• Q. Can I purchase a rail pass when I'm in Europe?

  A. In general, rail passes can only be purchased prior to your arrival in Europe and cannot be purchased locally. If you’re already in Europe and would like to purchase a rail pass, we may be able to assist you, please call us at 1-800-622-8600.

  With international shipping, we can send your rail pass to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, or Switzerland. The fee for orders sent to Europe is $40 USD or $45 CAD and delivery takes 3 to 7 Business days.

• Q. How can I find the cheapest train tickets?

  A. There are two ways you can ensure you get the best price. The most effective way is to book your train ticket(s) in advance. Many rail carriers operating high speed trains or night trains make a limited number of cheaper seats available for advance purchase. Once those seats have been sold or the purchase window has passed, prices go up. That’s why we recommend booking 60 to 90 days prior to the train departure, especially if you plan on traveling during peak season (summer and holidays).

  The other way to ensure you get the best rate is to correctly indicate the composition and number of your traveling party when requesting your fares and schedules. This will allow us to determine eligibility for some reduced fares such as child, youth or senior fares when offered by the rail carrier.

• Q. How do I use my Italo print at home e-ticket for travel in Italy?

  A. While Italo train tickets are considered print at home e-tickets, you don’t actually need to print anything or retrieve a voucher or boarding pass at the station.

  All that is required is the confirmation (PNR) code printed on your Rail Europe booking confirmation email. Just present your e-ticket confirmation code and a valid photo id to the conductor on the train - it’s that easy!

• Q. How far in advance can I buy my train ticket?

  A. Train tickets can be purchased 60 to 180 days in advance, depending on your route of travel. Rail carrier policies vary, depending on when their schedules are available for sale.

  For the best deals, purchase your train tickets three months in advance, if possible. But always book as far in advance as you can to assure the best price and to avoid your class of service being sold out (especially during peak travel season on high speed trains).

• Q. What if I’ve purchased a Twin/Saver pass and one of the travellers decides not to travel that day?

  A. It’s perfectly fine, but the traveller who didn’t travel will still use a travel day on their pass.

  If you’re all traveling on the same day, but split up and take different trains, those not carrying the pass will need to buy separate train tickets.

• Q. Can I book group fares online?

  A. Due to the nature of group inventory, group fares are not available online. To receive a quote from one of our dedicated group consultants, please fill out the quick and easy Group Quote form and an agent from our group department will contact you within 48-72 hours.

• Q. How do I order Rail Europe brochures for my travel agency?

  A. In order to see the most up-to-date brochures and information please access the Travel Agent Corner page. There you will be able to download, and print or email brochures to your clients.

• Q. How do I connect between train stations in the same city?

  A. There is often an easy connection by public transportation between train stations within the same city or town.

• Q. How can I book an itinerary with multiple cities?

  A. Our website makes booking multi-city journeys very easy!

  Simply enter the cities you plan to depart from, arrive to, and your travel dates. Our system will then search the database to provide the best matching schedules.

• Q. How do I use the bonuses that come with rail passes?

  A. Rail Pass travel bonuses must be redeemed locally.

  There are two types of bonuses. Free bonuses (such as a free airport transfer) require the use of a travel day on your pass. If all travel days have been used on your rail pass you will not be able to take advantage of any more free bonuses. Discount bonuses do not require you to use a travel day, but do require that your pass still be within its validity period. In other words, even if you’ve used up all your days on a pass, you can still claim discounted bonuses as long as the pass validity period has not expired.

  The exception to this rule is the Swiss Travel Pass. Although a discounted bonus doesn’t require you to use a travel day on your Swiss Travel Pass, the pass must still be valid and you must not have used up all your travel days.

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