You can order the Eurail Pass only if you are a resident of a non-European country, including the United States, Canada, Australia and Singapore. Though you can get the pass from many travel agents and travel sites, it's best to order it from the source at www.eurail.com with a credit card. Shipping is free to many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. You'll also get a rail travel guide, rail map and timetable.
The Pass allows rail travel in all of Western Europe and the Scandinavian Peninsula, Greece and parts of Eastern Europe. For the British Isles, the pass is only valid in Ireland, though it offers a discount on the Eurostar Train between London and Paris. The pass also offers free or discounted travel on certain bus lines and ferry crossings, as well as reductions on hotels and museum admissions.
Eurail Pass offers four main passes, with a bewildering away of sub-options. The Global Pass allows travel in 21 countries for all days in any block of time, from between 15 days and three months. Global Passes also have the option of 10 or 15 days within two months. With the Select Pass, you choose from any of three to five bordering countries for five to 10 days of travel within two months. Finally, Regional Passes and Country Passes limit travel to particular regions (such as France and Italy) or countries (such as Hungary) for three to 10 days within one to two months.
Costs depend on user age, class of service and type of pass. Generally, passes for youth (25 and younger) are cheaper than for adults; 2nd class is cheaper than 1st; one country is cheaper than several; and using a few days within two months is cheaper than unlimited consecutive travel days.
Just before your first trip, validate your pass at the station ticket window or at a Eurail Aid Office. The official fills in the first and last days of validity and stamps your pass. Then, unless you are using a consecutive-day Global Pass, fill in every date of travel before your first trip of a particular day. (Use the European standard of day, month and year, e.g. 05.11.09 for November 5, 2009.) On the train, when the conductors asks for tickets, show your pass. He may ask for your passport to verify both your identity and non-European residency. Passes are not transferable.
Though you can generally hop on and off most European trains with your pass, some require reservations, including the high-speed TGV trains in France, scenic trains in Switzerland and long-distance trains in Spain and Italy. You also need reservations for sleeping berths. (Consider reserving during holiday and high-traffic periods.) Reservations are cheaper to make in Europe up to several months in advance.
