There is no better way to travel around Europe than via Eurail. With just one Eurail Pass — which you can purchase up to 11 months before your trip — you can access trains (and some ferries) in 28 European countries. The first edition of the pass made its debut in 1959 and, almost 70 years later, Eurail remains as popular as ever.
While in town for the New York Times Travel Show, I had the pleasure of speaking with Eurail’s North America Market Manager, Clarissa Mattos. More on Mattos and Eurail can be found online at www.eurail.com.
For someone thinking of coming to Europe who has never bought a Eurail Pass before, why should they consider Eurail?
Clarissa Mattos: A lot of travel itineraries are dictated by time. Check in by this time, pick up by this time, leave at this time, which can add unnecessary stress to a vacation. With Eurail you can avoid such hassle. If you like the look of a destination, you can hop off the train and have an unscheduled stop as you aren’t limited by the number of trains you can take on a travel day. In many cases, even if you do miss your planned train or connection, due to the frequency of the network in Europe, another train won’t be far away.
When purchased, what does a Eurail Pass include?
Clarissa Mattos: With just one rail pass, travelers have the ability to travel in and through up to 28 different European countries. Eurail Passes are available as a Global, Select, or One Country Pass and their validity can be as short as three days or as long as three months. Each Eurail Pass can be adapted to give travelers the vacation they desire at the best possible price.
For Eurail, it’s also about providing our international guests with a memorable experience, even when they aren’t in transit. That’s why we work with tourism partners across Europe to offer extra value for all Eurail Pass holders. All Pass holders can take advantage of additional benefits, such as discounted ferry travel, accommodations, sightseeing attractions, and more. Separately, we provide a range of perks year-round to enable more people to see the best of Europe, like youth and family discounts and savings for groups of two to five people traveling together.
Is it cheaper to buy before getting to Europe? Or does it have to be bought beforehand?
Clarissa Mattos: Planning is an essential step for a smooth trip. Purchasing your Eurail Passes before going to Europe gives the traveler more time to plan, to consult their travel agents, to have the support in their language and to make the reservations in the trains that they would like to take. The prices are also more attractive outside Europe, and not all Passes are available for sale in the European continent.
Are there any requirements for buying a Eurail Pass? Citizenship? A passport?
Clarissa Mattos: Eurail Passes are available for non-European residents, and Interrail Passes are available for European and Russian residents.
Finally, Clarissa, any last words for the kids?
Clarissa Mattos: Kids should travel as much as they can. It is the best way to discover the world and learn about other cultures. They could also remind their parents that traveling by train is so much fun and they can travel for free with a Eurail Pass.
