Demystifying Eurail train travel

Purchasing Eurail passes and tickets used to be daunting, even for experienced rail riders: the sheer number of European countries covered and tix available can be overwhelming. European train travel has just gotten easier.

Student Travel has recently put together a Eurail information hub explaining the ins and outs and ons and offs of European train travel, and uber Eurail pass seller Rail Europe has done some major site spiffing that simplifies pass and ticket purchasing. Travelers can now find four new categories of single tickets (called point-to-pont) on the Rail Europe site, and they've tossed in some virtual train travel videos showing travelers what to expect.

European train trip planning could formerly involve some hopping back and forth on different Eurail sites, looking for the live inventory; Rail Europe has that dialed, too, detailing what's really available while you plan your train travel. And if you're a student traveler under 26, you'll get discounts. Excellent adventure.

• How Eurail Passes Work

More on Eurail passes and Rail Europe: Buy Rail Europe passes and tickets at student discounts | What's a Eurail travel day? | Eurail passes vs tickets | About overnight Europe trains | How to validate a Eurail pass

Related: Paris train sale | "Overnight trains save time" | Backpacking Europe 101

Screenshot: Rail Europe's new ticket categories