Hidden Euro Rail Costs?

[thegreennomad]

So I purchased a 5 country 10 days of travel flexi pass (im 24) for my upcoming trip in october. I have been reading up on rail safety, tips, sched's, and so on. The only question I have is about additional costs. Does the rail pass cover the whole price of my trip minus a reservation or overnight cachette? Or will I be charged euro's for every trip I take/use my pass for? I want to calculate the extra costs before I go, so any info/tips/advice would be great!
Cheers!
-Connor

[Eagle]

thegreennomad,

First of all, welcome to GFE!

A few points regarding Railpasses. Your Pass will cover trips on regional or local trains, however you'll have to pay a reservation fee for some trains (usually the fast trains, such as the TGV in France or EuroStar Italia in Italy). Also, as you noted the Railpass does NOT cover fees for Couchettes. I prefer travel during the day, as I find that I have a much better sleep in a Hotel room rather than a cramped compartment with three strangers. I've also heard of a few cases of valuables mysteriously "disappearing" from someone's luggage when they leave the Couchette to go to the WC at night. Of course, everyone else in the compartment disavows any knowledge of the theft.

You may find it helpful to have a look at www.ricksteves.com/rail/ and perhaps download the free PDF Rail Guide (the download link is at the bottom of the page). That should explain everything you need to know about rail travel in Europe.

Don't forget to activate your Pass prior to first use by presenting the Railpass and your Passport to the ticket agent.

Happy travels!

[jellybelly]

This is so general that the activities we are like to enjoy with each other can be happened if all members are happy and love is still residing with the active faces. The main considerations which are generalizing with our travels and tours are not only in an easy way; this is something which has to cop up to add the affection into traveling time