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If walking is the best way to explore a European city, taking the train is the finest way to travel between European cities. While the Schengen visa is your gateway to travel across 26 European countries, the Rail Europe pass is your ticket to explore the continent. Do your homework, chalk your own itinerary, make hotel reservations and set off on an adventure with the pass, which is quite affordable at approx `7,000.The best place to begin is, of course, Switzerland. The Rail Europe pass, or the single country Swiss pass, entitles you to travel on any train, on any railway network across the country and you can use the same pass on buses, trams and even ships. Given the fantastic transportation system, discovering the regions and cities of Switzerland becomes an exciting, effortless experience.While the high-speed CFF inter-city trains take you from one corner of the country to another, say from Zurich to Geneva, in a matter of four hours, the regional lines that pass through some of the most scenic landscapes on earth are the real deal. One such journey is from the Alpine destination of St. Moritz to the resort town of Tirano on the Bernina Railway. The two-hour journey on the UNESCO World Heritage classified route goes through stunning snow-capped mountains, lush green meadows, wild gorges, soaring bridges, under the tunnels and over viaducts standing in the valleys. The Swiss railway network is so efficient that you can stay put in one central location and explore the country with day trips. Neighbouring country, Germany might be larger than the Swiss landscape but the super-fast Deutsche Bahn (DB) inter-city express trains do a formidable job covering the expanse. Travelling at speeds of up to 350 kmph, these trains zip through the beautiful countryside. No airplane journey can give you the joy of spotting a deer or catching cows grazing in the meadows. And you do not need any separate reservations for trains in German. This allows you to keep a flexible schedule and proves to be a cost-effective mode of transport vis-à-vis expensive airfares. However, in some countries like Italy, you have to make separate reservations for special trains like Frecciarossa and Frecciagenta.

Another great country to explore by rail is Austria and the best way to travel here is on its Rail Jet trains. True to the name, the Rail Jet trains of Austrian Railway are not only super-fast, but also far more luxurious than the economy cabins of airlines. You can stay in Salzburg, spend the day in Innsbruck and visit Vienna for dinner on the same day. And while you are at it, book first class (it does make a lot of difference), even by the high standards of comfort, or rather, luxury of European trains. Europe is a fascinating region and the high speed, efficient trains that connect countries and cities, make travel an enjoyable, simple experience. The Rail Europe pass is not only convenient and locally available even before you fly out, but also a value-for-money proposition. And then, when you have the pass, you are further motivated to cover more destinations on your European holiday. l