Luv 2 Travel ~ Eurail
VALIDITY: You must begin using your pass within six months of purchase.
At the ticket window, you will present your pass and passport to the railway official (not the conductor) before your first ride.
For the flexipass, take time each day you board, write
the date in ink in the appropriate box on the pass. Although unlikely, it is possible for you to recieve a fine for a poorly documented pass.
In rail travel, a
'day' is not from midnight to midnight, a day of travel actually begins the previous night at 8 p.m.
This is a huge perk that you should take advantage of; travel by night train as often as possible,
since you'll want to be seeing cities during the day, plus it saves you one night's accommodations.
RESERVATIONS: Facts
While reservations entitle you to free travel on any train in the given countries,
sometimes you still have to pay a reservation fee for a seat.
This is true of most specialty or high-speed trains, and certain countries always or often require it, like Spain and Italy.
Even with the reservation fee, you're still saving a lot of money.
SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
Reservations are required for sleeper compartments. Private Sleepers are equipped with a basin, towels, bed linens
and pillows. Sleepers are available for one or two people in first-class
and for three people in second-class. Sleeper rates depend on
accommodation type and distance traveled.
Alternately second-class Couchettes will accommodate four to six people in bunks. Couchettes are equipped with a pillow and blanket. Coachettes are unisex and passengers typically sleep in their street clothes. There is a flat fee charged for Couchettes.
* Keep in mind that the Eurail offers group discounts, even for groups of 2.