Rail in Europe – two big questions answered

Rail tickets, optimising passes, working out timetables, connections and bookings. Planning rail holidays often still seems steeped in challenges.

It often prompts a lot of questions.

So I turn to the experienced team at Rail Europe to answer two big questions, in their own words…

Q Should I get point-to-point tickets or a rail pass?

A Rail Europe advises using these simple comparison methods that will help you determine the best option for your travel needs.

Number of cities: Generally, for itineraries that involve a handful of cities, a rail pass might be more cost-effective. Note, Eurostar services are included on the Eurail pass and each journey is equivalent to one “day” on the pass, with seat reservations to be made separately.

Flexibility: Rail passes offer travellers a lot more flexibility than point-to-point tickets as the latter is attached to a fixed departure date and time. Passes often do not require seat reservations on many regional trains, so travellers can simply hop on to any train when they’re ready to go. Passes also allow users to enjoy unlimited travel for each “day” on the pass within the 24 hours from midnight to midnight.

Families: Eurail passes offer free travel for up to two children under 11 years old per adult pass holder, while children under 16 years old travel for free when accompanied by an adult using the Swiss Travel Pass.

Perks and discounts: Unlike point-to-point tickets, rail passes have different discounts and bonuses attached to them. Eurail passes often include discounts for tour attractions, restaurants, ferry rides, wi-fi connections and more; while the Swiss Travel Pass grants users access to unlimited travel on all of the country’s public transportation system including boats, trains and buses, free access to more than 500 museums and up to 50 per cent discounts on cable car rides.

Forward planning: Travellers can save up to 70 per cent off their rail bookings when planning ahead. Eurail Passes can be booked up to 11 months in advance, and three months for seat reservations. Point-to-point tickets are usually available three months out due to the seat reservations attached to their bookings.

Q Are there countries where seat reservations aren’t required for Eurail Passes?

A Seat reservations are determined by the operator and type of train used. As a general rule of thumb, reservations are required for trains that are high-speed, and/or operating international cross-border, panoramic and overnight routes. Local or regional trains largely do not require a seat reservation. In fact, more than 99 per cent of trains across Europe do not require seat reservations for daytime travel; and some countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Czech Republic and many more. Where seat reservations are required, bookings can be made advance via Rail Europe’s website or mobile app.

fact file

Rail Europe is a global company which specialises in European train booking. Its teams provide technology solutions and customer care services to more than 15,000 partners in over 70 countries. It sells around 5 million European train tickets every year.

It has offices around the globe, but has its headquarters are in Paris. raileurope.com

THE BIG, EURO CLASSIC

A classic, benchmark trip in Europe is the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland.

Panoramic trains take travellers to sights and highlights in Switzerland, year-round, over 1280km, past 11 large lakes.

An insider at My Switzerland, the Swiss tourism authority, suggests that, joining up all the trains, travellers should take at least eight days and seven nights.

It shows off the Jungfrau region, Lavaux vineyards, Matterhorn and Rhine Gorge. It will take travellers to Chillon Castle and Landwasser Viaduct and Chapel Bridge.

The trains are:

+ Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken (Luzern-Interlaken Express), 2 hours 45 minutes.

+ GoldenPass Express, 3 hours 15 minutes.

+ Montreux-Visp-Zermatt, 2 hours 15 minutes.

+ Glacier Express, 7 hours 45 minutes.

+ Bernina Express, 6 hours 45 minutes.

+ Gotthard Panorama Express (April to October), 5 hours 15 minutes.

+ Voralpen-Express, 2 hours 15 minutes.

+ St Gallen-Schauffhausen-Zurich, 2 hours 15 minutes.

More on train travel in Switzerland at myswitzerland.com.