Connecting over 30,000 destinations across 33 different countries, the Interrail Pass is one of the best ways to travel around Europe by train.
For those who are trying to cut their flights, or want to visit as many locations as possible without paying sky-high fares, the pass is the ultimate way to explore the continent.
Since 1972, interrailing allowed travellers to visit Europe’s most famous cities in quick succession, as well as opening them up to lesser-explored gems.
Below is everything you need to know about interrailing, plus some recommendations on the best routes to choose.
What are the differences between the Interrail Passes?
Interrail Global Pass: The classic rail pass, which allows you to hop on and off most trains in 33 countries.
There are two types of global passes to choose from: A Flexi Pass and a Continuous Pass. A Flexi Pass allows you to select the number of days you expect to be travelling on trains within a certain amount of time.
For example, a seven-day pass will allow you to travel on as many trains as you need on each of your seven travel days, which can be used up anytime within one month of your start date. With this pass, you may decide to spend four days in one city, travel for one day, then spend four days in another city, travel again for one day and so on until the month is up.
Other Flexi Passes are available at varying prices, such as 10 travel days in two months or four days within one month.
A Continuous Pass is slightly different. It allows you to travel on as many trains as you like within a set time period, meaning you don’t have to plan out when you will use your travel days; you can hop on a train at any time. These passes range from 15 days to three months.
These passes allow for two journeys in your home country – crossing the border on the way out and on your return journey.
Interrail One Country Pass: Allows you to travel within one country.
Interrail Plus Pass (Beta): All the perks of an Interrail Pass, plus the bonus of having your seat reservation costs covered for most trains.
Which countries are included in the passes?
Interrail Passes are valid in the following 33 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey.
What counts as a travel day?
The Interrail website states that a travel day is “a 24-hour period in which you can travel on trains with your Interrail Pass. It lasts from 00.00 (midnight) to 23.59 on the same calendar day.”
With a Continuous Pass, every day in the validity period is a travel day. With a Flexi Pass, you can pick and choose which days you would like to use as travel days.
Night trains can help you save a travel day, as “you only have to use one travel day (the day of departure if the train departs before 23:59)”.
Do I need seat reservations?
You will be able to travel on most regional trains across Europe with your Interrail Pass without needing to reserve a seat ahead of time. There are, however, some exceptions.
Reservations are mandatory for international high-speed trains, such as Eurostar, TGV, AVE and night trains.
Reservations will be charged by the European railway companies and will not be included in your Interrail Pass. The average reservation prices in Europe for domestic trains are £8.70, £13 for international trains and £17.30 for night trains.
Reservations on trains tend to be more important in Spain, France, Italy and Sweden.
Interrail advises travellers to make their reservations as early as possible, as some trains may sell out.
If you want to try to avoid the extra cost of reserving a seat, use regional trains as much as possible when travelling in mainland Europe. But on some routes, this may not be possible – such as if you are starting your journey via Eurostar.
How to plan your route
Pick out the must-see destinations you want to visit while Interrailing, then enter them into Interrail’s Trip Planner to map out the best train routes for you to hop from one destination to the next. Check train timetables and the railway map to visualise how long it will actually take you to get from one place to another and double-check if these trains need seat reservations.
This will inform you how many travel days you will likely need, which will help you pick out the best pass.
Interrail advises that travellers make larger cities a base for a few days, and explore the surroundings on day trips by train.
What are some of the best routes to take?
Some interrail routes have been tried and tested by many travellers over the decades the pass has been available.
One of the most famous rail journeys is the classic west to east route: London to Istanbul via Paris, with stops in Munich, Budapest, Craiova, Vidin and Sofia along the way.
Or, perhaps you will choose a journey that skirts the Mediterranean coast, travelling past beautiful beachside locations and picturesque seaside towns, starting from Valencia, Spain, through France and Monaco and into Italy.
Some recommended trips are also formed around themes, such as the Game of Thrones filming locations tour, which will take you through Croatia, Spain and Northern Ireland, or the two-week European food tour, which takes you to places purely for exploring local cuisine.
If you are planning on purchasing an Interrail One Country Pass, Interrail has also created country itineraries, such as in Switzerland, where you can travel by train between Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Bern and Geneva.
Helpful additional information
Interrail passes are available for people who are residents of a European country (including non-EU members), so that includes residents of the UK. If you are not a European citizen, you can travel with a Eurail Pass.
Passes are available at discounts depending on your age. If you are aged 12 to 27, or aged 60 and older, passes will be cheaper for you and will be discounted at checkout.
You can buy a physical or digital Interrail Pass. Digital Interrail Passes can be loaded on your smartphone using the Rail Planner app and is reccommended over the paper ticket due to their instant delivery straight to your phone and the ability to receive a free replacement pass if you lose your device. You cannot get a refund on a lost or stolen paper pass.
You can use your pass to travel on the national railways and some private railways across the 33 countries. Check the full list here. The pass even includes certain buses and ferries, depending on the destination you are in.
Read more: What is our best route when Interrailing around Europe?
