Important Eurail changes

• Turkey will join the list of countries valid for Eurail Global and Eurail Select Pass travel when TCDD, the Turkish railway company, becomes a member of the Eurail-pass system on Jan. 1, 2013. Although Turkey is accessible by train from Bulgaria, be aware that construction work will affect some routes until fall of 2013.

• Westbahn, which offers hourly passenger train service between Salzburg and Vienna, will be the first private railway company to join the Eurail community. Beginning in January, holders of Eurail passes can ride its high-speed trains between the two cities.

• The French national railway company SNCF will withdraw its participation in the Eurail Select Pass as of January 2013. Travel on SNCF trains will still be accessible to customers who purchase the Eurail Global Pass or Eurail Regional Pass.

Eurail Select Passes that include travel in France can be purchased through Dec. 31, 2012 (some agents may stop selling the pass by Dec. 27). Eurail Select Passes purchased before the end of 2012 will be valid on SNCF trains for their entire validity period in 2013; however, they must be validated within six months of purchase.

Visit www.eurailgroup.org.