All about Eurail Passes
All about Eurail Passes
British T.I.P.S. is proud to be an official supplier for Eurail (European rail). We can assist with booking rail passes for more extensive travel AND individual journeys in many countries in Europe.
But what exactly is a Eurail Pass and how do you choose one?
Eurail Pass in a nutshell
A Eurail Pass is a single travel document that allows you to travel by train in one or more European countries. Passes are available in various validities and you can travel as much as you like on one day, which makes it a really economical way of using the extensive rail network that many European countries have to offer.
National (Regional) passes cover travel in one country, for example, France, Germany, or Italy.
Eurail Global passes cover travel in 31 countries in Europe. Note that, if you are going to be crossing a border during your travels, your pass needs to cover that too.
Flexi Pass vs Consecutive Pass
Consecutive Pass:
- Valid for a set number of days in a row.
- Available for 15, 22 days or 1, 2 or 3 months.
- Make as many train journeys as you like in one day – passes are restricted by days not journeys.
FlexiPass
- Your travel days don’t need to be consecutive – you can travel for a set number of days over a period of 1 or 2 calendar months (depending on the pass).
- For example: if you start using a 4-day pass on 01 January, you have 3 remaining days that you can use until 01 February inclusive.
- Available as 3, 5 or 7 days in 1 month OR 10, 15 days in 2 months.
- Make as many train journeys as you like in one day – passes are restricted by days not journeys.
Very important: Choose your rail pass according to how much travel you want to do and NOT on how long you’ll be in the country! For example: if you’re in the country for 10 days but want to travel on 4 days, then you need a 4-day pass and not a 10-day pass. Otherwise, you may end up spending way more money than you actually need to. If you’re unsure which one to choose, let us know and we can assist you.
Countries covered by the Eurail GLOBAL Passes
33* European Countries are covered by a Eurail Global Pass.
*Subject to change.
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Great Britain (England, Scotland & Wales)
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland (Republic & Northern)
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- Norway
- North Macedonia
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make as many journeys as you like in one day. The passes are restricted by days, not journeys. A day is classified as 24 hours commencing at midnight; as soon as you get on a train during the day, it counts as the start of a day’s travel.
Note: OVERNIGHT TRAINS: Traveller will enter the day of departure and you only use 1 travel day when travelling on a direct overnight train that arrives at its final stop after 4AM the following day, even if you leave the train before 4AM. Travel after midnight still counts as day of departure.
A travel day is a 24 hour period. It lasts from 12h00 midnight to 11h59 PM on the same calendar day.
Some train types do require seat reservations while others allow you to just take any train with open seats. Sleepers/overnight, high-speed (e.g. TGV, Frecciaroso), long-distance and international trains always require seat reservations.
At peak times (e.g. Christmas or school holidays) it is strongly recommended that, wherever possible, you prebook seat reservations. Reservations can be prebooked through British TIPS with a seat reservation fee or you can purchase these in Europe, even on the day of travel.
REMEMBER: A pass allows you to travel on a train, but does not guarantee a seat on a specific train. If the train is full, you will need to wait for the next one.
This applies to Flexi Passes. With a flexi pass, you have a certain number of days WITHIN a certain period, either 1 or 2 months. Your 1- or 2-month period begins when you activate your pass. You can make as many train journeys as you like in one day, as the passes are restricted by days not journeys.
For example, if you start using a 4 day pass on the 23 March you then have 3 remaining other days that you can use your pass until the 22 April inclusive.
You may use your pass as many times as you like within a day.
Your pass will only cover the country/ies for which it is booked. Should your route take you out of the country, you will need to buy an extra ticket or ensure you have a pass which covers that country too.
For example: You have a (one country) Italy Pass. On your last day, you’re leaving Italy and going to Germany, where your flight departs. You can either purchase an individual journey to Germany OR purchase a Eurail Global Pass instead.
For every adult buying a full price ticket, one child* receives a pass of the same type and duration for free.
If booking seats, seat reservations and accompanying segment fees are payable per child.
*Child age: 4 – 11 years.
Yes, the rail passes are all issued as mobile passes to be used on up-to-date Android and iOS devices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
Eurail passes are only available to citizens of non-EU countries. You will need to provide a passport to prove that you are not a citizen of any of those countries.
European citizens need to use an Interrail pass instead.
Citizens from the following countries are not entitled to buy a Eurail Pass: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Faeroer, Finland, FYR Macedonia, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vatican.
Eurail passes are for non-European citizens or non-European residents only, whereas Interrail passes are for European citizens only.
IMPORTANT: The pass you choose is based on where you live, which may not necessarily be the same as your passport. For example, if you are a German citizen but live in South Africa, you will need to purchase a Eurail pass. If you are a South African citizen but live in Germany, then you need an Interrail pass.
When booking, you will be asked for your country of residence and passport details. You need to have the documentation that you used to book your pass with you when you travel with the pass.
Dual citizenship:
2 European passports, residing in Europe: Use the passport of the country in which you live.
1 European passport + 1 non-European passport: Use the passport of the country in which you are living. For example, if you live in South Africa but hold passports for SA and Germany, you will need a Eurail pass; if you live in Germany, you need an Interrail pass.
1 European passport + 1 non-European passport but living in a different European country: You can use either passport but the country of residence is the one in which you live so you need an Interrail Pass (your official residency documentation will need to accompany you and the pass). For example, you live in Ireland but hold passports for South Africa and Germany – your country of residence is Ireland and you will need an Interrail pass with your country of residency stated as Ireland.
It depends on whether you have a paper pass or a mobile pass.
Paper passes
- Take your Eurail pass to any staffed ticket office in the country in which you will be travelling. Photographic ID (passport) is required.
Do not enter the start and end dates yourself.
Ensure that the pass is stamped and validated before leaving the ticket office! - On your first day of travel, once your pass is validated, record the date in the travel calendar printed on the ticket (bottom/middle left) BEFORE boarding the train.
This must be done in ink and failure to do so can risk a fine and/or full payment of a ticket.
Ticket inspectors will check your ticket – should you be on the train and the date not written in, you can risk a fine and/or confiscation of the ticket and/or full payment for the train you are on. - Do not record the journeys/destinations; only the date is needed.
- Do not enter the dates in advance – once they are written in, they cannot be changed.
- The rail pass can be validated up to 6 months after the departure date you stated when ordering.
Mobile pass
- Your pass must be activated within 11 months of purchase.
- You will need to download the Eurail Rail Planner app onto your device, available on Google Play and the Apple app store. Note that, in order to use some of the app’s features and for your pass to remain valid, you will need an internet connection. Larger European cities generally have excellent WiFi coverage in trains, malls, and shops but this may not always be the case so it is advisable to ensure you have data on your phone.
- Once you have purchased your Eurail Pass, you will be sent a confirmation email with full instructions.
- You will need to open your Rail Planner app, navigate to ‘My Pass’, and select ‘Add your pass’.
- Enter your surname and pass number (this will be in your confirmation email).
- The pass will then be added to your device and you can find it under ‘My Pass’.
- Search for the journeys you want to make in the travel planner and save them to ‘My Trip’ by tapping on them.
- When you’re ready to make the journey, find the journey in ‘My Trip’ and tap to add it to your pass. It will appear on your ticket in ‘My Pass’, which you will need to show for inspection to a conductor, either as you board or when on board.
- GROUPS: You can add all your passes on to one device but, once they are activate on that device, they cannot be moved to a different one. Remember that, if you will have to travel together on all rail journeys at all times.
- CHILDREN: Child passes are only valid with an Adult Pass. Therefore, each Child Pass must be added to the same device as at least one Adult Pass. Children under 4 can travel with you for free without their own Pass.
You can use Eurail GLOBAL passes but a seat reservation is mandatory and this must be booked with Eurostar directly before you travel. Only the person named on the pass can use it to travel with Eurostar.
2 nd -class pass holders can travel in Eurostar’s Standard Class and 1 st -class pass holders can travel in Standard Premier.
It varies according to the routing.
Eurail passes are either accepted fully on some scenic trains in Europe or they provide a discount on a ticket.
For example: If your Eurail pass covers Switzerland and you wish to travel on the Glacier Express, your pass can be used ‘as is’ on the section between St Moritz and Disentis but, on the section between Disentis and Zermatt, it provides a 25% discount on the normal price of tickets for that section.
Email us at [email protected] and we will assist you! Easy peasy.
If you know exactly which pass you need and just want to book, we will require a copy of your passport, a start date for the pass, and your contact details.
If you are not sure which pass you need, our experienced rail booking agent is happy to assist you in selecting the most cost-effective option.
If you are purchasing a paper Eurail pass, you will need the actual ticket. You can send a courier/driver of your choice to collect it from us (Durbanville, Cape Town), or we can arrange a courier for you (we use MDS Collivery or Postnet), the cost of which will be added to your invoice. Depending on where we are sending it, the rate can vary from around R150 to R250. We will need your physical address and contact number if we are arranging a courier for you.