Travel News
Get Travel Discounts With Your Rail Pass
Get Travel Discounts With Your Rail Pass
When traveling for days or weeks at a time, every dollar andeuro counts.
After purchasing a €19 ferry ticket in Greece and then realizing she could have
saved €6 simply by flashing her Eurail pass, Dara Bramson became a woman on a
mission.
around the world.
Chances are, we’re all familiar with the grandaddy of all rail passes,Rail Europe’s Global Pass, which allows access to 21
countries on a single pass.
But what many don’t realize is that just by virtue of having a rail ticket in
hand, travelers may also be also entitled to discounts on a variety of
transportation, accommodations and other travel-related purchases. This
little-known fact can save a lot of money without any extra effort.
In some cases, those discounts are limited to certain regions that are working
to promote rail travel.
Santa Barbara’s car-free promotion, for example, not
only features 20 percent off travel to/from Santa Barbara County stations on
Amtrak, but also offers discounts once you arrive. Just show your Amtrak ticket,
and receive 10 percent to 20 percent off room rates, plus discounts like 10
percent off Captain Jack’s wine tours, 20 percent of whale-watching cruises with
Condor Express, and more.
Canada’s Via Rail doesn’t
come with automatic discounts, but it’s possible to bundle train travel with
vacation packages to save on total costs for transportation, hotels, meals,
sightseeing.
Even Japan Rail Pass holders
get access to special discounts with affiliated JR Hotels, with more than 60
properties located throughout the country.
But it’s really the Eurail Global Pass that has nailed the concept of rewarding
holders with discounts across the board. The pass can be purchased directly
through Eurail or
through a booking agent like Rail Europe.
Buses
Take advantage of free rides in France from Digne to St. Auban/Veynes and Oloron
to Canfranc, Spain as well as free rides in Finland from Kemi/Tornio to
Haparanda, Sweden and back.
The Romantic Road route in Germany, which includes Frankfurt, Wurzburg,
Augsburg, Munich and Fussen, can be purchased with a 20 percent discount, though
reservations are strongly recommended.
If you’re taking a bus in Norway, flash your pass for the 50 percent off
discount on specific routes operated by Veoy Buss AS and Nettbus More AS.
Cruises/Ferries
Ferries seem to carry the most beneficial savings and this type of travel is
typically on-time, laid-back., and affordable. When the only other option is
flying, opt for the ferry.
It’s entirely free for pass-holders to sail on boats operated by the KD German
Rhine Line in Germany, which runs regularly on the Rhine, in cabins C-A.
Ferry crossings operated by Trenitialia are also free from
Villa S. Giovanni, Sicily to Messina.
In Switzerland, which isn’t a cheap country, don’t miss free sailings on boat
services in Geneva, Luzern, Thun, Brienz, Zurich and Biel. Because the Swiss
services are seasonal, consult timetables and schedules in advance.
Pass-holders in Austria can take advantage of half off tickets on specific boats
from May to November and trips on the well-known Blue Danube may be up to 20
percent off.
Travelers can save 20 or 30 percent on certain routes operated by Irish Ferries
throughout Ireland, Italy, France and other countries and by Grimaldi Ferries.
An even greater discount of 50 percent is applicable on certain routes of the
Color Line in Norway and certain ferry crossings in Finland. This discount is
also applicable on the Vikings Line and Tallink Silja Oy within Sweden to
various ports in Latvia and other nearby countries.
In Greece, as I can attest, it’s especially useful to have
access to the 30 percent discount operated by Blue Star Ferries from June 15 to
September 15 (high season.) Greek Islands cater best to those who love being on
the water, so this is a great way to see this part of the world.
Italian company HML (Hellenic Mediterranean Lines) also offer a 30 percent
discount during high season and 50 percent during low season from Patras, Greece
to Brindisi, Italy.
The Netherlands’ Stena Line offers similar discounts on full fares between Hoek
van Holland and Harwich.
The year-round 50 percent discount applies to Norway’s Color Line ferries
between Kristiansand and Hirtshals, Denmark, Larvik and Hirtshals, Denmark as
well as other cities. Be sure to book ahead as there are limited reduced-price
tickets
Hotels
Meninger hotels located in Berlin, Munich, Cologne. Hamburg, Vienna and London
are 10 percent off with a valid pass. The same discount applies to HUSA Hoteles
in Belgium and Spain. When booking, use the login Rail Pass and password
Eurailinterrail.
In Romania, take advantage of 50 percent discounts at the Hotel Crowne Plaza in
Bucharest and 30 percent from rates at Hotel Alexandros in Busteni, Hotel Europa
and Ana Aslan Health Spa in Eforie Nord.
Public Transportation
Unlike Paris, which only offers free rides on the RER’s Line B from Charles de
Gaulle and Gare du Nord railway, pass-holders travel free on the S-Bahn trains
in major German cities. At a couple euros per ride, this can cut costs
significantly. The only exception to this discount is in Berlin, where it can
only be used on tracks connecting the railway stations.
Private Railroads
Private railroads are sometimes not included in the pass price. The Eurostar
route is one example, which isn’t included in the pass. I was lucky; because
Rail Europe offers discounted fares for Youth up to 26, the $58 Youth Eurostar
fare from Paris to London in August was less than the discounted fare for
pass-holders.
However, discounted fares may be offered for pass-holders on
Eurostar trips in first and second class through Paris, Lille, Calais, London
and Ashford.
Denmark offers a 50 percent discounts on the Hjørring-Hirtshals and
Frederikshavn-Skagen private railroads. The same discount applies to
Switzerland’s private railroads on the Vitznau/Rigi Railways. Twenty-five
percent reductions can be taken on the Jungfrau Region Railways and certain routes of the Glacier
Express in Switzerland.
Norway’s private railroad, Flamsbana, offers a 30 percent discount from Myrdal
to Flam. Spain’s FGC (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya) railway
offers 50 percent discounts on specific routes operated by the line.
Tours and Extras
Day-long excursions are offered by Ionian Travel in Greece; to Delfi or
Epidaurus, prices are discounted 15 percent. Various countries, including Norway
and Sweden offer discounts or free admission to railroad museums around the
country.
By Dara Bramson for PeterGreenberg.com.
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