Alvina ChanTo EUrail or not to EUrail? Whether your vacation is going to last two weeks or two months, almost every aspiring Europe traveller has faced the dilemma of deciding whether purchasing a Eurail pass is worth their money. With such a colossal network of railway services and Eurail passes available, it’s easy to get confused and feel overwhelmed. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide to help you cover the bases on choosing the right Eurail pass for you.
Deciding whether to purchase a Eurail pass and the type of Eurail pass to buy really depends on your individual needs.
A Eurail pass may offer you more value if:
- You expect to be covering a lot of ground between cities and countries during your travels;
- You’re intending to utilise a lot of high speed rails (which can get pretty costly);
- You plan to travel in countries with expensive transportation fares;
- You prefer catching overnight trains instead of flying in order to earn ‘free’ accommodation for the night; or
- You appreciate having the freedom to plan where your travels take you as you go along
A Eurail pass also offers these additional discounts if you:
- are 27 and under (enjoy a 20% youth discount on adult prices);
- are travelling in a small group of 2-5 members (enjoy a 15% discount upon purchase of the Adult Saver pass)
- have young children travelling with you under the age of 11 (they get their pass for FREE!)
As you can see, the Eurail pass offers you one of the most unique and flexible ways to explore Europe. Ultimately, it’s worthwhile to do the math and compare between purchasing a Eurail pass and purchasing point-to-point tickets to make sure you’re spending your hard-earned cash in the right place.
There are many versions of the Eurail pass that you can compare in order to find one to suit your needs. If you’ve decided on getting the pass, why not consider booking your Eurail Global FlexiPass via Klook? It’s surprisingly fuss-free!
| And before you start booking anything on Klook, we’ve got some sweet deals for you! Simply use the promo codes: Every dollar counts when you’re travelling – so you can make use of these savings for more food or fun activities. Enjoy S$50 OFF when you purchase your Eurail Global FlexiPass now! |
Simply choose between first or second-class Global FlexiPasses and how long you want your pass to be valid for, which would then be available for 5, 7,10 or 15 travel days of unlimited train rides across 28 countries such as Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland. Travel days do not have to be consecutive, so you can also decide when to use them during your trip.
But that’s not the end of your Eurail booking journey. It’s important to take note of railways that require you to make a reservation for their limited seats and make them early; the reservation fees in some countries can come as an unpleasant surprise (read: costly), especially if you decide to make last-minute bookings. That being said, most others can be boarded as easily as flashing your pass.
Bought your Eurail pass but not sure how to kickstart your next big adventure? We’ve gone ahead and planned an exciting travel itinerary based on the 10-day second-class Eurail Global FlexiPass for you. This pass costs S$882* on Klook, and we’ll be using this to do the comparison against point-to-point ticket prices** throughout this itinerary. Read on to find out how much you get to save in total!
*prices fluctuate daily
**point-to-point ticket prices in this article have been taken from eurail.com, raileurope.com and bahn.com
Day 1: Rome, Italy → Venice, Italy
Colosseum (left)| Burano Island, Venice (right)
Your journey begins in the City of Love. After losing yourself amidst stunning old beauties like the Colosseum, Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and falling head over heels in love with divine gelato, it’s time to find your way to the Queen of the Adriatic – Venice. Your ride via the Frecciarossa high-speed train from Roma Termini takes a direct route of about 3 and a half hours to reach Venezia S. Lucia.
Waste no time gliding through the picturesque waterways of Venice with a gondola ride – it’s one of the best ways to see the city. If you’re wine connoisseur, how about a food and wine walking tour so you can indulge in delicious cichetti? Don’t miss out on the likes of Burano Island, known for its striking Insta-worthy coloured houses, or Murano Island, known for its glass artisans who sculpt coloured glass pieces by hand.
Seat reservation price with Eurail Global FlexiPass: S$23
Point-to-point price: S$149
Klook pro-tip: While most people encourage you to “get lost in Venice”, if you don’t have a lot of time, learn to navigate the water bus system and have Venice cached as an offline map before you go. That way, you’ll be able to see as much as possible within a short amount of time.
Day 2: Venice, Italy → Salzburg, Austria
Image credit: (left) Pedro Szekely
Ah, Salzburg. Take the train from Venezia Mestre to Villach HBF, then hop onto the ÖBB railjet towards Salzburg HBF. Its wondrous “Sound of Music” countryside landscapes and rustic architecture (such as Salzburg Old Town and the Salzburg Fortress) will be within reach in around 5 and a half hours.
Visit St Peter’s Abbey, an intricately-decorated cathedral, or have a mountain hike up the Eagles nest for some stunning views. A relaxing day tour meandering through the Bavarian Alps featuring a boat ride to the White Horse Inn and the pilgrim church, also makes for a nice activity for two.
Seat reservation price with Eurail Global FlexiPass: S$34
Point-to-point pricing: S$143
Klook pro-tip: The steeper streets around Salzburg’s castles tend to be pretty slippery during wet weather, so do make sure to put on good shoes before you leave your accommodation.
Day 3: Salzburg, Austria → Munich, Germany
Theresienwiese, München, Germany |
Our next stop brings us to Munich, via a short 2-hour ride on the regional trains towards München HBF. Let the gothic wonder of the Neues Rathaus take your breath away before having a lazy picnic lunch on the wide lawns of the Englischer Garten (don’t forget to grab some beer from the assortment of beer gardens available around the area). To relive fairytales of old, a day trip to Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle (which served as the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty) and Linderhof Royal Castle is in order.
Of course when in Germany, there’s also no missing out on the beer – take as many samples as you can and learn about how Germany’s favourite drink is made. And for an unusual sight, make some time for a 5-hour scenic bike ride down the Isar river, where you’ll eventually come across a nuclear power plant that runs through the south side of Germany.
Seat reservation price with Eurail Global FlexiPass: S$8
Point-to-point tickets: ~S$40
Klook pro-tip: Save money on taxis while you’re in Munich – with an excellent transport system and extensively used bike lanes, biking and hopping onto public transport are easier and cheaper ways to explore the city.
Day 4: Munich, Germany → Brussels, Belgium
Brussels, Belgium |
For the next 7-hour leg of your journey, we recommend starting out early to avoid wasting daylight. Take the Ice DB from München Pasing Köln HBF, then transfer onto Thalys until you reach Bruxelles Midi.
If you like skeletons, fossils and stuffed animals (the taxidermy kind), head to the Museum of Natural History for a treat, where you’ll be able to observe actual dinosaur skeletons and more on display. History geeks will find themselves in paradise while at Brussels, wandering around other museums such as the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Autoworld, Coudenberg and more!
Art buffs on the other hand will be thrilled to visit the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, where over 20,000 works tracing the history of painting, sculpting and drawing are housed.
Seat reservation price with Eurail Global FlexiPass: S$51
Point-to-point tickets: S$378
Klook pro-tip: A lot of museums are closed on Mondays, while shops and restaurants (save for those surrounding tourist attractions) tend to be closed on Sundays. Do keep these in mind and plan your schedules accordingly to avoid unpleasant surprises!
| Gone are the days of multiple ticket stubs and expensive train transfers! Purchase your Eurail Global passes from Klook and savour the convenience of having your Eurail Global passes delivered to your doorstep free of charge. Each Eurail Global pass comes with a travel diary and travel calendar, where you’ll have to fill in the travel calendar on your Eurail pass before boarding the first train, free bus or free ferry of each day. |
Day 5: Brussels, Belgium → Amsterdam
Prinsengracht, Amsterdam (left) |
Amsterdam is a great pitstop to chill out and rest your knackered muscles from all that intensive travelling. For free entry to over 200 of Holland’s most popular attractions and museums including the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum and more, you might want to consider getting the Holland Pass. This idyllic city is also heartening to explore on a guided countryside bike tour if you haven’t got that much time to spare in Amsterdam.
For those looking to explore Amsterdam’s famous Red Light District, the district only really whirs to life around 11pm. Contrary to popular belief, it is actually the safest area in Amsterdam as clusters of policemen are always on duty. So let your curiosity take you down the streets for an eye-opening sight!
Bus ticket price: S$13
Klook pro-tip: Alright, so we’re cheating a little – but it’s well worth the money. Sometimes the difference between Eurail Global Passes and point-to-point tickets is negligible, so it makes more sense to pay out of your own pocket for transportation and save that travel day for a more expensive or longer ride. In this case, the ride from Bruxelles Midi to Amsterdam takes around 5 hours by bus for only S$13 compared to a 2-hour ride for the price of 1 travel day and about S$50. If you have time, definitely save up your travel days with this little tip.
Day 5: Amsterdam → Copenhagen, Denmark
Nyhavn | Copenhagen, Denmark |
Take the Eurocity train from Amsterdam CS to Copenhagen H, with two transfers in between before you arrive at your final destination after an 11-hour journey.
For those looking to visit an edgy side of the city, Christiania is a must-visit. A refreshing green spot in the middle of a busy city, Christinia is affectionately labelled a hippie town, where you can find small local workshops, cafes and organic restaurants with a plethora of other intriguing experiences for you to try out.
Catch Copenhagen’s exuberant music scene at The Candy Factory, a non-profit, non-commercial space that fosters the work of young performers and artists, or simply let loose at Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen’s iconic theme park filled with heart-stopping rides.
We also recommend getting a hop-on hop-off pass for the ultimate sightseeing adventure combining bus, boat and train tours for less than S$20. When you’ve had enough, head over to Nyhavn and grab a coffee or beer by the water.
Seat reservation price with Eurail Global FlexiPass: S$50
Point-to-point price: ~S$143
Klook Pro-tip: Since minimum wage is pretty high in Denmark, there’s no real need to tip. Feel free to still fill the tip jars that you find though!
Day 6: Copenhagen, Denmark → Berlin, Germany
Berlin cathedral city, Germany | Image credit: Jorg Schubert
It’s back to Germany again! Take a 6 and a half hour ride from Copenhagen H to Hamburg HBF via Eurocity trains, then towards Berlin Spandu via Ice DB after you’ve taken a short break.
When in Berlin, the war memorials are not to be missed – walk along the length of the Berlin Wall, while the Holocaust Memorial and The Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism are near enough to each other to get your fill of history in one day. Checking out the Hohenschoenhausen Prison is also an eye-opening experience, with both English and German language tours available (the German language tours are actually conducted by its former prisoners).
On a lighter note, one of the must-try nightlife districts in Europe belongs to Berlin, where their touristy pub crawls can be a lot of fun. If you’re not so much of a party animal, browsing around the quaint shops and cafes of the charming Pernzlauer Berg is a peaceful way to spend the daylight.
Seat reservation price with Eurail Global FlexiPass: S$34
Point-to-point tickets: S$181
Klook pro-tip: Credit cards are not often used and are not accepted in most places (restaurants, bars and even some U-Bahn ticket automats), so it’s important to always carry cash with you.
Day 7: Berlin, Germany → Warsaw, Poland
Plac Zamkowy (left), Polana Chocholowska, Kiry (right) |
The next leg of your journey takes you on a 6-hour ride from Berlin HBF to Central Warsaw. Besides being the intellectual centre of Poland, Warsaw is also a vibrant cultural space steeped in both history and modernity. Treat your eyes to Trakt Królewski (The Royal Route), undoubtedly the most beautiful part of the city that stretches on for over a mile, or chill out by the Wisła (Vistula) River and revel in their bustling blend of outdoor theatre, musical performances, beaches and eateries.
If you have time to travel out to Kraków, don’t miss the WIeliczka Salt Mine, filled with underground tunnels, chapels, chambers and saline lakes for a unique experience. For nature lovers, the largest and fourth-deepest lake in the Tatra Mountains, Morskie Oko, makes for a spectacular visit, while the Białowieża Forest in Belarus is home to 800 European bison.
Seat reservation price with Eurail Global FlexiPass: S$32
Point-to-point tickets: S$116
Klook pro-tip: Hitchhiking in Poland is one of the best (and economical) ways to see more of the country. People are generally nice and willing to give people a lift, so you never have to wait more than half an hour for your turn!
Day 8: Warsaw, Poland → Bratislava, Slovakia
High Tatras, Slovakia |
Day 8 lets you choose between multiple carriers to take you from Central Warsaw to Bratislava, Slovakia in about 7 hours. It’s worthwhile to walk around and spend some time checking out architecture and sculptures at Staré Město (Old Town), but there’s sadly not much to do at Bratislava. Instead, we recommend going on this guided walking tour and then spending some time to travel out to other cities within Slovakia.
Head out to Štrbské Pleso and take a 2-hour hike up to the Skok waterfalls in High Tatras, where the mountain lake views on top are mesmerizing. A visit to the Spiš Castle, one of the biggest castles in Europe set atop travertine rock, is guaranteed to take your breath away as it transports you back in time. And if you’re out in Slovakia during the winter, Jasna in Low Tatras is a must-visit for the best ski and snowboarding slopes, as well as a soothing dip into a warm bubble pool or hot sauna against the backdrop of majestic mountains.
Seat reservation price with Eurail Global FlexiPass: S$17
Point-to-point tickets: S$188
Klook pro-tip: If you’ve been scrimping for the past few legs of your trip, now’s the time to spend. Everything in Slovakia is considerably cheap compared to other European countries, so don’t hold back splurging on a bit more for yourself after so many weeks of being away from home!
| Itching to kickstart your epic Euro-adventure and start discovering these gems on your own? In addition to purchasing your Eurail Global FlexiPasses from Klook, you can also discover and book amazing tours and activities to do in almost every country!
Plus, don’t forget to use the promo code <YOURWAY50> for $50 OFF when you purchase your Eurail Global FlexiPass! |
Day 9: Bratislava, Slovakia → Split, Croatia
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia |
Perhaps the longest leg of your trip yet – get ready for 19 hours of travelling with a short stopover at Budapest, Hungary before you arrive at dreamy summer destination Split, Croatia. In addition to old-time architecture and quirky museums (check out Zagreb’s Museum of Broken Relationships if you want to hear the heartbreaking stories of other people), Croatia is also home to countless natural wonders.
Wander around the cobblestoned streets of Split’s Old Town, marvelling at the ancient walls of the Diocletian’s Palace, or take a languid stroll along the Port of Split, with azure waters that stretch into the horizon. An absolute must-visit is the Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO-protected site boasting glistening clear emerald lakes and lush greenery. We also recommend taking a short ferry trip out to bask on the pristine sands of Zlatni Rat Beach, or exploring the idyllic island of Hvar. Croatia’s famous for its fresh seafood, so don’t forget to treat yourself to a feast wherever you go!
Seat reservation price with Eurail Global FlexiPass: S$34
Point-to-point tickets: S$257
Klook pro-tip: Be sure to make an island-hopping trip out to the paradisiacal waters surrounding Croatia via ferries or boat and take yourself to one of the many Croatian islands. With approximately 1,200 islands waiting to be discovered, we guarantee that your efforts will add the perfect touch to your vacation!
Day 10 Split, Croatia → Vienna, Austria
Schönbrunn Palace, Austria | Image credit: Dennis Jarvis
Alas, the final leg of this Euro-adventure. Savour the last 17 hours of your train ride via multiple carriers from Split towards Vienna, Austria and get a good night’s rest. If you only have a few days, leave the city behind and visit the enchanting Vienna Woods and the memorial chapel of Mayerling on a guided half day tour, or go on a Danube Valley day trip to soak in the sights of the breathtaking countryside. Otherwise, getting the Vienna Pass is money well spent to enjoy free entry to over 70 of Vienna’s most popular attractions and museums, including the Imperial palace, Schönbrunn Zoo and the Natural History Museum.
Seat reservation price with Eurail Global FlexiPass: S$34
Point-to-point tickets: S$275
Klook pro-tip: While Vienna upholds an honour system when it comes to public transport, do buy a ticket when a trip is not covered by the Eurail Global Pass. The authorities have heard countless excuses and will impose a high fine, and you wouldn’t want trouble on your last few days in Europe.
So there you have it, a complete 10-day itinerary! If you happen to be travelling for long between many different countries in Europe like what we proposed above, then getting the Eurail Global Pass is extremely value for money. But don’t just take our word for it; we’ll let the numbers do the talking:
| Breakdown of costs for above itinerary:
10-Day Eurail Global FlexiPass VS point-to-point tickets Point to point tickets: S$149 (Venice) + S$143 (Salzburg) + S$40 (Munich) + S$378 (Belgium) + S$13 (Amsterdam) + S$143 (Denmark) + S$181 (Berlin) + S$116 (Poland)+ S$188 (Slovakia) + S$160 (Croatia) + S$275 (Vienna) = S$1,786 10-day Eurail Global Pass (valid for 2 months) with seat reservations: S$882 + S$23 (Venice) + S$34 (Salzburg) + S$8 (Munich) + S$51 (Belgium) + S$13 (Amsterdam) + S$50 (Denmark) + S$34 (Berlin) + S$32 (Poland) + S$17 (Slovakia) + S$34 (Croatia) + S$34 (Vienna) = S$1,212 Total cost savings : S$1,786 – S$1,212 = S$574* with the Eurail Global FlexiPass P.S. If you use the promo code <YOURWAY50> during your purchase, you’ll enjoy an additional S$50 OFF, which brings your total savings to… S$624*. How awesome is that? ENJOY LOTS OF SAVINGS WITH THE EURAIL GLOBAL FLEXIPASS! *Prices fluctuate daily and the total amount of savings is correct as of the date of publishing. |
That’s a huge amount of savings, isn’t it! So purchase a Eurail Global FlexiPass to suit your travel needs, especially if you have the luxury of time to explore Europe. Better yet, purchase them from Klook and enjoy more savings compared to purchasing them directly from Eurail themselves; these extra trimmings will come in handy dealing with all those pesky reservation rates!
Here are some tips to take note that can be helpful for making and tracking your reservations through the transportation providers themselves:
|
When you receive your pass, ensure that it is activated within 11 months after your purchase. However once activated, your Eurail pass will be valid for either 1 or 2 months depending on the type of pass you bought, so don’t activate your pass too early or you’ll risk losing precious days of travel.
The Eurail Global FlexiPass also makes you eligible for discounts on ferries, hotels, museum tickets and more. And with each purchase, you’ll receive a complimentary Eurail Travel Pack consisting of a railway map of Europe and a Eurail Pass Guide.
|
If you’re looking at other Eurail passes instead of the Eurail Global FlexiPass, take your pick from Klook’s other offerings below such as:
|
So there you have it! Raring to take on Europe on your most epic adventure? Let Klook take care of your transportation needs with unbeatable prices on the Eurail Global FlexiPass, and offer you the best deals when discovering exciting things to do in almost every European country!
KLOOK YOUR WAY TO YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE NOW!
In addition, subscribe to Klook’s mailing list right here to receive some of the best deals and activity updates straight into your inbox!
Brought to you by Klook.
