Rail:

The classic method of transport for the backpacker is the train. European trains are generally comfortable and reliable, especially in Western countries. However, they can be rather pricey unless you get a rail pass.

A good Rail Pass will allow you to trek around Europe pretty cheaply, without having to worry about finding flights everywhere.

Often people ask the question why they should get a rail pass instead of buying point to point tickets, or something like a hop-on hop-off bus pass

Rail Pass Pro's and Con's

Let's look at some Pro's and Con's of getting a rail pass

Rail Pass Pro's

Rail Pass Con's

Generally, trains are more comfortable than buses or flying. You have more leg room, can get up and walk around, no dealing with intrusive security checks.

While trains are faster than buses, if you're going long distances it will be slower than flying.

Flexibility. This is probably a rail pass' biggest selling point. You don't have to worry about whether you can get flights or whether your bus pass will take you there, just hop on the national rail and ride there.

The flip side of the flexibility is that trying to figure out different train systems can be quite daunting, especially if you don't speak the native language.

Okay, let's compare the benefits and cost of a rail pass in a little more depth.

Eurail pass VS. Busabout pass

Say we're planning a trip through western Europe, let's compare a Eurail Select Pass with a Busabout Northern Loop Pass

Cost:
Busabout Flexitrip (6 stops) -- $356.00
Eurail Select Pass 4 Countries Youth (6 travel days) -- $339.00

So the Eurail pass for the same amount of travel days is actually cheaper than the flexible bus pass. But if you do a full "Northern Loop" on the Busabout, you see 12 cities, so you would need 12 travel days unless you saw more than one city in a day. However, the Eurail Select Pass has a maximum of 10 travel days

Comparing those:
Northern Loop (1 loop, 12 cities) -- $434.00
Eurail Select Pass Youth 4 Countries (10 travel days) -- $449.00

So one loop is a little bit cheaper and you are able to see two more cities than with a Eurail pass. But what if you don't want to see all of the cities on the loop? What if instead of seeing Stuttgart, you would rather go to Freiburg? In that case, you would have to take the bus to Stuttgart then buy a ticket from Stuttgart to Freiburg. Bahn.de, Germany's national rail company, shows that a ticket from Stuttgart to Freiburg is 43 Euros each way.

So to go to Freiburg instead of Stuttgart would cost an extra $120+, whereas with a Eurail Pass it wouldn't cost anything extra.

Deciding on a Rail Pass

Be sure to check out all the different incarnations of the rail passes and pick one that fits in with your basic itinerary. The most common rail pass for backpackers are the flex passes, which give you a number of travel days over 2 or 3 months.

The Official Eurail Pass Site -- The Official Eurail pass. They have a number of passes so you can get exactly what you need for your trip.

Rail passes and tickets from Raileurope.com

-- RailEurope.com a comprehensive site about rail travel in Europe. Use their Find A Rail Pass option to figure out the best pass to get for your itinerary.You can book all your rail passes and point-to-point tickets from their site.


Another good site on traveling by rail in Europe. They can help you figure out what pass you want.