exchange any paper passes. Below are detailed instructions on how to activate the Eurail Global Pass & Eurail One Country Pass on your mobile phone or computer.

1. Add your mobile pass (fill your information)

There are two ways you can activate your Eurail Pass: as a link in an email and then a confirmation will be sent to you when you complete your pass purchase, or you can follow the steps below:

• Open the Rail Planner app
• Click on “My Pass”
• Click “Add your pass”
• Enter middle/last name and pass number. You can find your pass number in the confirmation email you received (shown as “voucher number” on Klook confirmation email.

Please note that you will need to enter your full name and pass number exactly as they were sent in the email as they are case sensitive. If you copy and paste any information, make sure there are no extra spaces.

2. Create a trip

The next thing to do is connect your trip to the pass you just created. This way, you will be able to track your trip itinerary, just do the following:

• Click “create a new trip”
• Name your trip

If you’ve created a trip before, you can use that too. You can also view the list of other trips to choose your seat right on the website!

Question: What if there are multiple Eurail Passes?

Each pass will be used for separate trips, so make sure you have separate trips for each pass. For example, if you purchased three passes, you’ll need to create three separate trips for each pass.

If you’ve already created a trip and want another trip identical to this one, you can also copy an existing trip to save time.

3. Activate your pass

Before starting your trip, you must activate your pass to be able to use it. You will need your passport or ID number to use during your trip. You also need to know when you can catch the first train. Just:

• Enter your passport number or ID card number
• Enter the date you will catch the first train trip

Question: What should I do if I don’t know the first day of the train trip?

Don’t worry because you can go back to the step of choosing to activate your pass at least 1 day before the train ride, remember to activate your pass, otherwise you won’t be able to use the card and get on the train somewhere!

Question: What if I travel later than the booked date?

No problem, you can activate your Eurail Pass up to 11 months after the date you purchased it! And so you can successfully activate your card on the Rail Planner application. The next step is to plan and create your journey.

Important note: Before redeeming your pass and activating it, you should download the latest version of the Rail Planner app. Because all Klook Eurail passes are mobile passes, they can only be redeemed via your mobile phone. Mobile cards are supported on Android 6.0 or later and iOS 13.0 or later.

How to reserve Eurail Global Pass / Eurail One Country Pass

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make a reservation once you have activated your Eurail Global Pass and Eurail One Country Pass.

1. Plan your trip

Search for the destination and city you want to stop at/train stop on the Rail Planner application, you can check the train time to see if you can book in advance or not, immediately click on the “trip details” section for more complete information. Or you can also choose as you like by clicking “options” button.

2. Save your trip to “My Trip”

Once you’ve found your ideal train ride, you can tap on it to save it to your trips. It’s also possible to save multiple trips to make traveling to multiple destinations easier. Note that some trains require a booking fee.

3. Add your trip to “My Trip”

When you’re ready to travel, you can add an itinerary to your trip. Go to “My Trip” and simply tap on the itinerary to add it.

4. Show your QR pass

Whenever you board the train, you must show your QR code to the ticket inspector to board the train. Each travel date in your pass has a different QR code/ticket, and each ticket will show you the trip you created in steps 2 and 3.

To display your QR pass/ticket, simply follow these steps:

• Go to “My Pass”
• Click “Show ticket”

Below the QR code will be your personal information and other relevant information in case the ticket inspector needs to double-check some details with you.

If you are traveling in a group, you will need to present your ticket to everyone using the pass.

You have now successfully created, redeemed and activated your Eurail pass and reserved seats! Now feel free to explore Europe to your liking. Your European travel journey will be simpler than ever with the Eurail Pass. Order your Eurail Pass on Klook today to receive preferential prices, simple usage, and many exclusive discount codes.

The post first appeared on Klook Vietnam and was translated by Living Nomads. If you find any images or text that belong to you, please contact us, so we can credit you or give us permission to use them. Thank you very much!

You can refer to many other Eurail passes, tickets, activities across Europe as follows

• Eurail Scandinavia Pass
• Eurail Italy Pass
• Eurail Spain Pass
• Eurail France Pass
• Eurail Global Pass – 33 European Countries
• Klook Pass Paris
• Berlin 24-Hour Transportation Ticket

Read more Europe guide here.