Rail passes are supposed to save you money. That's the hype anyway. But do they? Ah, there's the rub.
The first Eurail pass was conceived to help foreign travelers navigate the many rail systems Europe offered with the least amount of hassle for everyone involved, from the people manning the ticket windows to train conductors to the traveler who only knew English. You bought one thinking you'd probably save money with it, but most of all you bought it because of the ease of travel--flash that pass and you're free to enjoy first class travel on any European train.
Today there are a dizzying array of Eurail passes available. There are also numerous fast trains that require seat reservations and additional fees that the pass doesn't cover. Passes use the words "saver" and "flexi."
It's a jungle out there.
But are you guaranteed to save money with a Eurail Pass?
Here's a secret: saving money with a rail pass was never, ever guaranteed. Simply put, the more time (distance, really) you spent on trains on your vacation, the more you saved on fares over buying point to point tickets. Less time on trains always means less savings--or even no savings at all. And, if you use your pass for short jaunts in countries like Italy where tickets are relatively cheap, your Eurail pass is probably costing you extra--perhaps even much more than point to point rail tickets would have cost you.
The Rail Pass all-you-can-eat buffet
Ok, here's how it works. Think of the Rail Pass (any of the Eurail offerings) as a big, all-you-can-eat buffet. You can have anything you want, all spread out in front of you. You don't have to know its name in English, you just dig in. Now, if you're hungry and want to get the most for your money, you'll take big, heaping helpings of all the expensive foods that have high value. You'll pass on the salad greens and dig into heaping helpings of Coq au Vin and Papparadelle with Wild Mushrooms.
In rail pass terms, if you spend your time taking long train rides in expensive places like Scandinavia, you'll save a heap of money over buying point to point tickets.
On the other hand, if you take short jaunts, one a day, between places that are relatively close, you'll pay dearly. Your pass will have actually cost you more money than buying individual tickets.
It's like you'd bellied up to the buffet for a couple of lettuce leaves and a piece of white bread. You didn't get your money's worth. The owner smiles and pats his wallet. That's how he makes his money.
How to plan your trip to make the best use of your Eurail pass
Yes, it's true, railpasses aren't a loss leader. Still, you can beat the system and get great value out of the right rail pass. It's up to you, and your willingness to plan.
To get started, list the cities you want to visit. Let's say you want to land in Paris, and want to visit Dijon and Beaune in Burgundy, then head over Turin before visiting Milan and Lake Come, then returning to Paris for your flight home.
Your itinerary looks like this:
Paris
Dijon
Beaune
Turin
Milan
Lake Como
Paris
Now that's six legs of a two country trip. A France-Italy pass costs each traveler $351 for first class, $305 for second. Additional days are $40 and $35 respectively.
So a second class pass for the six legs costs you $375. But wait, you're losing money!
That's right, because the fares on the short bits will not cost you that $35 supplement unless the dollar drops even more than it has lately. For example, Rail Europe (buy tickets direct) will sell you a 2nd class ticket from Milan to Como for $11, and a first class flexible ticket for $13. The price of this ticket purchased at the station in Milan would likely cost even less for the 40 minute journey.
So, erase the Dijon to Beaune and Milan to Como legs from your pass days and just buy the four day France-Italy pass. Buy the other tickets at the station. There is added benefit in that you can decide at the last minute not to go to those places and it won't cost you.
Additional value from your rail pass
Not all value is monetary. If you don't speak the languages of the countries you're visiting and feel uncomfortable trying to make yourself understood, a rail pass can free you from many of the transactions that you'd have to go through if you decide to buy point-to-point rail tickets. So you don't need to feel guilty if you loose a few dollars on your pass in exchange for relieving yourself of communications responsibility.
The other advantage to a rail pass is that you won't need to carry as much money with you to pay for the various point to point tickets you might buy. Remember also that the money you get out of foreign ATMs loses value automatically with the currency exchange.
And finally, don't let that rail pass push you around. It's silly to travel long distances to places you probably won't enjoy much just to get more for your money. Vacation is socially sanctioned to give you permission be selfish. Plan on it.
Rail Pass Resources
Decided on a Eurail pass or want to know about the options? See Buying the Right Rail Pass.
Need to see a map or find some distances? See:
Rail Maps:
See also: Buying Point to Point Rail Tickets and our Rail Planning Guide.
