Select Pass
Selectpass Countries
A Selectpass can be designed to connect a "chain" of any three, four, or five countries in this diagram linked by direct lines. Each bubble counts as one country on the pass, although some are regions, such as "Benelux" (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg). Britain is not covered by Selectpasses.
For shorter, more focused trips, the "compact-size" Selectpass offers maximum customization. Choose three, four, or five countries connected like a string of pearls by rail or ferry lines. For instance, a 3-country pass could cover France-Italy-Greece; a 4-country pass could cover Benelux-Germany-Sweden-Finland. The Selectpass offers one region that's not part of the 20-country Eurail Global pass: Bulgaria/Serbia/Montenegro(counts as only one "country" on the pass).
The Price Of Freedom
The per-day price difference between a 5-country Selectpass and a 20-country Eurail Global pass is about $5 per day. If you like to cover lots of ground, and value keeping your options open, you may be better off buying the full-blown Eurail Global!
Important Note:
See important notes at the end of this page. Many of our single-country railpass pages cover more tips and options you may find helpful. Please review this guide carefully to understand how railpasses work.
Spring Travel Special Ends on Thanskgiving
A few selected versions of the Eurail Global and Selectpasses offer extra travel days when you buy passes by Thanksgiving for travel in March, April, and May. See details below.
| Selectpass Individual - 1st class | |||
| Type of Pass | 3 countries | 4 countries | 5 countries |
| 5 days in 2 months | $459 | $513 | $565 |
| 6 days in 2 months | $506 | $560 | $612 |
| 8 days in 2 months | $601 | $655 | $709 |
| 10 days in 2 months | $695 | $748 | $800 |
| 15 days in 2 months | $1015 | ||
| Kids 4–11 half price; under 4 free. Prices subject to change. | |||
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| Selectpass Saver - 1st class | |||
| Type of Pass | 3 countries | 4 countries | 5 countries |
| 5 days in 2 months | $389 | $433 | $479 |
| 6 days in 2 months | $432 | $477 | $521 |
| 8 days in 2 months | $513 | $557 | $601 |
| 10 days in 2 months | $589 | $634 | $678 |
| 15 days in 2 months | $863 | ||
| Prices are per person, based on 2 or more traveling together. Kids 4–11 half price; under 4 free. Prices subject to change. | |||
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| Selectpass Youth - 2nd class | |||
| Type of Pass | 3 countries | 4 countries | 5 countries |
| 5 days in 2 months | $298 | $333 | $367 |
| 6 days in 2 months | $332 | $364 | $398 |
| 8 days in 2 months | $389 | $425 | $459 |
| 10 days in 2 months | $450 | $484 | $518 |
| 15 days in 2 months | $660 | ||
| You must be under age 26 on your first day of railpass travel. Prices subject to change. | |||
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| Selectpass - 3 Countries - Spring Special | |||
| Type of Pass | 1st Class Individual | 1st Class Saver | 2nd Class Youth |
| 8 days in 2 months (for the price of 6 days) | $506 | $432 | $332 |
| 10 days in 2 months (for the price of 8 days) | $601 | $513 | $389 |
| Purchase by Thanksgiving, 11/27/08. Travel must start and end within the period 3/1/09 - 5/31/09, and within a window of two months or less. Passes can be refunded or exchanged as usual, but exchanges after the sale ends will be for regular pass choices, not at the special rate. Saver prices are per person for 2 or more traveling together. Youth passes are for travelers under 26 only, no discounts for companions. Kids 4–11 pay half of 1st class individual or Saver fare; under 4 free. Prices subject to change. | |||
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Important Notes:
Seat and sleeper reservations cost extra and are required on many types of train. See our Train Reservation page for prices. Rick Steves' Europe does not make reservations.
Travel in Britain, across the English Channel by Eurostar, and in much of Eastern Europe is not covered by these passes. See the pass and ticket prices for those areas later in this guide. Our regional railpass section also includes many two-country combinations.
Be aware of your route. Passes are good for use only in the countries selected. If your train passes through a country not on your pass, you must buy a separate ticket for that stretch in advance, or pay a fine for purchasing the ticket on board. Online train schedules will show you the route of each train, including connection points and stops on the way. Examples of routes to consider:
- Crossing Austria on the Munich-Venice route costs about $40 additional in second class, making it worthwhile to add Austria to your pass.
- Crossing Switzerland on daytime connections from Paris to Italy costs $60 or more (but direct Paris-Italy day and night trains are covered even without Switzerland on the pass).
- Between France and Germany, many trains cross Belgium. The Thalys high-speed system that monopolizes direct service from Paris to Köln, Amsterdam, Brussels, and other Belgian cities accepts either passes that cover the whole route of your trip (plus seat reservation fee), or passes that cover France (with a supplement added to the reservation fee), but not passes without France. Some Paris-Frankfurt connections include Thalys via Köln, but other day and night trains on that route do not cross Belgium. Paris-Hamburg and Paris-Berlin night trains also cross Belgium and will allow you to buy a partial ticket if your pass covers either France or Germany. Most travel to/from Stuttgart, Munich, and other southern destinations will avoid Belgium.
- On the way to Prague, you can buy a ticket that covers the distance from any Czech border to Prague for $20 - $30 2nd class before boarding the train in your country of departure. About half of the departures from Berlin to Vienna will cross the Czech Republic.
- Italy and Spain can be connected by Grimaldi ferry service (20% discount with pass), or you can fly, but if you plan to travel by train, you should include France on your railpass.
Saverpass prices listed include a 15% discount compared to individual first class passes. Members of each pair or group must order together, all purchasing the same pass. See How Railpasses Work.
Adding countries to a Selectpass does not increase your number of rail days. Countries and number of travel days must be selected at the time of purchase and cannot be added in Europe.
NEW — Youth BritRail Discount with Eurail Pass
Youths under age 26 who have any Eurail Pass (Global, Select, Regional, Ireland, etc.) can save about 37% versus regular youth prices on BritRail Consecutive or Flexipasses, or England Consecutive or Flexipasses. You must present the Eurailpass when validating the discounted BritRail pass in Europe. Most passes earn you the discount, except a few non-Eurail independents (no France, Swiss, German, European East, Balkan, nor other BritRail passes). You must order through the Eurail Passholder Youth Discount section on our BritRail page in order to get the deal (or fill in discount prices on fax or mail orders). To save on shipping costs, request both passes in one order by placing either one into your shopping cart, then following the link to "continue shopping."