Eurail Group, the organisation dedicated to the marketing and management of the Eurail Passes, reports more than 183,000 non-Europeans enjoyed the freedom of traveling with a Eurail Pass from January through May of 2012.

Eurail Global Pass sales increased by 9.4 per cent and Eurail Select Pass sales increased by five per cent compared to 2011.

“Based on the first five months of 2012, we are pleased to see the surge in sales of both the Eurail Global and Eurail Select Pass and we hope that this is an early indicator that consumer travel in general is on the rebound.

“Eurail pass holders must clearly perceive the Global Pass and the Select Pass as a competitive and cost effective product to travel with,” explained Ana Dias e Seixas, Eurail Group marketing director.

The original Eurail pass, valid in 13 countries, was hailed as “the Master Key to Europe” and was the only pass of its kind from 1959 until 1994 when additional products were introduced.

At present, the Eurail Global Pass is valid in 23 countries and can be used on 138,000 miles of track in today’s European network, whereas the Eurail Select Pass provides unlimited rail travel through three, four or five adjoining Eurail countries, with 24 different countries participating in this offer.

Eurail Group also reports that Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France and Austria were the most popular countries for Eurail Global & Select Pass holders in 2011.