Train Passes Offer Deals for Travel Through Europe

Travelers under 26 years of age are eligible for a variety of special youth rates on European train passes.

Eurailpasses, which must be purchased in the United States, are valid for unlimited travel in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. They are also honored for free or discounted travel on many European ferries, boats, steamers and bus lines.

Pass holders have up to six months from the time of purchase to begin using the passes.

The youth versions of Eurailpasses are valid for unlimited travel in second class. As of Jan. 1, the one-month version costs $470 and the two-month version is $640.

Eurail Youth Flexipasses do not allow unlimited travel, but rather limit the holder to a specific number of days of travel within a larger time period. A pass valid for 15 days of travel within a two-month period costs $420.

Austria offers a junior version of its Rabbit Card to travelers under 26. The card is valid for four days of travel within a 10-day period. You can buy a first-class pass for $84, a second-class version for $56.

Travelers to Germany between the ages of 12 and 25 can buy three junior versions of that country’s Flexipass, which will allow unlimited second-class travel. A German Junior Flexipass, for travel on any five days within a one-month period, costs $110. For 10 days of travel within a one-month period, the price is $145. For 15 days of travel in a one-month period, the cost is $180.

German Flexipasses are also valid for free travel on other services, including: KD River Steamers, which travel on the Rhine between Dusseldorf and Mainz, on the Main between Mainz and Frankfurt, and on the Moselle between Cochem and Koblenz, and Deutsch Touring/Europabus, including the “Castle Road” and “Romantic Road” tours.

There’s good news for travelers heading to Britain and France this year: Cost of the youth version of the BritFrance Railpass did not go up in 1992.

The BritFrance YouthPasses are valid for second-class rail travel across the entire British and French rail networks, and they are also honored for round-trip channel transportation by Hovercraft. Passes good for travel on any five days within a 15-day period cost $199; for 10 days within a one-month period, the price is $299.

As of Jan. 1, travelers can purchase youth versions of the Benelux rail passes. These passes are available to travelers under 26, and are valid for five days of rail travel within a 17-day period throughout Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. The first-class version costs $109; second-class passes are $74.

Most of the countries already mentioned offer open-age rail passes. These passes are also available for travel in Switzerland, Hungary, Scandinavia, Spain, Greece, Poland, Portugal and Eastern Europe. Some versions of the passes include car rentals and accommodation services.

For more information on any of the European rail passes, contact travel agents or Rail Europe at (800) 345-1990.