What it looks like
The pass table, and what has to be added to it
from our data- 5 days in 1 month, adult
- $345
- 5 days in 1 month, youth under 28
- $259
- 7 days in 1 month, adult
- $410
- Reservations still payable
- $0 to $45 per train, per person
- Compared against
- The summed fares of your actual train legs
A pass rarely wins on two or three trains. It wins when the trip is train-shaped, with many legs and flexible days, and the youth price is usually what tips it.
When it does not work
- Pass prices in our table are approximate and converted to dollars. Check eurail.com for today's price, and for youth eligibility, which is measured on the first travel day.
- Reservations are not optional on high-speed and international trains, and in summer they sell out well before the train does.
- Buses, Italo and most ferries are not covered at all. If your plan uses them, those fares stay on top.
- You have to activate the pass and log every journey in the Rail Planner app; an unlogged journey is an unticketed one.
- Advance point-to-point fares in France, Spain and Italy often beat a pass day, if you can commit to exact trains.
Risk
Low risk
The worst case costs you time, not the trip.