If you choose to tour Europe by rail, you've made a great choice. It is the most efficient way to see many different countries. You can also spend some time talking to the locals while getting to your destination. Here's what to do to start planning your trip.
Decide how long you'll need the rail pass. Some options include consecutive day passes starting from 15 days to 3 months, 10 to 15 day passes out of 2 months, or 1 month pass.
Determine how many people are in your tour group. Group discounts for as little as two people are available.
Plan your route through Europe. Choose the countries you want to visit and in what order. You should leave a few extra days in case you find a place where you want to stay longer. Once you know your route, you can schedule nighttime travel and sleep on the train to save even more time.
Choose from the various Eurail pass types, based on the number of countries you want to visit. An expensive pass is a global pass with unlimited travel to 18 countries. A less expensive is a single country pass if you'll be traveling only within one country. Also, consider first and second class travel options, youth passes for those under 26 years old or senior tour passes.
Learn how to decipher train schedules. The format can be very confusing, so buy books or look on the Internet for examples and study them. This preparation will save you time and stress on your trip. You can also download specific rail traveling information in each specific country online.
