Eurail Rail Planner

Hi Rvdborgt,

Thank you for the response.

We have 15 days 2 months Global Pass. I read that you start using up your pass day once you activate. For that I understand, as say, if I activate today, my pass will expire in 15 days time. I am aware of advice not to activate until the day of your actual travel. Eurail website also mentions reactivation with pass transfer to another device. I am confused as how one can activate and deactive if the countdown of your pass use starts as soon as you activate. Pardon my ignorance and enlighten me.

When you activate the pass you select a start date for the validity of the pass. This date can be the same date as the activation date or any future date no later than 11 months after purchase. 

As you've bought a 15 days within 2 months pass, it'll be valid for 2 months as soon as you activate it. Then as you go you select each pass day you'd like to use.

No, it will be activate from the start date that you select during step 3 of the activation process. 

I have to attend to other matters and now back to this topic. The Eurail weblink from Rvdborgt has a video regarding setup which shows you can select a date in future as ‘start date’. With a 15 days 2 months pass, I understand that I have 2 months from that start date to use my pass to travel on 15 separate days (15 travel days). Is that correct?

Rvdborgt said “As you've bought a 15 days within 2 months pass, it'll be valid for 2 months as soon as you activate it. Then as you go you select each pass day you'd like to use”

Anna said “No, it will be activate from the start date that you select during step 3 of the activation process”

I guessed that Rvdborgt’s ‘activate’ means when the ‘Start Date’ kicks in and the pass duration (eg 2 months) starts counting down. Am I right, Rvdborgt? By activate, you do not mean Step 3 - add name, passport details and select a ‘Start Date’ - process.Am I right? I believe Anna’s ‘Activate’ refers to ‘Step 3’. Am I right Anna?

Many have commented about not to ‘activate’ your pass until you are ready to travel and some even suggested to do that when you are just about to board your first train. I do not understand the reason behnid those comments. If the reason is that you cannot change the ‘Start Date’, one can get around that by ‘deactivating’ the pass according the Eurail’s instruction video, and then ‘reactivate’ (repeat Step 3) and selecte a different ‘Start Date’. Do anyone know what messages or information those people who advised ‘non-activating’ tried to convey?

I presume the only time you cannot not change your ‘Start Date’ is once you have saved a journey to your trip and added that saved journey to your pass as this action initiate the countdown of your pass duration (eg and i.e.  2 months started to come into effect).  I presume this is what people are referring to ‘do not active until you are ready to travel or board your first train’. Am I right?

I believe the confusion is all about the different use and context of the word ‘Activate’ by different commentators and Eurail.

Correct. My description was a bit unprecise.

The reason is indeed that you cannot cancel the activation anymore once the validity period has started. I see posts almost every week (here and on Facebook) from people who activated their passes (i.e. set a start date) and then e.g. changed plans and forgot to cancel activation/reactivate with a new start date, or had some problem on the intended start date and found that they could no longer change the validity period.

There is no advantage in activating the pass in advance, other than to test that it works or to become familiar with the app. But after testing, activation is best cancelled until a few minutes before you're boarding your first train.

Hi Rvdborgt,

Greeting to you and many thanks as usual.

I like your idea of doing an activation trial run to ensure the app works and to familiarise oneself with the app. I am all into ‘practice makes perfect’. Nevertheless, I am a little apprehensive that something might go wrong that I am unable to deactivate/reactive with new start date and ended up starting my pass duration (i.e. countdown of the 2 months starts and I have nothing left to use when actually in Europe. That would be a disaster). If I follow the steps in the video link you provided to the dots, is that bullet proof? What could goes wrong with the trial run you suggest? What are the absolute do’s and dont’s when doing a trial run without fail you can advise?

What is the chance of the Rail Planner not working as desired if I do not do a trial run and provided I do not make any mistakes due my own actions?

This Europe trip planning is absolutely anxiety provoking sending my hypertension into an uncontrolled state. I appreciate you and other community members being here to support me. God Bless and many many thanks.

For a trial run, choose a start date well in the future. Deactivating via My Pass and the 3 dots will work as long as the start date hasn't been reached yet; I've used it myself and it's easy to use.

There's a small chance that activation doesn't work, usually related to some device settings or bad internet connection. Also see the KB articles here:

https://eurail.zendesk.com/hc/en-001/sections/4403367870877-Railplanner-App

Hi Rvdborgt,

Thank you. I think that is all for the time being but I will post again if there is any other concerns.

Have a nice day.

Hi Rvdborgt, AnnaB and Thibcabe,

I courteously share with you guys that I have successfully tested activation and deactivation. I was a little uncertain at the outset just in case I cannot deactivate but all went well. Without your help, I will still be pondering in the dark. Thank you very much and have a nice day.

I am back to working on Rail Planner app. Eurail video shows the step after activation is to create a day ticket by search a journey or train schedule and then add that journey to ‘My Trip”, and finally add the journey saved in ‘My Trip’ to ‘My Pass’ by clicking a toggle to turn on or active that journey creating a day ticket and uses up one of the pass day.

Questions:

1. Can I plan ahead by searching a train or journey and add it to ‘My Trip’ without first activating my pass (i.e. add passport details and select a start date)?
2. If above is possible, adding a journey to ‘My Trip’ does not result in the use of a ‘travel day’ because I have to add or transfer that journey from ‘My Trip’ to ‘My Pass’ first. Is that right?    It seems obvious from the Eurail video but I ask just to be 100% sure. 
3. If above is possible, can I delete or edit a saved journey from ‘My Trip’ if I change my mind (before adding or transferring the journey from ‘My Trip’ to ‘My Pass’?
4. Once I add or tranfer a journey from ‘My Trip’ to ‘My Pass’, click the toggle to activate that journey, create a day ticket and use up a travel day, you are locked in to that journey and cannot change your mind?  If I change my mind, I have to repeat the whole thing (from searching a journey onwards) and lose a travel day. Is that right?

1. Yes you can.
2. Merely adding a journey to your trip does not use a travel day.
3. Yes you can delete a journey from your trip, or delete a train from a journey. To do that, tap and hold a journey/train and then a menu will come up.
4. You can always change your mind. You can remove trains/journeys from your pass and add new ones. You can even remove the train you're currently on and add it back with a different destination station. You won't use new travel days if the new trains are on the same date.
   The only thing you can't do is cancel a travel day after validity has started.