The Interrail pass was introduced in 1972 to provide an opportunity for passengers up to 21 years of age to discover more of Europe; it covered 21 countries, including now long-gone Yugoslavia and East and West Germany. In the 47 years since it has become a traveller’s “rite of passage”, particularly among students. The element of spontaneity and adventure is part of what makes Interrailing so appealing – being able to jump on a night train and wake up on the other side of Europe, without a care in the world.
And these days, Interrail passes are available for all ages.
Types of passes available
Currently, there are three major categories available: the Global Pass, valid for travel within 31 European countries*; One-country Pass, for travel within a single country; and Premium Pass, for travel within Spain or Italy. With a Premium Pass, seat reservations for trains are free within these countries.
*As of June 2019 these countries are: Austria (including Liechtenstein), Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France (including Monaco), Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland (the Republic and the North), Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.
Global passes can’t be used to travel within your own country, except for one outbound and one inbound journey.
Pricing
Interrailing may seem pricy compared with flying, but whereas flight prices soar in summer, the cost of a rail pass stays the same year-round – making it good value for students and other summer travellers.
EU citizens aged 12-27 enjoy substantial discounts on all products. Currently, the cheapest Global Pass available (three days of travel within one month, second class) costs £150 for passengers aged 12-27 and £194 for those 28 and over. The prices for senior passes (aged 60+) are somewhere in the middle (£174 for the above-mentioned ticket). All Interrail passes come with several discounts on other products, hostels and tours, including a 10% discount on GetYourGuide activities; 10% off hostel chains such as Menninger and Generator; and 15% off European City Sightseeing bus tours.
Flexible or continuous travel?
There are a multitude of options on the Interrail website. Each day you use your pass counts as a travel day, so a “five days within one month pass” (£193 youth/£251 adult/£226 senior) allows for exactly that – five individual days in your chosen month. You can ride unlimited trains between midnight and midnight (although when travelling on a night train, you only use a single day, that of your departure) and spread days out as you see fit. The best tactic with this pass is to save travel days for longer journeys and take your time enjoying each destination. The longest flexible Global Pass is “15 days in two months” (£337/£439/£395).
There are also Global Passes that can be used for “continuous travel” – ie every day, if desired, within a set period, ranging from 15 days (£303/£394/£355) to three months (£607/£803/£723).
First-class versions of all passes are available for around 30% more than the second-class prices quoted here.
If you have limited time on your hands (15 days, say) and want to take your time in each city, a three or five days in one month pass might be the best option.
Kids go free
One of the best things about Interrailing is that up to two children under the age of 12 (on their first day of travel) can travel free with any one adult, making it a brilliant option for families. Kids aged 4-11 need a child pass, which can be ordered by accompanying adults when buying theirs; under-4s do not need a pass.
How to book train reservations
Interrail grants access to most trains in Europe, but it is not a universal “free” pass. While local and regional trains do not usually require a reservation, high-speed, international and overnight trains do – though the surcharge usually comes with a discount for pass holders.
Tickets can be reserved through the dedicated Interrail reservations service, through the Rail Planner app, or at train stations. To avoid disappointment, book important journeys as far in advance as possible, especially during the summer.
Trains that need to be booked in advance
The biggest additional cost for those starting an Interrail trip in the UK is the booking fee for the Eurostar from London to Paris, Amsterdam or Brussels (€30 each way second-class, €38 for first; book via the app to avoid the extra £10 service fee).
Other major operators that charge a booking fee include the Italian Trenitalia line (£8 for the Frecciabianca, Frecciargento, Frecciarossa trains); AVE, the high-speed Spanish line (£8 for second-class, £11 for first); Swedish high-speed SJ trains, including the line to Copenhagen (£5 for second-class, £15 for first); the French-Belgian high-speed train Thalys from Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne (from £18 for second-class reservations, £22 for first); the TGV, the French high-speed InterCity line (£8-£17), and TGV international routes (from £14/£20). And note that seat availability for pass holders is limited on most high-speed trains in France (TGV, Thalys, Renfe SNCF, InterCity and ICE trains), regardless of a reservation.
Other trains that can or need to be booked include Eurocity in Italy (€10); InterCity, also in Italy (€3); InterCity in Switzerland (optional, €4.40); ICE/IC/EC and other Deutsche Bahn long-distance services (optional, €5.90 for first-class, €4.50 second); Railjet (Austria) (optional, €3.50); Sweden’s InterCity and regional trains (recommended, €3); Denmark’s InterCity service (recommended, €3.90); and international long-distance trains in Bulgaria (€0.30).
NightJet (various countries) Mandatory. Varies depending on type of accommodation
NightJet, EuroNight and other sleeper trains have a mandatory booking fee which varies depending on the type of accommodation.
Useful apps
Rail Planner, Interrail’s app, helps find, plan, edit and save train connections on the spot, even offline. Google Trips can collate all the train and hostel reservations in your inbox.
If catching a late train and in need of somewhere to store your bags, Interrail has partnered with Stasher, a startup website that offers affordable temporary luggage storage all over Europe.
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