Europe: Buy 15-day Eurail Global Pass, score free extra travel days

The Eurail Global Pass offers unlimited rail travel from Portugal to Norway, from the Netherlands to Greece and Turkey. Anyone planning to buy the classic pass for at least 15 days will receive extra days for free -- provided you buy before the end of March.

The deal: The deal applies exclusively to Global Pass, which features consecutive-day (read continuous) rail travel in France, Germany, Italy and 21 other countries. It adds two free days to a 15-day rail pass, three free days to a 21-day pass, and five free days to a monthlong pass.

The extra days are great for those who plan to hop trains daily or almost daily this spring or summer to see as much of Europe as they can. Students who are backpacking around may like this deal too. Note that passes don’t cover rail travel in Great Britain, Poland and Serbia/Montenegro.

When: The offer is good through March 31, but passes must be activated within six months.

Tested: Passes apply to first-class travel and cost $812 for 15 days; $1,046 for 21 days; and $1,287 for a month. With this special, there are different rates for kids (12 to 25) and families (one adult and one child 4 to 11 years old).

I checked availability and it seems pretty easy to purchase this pass online using a major credit card. There are other types of Eurail passes -- select passes, regional passes and single-country passes -- that are less expansive.

To really get your money’s worth, make sure you plan to travel on trains as much as the Global Pass allows. Rick Steves’ Europe website offers some good advice on how to pick a rail pass that’s right for you.

Info: Eurail Global Pass Free Day Included

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