The Perfect Rail Pass

• Pass comparison chart
• What to consider before choosing a pass
• The most popular passes

There are a lot of different Rail Passes available through Rail Europe, but finding the right pass is not difficult if you follow a few simple steps. After reading through the steps, you'll see a short list of the main Rail Passes that you can purchase and the benefits that outline the differences between them.

You wish to...		Your best choices are...
See a lot of Europe:		Eurail Global Pass
Visit only three to five countries:		Eurail Select Pass
Visit only one country or region:		Country Passes: Austria Balkan Britain Croatia Czech Republic Eastern Europe France Germany Iberia Ireland Italy Portugal Scandinavia Spain Switzerland *Benelux refers to Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Tour Britain and Europe:		BritRail passes plus Eurail Global Pass or Eurail Select Pass. (Britain is not covered by any other passes. Discounted prices on Eurostar with any Eurail Global Pass, and with specific Eurail Select Pass.)
Take specific train trips:		Simple Tickets

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What you need to consider before choosing a pass

	Determine how long you plan to visit Europe.
	Put together an itinerary of the countries you plan to visit and in what order.
	Consider flexibility and length of the trip. Some Pass options require a certain number of consecutive days of travel while others offer more flexibility.
	Calculate the number of people in your party; two-person and group discounts are available.
	Remember age related discounts. Adult passes provide for first-class comfort, while youth passes (ages 12-25) provide for second-class services at reduced cost. Senior passes also offer better pricing.

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The most popular passes are:

	Eurail Global Pass (Great Flexibility for a wide range of travel) Unlimited Train travel through the 20 Eurail Countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
	Eurail Select Pass (Great Value in a three country pass) Unlimited travel on the national rail networks of any 3, 4 or 5 bordering countries out of 22 European countries (New! includes Croatia/Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria) that are connected by train or ship. Our easy "country selector" makes the process of booking this pass very simple.
	Single Country Passes (Best Deal when traveling to only one country or region) If you are only going to be traveling within one country, a single country railpass is your best option. Choose from any of 24 countries. Regional passes like Iberia and the Balkans are available as well.
	Train tickets (For single trips) You can book a ticket from any of 3500 cities in Europe directly through the website. This includes High Speed trains like Eurostar (the Channel train), Thalys or the TGVs.

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