All Aboard As Eurail Expands Its Platform

After a successful 2015, rail booking platform Eurail is looking to keep the momentum going, working with agents and offering new products and promotions.

 “Travel agents are very important to us,” a Eurail spokesperson told Travel Market Report, “they really have the knowledge of what’s going on in the industry.”

What’s new
Eurail is expanding its booking period to 11 months, allowing agents to take advantage of any promotions going on before the passes need to be used. Originally, the advance booking period was only six months.

The company also has updated its popular Select Pass, adding Three-Country and Two-Country Select Passes alongside the traditional Four-Country Select Pass. Travelers can pick from any 28 bordering European countries.

Eurail also is introducing a Scandinavia pass, a One-Country Pass that covers train and ferry travel to Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Prices start at $248 for youth and $308 for adults. For the first time, the pass will be available for both first class and second class.

Travel days and validity periods for the Eurail Global Pass also have changed—good news for travelers who want to visit more than four countries. Newly added features include five and seven travel days within a one-month period, as well as 22 continuous travel days. The company says the five- and seven- day options better suit the trend of shorter vacation periods.

Through April 30, agents can take advantage of an extra days promotion, getting between one and five extra free travel days on all three types of passes.

Rail trends
The United States is Eurail’s largest market, making up 32% of its passengers. Overall, North Americans traveling by rail last year increased by nearly 16%. The company credits the strong U.S. dollar and low oil price for increasing the demand.

There has also been a shift in last year’s most popular destinations. France increased by 13%, while passengers riding to Germany and Switzerland decreased, by 22% and 10%, respectively. Upcoming hot spots include Czech Republic and Spain, along with Scandinavian destinations. Italy and Austria showed little change. Eurail also noted Canadians favor Netherlands over Austria, compared to Americans.

Among the most popular routes for Americans are Florence to Rome, Berlin to Prague, and Munich to Salzberg.

Pic: Eurail.com