Let’s begin with identifying what type of trip are you planning. If you are planning to visit one or two cities, you are better off booking normal point-to-point tickets and seat reservations. For those who have only a single point A to point B trip incorporated in their holiday plans, without any round trips, it will almost certainly be cheaper to make a reservation for normal point-to-point tickets. However, a rail pass can be the best option if that one trip involves a long journey, such as London to Istanbul.

If you are planning on visiting more than just two cities, then a "EuroRail" type Pass will probably save you a lot of money. For those who will be traveling extensively around Europe, then a Rail Pass should be the cornerstone of your holiday planning. The freedom to explore here, there, and everywhere is very inspiring. A pass allows for a certain spontaneity and lets travel plans be flexible. According to the Euro RailPass that you choose, you may have unlimited travel within a specific country, a group of countries or a whole region. Remember that you will still need to make seat reservations... Certain passes offer continuous unlimited travel for a specific period. Other passes grant free travel within a specific number of days and can be used on any dates specified within an overall one-month period. Regardless of whatever pass you end up choosing, Euro Rail Passes are truly the best way to explore Europe.

Here’s the formula to work out whether a rail pass or normal tickets will be the least expensive option for your plans:

Calculate the normal point-to-point fares for typical journeys in your chosen country - by clicking here. If you already have a specific itinerary in mind, calculate the fares for the different sections of your itinerary.

Choose a pass that works with your plans and travel dates. Divide the price of the pass by the number of days you expect to be traveling on the train. Now that you have a 'pass price per day', compare this with the point-to-point fares for typical journeys. If you have a specific itinerary in mind, compare the cost of the pass with the cost of normal tickets for that exact itinerary.

Don't forget in your calculations that a railpass allows for more flexibility, usually letting you hop on and off trains spontaneously. A rail pass protects your valuable vacation time from being wasted standing on line at ticket offices. Plus, your pass allows you the luxury of adding on side trips that you may not have originally planned, but once in the environs, feel inspired to do. For example, if you plan to spend a few days in Paris, a rail pass could cover a daytrip to Versailles or Giverny. Even if a railpass is a bit more expensive than simple tickets, there are so many reasons to choose a pass, even if your travel plans are at the outset limited.

With a pass, remember to budget for the odd supplement or 'special fare' that is added on top of the cost of the railpass.

If you decide that a rail pass suits your travel needs, you must plan ahead and obtain one before you leave. Rail passes are not available in Europe. They are offered outside of Europe to incoming visitors at very special prices. Your best bet is to book directly via RailEurope.com. There is not better place to buy or better bargain to be had. Other advertised web sites are buying from Raileurope, as they are the only official distributor of European Rail Products in North America.

If you decide that point-to- point tickets meet your travel needs, RailEurope is also your best bet. But technically you do have other options for purchasing your tickets:

1- Raileurope.com: the most complete database of live fares and schedules. Tickets and reservations are shipped to your home before you leave for Europe. However RailEurope' prices are more expensive than buying directly from a railroad station in Europe.

2- Websites for specific European rail companies will have a complete database for their own routes (SNCF will provide you schedules for France not England). Here you may find cheaper prices than Raileurope.com you will not receive the tickets in North America. You will need to print the confirmation email for proof and retrieve the tickets from the specific stations in Europe. Beware- Some European rail web sites have trouble with American credit cards and the sites may be so confusing that you end up buying the wrong ticket...

3- Any train station in Europe. If you speak several languages, don’t mind waiting on line, and do not choose last minute overbooked trains…Buy your tickets on the fly.

On many trains, especially local ones, you simply can't make a reservation. You just hop on, find an empty seat and show your railpass when asked by the ticket inspector. It’s that easy!

On most long distance and high speed trains, a seat reservation is mandatory. That means you just cannot hop on and show your railpass to the ticket inspector when he asks, because if the train is full you may not be able to end up standing. To avoid this on a long journey, you can (if you want) make a seat reservation for a small charge, usually about 3 to 5 Euros.

If you want to travel overnight in a couchette or sleeper, you will need to make a reservation and pay the appropriate supplement. See the couchette and sleeper page for information about overnight travel and sample supplement prices. With Eurail railpasses, an overnight train leaving after 7pm counts as running on the following day, so it only will only count as one day of your railpass.

You can make reservations and pay any necessary supplements or special fares at station ticket offices either in advance or on the day of departure, normally up to an hour or so before departure. Just show your railpass at the ticket window and ask for the reservation. Many European railway staff speak some English, but if you don't speak the language, just write down what you want and show it to the booking clerk.
couchette and sleeper page for information about overnight travel and sample supplement prices. With Eurail railpasses, an overnight train leaving after 19:00 counts as running on the following day, so it only uses up one day of your railpass.