In theory, a Eurail pass seems like a great way to save money and hassle while traveling Europe by train. In reality, it almost always costs less to pay as you go, and you often have to make reservations even when traveling with a pass. The majority of Eurail passes available also require you to travel on consecutive days so you lose both flexibility and value when buying one of these passes.

Cost comparison for Eurail pass

The easiest way to determine whether it is worthwhile to purchase a Eurail pass is to divide the cost of the pass by the number of days you are allowed to travel with the pass. For instance, I looked at a 15 day pass that did not require me to travel consecutive days. $930 USD divided over 15 days meant I had approximately $60 per day as a travel allowance. Since my train travel averaged $26 per day, the pass would not have been worth it.

Reason #1: A Eurail pass costs more than buying individual tickets

To be fair, I was traveling in Eastern Europe where prices are cheaper so let’s take a look at Western Europe. You can fairly easily spend $60 on a train trip from France to Germany, but the question remains, will you be traveling every day at an average cost of $60? Don’t forget to factor in the loss for days you are not moving if you bought a consecutive day pass.

Reason #2: You still have to pay extra for reservations

Because many trains require a reservation, you still have the requirement of waiting in line at the ticket window so having a Eurail pass does not mean you can just jump on a train, something I had hoped for when I first looked into these.

Another factor to consider is that the more expensive trains are typically high speed trains, which require a reservation even if you hold a Eurail pass. These reservations cost additional money which you have to work into your daily average cost.

Reason #3: You lose two days on your Eurail pass when traveling overnight

Overnight trains always require a reservation with the additional cost of a sleeping couchette unless you plan to sleep in your upright seat. You also get charged for two days on your rail pass!

Conclusion: Save money by not buying a Eurail pass

I see the allure of these passes, but the reality is that you can travel more cheaply, more flexibly, and with a minimal amount of hassle in purchasing tickets as you go. In the end, my travel by train from Greece to Poland and throughout Scandinavia cost me $396 with 15 travel days, and that included seat reservations and one overnight sleeper couchette. If you compare that to the cost of a Eurail pass for 15 non-consecutive days, I would have overspent my train travel by a minimum of $534. That’s alotta gelato!