Rail, you say? Does anyone still travel throughout our continent using trains? Yes, though the airline industry has taken over many passengers, there is still the option to travel around Europe by rail. Especially backpacking Europe travel is very popular. Of course, this changes the entire trip, and if you are on your way on vacation, all of a sudden, the means of getting there has turned into a vital part of the holiday itself! With that in mind, you need to ponder what to actually do and see while travelling. It is perfect to travel around Europe by rail, considering the large land mass with so many different cultures and languages to explore.
Rail vs Air
There are several reasons why to pick one or the other means of travel, but let us focus on the aspects that are particular to travel by rail. There are some keywords that instantly come to mind: travel time, social encounters, travel sights, and environment. Quite a list. 
The time it takes to travel by train within Europe can range from a mere 2-3 hours to several days. Most international train trips between two countries take no more than six hours, which is a longer overhaul by plane (though much farther). Of course this builds on the assumption that the traveller wants to get to the destination as fast as possible. But this is an awkard wish in this case, and so we check out the other aspects which are closely related to train travel, such as social encounters and travel sights. Now, try to avoid thinking of a holiday where one destination, one hotel, and one beach or city, is the main event. Instead, build yourself a vision of a trip to a multitude of cities and villages, over a longer time. In fact, you still don’t need more than two weeks to travel between 2-3 cities in continental Europe, and still having the opportunity to stay several nights in each. Add to this that when you travel by train and move around in several cities, you will undoubtedly come across so many more people. Compare with the two or three persons sitting next to you in an airplane or the few tourists living in the same hotel or hostel as you.
Now, let us consider the green perspective. Green as in environmental protection. Modern trains do not use fossil fuels as in contrast with the massive amounts of fossil fuel used by commercial jet air planes. If you travel by rail, you travel Green, and this aspect should not go unnoticed for anyone who is updated on the global environmental crisis. Sure it is getting warmer, but to the price of reduced possibilities for future life on planet Earth. Now, you don’t have to be a hardcore environmentalist to consider this. Travel by rail and you help the environment to become healthier.
To Pick A Railpass
Let us go through some of the important questions you need to answer before choosing a rail pass:
- How long do you want to travel within Europe? Do you want to go to one location or travel around Europe?
- Check the options that are offered with certain rail passes, such as group discounts.
- Check the limitations of the rail passes, such as the number of consecutive days you need to travel.
Luckily (or perhaps more of a strategy from rail companies), you can determine which railpass to use simply by considering how many countries you want to visit. Should you want to do a grand tour of entire Europe, then the Eurail Global Pass is the thing for you. That allows you to visit six or more countries.
On the other hand, you have the Eurail Select Pass, which allows for travels in between three to five countries. This could be a good selection, in case you want to spend some more time in different places.. Should you want to travel in two countries, or perhaps only one. Then there is a plethora of national rail passes. If you want to travel all around Europe, then InterRail allows that also!
InterRail offers rail passes of up to one month. InterRail offers the Global Pass, that allows for European travel for a period of 22 days or 1 month. You can also find national rail passes, where you specify the amount of days you want to travel, from 3 days upward. InterRail is very popular throughout Europe for those who wish to experience a multitude of European cultures and sights. (InterRail).Railteam Alliance
The bright future of rail travel is gaining momentum as several European national railway companies have joined forces and created the Railteam Alliance. The focus is on simplifying ticket reservation. We will have to wait and see whether this will be competitive with low fare airlines.
Ironically, it is generally more expensive today to travel with train between countries, than by doing some plane-hopping using last minute tickets or low fair airlines. The small side expenses are also higher with train travel, as you need to pay more for food and other daily necessities.
To lower the costs while travelling by train, we advice you to use any of the above options to purchase a combined ticket that allows you to travel more for less.
RailEurope is a registered trademark of Rail Europe Group.
Author: Paul-Christian Markovski. SceneryPhotoStory.com. All photos displayed here are owned by Paul-Christian Markovski and are protected under treaty provisions for worldwide copyright laws. Photographs may not be reproduced, copied, edited, published, transmitted or uploaded in any way without written permission of the copyright owner.
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