Here’s a Whale of a Rail Tale in Three European Nations

If you plan on a trip through the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg in 1990, there are several rail passes to consider.

The Benelux Tourrail Pass offers discounts on rail travel in the three countries. Good for unlimited travel, the pass can be used any five days within a 17-day period. The pass also covers bus routes in Luxembourg.

The pass costs $107 for first-class, $72 second-class. Rates for travelers 25 and younger are $76 first-class, $51 second-class.

The pass can be purchased in the the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, through travel agents or from the Netherlands Board of Tourism, 90 New Montgomery St., Suite 305, San Francisco 94105, (415) 543-6772.

Rail passes covering unlimited train travel in the Netherlands and Belgium also are available.

Next year you can buy a pass on the Dutch rail system. The pass allows travel any three days out of 10 and costs $47.50 first-class, $37.50 second-class.

A seven-day Rail Ranger pass costs $81 first-class and $55 second-class. However, it must be used on a consecutive-day basis.

A Public Transport Link Ranger pass, good for travel on all urban and regional trains, subways and buses, is sold only in conjunction with the seven-day Rail Ranger and for the same time period. The Link pass costs $10.30.

Passes for the Netherlands only can be purchased in the United States or the Netherlands.

The Belgian Tourrail pass also offers five days of unrestricted rail travel within a 17-day period. Rates for people 26 and over are about $63 first-class and $42 second-class; for travelers 6- to 26-years old, $48 and $32. Children under 6, up to a maximum of four per family, travel free.

Also available is a half-fare card that offers a 50% discount on all rail travel in Belgium for 30 days. The price is about $12.

The Belgian rail passes can only be purchased in Belgium.