UTRECHT, The Netherlands, December 15 /PRNewswire/ --

- Always In Season, Italy Continues to Attract Eurail Travelers in Search of "La Dolce Vita"

According to the Eurail Group this vibrant Mediterranean nation has climbed the charts to become the second most popular country of choice for Pass holders, while the One Country Pass available for Italy is currently the best selling Eurail Pass overall.

This trend should come as no surprise considering the 10,000 miles of undiscovered tracks traversing across the alluring Italian countryside and the fact that Trenitalia lowered the cost of compulsory train reservations in 2009. Additionally, the Eurail Group launched the website EurailTravel.com (http://www.eurailtravel.com/uk/index.asp) earlier this year to inspire and educate those who wish to experience the freedom and exhilaration of the European rail network, making planning a trip to Italy easier than ever.

Based on Eurail Group's requirements, Lonely Planet Publications assisted with the inspirational content. The website's wildly popular "Moveable Feast" itinerary, which highlights the culinary capitals of Southern Europe, has generated the most online traffic. Consequently, rail travel between Rome, Milan, Venice, Pisa and Florence are amongst Eurail's top 10 most popular routes. Feedback from Eurailers confirms that the short travel times between these magnificent Italian cities are a great reason to head towards the Italian sun. Travel times for Eurail's top 10 most popular routes are listed below, with Italian cities indicated in capitals.

       From Station          To Station         Travel Time
     1 FLORENCE              ROME               1hr 38m*
     2 FLORENCE              VENICE (+S. Lucia) 2hr 35m*
     3 Brussels (+Midi)      Paris              1hr.25m*
     4 Amsterdam (+Centraal) Brussels (+Midi)   1hr 53m*
     5 ROME                  VENICE (+S. Lucia) 4hr 22m*
     6 MILAN                 VENICE (+S. Lucia) 3hr  5m*
     7 FLORENCE              PISA (+Centrale)   1hr  4m*
     8 Munich (+Hbf)         Salzburg (+Hbf)    1hr 28m*
     9 Salzburg (+Hbf)       Vienna             2hr 40m*
    10 Fussen                Munich (+Hbf)      2hr 05m*

Continental Europe continues to entice international travelers from all over the globe, with the majority of Eurail Passes sold in North America, followed by Australia, Canada and Japan. 396,000 Eurail Passes were sold in 2008. This year, despite fears of influenza and the economic crisis, Eurail Pass sales are going strong with 341,000 passes sold between January and October 2009.

Mr. René de Groot, Managing Director of the Eurail Group confirms that although the travel industry has endured the worst economic recession since the 1930's, the Eurail Group remains optimistic with regards to the stabilized sales of Eurail Passes, especially those available for Italy. "As another year draws to a close" he says "it's apparent that the Eurail Pass stands the test of time as an invaluable accessory for European travelers and a true industry survivor, even during times of extreme adversity".

More information: http://www.eurailgroup.com or http://www.eurailtravel.com

Eurail Group corporate website and press room: http://www.eurailgroup.com

Eurail photo library: http://eurail.informationstore.net

* Travel times are indicative only and may be subject to change without prior notice

SOURCE Eurail Group G.I.E.

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