Eurail is waging a war on overtourism in Europe, with a number of moves that aim to encourage both agents and travellers to ditch peak season travel.
It comes as the latest Stats NZ data shows that more than 275,000 Kiwis travelled to Europe last year, while just 7000 used Eurail passes, making a notable contribution to the destination’s overcrowding issues. To encourage a behavioural shift, Eurail has 20% off Kiwi travel during the less busy shoulder seasons. This is a time when clients will also be able to find more affordable flights and accommodation as well, it adds. “Travelling outside of the peak European summer months can be just as rewarding” says Emmeliek Preijde, Eurail head of customer experience. “The delights of summer in Europe extend long into the off-season, with many parts of the continent still experiencing glorious sunny days into Sep and Oct, followed by the colourful autumnal displays of Nov.” Eurail has also launched a new Tripplanner tool, offering enhanced mapping functionality, train route and time options and advice on the best Pass to select. Agents will also find itineraries that can be shared easily.
. . . Journeys
To further incentivise off-peak travel, the company is highlighting what popular cities offer off-peak; for example, Seville, Granada and the Algarve coast are swelteringly hot in summer, but in Oct and Nov the average temperature is in the low to mid 20s. Agents can send food and wine lovers to Sicily in Sep/Oct to take advantage of harvest season, while festive vibes can be found in cities like Prague, Vienna and Cologne as early as mid-Nov. It’s also worth visiting Venice in Feb as it is Carnival season, and of course, who could go past Valentine’s Day in Paris. Recommend Amsterdam and Berlin in Mar, Apr and May, when both tulips and cherry blossoms bloom, and send clients to Athens and Dubrovnik in Apr, before it gets too hot and the cruise lines arrive. The 20% off deal applies to Eurail Global Passes and One Country Passes in both first and second class travel booked by 03 Jul, for travel from 01 Sep onwards. International Rail, Rail Europe, and Rail Online all have details.
