Railpass - France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany & Switzerland
 

I am evaluating the best rail pass option to cover the above countries in 2 weeks with my family and have a few questions.

If I obtain the EURAIL Global Pass 1st Class - 7 days in 1-month option, it comes to USD 1306 (around EUR 1100) for my family.

1. Is this the best pass?
2. How does this pass work? e.g. If I travel to Brussels from Paris, can I use the pass to travel within Brussels during the same day (between 12 am to 11.59 pm is a day is how I read)?

Many thanks in advance.

OK, so €157 per day.

There's a €20 per person fee to pay on Brussels-Paris Thalys trains, so have you checked what the normal price would be on the day you want to go? No point in paying €50 per day for a pass, then €20 reservation fee, then €15 fee to a booking agency to sell you the €20 fee, when you could just go to Thalys.com and buy a regular ticket from €29.

Similarly, check other journeys, eg to from or within Germany at bahn.de/en

Yes, a pass gives unlimited travel from midnight to midnight (or beyond midnight when using a sleeper train) but it only covers the national rail operator(s) obviously not taxis, buses, airlines, metro trains or trams.

I've written a guide to passes - and whether to use point to point tickets or passes - at https://www.seat61.com/Railpass-and-...pass-guide.htm

You also need to be aware of passholder reservation costs, I've listed all that I know about here: https://www.seat61.com/InterRail-and...ions-guide.htm

To, from and within France will be the extra-costs issue for you here!