Train Travel

A beginner's guide to European train/rail passes. . .

Train Pass or Rail Pass are the same thing so that should avoid any confusion p>

Why explore Europe by Train?

Speed & convenience - At up to 186mph European trains run almost everywhere city to city and sometimes it can be faster than flying! Space and comfort on board the trains - Trains provide lots of legroom and of course you can move around. There's also a restaurant or cafe and a bar. Saving the cost of a night in a hotel, overnight sleeper trains cover huge distances, city to city. Scenery - Rather than being hundreds of miles in the sky and seeing clouds you get to appreciate the countryside of each of the countries you travel through.

Where should you start?

Decide where you want to visit. Sketch out a rough itinerary. You can use the online timetable at http://bahn.hafas.de to plan train times to help.

Purchase a train/railpass or normal tickets?

Many overseas visitors think it is good value to ask for a train pass even for just one train ride. For a simple train trip from A to B, a normal point-to-point ticket will be cheaper than a train pass, especially if you can buy your ticket online direct with the train company. Even several train trips can work out cheaper than a train pass. If you are really going to travel all over the place, then a trainpass should cheaper. Here's how to decide if a railpass will actually save you money over normal tickets:

Railpass - Decide how many days you are travelling over and divide the number by the railpass price. This will give a 'day price'.Then add a rough estimate of the cost of supplements for sleepers, couchettes, or fast trains.

Normal ticket - The point-to-point fares on the timetable usually includes any supplement or reservation charge - but always check.

Compare the Railpass price per day with the typical normal ticket price you will pay for the journeys you expect to do. If you've planned an itinerary, compare the cost of the Railpass with the cost of all the tickets for those journeys.

Work out the best type of railpass for your trip.

A a railpass is more flexible, usually allowing you to hop on and off trains spontaneously, which saves you time queuing at ticket offices. It may also cover additional trips that you decide to add on at the last minute. If a Railpass is a little bit more expensive, it can still be worth your while buying one if your itinery isn't strictly fixed.

Research is the key as you will see from the examples below. A Railpass isn't always the cheapest option. Generally, you should expect the opposite. Normal tickets will be the cheapest option UNLESS you can prove that a railpass will save you money.

Trainpass or normal tickets? Example 1:

You want to spend a few days in Italy travelling to Rome, Venice, Florence, La Spezia and back to Rome. Visit www.railchoice.co.uk or www.raileurope.com, you check Railpass price. A 4-days-in-one-month Trenitalia pass looks perfect. Price (in euros to make it simple) 174 euros. That's 43.50 euros per day.

Visit www.trenitalia.it to check what normal point-to-point fares would be. The normal fare to each destination adds up to 102 Euros - in this case, a pass does not make sense and you can save a lot of money by purchasing normal tickets and you can buy them online complete with seat reservations. If you buy a pass, you cannot make reservations to go with the pass online, as at www.trenitalia.it you can only buy tickets and reservations together, not 'reservations only'.

Railpass or normal tickets? Example 2:

You want to go from London to Venice via Paris and Rome. You want the cheapest couchette in a 6-bunk compartment on the Paris-Rome and Venice-Paris sleeper trains. You are happy to pre-book your trip in advance.

A 2-zone InterRail pass costs £205 (if you are under 26) or £295 (if you are over 26). Eurostar has a passholder price of £100 return. This is more expensive (but more flexible) than the normal book ahead return fares, so you end up buying a normal cheap £59 return anyway. The special passholder price for the Paris-Rome train is £15 one-way, plus another £15 for the Venice-Paris train. The InterCity supplement Rome-Venice is 3 euros (£2). Total cost with a railpass £296 (under 26) or £386 (over 26). You will have to make all the reservations through the agency that sells you the pass, as you cannot make passholder bookings online, only buy normal tickets. The agency may will probably charge a booking fee, perhaps £10-£20 on top of this cost.

Booking normal tickets online at www.voyages-sncf.com, you buy a £59 return ticket London-Paris, a cheap book-ahead 35 euro (£26) special fare Paris-Rome and again Venice-Paris, and at www.trenitalia.it, a normal Rome-Venice ticket for just 39 euros (£28) by InterCity train. Total cost £139, whether you're under 26 or not. In this case, once again normal tickets are cheaper, assuming that you're prepared to book in advance on a no-refunds, no changes basis, and that you find the cheap advance-purchase fares available. And with normal tickets, you can buy them all online complete with seat or berth reservations on your chosen trains with no booking fees.

To find out what the normal fare would be visit the websites below particular to the country you are travelling in.

Austria www.oebb.at

Belgium www.b-rail.be

France www.voyages-sncf.com

Germany www.bahn.de (for overnight trains, see www.nachtzug.de and click 'buchung' then 'fahrkarte' then 'anwendung offnen')

Italy www.trenitalia.it

Netherlands www.ns.nl

Portugal www.cp.pt

Switzerland www.sbb.ch

Spain www.renfe.es

Sweden www.sj.se

www.voyages-sncf.com - train times and fares for international journeys anywhere in France to major cities in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. Click on the UK flag at the bottom to see the detail in English

www.trenitalia.it - train times and fares for international journeys from Italy to France, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Barcelona. Click the English button at the top, then click 'international'. Look for 'Smart Price' when you get to the list of fares, these are the cheap book-ahead fares.

http://bahn.hafas.de - international fares for many journeys starting in Germany. The English button is towards the right, part way down.

www.nachtzug.de - Sleeper train fares from Germany to Paris, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Poland, Switzerland.

www.citynightline.ch - Sleeper train fares Amsterdam toi Munich & Zurich, Hamburg to Zurich, Berlin to Zurich, Cologne to Vienna etc.

www.elipsos.com - Sleeper train fares from Paris to Madrid, Paris to Barcelona, Milan to Barcelona, Zurich to Barcelona.

www.renfe.es - Sleeper train fares from Paris to Madrid, Paris to Barcelona, Milan to Barcelona, Zurich to Barcelona and Madrid to Lisbon.

www.thalys.com - Fares for high speed trains Paris - Brussels- Amsterdam & Cologne.

International fares in eastern Europe are difficult to find online. Here are some examples of one-way adult 2nd class fares.

Prague-Krakow 50 euros

Prague-Budapest 57 euros

Prague-Vienna about 50 euros

Budapest-Krakow 65 euros

Budapest-Prague 57 euros

Budapest-Bucharest 46 euros

Budapest-Warsaw 73 euros

Budapest-Moscow 97 euros

Budapest-Istanbul 124 euros

Budapest-Thessaloniki 118 euros

Budapest-Kiev 69 euros

Budapest-Zagreb 36 euros

Warsaw-Budapest 73 euros

Warsaw-Prague 54 euros

Vienna-Prague about 50 euros

Bucharest-Istanbul 40 euros

Belgrade-Istanbul 43 euros

Belgrade-Sofia 25 euros

Sofia-Istanbul 18 euros

1st class fares are 50% more than the 2nd class fare. Returns are normally double the one-way fare, but in many cases there are reductions for return tickets. Children under 12 travel at half fare. You will need to add the same sleeper and couchette supplements to these basic fares as you'd pay with a railpass.

Some American travel agency websites show point-to-point fares for comparison with the railpasses they sell. It's best to check the actual fares quoted on the European train operator websites. Be aware that these fares are often the most expensive fully-flexible fares. You can get cheap deals on many international trains in western Europe if you book in advance.

European trains normally only open for reservations 60 days before departure, and most websites will only show train times and ticket prices within this time period. So if your European trip is still many months away, choose a date within the next 60 days and enquire about fares for that date. Start on the same day of the week as your trip though as there may be price changes for weekend/weekday travelling.

Will I need to make reservations or pay supplements?

Reservations are required on some long distance trains, but are optional on others. Fast train supplements are standard on many international and some internal trains too. In fact, almost every major international train in western Europe now requires some sort of supplement on top of your rail pass price. It's therefore important that you remember the extra costs and budget them into your assessment for purchasing a Railpass.

Reservations...

There is no need to make a reservation on local and regional trains. You just hop on, find an empty seat and show your railpass when asked by the ticket inspector.

On some long distance trains, a seat reservation is optional. That means you may can still hop on to any train but you may end up standing if the train is full. To make sure you get a seat, you can make a seat reservation for a fee of about 3 Euro.

However, many long-distance trains are shown in the timetable as 'reservation obligatory' (with an 'R' symbol). This means that you must make a seat reservation before you board the train. A fee of about 3 Euro is normally charged for this, although it may be included in your supplement - you will need to check this. Many international and internal fast trains in western Europe are now 'reservation obligatory'.

Which railpass should I buy..?

One range of railpasses is sold to people resident in Europe (including UK citizens), and a different range to people from overseas. Some railpasses cover just one country, others cover a group of countries. Some passes give unlimited train travel for a continuous period, which is good if you plan to make a train journey every day or two. Other railpasses give you a number of days of unlimited travel on any days you choose within a one-month period, which is cheaper if you are only going to spend a lot of time staying in one place between train journeys.

Railpasses for UK & European residents

You can buy these railpasses if you live in the UK or another European country.

Railpasses for just one country

France France Pass: 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 or 9 days unlimited travel in France within 1 month.

Italy Trenitalia Pass: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 days unlimited train travel in Italy within 1 month.

Switzerland Swiss Pass: 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8 days unlimited travel in Switzerland within 1 month.

Netherlands Holland railpass: 1, 3 or 5 days unlimited train travel in the Netherlands within 1 month.

Germany German railpass: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 days unlimited train travel in Germany within 1 month.

Any country in Europe (except France, Italy, Spain): You can buy a Eurodomino railpass for any country in Europe (except France, Italy & Spain), giving unlimited train travel in that country for either 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 days within a 1-month period. This is a good option if you are only going to be making train journeys occasionally, staying in one place between trips. Several other single-country passes are also available.

Railpasses to visit several countries

Eurodomino railpasses - You can buy a Eurodomino railpass (or individual country pass) for each of the countries you want to visit, giving unlimited train travel in that country for either 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 days within a 1-month period. So you could buy a'3 day' Eurodomino for France, a '5 day' Eurodomino for Italy. Just write the date of travel on your railpass, they don't have to be used one after the other.

ScanRail pass - 5 days in 2 months, 10 days in 2 months, or 21 days continuous unlimited train travel in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.

Balkan Flexipass - 5, 10 or 15 days unlimited 1st class train travel within one month in Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Serbia, Macedonia, and Montenegro.

Benelux Pass - 5 days unlimited train travel within 1 month in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Greece & Italy Pass - Unlimited train travel in Italy & Greece plus one return sea crossing with Superfast or Blue Star ferries Italy-Greece.

Railpasses for a grand tour of Europe

If you plan to travel extensively across most of Europe, consider an InterRail pass. Unlimited train travel for 16 days (1 zone pass), 22 days (2-zone pass) or a month (all-zones pass) for one, two, or all seven InterRail zones.

Railpasses for overseas visitors

You can only buy this range of passes if you are resident outside Europe. Single-country railpasses are available at www.raileurope.com, the main railpass agency in the USA and Canada.

Single-country passes include:

France Pass for France

Trenitalia Pass for Italy

Swiss Pass for Switzerland

German Railpass for Germany

Austrian Railpass for Austria

Czech Flexipass for Prague & the Czech Republic

Spain Pass for Spain

Portuguese Railpass for Portugal

BritRail Pass for Britain.

With Eurail Selectpass you can choose any 3, 4 or 5 neighbouring countries out of the 17 European countries in the Eurail scheme, and choose to buy either 5, 6, 8 or 10 or 15 days unlimited 1st class train travel within any 2 month period on the national rail networks in those countries. Alternatively, for 2 countries, there is the France+Spain pass, the France+Italy pass, the Iberic pass for Spain+Portugal, the Hungary+Romania pass, the Britain+Ireland pass, etc.

For 3 or more countries, the Balkan Flexipass covering Greece, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia & Serbia, the Eastern Europe pass covering Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, the Benelux Tourrail pass covering the Netherlands, Belgium & Luxembourg and the ScanRail pass covering Norway, Sweden, Denmark & Finland.

The railpass for a grand tour of Europe: Eurail pass

If you plan to travel extensively across most of Europe, the Eurail pass is the top-of-the-range railpass which gives unlimited train travel in 17 participating countries, covering most of western Europe plus Hungary & Greece.

If you want to briefly visit a country outside the Eurail area, for example, Prague, you simply need a ticket to cover the part of the journey not included ie from the Czech frontier to Prague and back. You should buy this 'add-on' ticket at the station where the train to Prague starts, there is no need to get off the train at the frontier.

Supplements

On local trains, there's no supplement, just hop on and show your pass. Reservations are not required or available in some caseS on internal inter-city trains in countries such as Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium.

However, many timetables will show trains are 'supplement payable' or 'special fares apply'. You will need to pay a supplement or special railpass fare before you board the train, which normally includes the seat or berth reservation fee. The cost of the supplement varies from 3 euros upwards depending on the country, the length of journey and the type of train. Eurail and Eurodomino railpasses include the supplement for a few but not all types of train, so check the terms and conditions of your railpass. InterRail passes don't include any supplements at all. Trains requiring supplements or special fares for all types of pass include 'Thalys' (high speed trains Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam), Eurostar (high speed trains London to Paris & Brussels), 'CityNightLine' overnight hotel trains, 'Artesia' (Paris-Italy day and night trains), 'Elipsos' (Paris-Spain overnight hotel trains), and so on. You will have to check yourself what supplement if any is required for each train journey.

If you want to travel overnight in a couchette or sleeper, you will need to make a reservation, which will include the couchette or sleeper supplement.

With Eurail and Eurodomino railpasses, an overnight train leaving after 19:00 counts as running on the following day, so it only uses up one day of your railpass.

You will need to pay for supplements or special fares, or make reservations at the station ticket office before you get on the train - it can only be done up to half and hour before the train leaves. Show your railpass and the ticket clerk wil help you - most clerks are able to speak some English.

You can usually make reservations when you buy your pass, although an agency may charge a booking fee. If you buy a railpass online in the UK though www.RailChoice.co.uk you can make reservations to go with your pass by calling 020 8659 7300. It's a good idea to make one or two initial reservations when you buy the railpass to get you started - overnight trains do get booked up agencies are more likely to try and sell you a pass - not much work for lots of commission compared to reservations- more work for not much commission!

You cannot make reservations to go with your railpass online, as the various websites that sell train tickets generally only sell complete tickets. This can be another advantage of buying normal tickets, hassle-free and online. There are one or two exceptions to this, for example www.nachtzug.de allows you to make reservation-only bookings for couchettes and sleepers within Germany and on some international sleeper trains from Germany (Click 'buchung', then 'fahrkarte' then 'anwendung offnen'). You can print out you own reservation ticket.

The only way to avoid paying a supplement is if you are happy to take your time and sometimes less comfortably. Different trains may serve one route and a supplement may be charged only for the faster or more comfortable ones. From Rome to Florence there are high-speed Eurostar Italia trains which are both 'reservation obligatory' and 'special fares apply', but on the same route there are comfortable and reasonably-fast 'InterCity' trains on which reservation is optional and only a small 3-euro supplement is payable, and finally there are 'InterRegional' trains which are much slower and much more basic, but there is no supplement at all.

In other cases, the only way you can avoid the supplement is to take a succession of local trains, taking hours longer and involving several changes of train. To find out if there is a reasonable non-supplement alternative, use the Europe-wide online timetable at ttp://bahn.hafas.de, but change the 'means of transport' box at the bottom of the page from 'standard search' to 'without ICE/IC/EC'.

InterRail passes

An InterRail pass is the international railpass available to Europeans or to anyone who can prove they have been resident for at least 6 months in Europe (including Iceland, Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States), Malta, Morocco, Turkey, Algeria or Tunisia. If you live outside this area, you cannot buy an InterRail pass - instead, see the Eurail section below.

Europe has been divided into seven zones for InterRail. You can buy an InterRail pass giving you unlimited 2nd class rail travel in any 1, 2, or all 7 zones. A 1-zone InterRail pass is valid for 16 days, a 2-zone pass for 22 days and the 7 zones pass for one month. You may not intend going for a month, but an Inter-Rail pass can still be good value. In fact, an InterRail pass can be the best way of doing long journeys, for example London to Istanbul or Athens. InterRail cards are available for three age bands: (i) children aged 4-11, (ii) under-26 for young people aged 12-25, and (iii) over 26 for people aged 26 and over. You will ned to check the zones covering the countries you want to travel through.

It's easy to buy an InterRail pass online - just buy online at www.raileurope.co.uk. You can also buy at RailChoice.co.uk. You can buy an InterRail pass up to 3 months before the first day of validity.

You are not eligible for free travel in your own country with an InterRail pass - including Eurostar or Channel Ferries. However, the under-26 InterRail (but not the 26+ interrail) gives you a 34% reduction on normal UK rail fares, and Inter-Rail passes for all ages give discounts on certain ferry routes. So in addition to your InterRail, you will need to buy either:

a reduced-rate ticket from your home town to London plus a Eurostar ticket to Paris, Lille or Brussels; or

a reduced-rate rail ticket from your home town to London plus a discounted rail+sea ticket from London to a continental port such as Calais, Oostende or Hoek van Holland; or

a reduced-rate rail ticket from your home town to a Channel port plus a discounted return ferry ticket.

You can normally buy the Eurostar ticket or a London to Calais / Oostende / Hoek van Holland train+ferry ticket from the same agency that sells you the InterRail, but you will need to buy your other UK rail tickets at your local station. Once you have your InterRail pass, you can also buy discounted ferry tickets direct from the ferry operator.

If you know your exact outward and return dates and can book far enough in advance, normal Eurostar fares start at £59 return - no refunds, no changes, limited availability. Alternatively, there is a reduced fare on Eurostar for railpass holders, £50 one way, £100 return and changes to travel dates are allowed.

If you prefer to travel by sea, a special rail+sea ticket from London to Calais costs £19 one way or £33 return for under 26's, and £24 single or £44 return for over 26's. London to Hoek van Holland costs from £25 one way or £50 return for all passengers, with or without a railpass - see www.dutchflyer.co.uk. Alternatively, there are discounts for InterRail passholders on the ferry routes: Dover-Calais (only with SeaFrance), UK to Denmark / Norway / Sweden / Germany with DFDS Seaways (call 0870 533 3000), Harwich-Hoek van Holland with Stena Line (call 0870 570 7070 or see www.dutchflyer.co.uk).

Finally, remember to always take out travel insurance. Your pass can be refunded, less an admin charge, if returned before the first day of validity, but it cannot be refunded or replaced if you lose it!

An InterRail pass is in effect a normal 2nd class ticket for train travel in the countries which it covers. In principle, you can hop on and hop off trains when you like, as often as you like. If you want to use a couchette or sleeping-car, you simply pay the normal supplementary charge for sleeping accommodation. A good idea on a long journey or at peak holiday times is to reserve a seat which will only cost about 3 Euro if booked from the UK.

If a timetable shows 'reservation obligatory' you must make a seat reservation BEFORE boarding the train. The same fee structure applies - about 3 Euro if booked in the UK. Timetables showing 'supplement payable' or 'special fares apply' also require paying before boarding.

You can make reservations and pay supplements at any station reservation office as you travel around on your InterRail, or you can make them in advance when you buy the pass. It's a good idea to ask the agency which sells you your InterRail to make some reservations for your outward journey to get you started. If you plan to start by heading down to Italy, you should at least buy the Eurostar ticket to Paris and make a couchette or sleeper reservation from Paris to Florence. If your chosen agency is keen to sell you the InterRail, but less keen to make any reservations to go with it, find another agency. You wouldn't want to head off without any outward reservations, and find when you get to Paris that all the trains to Italy are full!

InterRails are not valid on some minor rail lines which are not operated by the national rail operator, so check if you are not sure. Some private operators give a discount to InterRail holders, even if they do not offer free travel.

You can pay the supplement and make a reservation in your own country or you can pay at the ticket office before boarding the train.

The supplements shown below are per person, per journey, with any type of 2nd class railpass including Eurail, InterRail and Eurodomino passes. With a 1st class pass, you can assume that the supplement for 1st class travel will be about 50% more than the 2nd class supplement:

Austria National trains:

No supplement for railpass holders to pay on any normal internal train.

Overnight trains from Vienna to Bregenz (per person): couchette in 6-bunk compartment 21.90 euro, couchette in 4-bunk compartment 29.90 euro, bed in 3-bed sleeper 49.90 euro, bed in 2-bed sleeper 65 to 79 euro

International trains:

Vienna to Hamburg or Berlin by overnight train: Couchette in 6-bunk compartment 21.90 euro, couchette in 4-bunk compartment 29.90 euro, bed in 3-bed sleeper 49.90 euro, bed in 2-bed sleeper 65 to 79 euro.

Paris to Vienna by Orient Express: Couchette in 6-bunk compartment 21.90 euro, couchette in 4-bunk compartment 29.90 euro, bed in 3-bed sleeper 49.90 euro, bed in 2-bed sleeper 79 euro.

Vienna to Cologne & Dortmund by CityNightLine hotel train - reclining seat 9 euro, 6-bunk couchette 19 euro, 4-bunk couchette 29 euro, 4-berth sleeper 39 euro, 2-berth sleeper 49 euro - see www.citynightline.ch.

Belgium National trains:

No supplements to pay on any normal internal train.

International trains:

Brussels-Amsterdam: No supplement on the hourly InterCity trains, but a 12 euro passholder fare for high-speed Thalys trains.

Brussels to Cologne: 3 euros supplement for travel on an ICE train or 12 euros passholder fare for travel on Thalys trains.

Brussels to Paris: Thalys trains passholder fare 12 euros.

Czech Republic National trains:

A supplement is charged for InterCity and EuroCity trains: about 2 euro.

International trains:

Sleeper and couchette supplements from Prague to Krakow or Warsaw: 9.60 euro per person in 6-bunk couchette, 14 euro in 4-bunk couchette, 15 euro sharing far more comfortable 3-bed sleeper (recommended). You can check Polish sleeper and couchette supplements online at http://www.wars.pl/. The sleeper supplement includes complimentary tea/coffee and croissant. Supplements from Prague to Frankfurt: couchette in 6-bunk compartment 15 euro, bed in 3-bed sleeper about 30 euro.

Denmark National trains:

No supplements to pay on any normal internal train, including Danish InterCity trains.

International trains:

EuroCity trains from Copenhagen to Hamburg: supplement about 6 euros.

X2000 125mph trains from Copenhagen to Stockholm or Gothenburg: supplement about 6.60 euro.

Finland National trains:

A supplement is charged on InterCity trains: about 2.40 to 6.40 euro depending on distance. A supplement is charged on premier Pendolino tilting trains: about 5.60 to 11.20 euro depending on distance.

France National trains:

There is no supplement to pay on local or regional trains, or normal 'Corail' long distance trains which still operate on a few routes. TGV high-speed trains run on most long distance routes. Seat reservation is compulsory. A supplement is charged, ranging from the basic cost of seat reservation (about 3 euros) to about 27 euro, depending on 'peak' or 'off-peak'. Eurail and Eurodomino passes include TGV supplements, but a seat reservation must still be made. Overnight trains in France (per person): Couchette in 6-bunk compartment about 20 euro, bed in 2-bed sleeper about 65 euro.

International trains:

To the UK: Eurostar Paris to London: Passholder fare about 70 euro one-way, 140 euro return.

The cheapest regular fares are cheaper than the passholder fare, if you are making a return journey and can commit to a particular train in advance.

To Austria: Paris-Vienna by Orient Express: 22 euros for a couchette in a 6-bunk compartment, 29.90 euros for a couchette in a 4-bunk compartment, 49.90 euros for a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 79.90 euros for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.

To Belgium, Netherlands, Germany: A special passholder fare is charged on Thalys TGV high-speed trains from Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam & Cologne. Paris to Brussels or Amsterdam is about 12 euros. Your pass must cover all the countries travelled through.

To Switzerland: There is no supplement to pay on the normal 'Corail' trains from Paris to Basel and Zurich. A supplement is charged (which varies from 3 euro upwards) for TGV high-speed trains from Paris to Geneva. If your pass covers both France and Switzerland the fare is around 5 Euro. If your pass only covers France, the fare is about 32 euro to Lausanne, 43 euro to Bern.

To Italy: The Artesia overnight charges a special passholder fare from Paris to Italy. Again depending on if you have a pass which overs Frand Italy the fare will differ. The passholder fares for overnight trains also differ for couchette or sleeper.

To Spain: A pass covering France or Spain, or both is subject to special passholder fare for the Elipsos overnight trainhotel Paris to Madrid & Paris to Barcelona. They are quoted on www.elipsos.com.

Germany National trains:

There is no supplement to pay on InterCity, EuroCity, regional or local trains. You must pay a supplement for high-speed ICE (InterCityExpress) trains. This is the difference between the normal fare and the ICE fare - Cologne-Berlin 17 euro, Cologne-Munich 32 euro. Add the supplement for your journey from http://bahn.hafas.de/english.html. Check your fare for travel by ICE train and another similar enquiry with the 'mode of transport' drop-down box changed to 'not ICE'. Eurail and Eurodomino passes include ICE supplements, but a seat reservation must still be made on 'reservation obligatory' services.

Overnight trains in Germany: Couchette in 6-bunk compartment about 15 euro, couchette in 4-bunk compartment about 20 euro, bed in 3-bed sleeper about 45 euro, bed in 2-bed sleeper about 60 euro.

International trains:

EuroCity trains Hamburg-Copenhagen: About 6 euro (included in Eurail and Eurodomino passes).

InterCity trains Berlin - Amsterdam: About 3 euro (included in Eurail and Eurodomino passes).

InterCity trains Germany - Switzerland & Austria: About 3 euro (included in Eurail and Eurodomino passes).

Overnight trains from Berlin or Hamburg to Vienna (per person): couchette in 6-bunk compartment 21.90 euro, couchette in 4-bunk compartment 29.90 euro, bed in 3-bed sleeper 49.90 euro, bed in 2-bed sleeper 65 to 79 euro.

CityNightLine hotel train from Vienna to Cologne & Dortmund (per person) - reclining seat 9 euro, couchette in 6-bunk compartment 19 euro, 4-bunk couchette 29 euro, berth in 4-berth sleeper 39 euro, berth in 2-berth sleeper 49 euro - see www.citynightline.ch.

Greece National trains:

InterCity trains (for example Athens -Thessaloniki): supplement 5.30 euro to 18.90 euro depending on distance. Patras-Athens is 6 euros supplement.

InterCity Express trains (e.g. Athens -Thessaloniki): supplement 9.80 euro to 31 euro depending on distance.

Greece - Italy

Some railpasses include deck class travel Italy-Greece ferries from Venice, Ancona, Bari or Brindisi to Igoumenitsa, Corfu or Patras run by Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries, Minoan Lines or Hellenic Mediterranean Lines. Port taxes (a few euros) must be paid (not Venice routes). Deck class literally means a space on the ferry, nothing else. Supplement for reclining aircraft-style seat: 16 euros on Superfast Ferries, 12 euro on Blue Star Ferries and HML. Supplement for cabin berths: 26 to 76 euros, depending on type of cabin. High season supplement: Superfast and Blue Star charge railpass holders a summer supplement, about 16-25 euros.

Hungary National trains:

No supplement to pay for travel on local or regional trains. A supplement is charged for InterCity Rapid trains (2.50 euros), for InterCity trains (2 euros) & InterPici trains (0.50 euros).

International trains:

Supplement charged for international journeys by EuroCity train: No information available.

Italy National trains:

No supplement to pay on local or InterRegional trains.

InterCity trains: supplement 2 to 20 euros depending on distance. Seat reservation usually optional. No supplement for Intercity trains if you have a Trenitalia pass.

Eurostar Italia high speed trains: Supplement about 15 euros per journey, including compulsory seat reservation.

International trains:

Special passholder fares are charged on Artesia overnight and daytime trains Italy to Paris (fee increases depending on if your pass covers one or two countries. Paris to Milan on daytime TGV: 6 euros if your pass covers both countries, 75 euros if your pass only covers one country.

Luxembourg National trains:

No supplements to pay on any normal internal train.

Netherlands National trains:

No supplements to pay on any normal internal train.

International trains:

There is no supplement to pay on the normal hourly InterCity trains Amsterdam to Brussels.

Thalys high speed trains Amsterdam to Brussels & Paris: special passholder fare charged, 10 euros.

CityNightLine hotel trains from Amsterdam to Basel, Zurich, Munich, Vienna (per person) - reclining seat 9 euro, couchette in 6-bunk couchette 19 euros, couchette in 4-bunk couchette 29 euro, berth in 4-berth sleeper 39 euro, berth in 2-berth sleeper 49 euro - see www.citynightline.ch.

Amsterdam-Berlin InterCity trains: supplement about 3 euro (included in Eurail and Eurodomino passes).

Amsterdam-Cologne-Frankfurt ICE (InterCityExpress) trains: ICE supplement is included in Eurail and Eurodomino passes, but a seat reservation must still be made.

Norway National trains:

No supplements to pay on any normal internal train. Seat reservations optional on long-distance trains, 6 euros per seat.

Poland National trains:

No supplement to pay for local or regional trains. InterCity and 'Ex' (Express) trains: supplement 1.85 to 5 euros.

International trains:

'Berlin-Warszawa Express' EuroCity trains Berlin-Warsaw: supplement of about 3 euros if your pass covers both Germany and Poland. Special reduced fare charged if your railpass covers one country. Overnight train supplements to/from Poland are very cheap: Krakow-Prague, Krakow-Budapest, Warsaw-Budapest, Warsaw-Berlin: 9.60 euros for a couchette in a 6-bunk couchette, 14 euros for a couchette in a 4-bunk couchette, 15 euros for a bed in a much more comfortable 3-berth sleeper. The sleeper supplement includes complimentary tea/coffee and croissant.

Portugal National trains:

No supplement to pay on local or InterRegional trains. InterCity trains (for example Lisbon - Faro): supplement about 6 euros, including seat reservation. Alfa Pendular fast tilting trains Lisbon - Porto: supplement about 15 euros, including seat reservation.

International trains:

Special passholder fare for 'Lusitania' trainhotel Lisbon-Madrid with Eurail or Eurodomino (per person): Seat 7 euros, 4-berth sleeper 30 euros, 2-berth sleeper 49 euros, 1-berth sleeper 89 euros. With InterRail: Seat 30 euros, 4-berth sleeper 55 euros, 2-berth sleeper 75 euros, 1-berth sleeper 119 euros.

Romania National trains:

All express and InterCity trains require a supplement, ranging from 1.60 to 8 euros depending on type of train and distance.

Slovakia National trains:

Seat reservation is compulsory on all InterCity trains, about 3 euros.

Spain National trains:

Most long-distance train journeys in Spain are reasonably priced but supplements are required which everyone has to pay. The supplement includes seat reservation, which is compulsory.

AVE and Talgo200 high speed trains (Madrid to Seville, Cordoba, Cadiz, Malaga) supplement 9 euros. Most other long distance trains (Talgo, Arco, EuroMed, Altaria) charge a supplement, about 6 euros. The 'Talgo' supplement is included in Eurail and Eurodomino passes. Normal Estrella overnight trains: seat 3 euros, 6-bunk couchette 9 euros, 2-berth sleeper 24 euros, 1-berth sleeper 48 euros. Trenhotel overnight trains: reclining seat 3 euros, 4-berth sleeper 24 euros, 2-berth sleeper 43 euros, 1-berth sleeper 83 euros.

International trains:

Special passholder fares are charged to anyone with a pass covering one or more country for the 'Elipsos' overnight hotel trains Madrid to Paris, Barcelona to Paris, Barcelona to Switzerland, Barcelona to Italy. A supplement is charged for the two daily Barcelona to Narbonne/Montpellier international 'Talgo' trains: 5 euros with Eurail & Eurodomino, 16 euros with InterRail.

Special passholder fare for 'Lusitania' trainhotel Lisbon-Madrid with Eurail or Eurodomino (per person): Seat 7 euros, 4-berth sleeper 30 euros, 2-berth sleeper 49 euros, 1-berth sleeper 89 euros. With InterRail: Seat 30 euros, 4-berth sleeper 55 euros, 2-berth sleeper 75 euros, 1-berth sleeper 119 euros.

Sweden National trains:

A supplement is charged for travel on 125mph X2000 tilting trains (for example, Stockholm to Gothenburg or Malmö): about 6.60 euros. Night train supplements within Sweden (per person): Seat 3 euros, couchette in 6-bunk compartments 10 euros, bed in 3-bed sleeper 16 euros, bed in 2-bed sleeper 30 euros.

International trains:

Stockholm to Copenhagen by X2000: about 7 euros.

Switzerland National trains:

No supplements to pay on any normal internal train.

International trains:

No supplement to pay on the normal 'Corail' trains from Zurich or Basel to Paris. Cisalpino tilting trains from Swiss cities to Milan: Supplement 7.50-13.75 euros. EuroCity trains from Switzerland to Innsbruck, Salzburg & Vienna - a few euros supplement changed (included in Eurail and Eurodomino passes). InterCity trains from Switzerland to Germany: supplement about 3 euros (includes seats reservation) (included in Eurail and Eurodomino passes). ICE (InterCity Express) trains from Switzerland to Germany: Special passholder fare applies (included in Eurail and Eurodomino passes). Lyria TGV high-speed trains from Lausanne, Bern & Geneva to Paris: Special reduced fares charged. CityNightLine hotel trains from Switzerland to Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg (per person) - reclining seat 9 euros, 6-bunk couchette 19 euros, 4-bunk couchette 29 euros, 4-berth sleeper 39 euros, 2-berth sleeper 49 euros - see www.citynightline.ch.

Ferries from Italy-Greece

InterRails which cover zone G, give free travel on Superfast Ferries, Minoan Lines, Hellenic Mediterranean Lines & Blue Star Ferries between Bari, Brindisi, Ancona or Venice in Italy & Corfu, Igoumenitsa or Patras in Greece. You will need to pay port taxes and a summer supplement may apply. A reclining seat costs an extra £7-£12 each way, a berth in a 4-berth cabin about £19-£25 each way. Superfast Ferries offer the best daily connections to Corfu and mainland Greece, but you may prefer a sailing from further north, for example Venice to Greece with Minoan Lines (no port taxes on this route).

Other ferries

InterRail passes also give you a significant discount (usually in the region of 30%-50%) on normal fares for some shipping operators - for example, Silja Line (Stockholm-Helsinki), Limadet Ferry (Malaga-Tangier), SNCM (France-Corsica). As of 2006, there is no longer any InterRail discount on Trasmediterranea (Barcelona to Ibiza, Majorca & Minorca and Algeciras to Tangier)

For more information about InterRail passes, see www.interrailnet.com or visit the InterRail pages at www.RailChoice.co.uk or www.raileurope.co.uk.

Eurail passes

Eurail is a range of international railpasses for overseas visitors to Europe. Eurail passes are not available to people living in Europe or who have European citizienship. The national railways participating in the Eurail scheme are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Eurail passes should normally be bought before leaving your home country.

The basic Eurail gives unlimited 1st class train travel in all 17 countries for a continuous period of either 15 days, 21 days, 1 month, 2 months or 3 months. If two of you travel together, you can get a discount. If you are under 26 years of age, there is a cheaper 'Youth' version of the Eurail pass which gives 2nd class travel.

Eurail Flexi

If you don't want continuous unlimited travel - for example if you will stay put for long periods between train trips - the Eurail Flexi pass gives 10 or 15 days unlimited 1st class travel within any 2 month period. Write the date you want to travel on your railpass each time you use it. A discount is available if two are travelling together. If you are under 26 years old there's a discounted 'Youth' version of the Eurail Flexi pass which gives 2nd class travel.

Eurail Selectpass

You can save money by choosing a Eurail Selectpass giving either 5, 6, 8 or 10 or 15 days unlimited 1st class train travel within any 2 month period on the national rail networks of any 3, 4 or 5 bordering countries. Again, if two of you are travelling together there is a discount. If you are under 26 years old there is a 'Youth' version of the Eurail Selectpass giving 2nd class travel.

If your pass doesn't cover a particular country you want to visit, just buy a ticket to cover the section of journey within the country that's not covered by your pass. You should buy this at the station before you start the journey, you cannot buy it at the frontier.

You can find out more about Eurail passes at www.RailEurope.com or on the official Eurail website, www.Eurail.com. Overnight trains leaving after 19:00 count as running the following day, so this only uses up one day of your pass. You will need to pay the normal supplements for overnight travel in a couchette or sleeper, or for travel on a few high-speed train services such as X2000 in Sweden, Thalys (Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam/Cologne), AVE in Spain (Madrid-Seville), Eurostar Italia on main routes in Italy, and Eurostar from London to Paris or Brussels and extra supplement is also payable. You can make reservations (and pay supplements) in advance with the agency that sells you the pass, or you can make them when you get to Europe at station ticket offices.

Where can I buy a Eurail pass?

If you live in the USA or Canada, buy your Eurail pass online at www.RailEurope.com, North America's biggest European rail ticketing agency. To buy a Eurail if you are in the UK but have an overseas passport, visit RailChoice.co.uk. To find agencies selling Eurail passes in other countries, see www.raileurope.com/us/search/index.htm.

Eurodomino / Freedom railpasses

There is a range of railpasses for European residents called Eurodomino, also known as Freedom passes, available to anyone, although you can't buy a Eurodomino for the country in which you live. Eurodomino passes are available for most European countries (except France, Italy or Spain), and you can buy a pass giving you unlimited travel for any 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 days within a 1 month period in any given country. There are three Eurodomino railpass types: under-26 2nd class, over-26 2nd class, and over-26 1st class.

You can buy a selection of Eurodomino passes to suit the countries you intend to visit, and the number of days you expect to be travelling by train in each. If you wanted to travel round Austria for a week, then travel across Hungary to reach Romania, you could buy a 7-day Eurodomino for Austria plus a 3-day Eurodomino for Hungary to allow you to travel across it, plus a 5-day Eurodomino for Romania. If you thought you would actually only be travelling on trains on three out of the seven days you intended to spend in Austria, you would only need a 3-day pass for Austria, these can be any 3 days you like within the pass's one-month validity - it doesn't have to be 3 consecutive days.

Eurodomino railpass holders don't have to pay supplements for travel on EuroCity, ICE, German IC, Talgo, or TGV. Supplements must still be paid for overnight travel in couchettes or sleeping-car berths, and for AVE and Talgo200 high-speed trains in Spain. Eurodomino passholders also qualify for reduced Eurostar fares from London to Paris or Brussels.

As well as the mix-and-match Eurodomino range, many countries offer their own individual railpass, sold to both European residents and overseas visitors. For information on the Swiss, German, Italian, Dutch, Benelux, and Scandinavian railpasses, go to RailChoice.co.uk. To check out the range of single-country passes available to overseas visitors from outside Europe, go to www.RailEurope.com.

To pay a railpass from the UK visit www.railchoice.co.uk. If you need a Eurostar ticket or some European reservations to go with your railpass, call 020 8659 7300 after buying the pass.

To buy a railpass from the USA and Canada visit www.raileurope.com, the USA and Canada's biggest European train ticketing agency, owned by French Railways.

Guidebooks & Timetables...

A great buy is The Thomas Cook European timetable which has train, bus & ferry times for every country in Europe (eastern and western) plus currency and climate information. Its own comprehensive timetable help you to control and plan your trip - no need to queue at information desks. It costs around £11.50 from the bureau de change section of any UK branch of Thomas Cook, or you can buy online at www.thomascooktimetables.com. Alternatively, you can buy the special independent traveller's edition online.

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is easily the best and most comprehensive map of train routes all over Europe. High speed and scenic routes are highlighted - well worth buying to go with your railpass.

Recommended guidebooks:

The relevant Lonely Planet Guide for the country or countries you plan visit gives in-depth information on the sights to see, places to stay, places to eat. Alternatively, the Europe by Rail guide combines basic train details with country information.

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