| Most Europe rail passes can only be purchased in your | | | | the train (and use up a few days of your rail pass) to |
| home country, but with the Internet this isn't such a | | | | get from London to Portugal or Greece. With |
| problem. If you're already in Europe, or on your way | | | | cut-throat budget airlines practically giving tickets away, |
| there, you can order it online, have it sent to your | | | | chances are you can find a one-way flight for less |
| parents or friends and then get them to forward it to | | | | than $100, possibly even less than $40. that will save |
| you. The more difficult task is selecting the right rail | | | | you time and roughly $50-75 worth of your Flexi Pass, |
| pass. You can't bargain your way to a cheaper rail | | | | plus overnight and reserved-seating supplements that |
| pass, but there are several ways to get more for your | | | | will push the total over $85. |
| money: | | | | 6) As a rule of thumb, the less flexible the rail pass, the |
| 1) If you plan to stay in one spot for a while, try to time | | | | cheaper it is. In other words, if you know more or less |
| it at the beginning or end of your journey so your | | | | where you plan to go (and you don't feel obligated to |
| active pass isn't sitting idle more than it need be. | | | | hit every single region or country), you can get a much |
| 2) Consider a Flexi Pass (certain number of travel | | | | better deal. However sometimes it's not much of a |
| days allowed within a fixed time period) instead of an | | | | bargain. For example, youth travelers can get ten |
| unlimited travel pass. You don't want to spend | | | | travel days in two months in five adjoining countries for |
| everyday on a train anyway. | | | | $361 with the Select Pass. To access all seventeen |
| 3) Supplement a Flexi Pass with cheap, shorter trips. If | | | | countries with the same number of traveling days, it's |
| you calculate the per-day value of a Flexi-Pass, it's | | | | just $404. Forty euros seems like a good value for the |
| around $25. if you're traveling, say, the 97km from | | | | extra flexibility. If you're on a shorter trip or know |
| Florence to Siena in Italy, a second class ticket costs | | | | you're not going to visit more than three adjoining |
| $17. Typically, if the journey is less than an hour and | | | | countries, the $313 Three-Country Pass offers a more |
| you're not on a high speed train, it's going to be | | | | significant saving |
| cheaper to buy a ticket at the window and save travel | | | | 7) If you only want to travel in one country and can't |
| days on your pass. | | | | decide which, know that some single country passes |
| 4) Check for weekend deals before using your Flexi- | | | | cost more than other. In Portugal, you get four travel |
| Pass. In Germany for example, you can land bargains | | | | days within fifteen days for $87 (first class); France, |
| with Deutsche Bahn's "Happy Weekend" ticket. | | | | four days within one month for $180 (second class); |
| 5) Don't be afraid to use flights just because you have | | | | and Norway, three days within one month for $173 |
| a rail ticket. You'd spend a few days of your trip on | | | | (second class). |