Should i buy holland pass

That said, it is the most flexible way to travel because you do not need to buy a ticket in advance. The Flexi option is almost always of better value than the Continuous option unless you are changing cities daily. Activate the pass on the last day of your first city, and end it on the first day of your last city to get the most value. In order to figure out if the cost of a Eurail pass is even worth it, take your travel style and itinerary into consideration.

If you already have a set itinerary with accommodation reservations, look up flights, train tickets, and bus tickets ahead of time. It is probably cheaper to book these in advance versus buying a pass. Traveling Europe on a budget? Compare the price of the Eurail Pass to every point-to-point, flight, and bus ticket option.

Below I explain why. Moreover, you want to buy a ticket in advance for popular destinations, like London to Paris. This is also a great way to travel Europe if you are short on time and trying to make the most of your itinerary. Regional trains, as the name suggests, will transport you around a specific region of a country. They are one of the best ways to discover non-touristy areas of Europe. Even if you are only going on a day trip between two destinations, regional train passes can be cheaper than a normal roundtrip ticket!

This is especially true if you are Backpacking Germany. Many towns are only reachable by regional trains, like Sintra, Portugal. This fairy-tale, castle filled town is only 40 minutes from Lisbon, and definitely worth the trip. We discussed this above. The Eurail Pass is the most flexible way to travel around Europe for non-European residents. Interrail is great for European residents.

You can combine countries, or get a global pass for full-admittance to all 28 participating countries. In my opinion, one should always choose a second class ticket when buying a rail pass, if possible. The only downside is that second class is significantly more crowded. It can be tough to find a seat on popular train routes. Even if a reservation is not required, it may be worth making one if you are traveling between two popular destinations.

Make sure to check this box when you are buying your Eurail Pass! Refer to the Essential Information for Rails by Country below.

They do not require reservations anyway. It is possible to have one shipped within Europe, but you need an address. You will then activate your rail pass by getting it stamped at the ticket window at the departure station on the day of your first train journey.

Once activated, your time limit will begin. The 7 pm rule: This is important if you have a flexi pass. You only need to use one travel day when you travel on a direct night train that departs after 7 p. The date that counts as the travel day is the arrival date. Even though European countries are well-connected by rail, each country has their own national rail company and regulations.

If you are buying individual tickets, or you are traveling within one country in Europe, use these individual websites for reference:. If you feel like living your Harry Potter off to Hogwarts dream, a train ticket in the U.

K is worth the splurge. This is a pass you can use to travel around Switzerland; point-to-point tickets in Switzerland are expensive. The pass allows you to use the train on small journeys in between the smaller villages as well.

Below I have highlighted the advantages of traveling Europe by train, and why you should choose a train over air travel. The coolest part about taking the train is that you are not confined to the main cities. The railway network connects even the smallest European towns, so you can get a bit off the beaten path without having to rent a car.

While some trains require a reservation like most overnight excursions , most of them do not require you to book ahead. You can show up at the train station and hop on, unlike flying or renting a car, which generally requires a reservation far in advance. This is a fun way to travel Europe because you can travel without a plan. You never know who you are going to meet while staying in hostels around Europe or at the bars!

Because European cities are so well connected, you can easily make detours and changes to your itinerary with a rail pass. Even though airline tickets can be cheaper, you will often have to deal with strict weight and size limits. Trains do not have luggage weight or quantity limits, which can sometimes make train travel cheaper than air travel. Check out our guide on what to pack for Europe. This is a huge advantage of traveling Europe by train. If you only have a couple weeks to travel around Europe, cutting out time spent at the airport can be huge!

The train is much more comfortable than planes, especially those budget airlines like Ryan Air… You have larger seats, and the ability to walk around. You can grab a meal or beer in the food cart, or bring your own refreshments and booze — a great way to save money and have a good time! Furthermore, the train has beautiful views and allows you to see more of the countryside and stop in towns you may not have known about.

Okay, train travel is great, but there are disadvantages of the rails too. Even though train travel is more fun, it can also be more expensive, especially for long distances or last-minute tickets. Often times the bus or a ride-sharing app is cheaper than train travel. That being said, there are discounts for youth travelers under 26 so make sure to use this option! If you are pinching pennies, your best bet is to purchase your train ticket far in advance.

If all else fails, use a ride-sharing app, like Bla Bla Car or hitchhike instead. This is the difference between a multi-day excursion and a few hours on a plane. Make sure to check the timetables and distance for your European trip.

It may be worth adding a couple flights if you are trying to cover a vast distance. This is mostly true in the Baltics, Greece, Georgia and the rest of Eastern Europe, where taking the bus is way more convenient. In these instances we would point you towards Flixbus who operate across Europe. This book is the culmination of over 10 years of travel and living on a shoestring budget. Below are my top travel tips for taking the train in Europe.

It is much cheaper if you buy your tickets online a month or two ahead of time. This takes the flexibility of train travel out of the equations though, which is why a European rail pass is so convenient. You can use the Eurail timetable to plan your journey with regional trains too.

You can activate your pass whenever you want, so keep this in mind when you are choosing the length of time for your pass. This will save you money! For example, You plan to go to Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Munich for one month, but you will be in Paris for a week and Munich for a week. It makes much more sense to buy the day pass instead of a full month. Moreover, you should also check point-to-point ticket between Paris and Amsterdam.

Always check the prices for normal tickets when you are using train travel in Europe. It may be cheaper to buy an individual ticket than your one trip on the pass is worth.

Some European train passes, including Eurail, do not include intra-city public transport. Regional Tickets, however — like if you buy a Bavaria regional pass — do! Check before you buy to make sure. Night trains require a reservation though, so plan in advance. A bed will cost about the same as a hostel bed and should be reserved ahead of time.

You mentioned a good point that some people prefer the Museumkaat because they plan to visit the museum more than once. We have just a few days there and don't plan to so. I was thinking to buy the Holland pass at GWK Travelex when arriving at the airport, so that I can also clarify a few things on how to use the pass.

The Museumkaart is good for one year, and covers many museums in the whole country, not just in Amsterdam. If you're only going to Amsterdam and only for a few days, these differences will not matter to you, but if you are seeing other places in the Netherlands, it's a great saving.

The Museumkaart is very easy to use - you just buy it at your first sight any place except biggies like the Rijskmuseum and the Van Gogh museum should have short lines , then show it at the others, where they scan it and you're in. I just returned from my trip to Amsterdam and am satisfied with my experience using the Holland Pass. I presented a copy of the confirmation email to the employee. She had me sign the copy and then presented our three plastic Holland pass cards along with the seven paper vouchers for each person three silver, three gold and one tour ticket.

We were also given two page tour guides that listed every museum, attraction, restaurant and transportation option that was covered by the Holland Pass. It is very informative for planning purposes. The Rijksmuseum required exchanging the gold voucher for a museum ticket but allowed us to bypass the ticket purchase queue. As for the other attractions, some just accepted the silver or gold voucher while other required exchanging them for an actual ticket.

It just depends on the attraction. All three of us used the three gold, three silver and one tour ticket for the same things and utilized the plastic discount card for the same discounts. So the per-person breakdown is:. Family of 4 bought the museumkaart. As always with discount cards, you may quickly notice that you do not need so much rebate, as you are not going to visit hundred museums. The pass and free tickets are valid for several months with a big flexibility of deciding how and when you will use them.

You may not use your free tickets for admission of more than one person — each benefiting person should be the Amsterdam Holland Pass holder. You may choose only one of these attractions. The bus is a red double decker London style vehicle which starts its tour at Damrak 34, LK Amsterdam and leaves every 15 minutes, but you may board it on any of its 12 stops in the city while it follows its route along the most attractive spots in Amsterdam.

You may exchange your Holland Pass ticket on the bus. Canal Boat Cruise in Amsterdam is an attractive way of seeing the city from the water. The Holland Pass ticket may be redeemed at See-Amsterdam Shop, Leliegracht 51, GT Amsterdam; located directly behind the block of houses where Anne Frank House is or at several other companies which addresses you will find in the Holland Pass guide.

Have you used all your free admission tickets? Holland Pass gives a visitor a real advantage. This is not some block solution forcing you to consume.

You may buy your Holland Pass on-line, collect the card at the airport terminal upon landing and directly use it for a free transfer to Amsterdam.