Dear kids, Here is the copy of our Europe pack list for Eurail living.
Second class is almost always too crowded.
Also, remember that you must buy your passes in the U.S. before you go. And, since the passes cost a lot you'll economize only if you sleep on the trains frequently, say three nights a week. The longer the pass period the greater the daily savings. Economy is a big reason to take a Europe trip this way, but maybe more important is the fact that your travelling is much, much more efficient. You can see a lot more in a given period of time because the hours spent getting from one place to another are nighttime hours and in the daytime you are sight-seeing, enjoying the parks, etc. rather than looking for a room, packing and unpacking, and such.