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Hi my wife and I are planning a trip to Switzerland and Austria this July. I have never used the Eurail so I need clarification on some things. First we arrive in Munich Germany July 23 at 7:10am. We plan on getting a flex pass for 4 days starting day 1 on the 23rd. We travel from the airport to Hallstatt Austria. We know there might be a bus that won’t be covered with the pass. On the 25th July we will buy a point to point ticket to Salzburg where we will stay for 2 nights. The 27th of July, we will use day 2 of our flex pass as we travel to Grindelwald Switzerland. Will my Eurail ticket cover the train all the way to Grindelwald? Do i need to specify which days I am using the flex pass or will it automatically pick it up? 31 July we will use day 3 of our pass to travel to Basel where we will board a Viking river cruise. 8 August we will use day 4 of our pass traveling to Brussels before we fly home. While we are in Grindelwald we plan on buying a 3 day Jungfrau Travel Pass. Do you see any holes in our travel passes that we need to fill ? We spent 10 days in Switzerland last summer and just have to come back! Thanks for any help you can give
Ed
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Hi Ed,
1. Is your Eurail Pass pre-activated for 23 July? If not, don’t forget to get it activated and activate a travel day before boarding your first transport for the day. The trip from the airport to Munich main station is also covered by your Eurail Pass, as it is an S-Bahn service.
2. From Munich Airport to Hallstatt: you can configure the Deutsche Bahn or ÖBB journey planner to include only trains if you prefer. The final stretch from Hallstatt station across to the village on the other side of the lake is on a small boat that meets each train. There’s a short but steepish path from the station down to the boat dock. The boat fare is minimal. It’s a lovely way to arrive at Hallstatt – have your camera at the ready!
2. Yes, your Eurail Pass will cover the whole journey from Salzburg to Grindelwald. You do need to specify this day as a travel day before you board your first transport for the day though.
3. A Jungfrau Travel Pass looks like a good option for your stay in Grindelwald. You will enjoy the flexibility it gives you!
Some of your trips in Germany and Austria might be subject to mandatory reservation, so check the travel planner / timetable carefully for any notes to this effect.
Have a great trip!
Alpenrose
Hi Ed,
Here’s our guide for the Eurail Global Pass in the below link:
Lots of useful information, a coverage map, summaries of the Swiss inclusions and there are a few purchase options too. I’d take a look at the coverage map, this is always helpful when planning trips – you’ll be able to see all the routes covered by the pass.
I agree with Alpenrose, the Jungfrau Travel Pass would make sense if you are intending to be using a lot of mountain transportation in the Jungfrau region during the time you are there. Here’s our Jungfrau Travel Pass guide in the attached link:
If you think, you may travel further afar, then the Berner Oberland Pass could be another option. More details in the below link:
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Thank you for your help. The Eurail looks a little more complicated than the Swiss Travel Pass. We used that one last year with no problem. So do I need to activate each day that I want to use the Eurail flex pass? Can I activate it online the day before or do I need to activate the days in advance?
Thank you for your help
Ed
Hi Ed,
First of all, the Eurail Flexi Pass as a whole has to be activated. This sets the start date for the month within which you can use your 4 travel days.
Then you have to activate each of your travel days before you board any transport for that day. It’s the activation process that means you have a valid ticket for travelling on that day. Without activating a travel day (when using a Flexi Pass), you don’t have a valid ticket to travel. The activation process differs according to whether you have an electronic or paper pass. You also have to record the details of each trip you take.
Have you bought your pass yet? If so, did you get the electronic version or the paper version?
If you haven’t bought it yet, and want the most straightforward experience, I would recommend you go for the paper pass. In this case, make sure to allow enough time for it to be delivered by post.
These resources on the Eurail website should be useful:
How to use your Eurail paper Pass
Getting started with your mobile Pass
https://www.eurail.com/en/eurail-passes/eurail-mobile-pass/getting-started
Hope this helps!
Alpenrose
Hi Ed,
Yes, I totally agree that the Swiss Travel Pass is the easiest one to use: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/swiss-travel-pass/. I’m currently traveling with it, as I’ve done before, and the flexibility is simply great. Hopping on and off trains, buses and boats without getting tickets and without pre-activating each travel day is worth it for me. But of course, these are personal decisions. If you’d like more detailed guidance in picking the right pass, our tips and free downloads at https://www.myswissalps.com/travel/tickets/compare/ may be of help.
Alpenrose thank you for all the information. After traveling throughout Switzerland last summer, I thought I had the train pass figured out. We used the Swiss Travel pass and the Jungfrau Travel pass and it all worked like a charm. Then this year with traveling between Germany, Austria, Holland and Belgium, we needed the Eurail flex so a whole new set of rules. We haven’t bought our passes yet as we may need to add an extra day while in Belgium. You said we had to record the details of each trip. Where do we need to record them? Is this something we need to do before the trip or at the end of each day? That just seems to add another hassle to the trip. Why can’t everyone make it as simple as the Swiss.
Thanks
Ed
Hi Ed,
>> You said we had to record the details of each trip. Where do we need to record them?
If you get a paper pass, it will come stapled into a pass cover. You are not allowed to separate the two. The pass cover has a form for you to fill in the required details. I have attached a screenshot. You have to complete a line for every time you change trains.
For example, your trip from Munich Airport to Hallstatt could potentially involve the following sectors, each of which will need to be recorded separately in your trip details:
- Munich Airport Terminal to Münich
- Münich to Attnang-Puchheim
- Attnang-Puchheim to Hallstatt
If you are using the electronic pass, how to do this is explained in the link I gave you earlier. You will need to download the Rail Planner app. You are also required to be online at least once every 3 days to keep the pass active.
Personally, I think the old-style paper pass is a lot less hassle.
>> Is this something we need to do before the trip or at the end of each day?
It’s essential to record each sector of the trip before you board the train, whether you are doing it on the paper pass or in the app. If the ticket inspector comes along and discovers the train you are currently on has not been recorded, you are potentially risking a fine for travelling without a valid ticket and may also be charged full fare for another ticket.
There is a Eurail Pass Guide for the paper pass here:
https://www.eurail.com/content/dam/pdfs/pass-guides/2024/ER%20Pass%20Guide%202024%20-%20ENG.pdf
If you decide to go with the mobile pass, there is a User Guide in the app. You can also read the FAQ for mobile passes here:
https://www.eurail.com/en/eurail-passes/eurail-mobile-pass/mobile-pass-faq
You have a bit of reading to do! 🙂
Alpenrose
Attachments:
Hi Ed,
If you opt for the Eurail Global mobile pass, you will receive your pass number or activation code instantly by email or on your phone.
You need to download the Rail Planner App and enter your pass number to activate your mobile pass. The Rail Planner App is quite practical but need some time to get used to. You can add your trip, check train timetables as well as make seat reservation. It’s also convenient if you have a Flex pass – you just activate your free travel days anytime before boarding.
Regards,
Anna
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