TORONTO — Rail Europe has a new consumer incentive, offering the chance to win one of 10 $500 Rail Europe gift cards in conjunction with Eurostar bookings made now through Aug. 7.

Clients travelling by Eurostar train between London and Paris, Lille or Brussels and beyond enjoy city center to city centre convenience, record-breaking travel times, a choice of frequent departures and three classes of service.

The gift card award can be used on any Rail Europe product, including train tickets, rail passes and activity offerings. Recipients can also choose to share the gift card with a friend. Eurostar prices start at $79.

Rail passes are still a great way to discover multiple destinations in Europe, but with all the options available, clients can feel overwhelmed. Here are some tips for agents (and their clients) considering the popular Eurail pass.

Some 24 European countries participate in the Eurail network, making travel from one destination to the next convenient and easy to navigate.

Travellers using the Eurail pass can discover destinations in any of the 24 countries at their own pace. The pass can be used on any train in the network for any departure date or time. Basically, travellers can hop on and off wherever and whenever they please. It’s an amazing way to travel for those who wish to discover a multitude of destinations on one trip in a fast and uncomplicated manner. One can visit a new destination each day, if they wish.

Travel by train with a Eurail pass is a great option for clients who are uncomfortable with the thought of renting a car and driving themselves all over Europe. With a Eurail pass, travellers just need to make sure they arrive at the station on time and get on the right train.

Eurail pass users need to validate their pass and write their passport number on it on the first day of travel, then enter the day and month in the appropriate spot on the pass prior to each day of travel by train.

Some trains travelling longer, popular routes require a reservation at certain times, but not always. A reservation for a train can run from $10 to $30 per person.

Reservations for Eurail trains can only be made in Europe and a limited number of reservation places are held for Eurail pass holders on each train. Upon arrival in Europe, clients should be sure to make all reservations required as soon as possible.

If there are no places left for Eurail pass holders, then a holder is able to purchase a normal ticket for the train at half price.

To determine whether or not a train requires a reservation, visit eurail.com/plan-your-trip/eurail-timetable. The tool on this page allows users to determine the departure times on any given date, for any route. It’s also possible to revise a search to find only trains that don’t require a reservation.

When the results of a search have loaded, click on the plus (+) symbol to the left of each given option and all stops during a journey where a change of train is required will be displayed. Travellers can pre-plan each train journey at home or determine the next train out of any given destination.

Eurail passes are available for first-class or second-class travel. On most short haul, regional trains, there’s not too much difference between first and second-class cars, except that first-class will likely be less crowded. On longer trips across or between countries, the first-class cars typically have roomier, more comfortable seats.

Eurail passes are available for purchase in Canada through Rail Europe. In addition to Eurail, Rail Europe offers passes from over 50 different train companies across Europe. Travellers can also book hotels and activities in European cities through Rail Europe. There’s also Rail Europe’s Group Department, which offers a full service rail experience with many advantages for groups of 10 or more.

For more information see raileurope.ca.