To celebrate its 60th anniversary last year, Eurail lowered its prices by up to 37 percent and added Great Britain, Lithuania, and Macedonia to its network of European countries that travelers can access with its all-in-one train passes. As of January 2, 2020, that list now includes 33 countries with the addition of Estonia and Latvia, Eurail exclusively told AFAR.
This means that for the first time ever, Eurail Global Pass holders will be able to travel throughout all three Baltic countries. The pass can be used for riding local trains, high-speed trains, as well as night trains across the European continent from Scandinavia in the north to Portugal in the west and Turkey in the east. Eurail is also introducing a new Latvia One Country Pass and an Estonia One Country Pass for those who are planning on limiting their train travels to individual countries.
In Latvia, rail operator Pasažieru vilciens will provide domestic connections through its hub in Riga. In Estonia, the railway company Elron will run trains from Tallinn to domestic destinations, including Tartu, Narva, Viljandi, and Rakvere. No seat reservations are required in either country for Eurail Pass holders. Travelers with a pass will also be able to save up to 50 percent on international ferry connections between Riga and Stockholm and to several ports in Germany, as well as from Tallinn to Stockholm and Helsinki.
What else is new in 2020 for the Eurail Pass
In addition to being able to access two new countries, there will be several other perks for Eurail Pass holders in 2020. Those planning trips to France and Italy this year will be happy to hear that both of the Thello day and night trains are now included in the Eurail Pass. The Thello day train connects the Italian cities of Milan and Genoa to Nice and Marseille along the French Riviera, while the Thello night train runs between Paris and the northern Italian cities of Milan, Verona, and Padua, before ending in Venice.
Travelers between the ages 12 and 27 will benefit from a bigger discount in 2020: Youth passes will now be 25 percent off the standard fare (up from 23 percent in 2019).
Eurail has also rolled out several new features to its Rail Planner app. Previously a tool for booking seat reservations and checking timetables, the app can now compile a map of your trip and statistics on how many kilometers you’ve traveled that is easily shareable on social media.
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