By Claire Park
Here’s how to plan a sustainable multi-city European trip using world-class public transportation.
Travelers bustle around the train platform. Joao Valverde. Pexels.
One of the most overwhelming things about planning a trip to Europe is wanting to explore multiple major cities but not knowing where to start, how to get around or if it's feasible with time and money constraints. Luckily, Europe has an extensive public transportation system with tons of accessible lines. The hardest part is choosing which one to take.
Instead of buying separate tickets for every leg of your trip, non-European citizens should consider purchasing a Eurail Pass. While the Eurail is not one single train that takes you through every city, it is a flexible train pass that allows visitors to travel across the interconnected rail networks of up to 33 different countries on one ticket. The pass covers almost all of Europe, stretching from the U.K. down to Portugal and all the way east to Turkey or north to Finland.
When deciding which pass to get, Eurail Pass travelers have the choice between the Eurail Global Pass, allowing travel through up to 33 different European countries with over 30,000 destinations, or the Eurail One Country Pass, enabling travel within one single European country. Both passes allow visitors to buy and travel up to 11 months later and are 100% refundable within seven days of purchase.
Pricing for the Eurail Global Pass varies by selected age, number of travelers within your party, the duration of your trip and the continuity of your travel days. The starting price for a Eurail Global Pass, allowing visitors to travel in second class for four days within a month, is $250 for youth (ages 12-27), $334 for adults (ages 28-59), $301 for seniors (ages 60+) and free for children (ages 0-11). If travelers would prefer upgrading to first class, prices for each pass increase by a range of $75-$99, depending on the traveler’s age bracket. For the Eurail One Country Pass, the principle of price increasing based on age and number of travelers remains the same; however, starting prices vary depending on the country chosen for exploration. France is currently the cheapest. Once you’ve chosen and purchased your pass, you’re ready for your cross-country or cross-continent adventure.
For Europe’s ‘must-see before I die’ cities, like London, Paris, Barcelona and Rome, a Eurail Global Pass makes visiting them all in one trip possible. To get from London to Paris, taking the Eurostar is the easiest and fastest option. The journey takes about two hours and 15 minutes, departing from London St. Pancras International and arriving at Paris Gare du Nord. The Eurail Pass is valid on the Eurostar, but it’s important to note that you’ll need to reserve seats and pay an additional passholder fee ranging from $35-$45, as passenger numbers are highly managed.
To get from Paris to Barcelona, the quickest, most efficient public transportation line to hop on is the high-speed Train a Grande Vitesse, better known as the TGV. This direct journey, departing from Paris Gare du Nord and arriving at Barcelona Sants Station, takes around six hours and 30 minutes and is covered by the Eurail Global Pass. While the mandatory seat reservations require an additional fee of $25-$35, it remains the most popular option, providing a stress-free, door-to-door experience with beautiful scenery.
To finish this grand tour with the longest stretch of travel, getting from Barcelona to Rome via public transportation demands a 14-to-17-hour travel day if you want to avoid flying. Since there are no direct trains available, you’ll need to prepare for three train transfers. You’ll start the first six-hour leg of the trip by taking the Renfe AVE high-speed train from Barcelona-Sants to Lyon Part-Dieu. You’ll then switch to a Trenitalia Frecciarossa train, which will take you from Lyon Part-Dieu to Milan Centrale for the middle four-and-a-half-hour stretch of the journey. Finally, after arriving at Milano Centrale, you’ll catch another Trenitalia Frecciarossa for the three-hour home stretch, arriving at Roma Termini. Each of these international trains is covered by the Eurail Global Pass, though mandatory seat reservations and additional fees ranging from $11-$40 may apply, depending on the route. While the journey might be long, it’s all about your literal and figurative perspective; you’ve just gained more time to soak in and appreciate the many sides and sights of Europe!
Traveling in a foreign country can be daunting, especially if you’ve got a lot of things you want to experience but aren’t sure how to navigate your new environment. While looking at a map of public transit lines may seem incredibly confusing, you can’t go wrong with tried-and-true high-speed trains and your trusty Eurail Pass.
Claire Park
Claire Park is a sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley studying English and Media Studies with a minor in Music. Her experience writing lifestyle content for UC Berkeley's The Daily Californian newspaper has inspired her to expand her scope to the realm of travel, pursuing her aspirations of becoming a travel journalist. When not writing, Claire can be found singing, reading romance books, journaling at the beach, or acquiring a sweet, caffeinated beverage.