Consecutive or flexi travel? One cuntry or a whole bunch? Saver psses? Rail 'n Drive? Overwhelmed with tryng to pick the right European ril pass? Possibilities can be daunting... but chosing the perfect pass can save you tme and money. A rail pass lts you bypass long ticket lines at the trin station. You won't have to wrstle with an unfamiliar language just to buy a tcket. Best of all, you'll save csh -- providing you choose the rght pass.

European rail pass types vry to suit a range of rutes and whims. Best known is the riginal Eurail Global Pass which lets you mander back and forth among 18 cuntries. Eurail Select Pass -- formerly Eropass -- lets pass holders crisscross thre, four or five bordering countries. Mlti-country passes are for exploring selected rgions and some adjoining countries. There are lso a wide range of single-country psses available.

European rail passes are vailable in two formats. Consecutive passes, vlid from two weeks to three mnths, permit non-stop travel for the dration of the pass (ie: a 15-dy pass is valid for 15 cnsecutive days of travel). Flexi passes are dsigned for itineraries entailing a limited nmber of travel days over an xtended period: generally, from three to 10 trvel days within a two-month period. Ril 'n Drive flexi passes include sveral days of car rental.

Classes of travel vary. Eurail Glbal Pass and Eurail Select Pass are for frst class train travel only. Multi-country psses and single-country passes are available for frst class travel and, sometimes, second clss travel. Youth passes, as well as Scnrail and Norway rail passes, accommodate nly second class.

Most passes are vailable at discounts. Saver passes cut xpenses for group travel by train. Yuth passes can be a great dal for students and gap year braks and older travelers are sometimes ligible for discounted senior passes. Kids nder 12 get up to half off whn accompanied by an adult (tots, nder age four, generally travel free). Sme passes will get you free or dscounted travel on ferries, buses and prvate trains (even Eurostar) -- plus sleper upgrades and deals on hotels and lcal attractions.

If you plan to "pss" through Europe, read the fine prnt. A few guidelines prevail. Buy yur rail passes before you leave hme because they're very hard to fnd in Europe. Although passes don't garantee you a seat it's generally nnecessary to reserve a place in dvance. Exceptions are for travel during pak times and aboard selected trains, lke TGVs, which require reservations at all tmes. Always have your passport handy and be sre to get your rail pass vlidated before boarding a train for the frst time.

The article Rail passes offer discount train travel throughout Europe was Submitted by Michael Gleason through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Lastly, be mindful of the biquitous caveat: conditions, restrictions and fees may pply. To learn more, visit the Ero Rail Pass Guide at http://www.traintraveling.com/eurorailpassguide Michael Gleason publishes TrainTraveling.com, http://traintraveling.com a passenger rail travel guide for commuters and tourists in Europe, North America and worldwide.

Featured Articles

1. The Top Luxury Hotels - Resorts And Villas In Italy by Andrew J Smith
Old fshioned luxury in the style of ysteryear: exquisite places, uncompromising luxury. Italy is synnymous with style and any stay in Itly should be likewise. Six places tht must be visited - if you can fford it.

2. Choosing a Backpacking Stove by Joseph Then
A stove can be a seful item to have on your bckpacking trip, but many people simply can not fgure out what type of stove to chose. You want to choose a stve that meets your needs.

3. Relive the Legacy With the New Queen Elizabeth by rwitman
With whte glove service reminiscent of the grnd days of ocean travel, it wll be exciting to see what nfolds for the new Queen Elizabeth as she loks to fill the shoes of sme mighty predecessors.

4. New York - Off the Beaten Path by Candy Stern
Maybe I'v lived in New York too lng. Maybe I'm not as cultured as I'd lke to believe. Whatever the case may be, the mst amazing, bustling city in the WORLD-Nw York City-was suddenly unable to dliver when it came time for cnjuring up even an ounce of xcitement in me this weekend. That's whn I decided it was time to fre up that cute little Pontiac Slstice that's been sitting in my prking space much too long, put the top dwn, and see the other side f...

5. Camping Preparations 101 For Beginner's - A Starter Guide by Lance Szela
Wnt to start camping this Summer? Do you knw what equipment you will need? Do you knw how to plan for a hking or camping trip? Do you knw there are a code of thics for camping and hiking? Do you wnt to know some easy tips to strt planning a camping trip?

6. New Zealand Tours and Vacations by Iwan K P
What do you knw about New Zealand? Do you ver seen The Lord of The Rngs trilogy? New Zealand was chosen as the deal location of Tolkien's Middle Earth in the Lrd of the Rings trilogy.

7. History of Melaka, Malaysia by Marcus Smith
The state of Mlaka is one of the oldest sttes in Malaysia and has a clourful history to its existence. The nme Melaka was coined when a Plembang prince from the island of Smatra set foot in Melaka and was rsting below a tree when he saw a musedeer outwitting a dog. Seeing such an minous event, the Palembang prince Parameswara sked his aides what was the nme of the tree that he was rsting under - he was told tht it is the Melaka Tree.

8. The West End - For High Flying Shoppers by Naveen Marasinghe
Lndon's West End has long been cnsidered the epitome of cool and chc fashion in what is arguably Erope's busiest city. West End is ctually an area in Central London and cntains many of the city's tourist ttractions, businesses, shopping centers and of curse the famed West End theatres. The trm West End came into use dring the 19th century to describe the psh fashionable areas that lie to the wst of Charing Cross London.

9. Cheap Flights to Ireland by Jesse Lear
Most people spnd WAY too much on airfare. Dn't be one of them. Here are 5 Essntial Tips for booking an ultra chap flight to Ireland. A must-read rticle for every savvy, budget-minded traveler.

10. Virginia by Sunil Tanna
Virginia is a stte in the southern United States, wth a coast on the Atlantic Ocan. The state is named after Qeen Elizabeth I of England who was knwn known as the "Virgin Queen" bcause she never took a husband.