Hello, absolute Eurail beginner here. We’re from New Zealand and landing in Munich in January 2027. Hoping to spend 7-10 days seeing Germany by scenic train, Black Forest and up to Berlin, then Amsterdam and over to London, before several weeks in UK & Ireland, with train travel. We like making plans last minute, so don’t want too many locked-in bookings. What’s the best way to travel by train with last minute flexibility - a global pass, some other pass or point-to-point tickets purchased in-country? Advice appreciated.
Solved
Munich to London
Best answer by Marvin Heer
In Germany you can easily travel flexible with a global pass as reservation are not mandatory.
The one train you definitly should lock in ahead of time is the eurostar from Amsterdam to London. (there are limited reservations for people with a eurail/interrail pass)
Both the UK and Germany are great choices to travel flexible with a global Pass as they have no mandatory reservations (on daytime trains).
+7In Germany you can easily travel flexible with a global pass as reservation are not mandatory.
The one train you definitly should lock in ahead of time is the eurostar from Amsterdam to London. (there are limited reservations for people with a eurail/interrail pass)
Both the UK and Germany are great choices to travel flexible with a global Pass as they have no mandatory reservations (on daytime trains).
As normal tickets normally have dynamic pricing and get more and more expensive closer to the departure, getting a global pass is a good choice if you want to be flexible with your travel plan.
In the UK the global pass is very worthwhile. Take first class and you even got some of your meals covered as some companies even have complentary food and drink (that’s a UK only thing as far as I know).
If you don‘t want to book the Eurostar far in advance, you could still consider going by ferry, UK to/from France or Holland. There are some overnight ferries that cost not much more than the Eurostar reservations and you even save a night in a hotel.
+9I agree, a pass will be excellent value for you.
The only reservation you need to think about in advance (because they sell out) is the Eurostar to London.
For the best flexibility, I would make a reservation for Brussels-London (not Amsterdam-London) on a suitable date. You can change the date and time for free up to 7 days before departure, or for €15/20 after then (both subject to availability).
The reason I suggest Brussels, is that availability for making changes will be much better from Brussels than from Amsterdam, and you can reach it easily and quickly.
+7
I can provide more recommendation for Germany if you want. (I am from Germany) Depending on what your interests are.
Thank you. We enjoy slower train travel and I imagine there are some spectacular scenic journeys through Germany in winter? (January). I'd be grateful for recommendations of where to stop and specific routes, to give us good variety between our stays in Munich and Berlin. Coming from NZ, we enjoy the old and the quirky! I know it's very mainstream but I like fairytales. We once stumbled upon that amazing winter street parade festival in Switzerland (the name won't return to me) and it was a highlight, so dark and powerful. We also enjoy walking.
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