Travel planning
It is possible to book hotels through our partner HotelsCombined – the hotel search engine that lets you make a quick and easy search across the best hotel deals from all major travel websites.
You can find up-to-date information about railway strikes by following our Twitter updates, posting a question on the Eurail Facebook page or by contacting the railway company of the specific country.
With every Eurail order, you will receive a free Travel Pack consisting of a rail map of Europe, a timetable booklet and a Pass Guide. In the planning section of our website, you can find timetables, maps, reservation info and useful links.
You will receive a free printed Eurail railway map of Europe with your Eurail pass order. You can also download the Eurail railway map in PDF format.
You can find online timetables and a PDF download of the Eurail timetable booklet on the page train timetables and schedules.
Reservations
A few suggestions on how you can make seat reservations:
- In advance, through various travel agents.
- At a train station, once you've arrived in Europe.
- Through the call center of one of the European railways . We recommend the call center of German railway service Deutsche Bahn. (call +44 871880 8066)
For some trains, every passenger – including Eurail pass holders – are required to pay an additional reservation fee. The cost of a seat reservation depends on the type of train, the class of travel and the speed of the train.
Eurail pass holders only pay a supplement for the sleeping accommodation on night trains. The costs depend on the train type and the level of comfort that you desire: a reclining seat, a bed in a couchette or even a private cabin. We have listed an overview of supplements for some popular overnight trains.
Your Eurail timetable, which you'll receive with your pass, will indicate the trains that require reservations. Check the timetable legend to see how.
Online timetables will also indicate trains that require (or recommend) reservations.
Most high-speed trains require reservation fees. Often, it is possible to avoid paying these fees when you research alternative routes. Your journey may take longer or require a few transfers, but you won't pay extra reservation fees.
Eurostar is not included in the Eurail pass, but you can get a discount on Eurostar (the 'Pass holder fare').
To find out the exact prices for your trip we would suggest to look at the Fares pages at Eurostar.com:
Reservations are usually recommended to make sure you get a place on the boat. In general, reservations for boats can only be made at the ticket window of the particular ferry line. Sometimes, you can make reservations online through the ferry company's website, or via phone or email. The individual ferry company descriptions will tell you the preferred method of booking.
French TGV trains, Thalys and the Spanish train Alaris have a limited number of seats available to Eurail pass holders. We recommend that you make reservations for the high season months (June, July and August) as early as possible.
In case your train is fully booked for pass holders, you can either purchase a full fare train ticket and buy a pass with fewer travel days, or you can search for an alternative route. We have listed several alternative routes.
- To check availability for the trains, please contact a booking center or visit a European railway station.
Train routes
Many Eurail customers enjoy traveling the route from Prague, Czech Republic to Budapest, Hungary.
Please note that the direct Eurocity train (duration: about 7 hours) between these cities goes through Slovakia. Because Eurail passes are not valid in Slovakia, you’ll need an additional point-to-point ticket.
You can not travel with Eurail passes within Turkey. If you want to visit Turkey, you can travel with Eurail to its bordering countries, Greece and Bulgaria. From there, you can buy a point-to-point train ticket or use other forms of transport (bus, ferry, air) to visit Turkey.
Basically, your Eurail pass is valid right up to the Turkish border, but not beyond.
Eurail passes are not valid in Great Britain / England / United Kingdom, but you can get discounts on travel to London with your Eurail pass when you travel by Eurostar train or by ferry.
There are several train connections between Germany and Sweden, which all cross Denmark. In most cases, you have to change trains in Copenhagen (København ).
You can search for schedules on the Timetables page.
Railway services
Eurail.Com offers no discount for car rental, as we hope you will enjoy riding the rails during your entire visit.
However, if you do decide to drive, there are car rental companies all over Europe. Often, they have their offices next to (or in) major train stations.
All railway companies offer facilities for passengers needing assistance.
Whether or not you’re able to take your bicycle on the train depends on the country you’re traveling in and the type of train you’re boarding. Many high-speed trains will not carry bikes, but most local trains will accept them.
The rules for bringing pets differ per country, and sometimes even per train. On most trains, you are permitted to bring along a smaller pet, as long as they don't take passengers seats.
On many trains, buffet and bar cars sell light meals throughout the trip, and vendors with food trolleys often pass through the carriages selling beverages and snacks.
There are usually no weight limitations on baggage, except on some high-speed trains.
On the Eurostar, Thalys and TGV, each passenger may take along two large pieces of luggage and a single piece of hand luggage.
There are some trains on selected holiday routes that offer the option of transporting cars.
EuroNight is a general term for international long-distance night trains in Europe.
Most train stations in Europe have a lost luggage department. If you are not near the location where you lost your property, try to contact the railway company of the country where you were traveling.
- Train timetables
Find train schedules and travel times - Railway map
View the major train routes in Europe - Seat reservations
When and how to make seat reservations
