Europe is a massive continent and it’s the perfect place to travel by train. The trains are fast and are generally the preferred way of travel in Europe.
I love travelling by train whenever I’m backpacking in Europe, and if you’re heading over to the European continent, I highly recommend it as a form of travel.
The rail network is HUGE, being 240,000km in total length. If you’re thinking green, it beats flying. And the seats are often positioned perfectly to chat with friends and even sometimes meet some locals as they are often facing each other.
Overnight trains can also be pretty handy, and are way more comfortable then by bus. With roomy, recliner chairs – get on a train!
It’s not difficult to get a train ticket, you can just head to the station, walk up to the counter and hey presto.
The only drawback to trains in Europe is the fact that they are often the expensive way to get around. They are certainly much more costly then bus tickets for example. But for backpackers and travelers, there is a great option and that is the rail pass.
There are two main companies that organize European rail passes, InterRail and EuRail.
Both sell what are called ‘Global Passes’ – these give you access to a huge number of countries from Ireland, Sicily to Romania.
There are so many options, but to break it down simply to start with, it all depends on how long you’re going for and how far you plan on traveling. There are also discounts for those considered ‘Youths’ (which means you are under the age of 26).
In terms of cost, a basic pass for a Youth for 15 days around Europe is around $450. That’s pretty good – you can travel a fair bit on that. Of course a global pass for 3 months is more like $1200 – $1300.
However you can also get passes for 5 days to 15 days and everything in between. You can get passes that allow you any 10 or 15 days WITHIN a 2 month period.
So you really need to sit down and examine how you plan on travelling. You don’t need to plan out your trip as such, just think about whether you want to move around frequently (which would mean you want a “travel as much as you like ticket within a certain time period”) or more slowly (then you would want a “10 days within 2 months” sort of ticket).
It’s all down to you and how you want to travel, so no pressure!
I’ve traveled extensively on trains throughout my time backpacking in Europe – and I do highly recommend them. The train system is just fantastic. If you’re truly on an extremely tight budget, and time is of no concern – then I do have to say that generally buses are the cheaper alternative. But don’t discount trains and what a Global Pass can offer you – you may just find it more beneficial for the cost!
That’s all for now, safe travels out there.
ActiveBackpacker.com is a website all about backpacking, traveling and more. Check out his site to get some great tips on backpacking and planning a trip to Europe.