Eurail Single Country Passes are for just what the name says-rail travel within a single country. But you would be surprised that in some cases, these passes have bonuses that sometimes allow passage on train to another select county as long as you stay on board to the destination.
Presently there are 20 different Single Country Passes for the following countries: Austria, Ireland, Croatia, Italy, Czech Republic, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Finland, Portugal, France, Romania, Germany, Spain, Greece, Sweden, Hungary, Switzerland, Holland, and the United Kingdom.
The Austria Single Country Pass is one of those passes where you can actually travel to more than one country. This is a pass intended for travel in the primary country of Austria. With it you can get any three days of unlimited travel by rail within a 15-day period. You also have the option to buy up to five extra travel days if you like. The travel days can be used consecutively or non-consecutively. This is the standard Austria Single Country Pass.
However the Austria Single Country Pass has some bonuses that make it a really great value. The bonuses are:
- Danube river trips with DDSG Blue Danube
- The pass is valid on direct trains that run between Kufstein and Salzburg, Germany and Brennero and San Candido in Italy. The condition to use this is that the passenger does not leave the train.
- Danube river trips at reduced rates with Wurm & K”ck (Linz to Passau)
- Free entrance to the ™BB-Lounges in Wien Sdbahnhof (The South Train Station), Klagenfurt, Salzburg, Wien Westbahnhof (West Train Station), and Innsbruck Main Train Station for only for those with first class passes.
The Eurail German Single Country Pass is another one just loaded with extra bonuses plus you can travel to some other countries too. This is a pass intended primarily for Germany. You get unlimited rail travel on Germany’s national rail networks and on some of their steamer lines. The basic pass gives you four days of unlimited rail travel within a one month timeframe. You also have the option to purchase up to 6 additional unlimited travel days. The travel days can be used consecutively or non-consecutively. You also have first class or second class options. And this rail pass is also good to Salzburg (Austria) and Basel Bad (Switzerland).
And this pass is loaded with bonuses. Here are just some of them:
- Access to the KD German Rhine Line on the River Rhine between Cologne and Mainz.
- On the Lake of Constance a 50 percent off the fare on all steamers
- Travelers do not pays extra fees on ICE, IC, EC trains or City Night Line trains (Only if the pass covers the entire route).
- A 60 percent fare reduction on select Europabus routes.
- Also valid on the S-Bahn (local railways) that operate major German cities (with the exception of Berlin).
And there are many more bonuses listed with the German Rail Pass Plan. But check out all the Rail plans for the individual countries and take a look at what value you get for your money.
The conditions that apply across the Single Country Passes are pretty standard. You have the 7:00 P.M. (19:00) rule where if your train leaves after that time then you have to note the travel day for the next calendar day and not the current. The passes usually must be validated prior to the first day of use and the passes must be used within six months after the date they were issued.
If you go to Europe, it is a shame not to seriously check out the opportunities available for seeing this continent by rail. The trains are clean, safe, comfortable, and efficient. Riding them are a pleasant experience indeed.