Here at HostelBloggers, we always have our eye on a budget deal. Craig Martin shares information and advice with HostelBloggers’ readers on the great value train pass…

Want to see more, but don’t want to pay the earth? Getting around Europe can be made much more manageable with a Eurail Pass. They’re great for people looking for a hop-on, hop-off train experience and don’t want the hassle – or expensive – of buying tickets each time.

Eurail Passes come in many shapes and sizes, but by far the most popular is the Eurail Global Pass, which offers unlimited train travel through 20 European countries. If you’re under 26 or travelling in a group you can also get discounts; a youth pass starts at US$474 for 15 days. This might seem pricey if you’re simply hopping around a little bit, but once you cover long distances by train, you start to see a decent saving.

After the pass is validated, you need to keep it on you and, because it’s linked to you personally, you should also keep your passport handy to show your identity to any roaming conductors. 

Trains are an easy and exciting way to travel in Europe: the rail networks are plentiful and generally run on time. A Eurail pass is undoubtedly an easier way to travel than buying individual tickets, but it’s not all plain sailing. Some journeys, especially international or night journeys, require seat reservations to be made and so you need to visit the station early enough to book a seat at the counter and exchange of a few euros. From you to them, unfortunately.

If you are travelling within a smaller region, cheaper, country or region-specific Eurail Passes are also available. They operate on a slightly different system than the general pass, with a fixed number of travel days allocated within a wider time frame.

Eurail passes are only available in the US, though - if you’re a European resident or have lived there for six months or more, you can investigate the InterRail ticket which works on a very similar basis. It’s also worth noting that it’s up to 20% more expensive to buy a Eurail pass from within Europe so you’re much better off ordering it online during the planning stages.

And for even cheaper deals, check out the Spring sales which are currently on for next year at Railpass.com and other outlets…. Time to hit the rails!

Guest poster Craig Martin is the author of the Travelling Europe ebook and runs Eurail Stories. If you have a story to share with the world, get in touch…