PalenQ

The Eurail Global Pass (aka formerly as the Eurailpass) now covers 20 country, up by two with the addition of Croatia and Slovenia.

Romania had been the last new country to participate a few years ago.

Britain remains the only western european country not in the Eurailpass scheme - guess they make too much with BritRail.

PalenQ

Oh and prices for pretty much all Eurailpasses, including Select, two-country, solo country, etc. go up about 5% Jan 1

If buying a pass for use in Jan or Feb you can save some bucks by buying by 1pm or so Dec 31, 2008, whenever Raileurope or their agents who use the same booking site closes down for the year and posts new 2008 prices

But railpass prices have been yo-yoing all year this year so though you can use a railpass for up to 8 months after issue at the old price i don't see much reason to do this - prices could go down even - this year they went up 5% and then down a few weeks later the same - overall they tracked the rise of the euro however and were up overall.

Passes in 2007 were for the first time in my knowledge priced in euros and not dollars so their prices were adjusted as to currency fluctuations

Previously prices were set in stone in $ for the year and some years big savings could be made by purchasing a pass before Jan 1 and then using it at the old price for up to eight months later

Only Swiss and British railpasses are currently priced under the old system in $ and set in stone for the year

they will be going up Jan 1 and on these passes savings could be sizeable, depending on the cost of the pass of course.

PalenQ

New Passes for 2008

the move to 2-country 'Eurailpasses' continues with the advent of

Eurail Finland-Sweden Pass
Eurail Denmark-Sweden Pass
Eurail Norway-Sweden Pass

nearly every country in europe is now involved in a 2-country pass

these have exact same benefits as the Global Eurailpass, good in 20 countries, but are much cheaper because the geographical scope in much smaller

these passes also usually come in 2nd class for any ages as opposed to Eurail Global or Select passes which, if over 25 only come in first class - thus again they can be much cheaper for folks over 25

But, however the difference in price between first and second class in these passes is often minimal so 1st class may be a much better deal (and first class IMO is almost always worth it if the price differential is so minimal)

JN

Thanks, Pal. Good info.

PalenQ

New Pass in 2008:

Eurail Slovenia Pass

PalenQ

BritRail Passes 50% off for Eurail Youthpass holders

kind of a major development as Britain is trying to capture a part of the youth train pass thing around Europe

previously not in the Eurailpass scheme and still not per se now anyone buying a Eurail youthpass will get 50% off any Brit Railpass adult fare

perhaps more of the backpacking crowd on rails will now take time to see more of the UK than London

hopscotch

PalenQ,

Many thanks for the information.

Now if only Czech Republic would get on board?

PalenQ

thanks and yes - Czech Republic as so many folk going to Prague

and though there is the Prague Excursion Pass it is not a bargain except perhaps for its convenience - cheaper fares there i believe.

I would think the countries on the European East pass - Poland, czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria would soon join the Global eurail pass and select pass - Austria of course is already a Eurail country

And there are Austrian-Czech passes harbinger perhaps of a whole series of new 2-country eurail so-and-so passes.

PalenQ

Major Change: London Plus Pass

aka Days out of London in past years

this is a railpass good within say 100 mile radius of London including all of Southeast England (which the pass has also been called)

new in 2008 - trains to Bath, Bristol and Strarford-upon-Avon, previous out of the bounds of the pass

PalenQ

The London Plus pass borders have indeed been extended liberally and now include:

Bath, Bristol, Stratford-Avon, Harwich, Kings Lynn, Huntington, Bedford, Long Buckby, Worcester, Foregate, Bedwyn, Salisbury, and Weymouth

not sure what the 2008 price is but would expect major increase to compensate for new expanded boundaries - this Lonon Plus pass now should be considered more by folks who normally may have opted for the BritRail England pass. 2008 prices: www.raileurope.com; www.britrail.com; www,budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com

PalenQ

Brit-Ireland Pass no longer includes two boat rides between UK and Ireland

thought these coupons will be sold separately

this has always been to me a seriously overpriced pass, especially since the limited train service in Ireland, so hopefully the price will decrease without the boats included.

PalenQ

2008 EURAIL BONUSES
(Applies generally to all passes valid in that country, not just Eurail Passes)

SEEMINGLY NEW IN 2008

Finland - 50% discount Helsinki-Tallinn on Tallink Silja Oy www.tallinsilja.com

NO FREE RIDE HELSINKI-STOCKHOLM

these overnight boats and also ones from Turku now are 50% off with railpasses and not 100%

ROMANTICK ROAD BUSES
Discount now 20% (was once 100% then 40% now 20%
And no mention of Castle Road route giving any discount - just for the Frankfurt-Rothenberg-Fussen/Munich buses.www.romanticroad.de

NOTE DISCOUNTS MAY BE BETTER THAN 100%

Sometimes discounts, if using a flexipass, are better than 100% coverage because 100% coverage you must use one day of travel on a flexipass but with discounts you do not - only your pass has to be valid for the overall usually 1- or 2-month validity period

Thus with the helsinki-stockholm boats for most it could well be more economical to pay 50% off than to use a travel day on say Eurail Select Passes.

PalenQ

EURAIL EARLY BIRD PROMO

Every year for the past few years there is a special promotion on Eurail Select Passes where if you buy the pass before Mar 31, 2008 and it's a 6-day or longer pass you will get an extra bonus day free.

Thus a 6-day pass becomes a 7-day pass, etc.

This could be especially good for folks who would normally buy an 8-day Eurail Select Pass but really only need 7 days - now buy a 6 day pass and get the 7th free - saving about $100 or so.

Passes must be activated within six months of issue and then can be used for the two month validity period after that - meaning you can travel with a promo pass as late as Nov 30, 2008

Only applies to 6-day and long Eurail Select Passes - not Global eurail or other 'Eurail' passes

hopscotch

PQ,

<i>NO FREE RIDE HELSINKI-STOCKHOLM
these overnight boats and also ones from Turku now are 50% off with railpasses and not 100%</i>

This is a total bummer. Where did you get this info?

Also, I checked the Eurail Map at http://tinyurl.com/yo4pev for Croatia and Slovenia. The map does not include these countries. Do you have advanced insider info? Or is eurail.com not the official site?

PalenQ

Yes i believe eurail.com is the official site

as these changes only took effect JAN 1, 2008 they may not have updated

this info comes from the major pervoyer of railpasses in North American - Raileurope message entitled &quot;New 2008 products and Product Changed - dated 12/28/08

I'm going to have to double check to see that what they have about the Stock-Hel boats is correct

For years ScanRailpasses only gave 50% off the boats whilst eurail gave 100% and a free berth to boot i believe

yet the web sites of the boat companies said 100% for both

Another change in 2008 that the Scanrailpass is now being called a Eurailpass (most country or regional passes have been incorporated into the Eurail pass name - i'm not sure this is a creation of RailEurope (owned by French and Swiss railways) or the Eurail Committee in Utrecht Holland i believe that sets Eurailpass prices and conditions and perks

I'll research - as always for the most likely correct answer i always advise calling BETS 800-441-2387 which i may have to do to get something definitive from an expert who IME i can always trust to determine the right answer to see if this Scan boat thing is correct

but again in the past 50%, if on a flexipass and not consecutive day pass may be better for most than 100% where you must use a day of travel.

I'll report back

BTW these Stock-Hel boats are tremendously scenic - fabulous scenery most of the way and luxury kind of boats so is a great Eurail perk

hopscotch

PQ,

Thanks for bringing all this to light.

I have used Eurailpass several times to cross on Silja Line to/fro Stockholm and Helsinki. My most recent trip was two years ago. Silja has two magnificent ships. The dinner buffet is world class and all-you-can-eat and drink. A bunk in a 4 bed same-sex cabin was free with my Eurailpass. Great entertainment on board. Stores galore. This crossing was one of the highlights of my trip.

PalenQ

Hops- just got the 2008 Eurail Travlers Guide along with my pass for my upcoming Jan-Feb rail sojourn and it confirms that the Sweden-Finland ferries are 50% off with a Eurailpass, thus no longer free.
www.tallinksilja.com (Silja Oy) www.vikingline.fi

also as now you get 50% off Stockholm to Riga and Tallin from Silja Oy

and it says all discounts are granted on cabin category C-A so no longer free berth but 50% off

Silja Oy also offers 50% off Helsinki-tallin services

In fact the big news seems to be that the benefits by boat in Scandinavia that were formerly afforded to ScanRailpass holders - 50% off many boats is now extended to Eurailpass holders

including: Norway (all 50%) Frederikshavn-Oslo - day sailings only
Frederikshavn-Larvik
Hirtshals-Oslo
Hitrshals-Kristiansand
Hirtshals-Bergen/Stavenger
Hirtshals-Larvik - day sailings only

Bergen-Stavenger Flaggruten 50%

Buses Andalsnes-Alesund 50%
Andalnes-Molde 50%

though these were previously given discounts the discounts were 25-30% mainly

so anyone traveling much around Scandinavia on boats could find a Eurail Select or Eurail Scanrail flexipass to afford more benefits than just the 100% covered travel days

PalenQ

And there are good changes vis-a-vis Switzerland and the Eurailpasses

Now the new guide says trains between Zermatt and Disentis, Andermatt-Goschenen (a short few mile shuttle connecting the Glacier Express route with the Gotthard mainline) and also that cable cars Zermatt-Gornergrat would all get 25% discounts with a Eurailpass - and of course on flexipasses not have to use a day of travel.

Thus the Glacier Express route, previously which gave Eurails no discounts Zermatt-disentis now at least give 25% off and don't entail using a day on a flexipass

Swiss Passes of course have always covered the Zermatt-disentis portion of Glacier Express route in full - and as they give 50% off virtually everything in the country in terms of lifts, cableways, etc. that they don't cover in full still have much more benefits than Eurailpasses for folks doing indepth Swiss travels - most intercity buses, city transport, lake boats, etc. also being 100% covered.

But for folks transiting the country a Eurailpass has more benefits now than before

PalenQ

Actually after looking at 2007 Travelers Guide some of these changes were apparently made last year

yet this year some are up from 30% to 50%

ROMANTIC ROAD BUSES
For years a nice perk of a Germany Railpass or eurailpass valid in Germany was it covered the Romantic Road buses to Rothenberg-Fussen-Munich and Castle Road Mannheim-Heidelberg-Rothenburg-Nurnberg

a few years ago when Deutsche Bahn divested of its subsidiary that ran the buses the 100% went down to a discount of 60%

Now i see that the discount has shrunk to 20% and Castle Road seems not covered at all.