At Rail Motus, we firmly believe that the Eurail Global Pass is a game-changer for travelers seeking to explore Europe by train. As seasoned rail adventurers, we’ve uncovered various strategies to maximize the pass’s value. In this post, we are going to reveal some lesser-known hints and tips that can help maximize the usage of your Eurail Global Pass. For instance, saving hundreds on flight costs by choosing the cheapest airport and utilizing your Eurail pass to travel to your destination cities. That tip alone can save you more money than the cost of the entire pass. So what else do we recommend?
Save on Hotels: Stay Outside The City
Stretch your accommodations budget by booking hotels in the suburbs instead of the city center. Your Eurail Global Pass makes it easy to “commute” from the outskirts to the heart of the action, saving you money on lodging without sacrificing too much convenience. This tip functions extremely well with destination cities you only intended to spend one day in anyway. Spend the day in Venice, but book a hotel near Venice Mestre on the mainland. We love Google Maps for easily identifying the train route you’ll be on and checking the hotel prices along the way.
Fly Cheap, Take A Train to Destinations
OK, here’s our insider strategy for saving hundreds on your European rail adventure: book your inbound and outbound flights to the cheapest airport, even if it’s not in your desired destination. With your Eurail Global Pass, you can easily travel from the airport to your preferred cities by train, making the cost of getting there essentially free. Focus on finding the most affordable flights to Europe and let your Eurail Pass handle the rest.
This savvy approach allows you to allocate more of your budget to exciting experiences rather than transportation costs. By being flexible with your entry and exit points, you can unlock significant savings. The tradeoff here is time. This travel hack isn’t for you if your time is more valuable than your money; but if you’re like us, the “extra” train ride is just as much a treat as a tradeoff. Think of it as an extra city or two on your list of places you visited. Unlike the airplane, you get to experience the places you pass through on a train. Hell, you’ve got a rail pass, you can jump off and do more than just pass through.
When you’re booking your flights in and out of Europe, if the cost is high to fly direct to your first destination city, we highly recommend trying this out. Again, we turn to Google Travel, which allows you to type in “Europe” as the destination. In a map view, you can scope out “nearby” airports and spot the cost savings.
Afford Expensive Tourist Trains
Tourist trains, like the Glacier Express, offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences with breathtaking scenery. However, their high ticket prices can quickly eat into your travel budget. While you still need to pay a reservation fee, the cost is significantly lower than purchasing a full-fare ticket. This means you can actually afford the ride of a lifetime. For example, with the Eurail pass, you just pay the fifty dollar reservation fee and skip the $232 ticket for 1st class Zermatt to Chur train. Also, check out our article on riding the “Glacier Express” for free if you want to avoid the reservation fee too.
Some tourist train tickets are not covered by the Eurail Pass, but you can get discounts on them if you’re a passholder. The Flam Railway offers a 30% discount, Jungfraubahn 25%, and Vulkan Express 50% among others. You can check out the discounts offered with Eurail here.
Extra Perks: Discounts Beyond the Tracks
Your Eurail Global Pass is more than just a ticket to ride the rails. It’s also your key to unlocking a wide range of discounts on ferries, city cards, hotels, tours, and more. For instance, your pass offers discounted fares on several European ferry routes, such as those operated by Fjord Line, Grimaldi Lines, and Stena Lines.
Additionally, your Eurail Pass can help you save on accommodations. Europe’s Famous Hostels, an association of 43 hostels in different cities, offer special discounts for Eurail Pass holders. You can also find discounted rates on select city cards, which bundle together admission to popular attractions, museums, and public transportation. Modest discounts on these cards are available in some European cities, such as Rome, Barcelona, Frankfurt, and Salzburg.
Access Premium Lounges with Your First-Class Pass
For those with a 1st class pass, take advantage of the premium lounges accessible with your first-class Eurail Global Pass. This wouldn’t necessarily save you money because we’d never recommend paying for access to these lounges; but if you’ve got a 1st class pass anyway, why not? They offer a comfortable atmosphere where you can actually find a seat, which are not always available in the stations. Some have complimentary refreshments and free Wi-Fi.
Here’s a list of the rail operator lounges included with a first-class Eurail Global Pass, listed alphabetically by country:
- Austria: ÖBB Lounges
- Czech Republic: ČD Lounges
- Denmark: DSB Lounge
- Hungary: MÁV-START Lounges
- Netherlands: NS International Lounge
- Portugal: CP Lounge
- Spain: Sala Club Lounges
- Sweden: SJ Lounges
Personal Experience: Saving $600 on Airfare with Eurail
Author’s note: this is a personal example of using the Eurail pass. Instead of flying directly to Zurich to meet a friend, which would have cost me over $700, I found a super cheap flight to London for just over $100. By being flexible with my entry point, I saved a whopping $600 on airfare.
With my Eurail Global Pass in hand, I embarked on a two-day journey from London to Zurich, turning my cost-saving decision into an unforgettable adventure. After landing, I spent a few hours exploring London before boarding the Eurostar, which whisked me through the Channel Tunnel to continental Europe.
My next stop was Brussels, where I stayed overnight and did some photography. The following day, I continued my journey, making a planned stop at the stunning Liège-Guillemins station, a masterpiece designed by the renowned architect Santiago Calatrava.
As I traveled into Germany, I hopped off my train on a whim and saw the Cologne Cathedral, just steps away from the train station. That afternoon, I rode along the Rhine River Valley, a favorite among rail enthusiasts because of its tracks on both sides of the water. Nothing like train spotting from a train. The scenery is spectacular too, dotted with riverside towns and castles.
By the time I arrived in Zurich, I had not only saved a significant amount of money on airfare but also enjoyed a series of incredible rail fan highlights. It was all just part of the trip to me.
Conclusion: Maximize Your Europe Trip
The Eurail Global Pass is your ticket to a budget-friendly and memorable European rail journey. By using these insider tips, you can save money on airfare, accommodations, and tourist trains while enjoying the best Europe has to offer.
