EURAIL: Everything Young Travellers Need to Know

TL;DR — The Quick Version 

Taking Full Advantage of High Speed Rail in Europe

The Eurail Pass is — in my opinion — by far the most convenient way to travel Europe, especially if you’re backpacking on a budget.

Whether you’re planning cheap train travel across Europe or just want a stress-free way to get between major hubs like London, Paris, and Berlin, a Eurail pass makes it easy.

A Eurail pass offers “unlimited” train travel across 33 European countries — making it one of the best ways to explore the continent in 2026. The only countries not covered are Kosovo and Albania, where public transport is limited anyway.

On your travel days, a Eurail Pass lets you hop on and off almost any high-speed or regional train across Europe — and even some ferries.

If you’re still figuring out your itinerary, check out my guide: When and Where Young Travellers Should Go in Europe.

As a youth (ages 12–27) you get a 25% Eurail youth discount off the adult price of every pass — one of the biggest travel savings available to young people in Europe.

What Types of Passes are Available?

There are three types of Eurail passes available. The Global Pass, One Country Pass and the Eurail Plus Pass. This guide only covers The Global Pass and One Country Pass. Why?

The Eurail Plus Pass is a relatively new pass which includes your seat reservation on all your journeys. I would NOT recommend this pass AT ALL.

1. Because it is in the Beta stages, and even Eurail says not everything will work smoothly.
2. There have been plenty of reviews about the app not working well at all with the Eurail Plus Pass.
3. They cost an extra €100, and not all destinations require mandatory seat reservations.

The Global Pass

If you are planning on travelling around multiple countries, I recommend buying the Global Pass.

The Global Pass allows you to use the high speed and regional train systems and some ferries in all 33 participating countries across Europe.

*If you are however planning on travelling to Eastern Europe, I would not recommend buying any Eurail Pass. More on that here.

Access the Eurail Validity map here:

There are two types of Global Passes: Flexi Pass and Continuous Pass

• Flexi Pass:
  • You can use these passes on whatever days within a certain period of time.
  • For example, the most popular flexi pass allows you to have 7 travel days of your choice within a time period of a month – meaning you can travel on any 7 days within a month from when you activate your pass.
  • This means, on your activated travel days, you can hop on and off any train of your choice.

*There is a currency converter available to use in the sidebar

• Full info on the Flexi Pass can be found here

• Continuous Passes
  • These passes you use on continuous days.
  • For example, the cheapest continuous pass allows for 15 days of continuous travel, meaning once you activate the pass, you can use it everyday but only for 15 days in a row.
  • I would only recommend buying this pass if you have the money and are a spontaneous traveller. Otherwise, the flexi pass is your best option.

*There is a currency converter available to use in the sidebar

• Full info on the Continuous Pass can be found here

One Country Pass

If you’re planning on travelling one country at a time – from top to bottom – then the One Country Pass is perfect.

• They allow you to ride on all local, regional and high-speed rail.
• You can get discounts on some ferries, hotels and city cards.
• You can travel to hundreds of destinations within a country of your choice. 
• HOWEVER, I do not recommend getting a One Country Pass if you plan on going to Eastern Europe. More on that here.

The One Country Pass is available in the following countries:

Combo One-Country Passes

Combo One-Country Passes are passes that allow you to travel to a group of countries in a certain region for the price of one. There are three combo-one country passes available:

• Eurail Benelux Pass:
  • The Eurail Benelux Pass gives you access to the rail networks in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
  • I do not recommend buying this pass UNLESS you are doing multiple day trips from one location or like to hop on and hop off multiple trains with no restrictions.
  • Belgium’s national train network (SNCB) offers a youth discount of 40% off all standard train fares for any route and time, therefore it is not worth buying any Eurail Pass if you’re visiting Belgium.
  • Be sure to calculate the price of buying separate tickets before you buy this pass.
• Eurail Scandinavia Pass:
  • The Eurail Scandinavia Pass offers access to 4 countries: Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
  • If you are planning on travelling long distances or between each of the four countries, then I would highly recommend this pass.
  • It offers amazing flexibility and the opportunity to hop on and off any trains you like.
  • Even if you do book separate tickets in advance (no Eurail Pass) the price does not differ a whole lot, so getting a Eurail Pass is 100% worth it.
  • If you are only exploring one of the countries, then consider getting a One Country Pass just for that country – which is available for all Scandinavian countries except Norway.
  • Still be sure to check the prices of separate tickets to each of your desired destinations and compare them with the Eurail Pass before you purchase the pass. -> Be sure to take into account the flexibility that the Eurail Pass offers.
• Eurail Greek Islands Pass:
  • The Eurail Greek Islands Pass offers two options: a 4 day or 6 day pass.
  • The 4 day pass allows 4 domestic travel days (seat reservations are required but are free) on ferries across the Greek Islands.
  • The 6 day pass allows for 2 international travel days from participating Italian ports (Venice, Ancona, Bari, Brindisi) and then 4 travel days across the Greek islands.
  • It is a great way for stress-free travel across the Greek Islands as ferry costs can be quite high – especially in the Summer months.
  • For all the information you possibly need, head to the FAQ’s for the Eurail Greek Islands Pass.

Things to Look Out For with Eurail

Heading to Eastern Europe?

If you’re heading to Eastern Europe, my recommendation is to skip the Eurail Pass entirely. 

Except for Poland, rail infrastructure across Eastern Europe is relatively under-developed compared to the north and west of the continent.

On top of that, bus services like FlixBus are often faster and significantly cheaper than trains in the region. 3 to 5 hours bus rides in Eastern Europe can sometimes cost as low as €5.

For budget train and bus travel in Eastern Europe, buses are almost always the better deal.

Use websites like compareabus.com to find the best deals on buses.

Seat Reservations

In countries like Spain, Italy, and France, you’ll need a mandatory seat reservation to board high-speed services such as the TGV, Eurostar, and Frecciarossa. These can cost anywhere from €5 to €25.

It is also important to note that seat reservations are limited, so if you are travelling between major tourist hotspots in the busy summer months, it is important to reserve your seat well in advance.

You can make seat reservations through the Eurail app, or also on websites like B-Europe.

If you’re planning to cross borders between these countries, it also helps to understand how the EU and Schengen Area work. Check out my post: The EU and Schengen Area Explained.

TIP: If you’re travelling from France to Germany (and vice-versa) on an ICE/TGV, book your seat reservation through the Deutsche Bahn (DB) app/website – it is much cheaper than third-party booking sites.

On routes where seat reservations aren’t mandatory, and you would still like to reserve a seat, always book seat reservations through the national railway service provider and not Eurail. You can book with Eurail, but booking through the national railway service provider is almost always cheaper.

Download the Local Railway App

The Eurail Rail Planner App can oftentimes be extremely unreliable when showing delays and connection times.

I would recommend downloading apps of the national railway companies of the countries you’re visiting. By checking the train connections on the apps of the national railway companies, you get the most up to date and reliable information.

All you have to do is simply create an account, look for your journey, and then save that journey to monitor the status.

Some National Railway Network Apps:

• 🇦🇹 Austria: ÖBB
• 🇧🇪 Belgium: SNCB
• 🇫🇷 France: SNCF
• 🇩🇪 Germany: Deutsche Bahn
• 🇮🇹 Italy: Trenitalia
• 🇳🇱 Netherlands: NS
• 🇪🇸 Spain: Renfe
• 🇨🇭 Switzerland: SBB

Local Transport is Not Covered

Another important thing to remember is that the Eurail Pass does not cover local public transport in cities.

That means you cannot use the local city underground/subways, trams and busses.

You have to make sure you buy a separate ticket to get around the cities.

TIP: If you are planning on visiting a city for more than one day, look out for city cards.

Many European cities have “City Cards”, which offer free public transport, discounts into various museums, and other cultural attractions. Simply google “[your city] city card”, for example “Vienna city card”)

Always Activate Your Ticket Before You Get Onboard

• Some travellers try to get away with activating their ticket only when they spot a conductor — or only when the conductor reaches their carriage.
• Occasionally conductors will ask to check what time the ticket was activated.
• If your ticket was activated after your journey had started, you could face fines of €50-€150. -> This is also stated in the terms and conditions of your pass, so there is no getting out of it.

How to Buy the Pass

NOTE: Make sure you buy a EURAIL PASS and NOT an Interrail Pass. Interrail passes are for residents of Europe ONLY.

The Eurail Trip Planner is a fun and simple way to plan your travels around Europe. The Trip Planner will automatically show you the connections you need to take from one destination to another, and show you the trains that are eligible to be used with the Eurail Pass.

You simply:

• Create a trip name
• Input your starting point
• Input your start date

Then from there, all you have to do is insert your next destinations and how many nights you are staying for.

The planner will then automatically give you a recommendation on which pass to buy and then you simply add the pass to your shopping cart.

Some Things to Look Out For When Using the Trip Planner

There are some things to be wary of when planning your trip using the Eurail Trip Planner.

Some of the train routes that are shown on the trip planner take you on a longer route than usual.

For example:

Sometimes the Eurail Trip Planner suggests connections that aren’t actually the fastest option available. For example, above, between routes 2 (Munich, Germany) and 3 (Bern, Switzerland), the planner shows a detour that adds roughly two extra hours of travel time.

This is the route you should be taking:

To avoid surprises, it’s always worth cross‑checking your journey. Start by checking Google Maps or a National Rail Network train app/website (simply google [destination country] railway) and then compare it with the Eurail Trip Planner to confirm that Eurail is showing the quickest valid connection.

This works both ways. If you’re planning your itinerary in Google Maps, double check in the Eurail Trip Planner that the trains you want to take are actually covered by your pass. Most routes are included, but there are occasional exceptions—so a quick check can save you time and hassle.

Checkout

Once you have an itinerary or plan for your Europe trip, you can simply go and choose the pass you want here.

Once you have chosen your pass, simply add it to your cart and checkout.

When you check out, you will be asked for two things.

Whether you want a Mobile Pass, and Refund Protection.

Always choose a Mobile Pass, and I always Skip Refund Protection.

The reasons I skip refund protection is:

• Once you buy your pass, you have 11 months to activate it – more than enough time
• Even after the 7-day 100% refundable period, you will still get 90% of your purchase back if you want a refund.

Once you select both options, you simply insert your passport details, personal details and pay.

Before you Get Onboard: How to Get Your Train Specific Tickets?

It is really simple. First, you need to go to the “Planner” in the Eurail Rail Planner app.

From there, all you do is:

• Search your route.
• Select the train and time you want to take it.
• Press “Save journey”.
• Add it to one of your trips, or create a new one.

Once you have saved your journey onto “My Trip”, click on the “My Trip” section on the app and you will be taken to all your trips. You then select your trip and you will be taken to your selected train.

Once you have found your train journey, simply touch the QR code on the top right of the route, press “use travel day” if you haven’t already, and your ticket will be available to use.

It really is that simple… If you’re still confused visit the Official Eurail website on How to use your Eurail Pass.

Conclusion

Overall, if you want a smooth, easy, and hassle-free way to travel Europe by public transport, a Eurail Pass is the best option.

It gives you freedom, it’s easy to use, and it gets you to most of the places you need to go. 

Want the full picture? Read my complete guide: Travelling Europe by Train and Bus for comparisons with FlixBus, individual tickets, and more.