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7 Best Panorama Train Rides in Switzerland (2024)

• Switzerland
• Last Updated: 2 Aug 2024
• By Tanya, Founder of Swiss Family Fun

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Switzerland has some of the most scenic rail journeys in the world, passing by majestic mountains, serene lakes, and charming villages.

On the most beautiful routes, the Swiss rail system offers special “panorama” trains with large windows and extra services to make the journey more enjoyable.

The easiest way to include these routes in your Switzerland itinerary is to book a scenic rail package. Instead of booking elements separately, these multi-day packages include your train tickets, seat reservations, and hotels at each destination, all in one transaction.

During booking, you can customize the trip, adding mountain excursions, upgrading or downgrading hotels, or staying longer in certain destinations.

To help you decide which scenic train tour is right for you, below we’ve highlighted our favorite Switzerland rail journeys with tips for booking and suggested activities in each destination.

Why book a Scenic Rail Journey package

1. grand train tour of switzerland, 2. lucerne-interlaken express, 3. glacier express classic (zermatt to st moritz), 4. golden pass tour (montreux + interlaken + lucerne), 5. bernina express (chur/st mortiz to tirano, it), 6. gotthard panorama express (lugano to lucerne), 7. jungfraubahn mountain railway, exclusive discount offer for rail packages, activities at each stopover, rail packages for families, using travel passes with rail packages, customizing your itinerary, about switzerland travel centre, special offer get a 5% discount on your rail package with our discount code affswissfamilyfun..

For each of the rail journey I describe below, you can book all elements separately: train tickets, seat reservations, hotels and excursions.

But it can be time-consuming, with an overwhelming route options, confusing train timetables, and complicated seat reservation systems.

Many travelers, especially those planning last minute, find that rail packages make the planning and booking process easier and faster. Then you can focus on the fun things you will do at each destination.

What rail packages include

The rail packages I’ve highlighted here include:

• A suggested itinerary, which can be customized.
• Train tickets to each Swiss destination in your itinerary
• Seat reservations on the panorama trains
• Accommodation at each destination with breakfast

We like the booking tool from Switzerland Travel Centre , which has access to hotel rooms and seat reservations with their preferred partners that you don’t necessarily see on other platforms.

Customizing the suggested itinerary

Each rail package has a suggested itinerary. But you can use the planning tool to customize the following elements to better suit your needs:

• Add excursions to mountains and other attractions
• Upgrade or downgrade hotels
• Extend your stay at some destinations
• Upgrade to 1st class/Excellence Class on panorama trains
• Book luggage transfer on some hiking itineraries
• Add the FLEX OPTION so you can cancel for free up to 3 days before departure

The most comprehensive rail journey is the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland. Starting and ending in Lucerne, this tour links the five best scenic rail routes described below into one big efficient loop.

The Grand Train Tour visits the most famous Swiss destinations including Lucerne, Interlaken, Montreux, Zermatt, St Mortiz and Lugano. If you want the see the most of Switzerland quickly, the Grand Train Tour is the easiest way to do it.

The classic itinerary is a minimum 7 days, with a long scenic train ride each day.

• Day 1 – Panorama train from Lucerne to Interlaken
• Day 2 – GoldenPass Line panorama train from Interlaken to Montreux
• Day 3 – Train from Montreux to Zermatt
• Day 4 – Glacier Express from Zermatt to St Mortiz
• Day 5 – Bernina Express from St Moritz to Tirano, then bus to Lugano.
• Day 6 – Train from Lugano to Flüelen, then boat cruise to Lucerne
• Day 7 – return by train to your airport or starting point

If you prefer to spend most of your time on the trains, land cruise style, the Grand Train Tour is a perfect option just as it is.

Use our promo code AFFSWISSFAMILYFUN to save 5% on the Grand Train Tour Classic rail package

But if you want to spend more time exploring these destinations, simply customize the tour to add a couple nights at each destination so you can explore the area before moving on. We would suggest adding an extra day in Lucerne, Interlaken, and Zermatt. See suggested activities below.

The “Best of Switzerland” rail package includes the Lucerne-Interlaken Express scenic train journey, connecting two of our favorite destinations in Switzerland. It’s a beautiful ride, passing alpine lakes, cute villages, with many mountains in view.

The base tour is 5 days with 2 nights in Lucerne, a half-day on the Lucerne-Interlaken Express train, and 2 nights in Interlaken. It also includes a visit to Jungfraujoch glacier viewpoint. The map below shows the train route as an orange line.

Here’s the suggested itinerary, which you can customize:

• Day 1: Train to Lucerne. Activity near Lucerne. Overnight in Lucerne
• Day 2: Free day for activity near Lucerne. Overnight in Lucerne
• Day 3: Luzern-Interlaken Express scenic train to Interlaken. Half-day activity near Interlaken. Overnight in Interlaken.
• Day 4: Mountain excursion to Jungfraujoch. Overnight in Interlaken.
• Day 5: Activity near Interlaken. Train to your next destination or airport.

In this itinerary, the scenic train journey is relatively short, just two hours, but it packs in a lot of beauty into that time. It’s a great choice for those that want the scenic train experience, but prefer more time actively exploring the alps with hiking or other fun activities.

Use our promo code AFFSWISSFAMILYFUN to save 5% on the “Best of Switzerland” rail package

Suggested activities

On Day 4 in Interlaken, the tour already includes an excursion to the Jungfraujoch glacier viewpoint, which takes about 4 hours. If you get an early start, you could fit in more activities into the afternoon.

For example, visit the Jungfraujoch in the early morning. Just after lunch, ride down the mountain to Wengen and Lauterbrunnen, stopping to enjoy those villages and the Staubbach waterfall before returning to your hotel.

If you have more time, we suggest adding at least 1 more night in Lucerne and 2-3 nights in Interlaken. See below for more activity ideas for these destinations.

The Glacier Express is the most famous scenic train ride in Switzerland, starting in Zermatt and passing through many beautiful landscapes before arriving in St Moritz.

It travels through many beautiful landscapes, including over the Oberalp mountain pass and through the Rhine river gorge.

The base Glacier Express Classic itinerary is 3 days, with one night in Zermatt, one day on the scenic train, and one night St Moritz. The black line on map below is the Glacier Express. 

• Day 1: Train to Zermatt. Optional half-day activity in Zermatt. Overnight in Zermatt.
• Day 2: Glacier Express scenic train journey to St Moritz, 8 hours. Overnight in St Moritz.
• Day 3: Regular train from St Moritz to another Swiss destination.

The full journey is quite long at over 8 hours. So, it’s best suited for those who like a relaxing day with a view, rather than those who prefer a more active day like hiking.

Use our promo code AFFSWISSFAMILYFUN to save 5% on the Glacier Express rail package

In Zermatt, we suggest adding an excursion to the Gornergrat viewpoint, where you can visit the Riffelsee lake and optionally do a short hike. If you can, I would add one more night in Zermatt so you can do more activities (jump to ideas).

In St Moritz, you can easily fit in an easy stroll around the lakes immediately adjacent to the St Moritz train station (see walking route). If you add more nights to St Moritz, we suggest the Piz Nair mountain viewpoint, easy Morteratsch glacier path, or Corvatsch panorama trail. See more St Moritz ideas.

The GoldenPass Line is a beautiful train journey through the idyllic Swiss alps between Montreux and Interlaken. This tour also includes the Lucerne-Interlaken Express train, which adds more beautiful lakes and mountains to the experience.

The base Golden Pass Tour itinerary is 4 days, one day on the GoldenPass Express scenic train and another day on the Lucerne-Interlaken Express scenic train. This rail journey is a good choice for those wanting to spend a few days in each of these destinations: Montreux, Interlaken and Lucerne.

• Day 1: Regular train to Montreux. Half-day activity near Montreux. Overnight in Montreux.
• Day 2: GoldenPass Express scenic train from Montreux to Interlaken (3h). Possible half-day activity near Interlaken. Overnight in Interlaken.
• Day 3: Lucerne-Interlaken scenic train (2h). You can do a half-day activity either in Interlaken before the train or in Lucerne after the train.
• Day 4: Optional mountain excursion near Lucerne then regular train to another Swiss destination.

Use our promo code AFFSWISSFAMILYFUN to save 5% on this GoldenPass Tour

Here are a few activities we suggest in each location. We suggest adding 1-2 nights in each of the cities so you have more time to explore and hike in each area.

• In Montreux, we suggest Chillon Castle or Rocher de Naye mountain viewpoint.
• In Interlaken, Harder Kulm viewpoint or cruise on Lake Brienz for short half-day activity. Or Jungfraujoch or Schilthorn mountain viewpoints if you have at least 5 hours.
• In Lucerne, our top pick is the Pilatus Golden Round Trip.

Jump to more activity suggestions below.

The Bernina Express is a scenic rail journey in southeast Switzerland. Starting in either Chur or St Moritz, it leads to Tirano on the Italian border. You can optionally add a bus ride from Tirano to Lugano and continue exploring Switzerland from there.

The journey includes many highlights like the famous Landwasser Viadukt, the Alp Grüm viewpoint of Palü Glacier, and the Brusio Circular Viaduct. Along the way, the train crosses 196 bridges and 55 tunnels.

Here is the base itinerary for the Bernina Express route without the bus:

• Day 1: Train to Chur. Bernina Express scenic train to Tirano (4.5h). Overnight in Tirano.
• Day 2: Regular train to St Moritz or other Swiss destination. We suggest going to St Moritz (about 2h30) and spending a couple nights there exploring the region more.

Use our promo code AFFSWISSFAMILYFUN to save 5% on this Bernina Express tour

In most cases, you’ll want to overnight in Chur before the Bernina Express the next day, especially if you are on the early Bernina Express train at 8:28.

After your overnight in Tirano, you can ride a regular train to St Moritz, which is included in the package. On your way, I’d suggest stopping at Morteratsch to visit the glacier. Then continue riding the regular train the rest of the way to St Moritz.

After the rail journey, we suggest spending 1-3 nights in the St Moritz area to explore the region more. At a minimum, you can walk around the beautiful lakes right in front of the city. Jump to more activity ideas for St Moritz.

This scenic route combines a boat ride along Lake Lucerne and a scenic train ride to Lugano in southern Switzerland, near the Italy border.

This journey is a great option if you are traveling from Italy into Switzerland (or vice versa), perhaps flying in or out of Milan. Otherwise, Lugano is so far from other popular Swiss destinations that it doesn’t make sense to add it unless you really want to visit the Ticino region.

The base tour is 3 days / 2 nights, with one full day of travel between Lucerne and Lugano.

• Day 1: Regular train to Lucerne. Optional half-day activity near Lucerne. Overnight in Lucerne.
• Day 2: Boat trip Lucerne to Flüelen (2 hour). Transfer to scenic train to Lugano . total 5 hours
• Day 3: Free day in Lugano and regular train to another destination in Switzerland.

The journey is only offered once per day in each direction.

Use our promo code AFFSWISSFAMILYFUN to save 5% on the  Gotthard Panorama Express rail package

If you arrive early in Lucerne on day one, you could have time for a walking tour and perhaps a mountain excursion to Stanserhorn. I would definitely recommend adding 1-2 nights in Lucerne so you have time for more activities, especially if you like hiking or have kids that would enjoy an alpine playground. Jump to Lucerne activity ideas.

In Lugano, I’d suggest a cruise on Lake Lucerne to the lakeside villages Gandria or Morcote. Or perhaps an excursion to San Salvatore, a no-hike mountain viewpoint over the lake and Lugano city. See more Lugano ideas.

The shortest ride on my list is the Jungfraubahn, a cogwheel mountain train that travels up Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe at 3454m. 

Starting in Grindelwald, you ride the Eiger Express cable car up to the Eigergletscher station, a beautiful ride over alpine meadows with the Eiger peak in view.

Then you transfer to the red Jungfraubahn mountain train, which travels about 30 mins through a long tunnel carved through the mountain peak. 

The train drops you at an underground station, where you ride an elevator up to indoor and outdoor viewing areas. You can walk on the glacier snow, explore a tunnel carved into the glacier ice, and even sled in summer. Learn more about visiting Jungfraujoch .

Some of the above rail packages include the Jungfraubahn or offer it as an add-on activity. If you want to book it separately, we suggest booking via Get Your Guide, which has a flexible cancellation policy.

You can get a round trip ticket from Grindelwald Terminal . If you don’t want to worry about the logistics and seat reservations, book a guided tour from Interlaken:

Our readers can geta 5% discount when they book a Scenic Rail Journey through Switzerland Travel Centre. This discount can be applied to all the rail packages highlighted above, as well as others on the STC website.

Promo Code for 5% discount

Simply use the code AFFSWISSFAMILYFUN in the Promo Code box when making your booking, as shown below. When you click Redeem, it will apply the discount to your total.

• Note: To qualify for the discount, you must add the code AFFSWISSFAMILYFUN during the booking process. It cannot be added after the completion of the booking.

Flexible cancellation

The STC general cancellation policy includes free cancellation until 31 day before departure. Afterwards, cancellation fees apply.

If you want a more flexible cancellation policy, you can add the FLEX OPTION insurance during booking (CHF 49 per person), which allows you to cancel free of charge up to 3 days before your trip. (This does not apply to Glacier Express Excellence Class).

You can customize your Scenic Rail Journey packages to add activities like mountain excursion or city tours. You can also add more nights at each destination along the route so you can fit in more activities.

Here are our suggested activities at each destination. Some can be booked through with the package. Others can be done on your own.

Lucerne activities

The Lucerne region has many beautiful and fun activities, including mountain and lake excursions, city tours and museums.

Here are a few of our favorites that work well with rail journeys.

• For a shorter half-day activity, our first choice is a walking tour of the city, either self-guided or guided. If you have kids, perhaps the Aeschbach Chocolate factory or Swiss Museum of Transport.
• If you have about 5 hours, our top pick is the Pilatus Golden Round trip with boat ride, cogwheel train, and cable car ride. Also great with kids as it has a summer toboggan, ropes park and playground with a view.
• If you like hiking, we suggest the Rigi Round Trip, which has spectacular views and an easy panorama trail and cliff walk. Of you could add the Wellness Rigi activity, which includes time at the thermal baths with an infinity pool overlooking the lake.
• With kids, we suggest Titlis Engelberg, which visits the glacier with an ice tunnel and suspension bridge. Then families can ride down to the middle station to visit the big playground and fun activity trail around the Trübsee alpine lake.

See more Lucerne activities.

Interlaken / Jungfrau Region activities

In Interlaken, we suggest adding 1-3 nights so you can visit the beautiful mountains in the Jungfrau Region and optionally hike.

• For the most spectacular no-hike viewpoint, either Jungfraujoch or Schilthorn.
• With kids under 10, visiting Mürren alpine village and the Allmendhubel Flower Park
• With kids 10+, ride gondola to Grindelwald First with the cliff walk, zip lines, and mountain scooters
• For hikers, ride the mountain train to Schynige Platte and do spectacular ridge trail (about 2h, moderate difficulty).
• For a short activity, ride the funicular train from Interlaken to the Harder Kulm viewpoint and have a traditional Swiss meal at their restaurant.

See more activities near Interlaken.

Zermatt activities

Our top pick in Zermatt is the Gornergrat viewpoint, which is already included in some itineraries like??? As part of this outing, you can visit the Riffelsee lake and optionally do a short hike on the Riffelseeweg trail.

If you love hiking, you could visit do the Matterhorn Glacier Trail, about 2 hours walking time.

With kids, we suggest the Sunnegga mountain, which has a big playground with a Matterhorn view. You can optionally add on the Flower Trail or Marmot activity trail. Older kids can do the go-carts and kick scooters.

• See more ideas in my Zermatt articles .

St Moritz activities

If you only have one evening in St Moritz, you still fit in an easy stroll around the lakes immediately adjacent to the St Moritz train station (see walking route).

If you have more time:

• No hike viewpoint – Piz Nair reached by a funicular that leaves directly from St Moritz, then a cable car
• Easy hike – Morteratsch glacier path – 1h train from St Mortiz and easy walking path to view the glacier ice
• For hikers, Furtschellas water trail visiting 5 alpine lakes.

See more St Moritz activity ideas .

Montreux Activities

In Montreux, we suggest at least 1 night so you have time for a full day activity:

• For a short activity, visit Chillon Castle and do the walking tour of Montreux.
• With kids, you could do the chocolate train to the Cailler chocolate factory and Gruyere cheese dairy.
• For mountain viewpoints, we suggest either Rocher de Naye (3h) or Glacier 3000 (6h).
• For wine lovers, ride the boat to the Lavaux Terraces and do a vineyard tour by shuttle, eBike or foot.

See more ideas near Montreux .

Lugano Activities

For a short activity, I would choose the San Salvatore mountain viewpoint or walking tour of the city, guided or self-guided.

If you have more time, we love cruising on Lake Lucerne to visit lakeside villages like Gandria or Morcote. If you have the Swiss Travel Pass, the boats are included.

If you stay a few days in Lugano region, you could more nature excursions like the famous Verzasca river, Maggia valley with its spectacular waterfalls, or mountain viewpoints like Cardada or Generoso.

See more Lugano ideas .

If you are traveling with children, I would choose a rail package with shorter train rides (2-3 hours) and spend more days in each destination doing mountain excursions and other fun activities.

My top choices for families would be the Best of Switzerland (Lucerne + Interlaken) or Famous Mountain Peaks (Interlaken + Zermatt).

I wouldn’t choose the Glacier Express Classic, since the train ride is 8 hours. If you really want to do the Glacier Express, I would choose a shorter segment, like Zermatt to Andermatt or Chur to St Moritz and spend a few days in the destinations on each end.

Booking for children

Children age 6-15 require a train ticket, which is usually half fare, and a seat reservation.

Children under age 6 do not need a train ticket. But they do need a seat reservation if you want them to have a seat.

During the booking process, you select the age of each child, which then applies the appropriate discount.

If you plan to get the Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Half Card, these will reduce your rail package cost.

Swiss Travel Pass

If you are spending at least 5 days in Switzerland, it’s usually best to get the Swiss Travel Pass , which includes unlimited train travel all over Switzerland, including scenic rail journeys.

When booking a rail package, select the “Swiss Travel Pass” for each traveler as shown below.

Then the train ticket cost is deducted from the package fee. You only pay for the seat reservation and hotels and activities in each destination.

Purchase your Swiss Travel Pass separately and make sure it covers the days of your scenic rail journey. We suggest buying this pass on Get Your Guide , which has a flexible cancellation policy.

Buy Swiss Travel Pass here .

The Swiss Travel Pass also includes entrance to over 500 museums and discounts on some activities.

Half Fare Card

The Swiss Half Fare Card is another discount travel card that gives you a 50% discount on all public transport and most mountain railways throughout Switzerland, including scenic rail journeys.

Some travelers find that the Swiss Half Fare Card is a better fit than the Swiss Travel Pass, particularly if they are renting a car for most of the trip.

• Purchase the one month Swiss Half Fare Card

If you plan to have a Swiss Half Fare Card (or are a local and already have one), choose that option for each traveler as shown below. The discount will be applied in the last step.

During the booking process, you can customize the itinerary in several ways.

On most itineraries, you can add extra nights at each destination. When you are viewing the itinerary, simply click the + button next to the destination. The suggested hotel may change based on availability.

Add activities

Most itineraries allow you to add bookable activities like mountain excursions, paragliding or city tours. When you click the Add Activity button, it will display activities that can be booked through the tool.

Of course, there are many other activities that aren’t bookable through the tool, which you can do on your won. Note that some itineraries already include some activities, which may be fixed.

If you want to add a destination to the suggested itinerary, simply click the Edit Route button as shown here.

This opens the following trip planning screen, where you can add other stops and overnights to the trip.

Browse scenic rail journeys and save 5% with our promo code AFFSWISSFAMILYFUN

We are delighted to partner with Switzerland Travel Centre , the official and largest tour operator for holidays in Switzerland.

Their company is a subsidiary of Switzerland Tourism, Swiss Railways SBB, HotellerieSuisse, and various Swiss regional railway companies. They work with over 2,000 Swiss hotels and all the major railway and mountain railway companies to bring you the best package options.

They are headquartered in Zurich, with offices in London, Stuttgart and Hong Kong.

Note: We are an affiliate partner of Switzerland Travel Centre. If you use our promo code to book rail packages, we may receive a small commission. See our disclosure policy for more info.

• TAGS: Scenic Train Rides , Swiss Public Transport

How to save money on Switzerland train travel including how to get cheaper fares, rail passes for tourists, and yearly travel cards for locals.

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Hi! I’m Tanya and our family has been living & hiking in Switzerland since 2005, collecting dozens of fun hikes and activities for all ages and abilities. More about us…

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Should you buy a 2024 Eurail Pass? Here’s how to decide

Eurail Passes are famous as a way to save money while exploring Europe, but they are also confusing and often misunderstood. They are still an amazing money-saving tool for certain types of travelers, and not a wise idea for most others. Before Europe introduced dynamic rail pricing (like airfares, where the price varies depending on when you buy it), a Eurail Pass was an easy way to save money since all tickets had fixed prices that were generally fairly expensive. These days most travelers can save far more money just by buying their train tickets at least a few weeks in advance.

That said, Eurail Passes are still great for longer trips and especially for people who like to make plans as they go. Dynamic rail pricing made advanced tickets much cheaper, but it also made last-minute tickets MUCH more expensive. Below we will discuss Eurail Passes and whether they are a good idea for your trip or not.

Disclosure : This is a reader-supported website and some of the links are affiliate links where a small commission is paid to help keep this site going.

Note : This article was written in 2012 and has been continuously updated since then, so all information is current as of April, 2024.

Eurail 2024 changes: New countries and a mobile version

Aside from that it’s just the normal fact that they have updated the timetables as of December 2023 and have a few promotions going on, but those usually don’t happen over the busy summer season.

Eurail passes are now available in a mobile version

Until very recently, Eurail Passes were only available in paper form and they were quite confusing at first. You’d get a pass with a series of empty boxes on it and you’d need to enter your trip before you’d use your pass each day and then have the first conductor verify it. If you lost your ticket (and this was not uncommon), it was a whole ordeal to attempt to get a replacement.

Again in 2024 Eurail offers a fully mobile version that is delivered instantly to your mobile device with no delivery fee. And if you somehow lose your phone, you can resume using your Pass on your replacement with no extra headache. This is MUCH more convenient in every way and as long as you can keep track of your phone you’ll always have your train pass handy.

If your trip will be 2 weeks or less, a Eurail Pass probably won't be worth it

Eurail Passes are ideal for travelers on longer trips, and especially those who don’t want to plan all of their destinations and dates far in advance. If you have your itinerary pretty much planned out and you don’t require much flexibility, you’ll be far better off just locking in your dates and buying your train tickets as early as you can. Again, they can be surprisingly cheap if you buy 2 to 4 months out.

If you are age 27 or younger, a Eurail Pass is probably worth it

With this in mind, if you are lucky enough to still be 27 or younger, you should seriously think about getting a Eurail Global Pass Youth, partly because the sense of freedom instantly gets more expensive at age 28. The age cutoff was 25 until recently, so this change is a great deal for anyone who will be 26 or 27 at the start of their trip.

You aren’t guaranteed to save money by buying a Youth Eurail Pass, but chances are good that you WILL save money and you’ll definitely save a lot of hassle as well. Especially now that Eurail Passes come in a mobile form, it’s even that much more convenient to just hop aboard any train that is about to leave the station and not worry about buying or even having a ticket. Especially for young people, it can be really fun and exhilarating to literally just walk into a train station with your backpack and look at the departure board and then decide where to go at that moment.

If you are age 60 or over, a Eurail Pass could also be great value

Another fairly recent change is that anyone who is 60 years or older at the start of the use of a Eurail Pass now gets 10% off the normal adult fare. That new discount is going to make this a great value for many travelers who might have been on the fence about buying a full-price pass before.

>>>Check prices on  Eurail Passes

If you are planning on traveling in 1st Class anyway, a Eurail Pass is probably worth it

Most 2nd Class trains provide similar comfort and legroom to Business Class airline seats, or at least close enough, so for most people it’s not worth the added expense for 1st Class. However, if you are rich or elderly or fear contact with strangers, a 1st Class Eurail Pass is probably worth it no matter what.

Not only do you get much more comfort and legroom in 1st Class, with only 3 seats across instead of 4, but there is another advantage to 1st Class on European trains. Since it’s mostly business travelers and wealthy people traveling in 1st Class, the carriages are almost always mostly empty except in the mornings and late afternoons between large cities. In 2nd Class the only available seats might be two seats in an 8-seat cabin with all the other seats taken up by a loud family or a group of rowdy friends. In 1st Class you are all but guaranteed a peaceful ride, and usually plenty of empty seats from which to choose.

A hidden Eurail Pass benefit: Making extra stops on travel days for free

Brussels in particular is one I recommend a short stop in because the small historic center around what they called the Grand Place is amazing and gorgeous, while the rest of the city is rather boring by European standards. With a Eurail Pass you can jump off the train in Brussels and explore the city center for a few hours (luggage storage is cheap and easy) and maybe have lunch, and then hop on a later train to complete your journey to Amsterdam. There are opportunities like this on many if not most trips between larger cities, and if you buy the point-to-point tickets you have to stay on the train you booked.

Another example is the high-speed train between Barcelona and Madrid, which takes about 2.5 to 3 hours in each direction. There are some interesting cities in between, but in this case you could take a morning train from Barcelona to Madrid and then check into your accommodation, and then hop on another train from Madrid to Toledo, which takes about 30 minutes and costs €14 each way. Toledo is a historic and fascinating town, but it’s also pretty small and you can explore the main sights in an afternoon. With a Flexi Eurail Pass where you buy a certain number of travel days, you can save more money by adding on these sorts of nearby stops on travel days.

If you'll be touring major cities within ONE country, a single-country pass might be perfect, and Second Class passes are available for all ages

Single-country passes are still available and they MIGHT be good value for you, but it depends on which country and how much traveling you’ll be doing. If you plan on going all over a larger country such as Germany, France, or Spain, and especially if you like to make plans as you go, a Single-country pass for one of those might be your best deal. On the other hand, smaller countries (such as the Netherlands) or countries where train tickets are already fairly cheap (such as Italy) might be harder to get value out of. Long story short, for single-country passes you really need to check fares of the places you plan on going and see how they add up compared to the pass.

>>>Check prices for  Single Country Passes

Eurostar (between London and Paris or Brussels or Amsterdam) tickets are now included for Eurail Pass holders for a €30 reservation fee

Our recent tests show that Eurostar fares one-way from London to Paris can be as low as €49 if you book about 3 months out, or as expensive as €214 for the same seat if you wait until the day of travel to buy. Round-trip/return tickets can be even cheaper if there is a promotion running.

>>>Check  Eurostar prices

If you are on a really low budget, a Eurail Pass isn't a good idea

Here’s the thing. As we’ll discuss below, there are many potential benefits to Eurail Passes, and they will often save you money, but they do cost a lot and they only really save you money when traveling in the more expensive countries.

So let’s say you have a flight to  Rome  and then US$2,000 to last you a month after you arrive. Buying a Eurail Pass before you go would help you see a lot in that month, but you’d practically need to sleep in parks for your funds to last the whole time. You’d be better off moving slowly in the southern countries, or just in Italy itself, as a way to have the best holiday on your budget. You might also be tempted to use a Eurail Pass mostly on  night trains  so you can save the cost of a hotel or hostel, but those aren’t ideal for most of us.

The cheapest way to get around Europe by rail is to buy all train tickets online at least a couple months in advance. The fares are low, but they are non-refundable and non-changeable. See  how far in advance you should buy train tickets to get those attractive fares .

If more than a little of your travel will be in eastern Europe, a Eurail Pass isn't a good idea

The good news is that the trains operating in this region, and the buses that operate alongside and/or where trains aren’t running, are quite cheap. So if any significant part of your trip will be into this region, a rail pass doesn’t make sense.

Basic types of Eurail Passes

Long gone are the days of the simple options, replaced by specialized passes that are meant to appeal to different styles. It should be pretty easy to figure out which is best for you, and then keep going down the page to decide if it’s worth it at all.

Eurail Global Pass  – 4,5, or 7 days within 1 month or 10 days within 2 months

Until recently the minimum number of travel days with 10 days within 2 months, but now you can buy as few as 4 days within 1 month for about €200 to €250 (for first class). This can actually be an interesting strategy if you are planning many shorter and cheaper trips (like within Italy or Eastern Europe), and also 4 or 5 longer trips such as Berlin to Amsterdam. This way you can buy only 4 or 5 travel days and only use them for your most expensive travel days, and just pay as you go or buy cheap advance tickets for your other journeys.

Eurail Global Pass  – 15 to 90 consecutive days

This variation allows for unlimited travel on the system for between 15 and 90 total days. They are really only a good idea for people who are certain they are going to travel very often, with much of it being in the north of Europe. The problem with them is that if you really try to get your money’s worth, you will probably ruin your trip by spending too much time on trains in general. On the other hand, if you will be in Europe for 2 or 3 months and plan on traveling around a lot, you can get a LOT of use out of a longer pass. The 3-month pass is around €900 so it’s literally about €10 per day. Imagine going back and forth between Berlin and Munich or Barcelona and Madrid for €10 per day!

One Country Pass

Obviously these are for travel within one country only. Again, they can be great deals if you plan on extensively moving around one particular country.

Where to buy your Eurail Pass

Eurail Passes are cheapest and easiest to buy online, primarily from two main sources which offer all the same products at the exact same prices:

This is a reliable company based in the Netherlands but with fulfillment offices in the US and Ireland. Price of Travel is a partner with this company, and if you use the links of this site we earn a small commission to help keep this site online. Eurail.com is usually cheaper than RailEurope (discussed below) by the way.

Raileurope.com

They were founded in the 1930s and are based in New York, but owned primarily by the French and Swiss rail companies. They offer  free shipping  (2 to 3 business days) on all orders of US$399 or more, although now that a mobile version is available, this is meaningless. Price of Travel is a partner with this company, and if you use the links of this site we earn a small commission to help keep this site online.

Reservations on European trains for rail pass holders

For most of the fastest trains between major cities you’ll need to reserve a seat even with a rail pass. It can usually be done just before you leave and the cost is usually around €5. Here’s a full list of  which European trains require reservations and which don’t .

Reservations are required on all intercity (longer distance) trains in or involving France, Spain, Switzerland, and Italy. For most trains in Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, and most of eastern Europe, you can usually find trains that don’t require seat reservations. Often, if you don’t leave until after 9:30am or so, you can ride on any train with no seat reservation, but you have to research each leg to be sure.

How to determine which trains require seat reservations, and also get schedules

You can click on the link just above this section for a list of countries and their seat-reservation policies, but in some cases it’s actually a bit more complicated than that. For example, you can generally ride without a seat reservation on fast ICE (Inter City Express) trains in Germany if you depart after 09:30 in the morning. They do this to free up seats for business travelers who pay full fare, and they don’t mind filling up seats with rail pass holders on trains leaving a bit later.

Night trains in Europe are making a comeback

Fast forward to 2024 and night trains are not only expanding service, but they are very trendy. Some of it is nostalgia for the older way of getting around, but most of it is for environmental purposes combined with European hatred for the “low cost airline” experience with RyanAir and Easy Jet etc.

Personally I’m still not a fan of night trains because I find it difficult to sleep on them since they often get decoupled at interim stations in the middle of the night and then coupled onto other trains coming from other places, and I can’t sleep through any of that. But still, they are worth looking into and they are fun to try at least once.

A bit of warning that they tend not to be cheap and even if you have a Eurail Pass you’ll almost certainly want to book a sleeping cabin with a bunk or couchette, and that will come at an extra fee. On the other hand, if you are the sort of person who can sleep sitting upright in a normal seat, then that won’t cost any extra on most overnight trains.

Factors to consider when thinking about any Eurail Pass

Assuming you know which Eurail Saver Pass option is the best one for your type of trip by now, we’ll go over the main factors that should help you decide whether it’s the best idea for you.

Eurail Passes are best for standard ‘medium length’ journeys

However, if you are determined to travel between Rome and Paris, it’s about a 14-hour journey that will almost certainly be overnight. In this case, a cheap plane ticket is probably better, although taking shorter hops on the train is even better, so spend a day or two in Milan or Lyon on the way instead.

And of course, if you prefer to stop in various small towns between the big ones, then a Eurail Pass won’t pay off, except for the traditional kind for unlimited travel in a given period.

Eurail Passes are better value in northern Europe, France, and Spain, and poor value in Italy

Once you do a bit of research you’ll quickly learn that train tickets (and almost everything else) are much more expensive in Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland than they are in Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. With this in mind, the regional passes can make sense if you are spending time in the south, but the Global Passes almost certainly won’t. Train tickets in Spain used to be fairly cheap, but in recent years they’ve added new high-speed trains between the major cities, and these are quite expensive.

Unlike most other countries, Italy really subsidizes its train tickets so they are quite reasonable even on travel day, and very cheap if you buy a month or more in advance. For example, you can go between Rome and Florence for around €49 if you buy on travel day, and as little as €19 if you buy well in advance. In most other countries, fares are double or triple that much for similar rides.

So consider your planned itinerary. If more than half of it is in the Mediterranean countries then look into a Regional Pass or just buy tickets as you go, because they tend to be pretty cheap. But if you are planning on spending at least half your time in  Paris  and places to the north of it, then a Eurail Pass is probably a money saver because those tickets are expensive.

Trains are almost always better than planes

Flying sucks, even in Europe

Until you’ve experienced the joy of traveling around Europe by train you might be tempted to “maximize” your time by flying low-cost airlines between each city. This would be a mistake. In order to get truly cheap airfares you have to purchase long in advance, buying non-refundable tickets. You might also have to commit to flights in the very early morning or in the late evening, because cheap tickets on convenient flights sell out quickly.

And again, most European airports are around an hour outside of the city. They are often on the main train lines, which helps, but still you have to deal with the madness of security and also try to get there at least two hours early. From one city center to any other city center it’s about 5 hours minimum, even if they are close, and those are pretty miserable hours.

Train travel is a positive experience

Not only are all the seats comfortable on trains, but you also have an interesting view most of the time. Better still, trains deposit you in the heart of every city, which is usually the neighborhood with the cheapest hotels and food. It’s a wonderful feeling to step off a relaxing train ride, buy a hot dog or sandwich at a local shop, and then be in your hotel room only about 10 minutes later.

Eurail Passes are better than train tickets alone

As someone who enjoys the process of crunching numbers and looking for value, I have to also mention that I’d buy a Eurail Pass even if it seemed like it would cost a bit more than the individual tickets. With a pass you get an extra element of freedom that is worth a lot more than you might expect until you’ve used one.

Let’s say you are heading from  Amsterdam  to  Hamburg  tomorrow morning. The 09:00 train you planned for might seem a bit ambitious after a long night out, so you can instead opt for the 10:00 or 11:00 train. As long as you walk into Centraal Station 10 or so minutes before departure, you are on. If you are flying you can’t change your ticket, and if you are buying train tickets as you go you have to be in line at the international desk at the train station at least 30 minutes early, and even then you might miss it if they are busy.

Freedom and getting to feel like a big shot

Let’s say you are staying at a hostel in Brussels, and two groups of new friends suggest that you go along with them to their next stops. One group is going to Bruges, which is a short and cheap journey, so you can join them by buying individual tickets (unless you have the unlimited pass, making it free). Then you restart your trip from Bruges, on to your next destination. The other group is headed to Berlin on a night train, which is long and expensive, but with a Eurail Pass you don’t even have to think about the cost. On you go, just like a rich person.

Buying a Eurail Pass is great for those who might run out of money

We all know people who keep meticulous track of every penny they spend, and who are always putting money away for a rainy day. And we all know people who can take a US$100 “entertainment fund” and burn through almost all of it in just a few hours. For the first type of person, a Eurail Pass can help you keep track of expenses, but it’s really the second type of person these are best for.

It’s sad to hear about people who have big plans to see their dream destinations, but they run out of money for transportation halfway into the trip, so they have to just stay put until they fly home. It happens. Locking in your major transportation costs before you leave home, and probably saving money in the process, is a wise move for anyone who isn’t as disciplined as they’d like with their money.

Bottom line: If you want to keep travel costs down, your choices will usually be a Eurail Pass or buying tickets at least a month or more early

In the last few years, almost every long-distance train ride in Europe has switched to a pricing system similar to low-cost airlines. In other words, tickets go on sale 2 to 6 months ahead of time at very low prices, and they keep getting more expensive as the train fills up and the date approaches. For most trips where a rail pass is possible, this is how things stack up:

Cheapest possible way : Buy advanced (non-refundable, non-changeable) train tickets at least 30 days in advance

Next cheapest way : Buy a Eurail Pass and make seat reservations as you go, usually only a day or less in advance.

Most expensive way : Buy train tickets as you go, or less than a week in advance.

Thinking about it this way should make the choice a bit easier. If you are the type who likes to plan each day and travel segment long before you even leave home, then  buy tickets online for the best prices . This can be the best strategy for most shorter trips (10 days or less) because you simply don’t have enough time to change many things as you go anyway.

Buying a Eurail Pass won’t be quite as cheap, but you are buying a LOT of flexibility with the extra money. If you dream of making up your plans as you go, or even making up your plans just a few days in advance, this is almost always your best bet.

But if you wait too long, and just show up looking to buy train tickets as you go, they are going to cost a fortune. As recently as only a few years ago all seats would be the same price on many rail systems, so you could always just wing it. When each country computerized its rail systems so they can sell advanced tickets cheaper, they also had to keep track of seat reservations, so the whole pricing structure had changed to favor advanced ticket buyers and rail pass holders over those who’d prefer to just hop on any train as it is leaving the station.

Have a rail pass or itinerary question of your own?

It wasn’t planned but scores of people began asking me rail pass and itinerary questions at the bottom of this article and a few others. I’m happy to keep answering them and now I’m trying to organize them better as well so they are easier for other people to find.

If you have a question about specific types of European rail passes, please ask it in the comments below.

But if you have a question more about a  European itinerary or other non-rail-pass questions , please click over to the  European itineraries Q & A article  and ask in the comments of that one.

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Should you buy a 2024 Eurail Pass? Here’s how to decide " --> All Comments

Comment* I will come to Germany on 2nd wk of June . Will stay for 14 days . And I m planning to Buy Global eurail pass for 15 days . Will it be a good decision for me ? Shall I face any issues with travel regarding reservations of sit or any other difficulties? Pls let me know . Thank you

It really depends on where you’ll be going. If you are just going to travel within Germany you can get a one-country Germany rail pass and it will be quite a bit cheaper. Even if you are mostly staying within Germany and perhaps also going to Amsterdam or Prague or Switzerland, it still might be cheaper just to go with the Germany pass and then pay the supplement for the times you leave the borders.

And of course, the other thing is how many trips will you take within your 14-day stay? If you want to just hop on trains to see as much of the country as possible, then it can be a great deal. But if you are just going, say, from Frankfurt to Munich to Berlin and then to Hamburg and back to Frankfurt, it would probably be cheaper to buy individual tickets as soon as possible. Let me know more about your trip and I’ll try to help more. -Roger

Comment*I would like to buy a eurail pass to do some travelling in UK and Europe in June. I’ll be flying into Gatwick first. Can my pass be activated there so that I can first go to London? Thank you

Yes, that will be no problem. If you get the old printed version you will just show the pass to the ticket taker on the train and they will fill in the date of your first use and stamp it to be activated right then. If you get the mobile phone version it looks like you just activate it yourself. You’ll need to be online to do that so you’ll need a working phone plan or SIM card in order to ride the train from Gatwick to London.

That said, depending on the pass you have, it might be wise to just pay the £18.50 to ride the Gatwick Express train and then activate your pass when you are leaving London, unless of course if you are leaving London on that same day. I hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger

We have read on the Eurail website that when booking a seat needing a reservation that it is best to print off this reservation paperwork and have a hard copy of the seat reservation for the conductor. Is this correct, as we would not have ready access to a printer when travelling and seems to defeat the purpose of having an app and travelling with digital tickets?

My guess is that is old information on the Eurail website. At this point I’m sure at least 95% of passengers are just keeping their tickets on their phones for the ticket person to check. Hopefully they update that language soon, but I’m sure I would have heard about it if this were an actual current rule. The Europe rail system has been great about keeping up with technology but maybe not their websites. -Roger