What is Interrailing? Everything you need to know about passes, routes and more

Connecting complete 30,000 destinations crossed 33 different countries, nan Interrail Pass is 1 of nan champion ways to recreation astir Europe by train.

For those who are trying to trim their flights, aliases want to sojourn arsenic galore locations arsenic imaginable without paying sky-high fares, nan walk is nan eventual measurement to research nan continent.

Since 1972, interrailing allowed travellers to sojourn Europe's astir celebrated cities successful speedy succession, arsenic good arsenic opening them up to lesser-explored gems.

Below is everything you request to cognize astir interrailing, positive immoderate recommendations connected nan champion routes to choose.

What are nan differences betwixt nan Interrail Passes?

Interrail Global Pass: The classical obstruction pass, which allows you to hop connected and disconnected astir trains successful 33 countries.

There are 2 types of world passes to take from: A Flexi Pass and a Continuous Pass. A Flexi Pass allows you to prime nan number of days you expect to beryllium travelling connected trains wrong a definite magnitude of time.

For example, a seven-day walk will let you to recreation connected arsenic galore trains arsenic you request connected each of your 7 recreation days, which tin beryllium utilized up anytime wrong 1 period of your commencement date. With this pass, you whitethorn determine to walk 4 days successful 1 city, recreation for 1 day, past walk 4 days successful different city, recreation again for 1 time and truthful connected until nan period is up.

Other Flexi Passes are disposable astatine varying prices, specified arsenic 10 recreation days successful 2 months aliases 4 days wrong 1 month.

A Continuous Pass is somewhat different. It allows you to recreation connected arsenic galore trains arsenic you for illustration wrong a group clip period, meaning you don’t person to scheme retired erstwhile you will usage your recreation days; you tin hop connected a train astatine immoderate time. These passes scope from 15 days to 3 months.

These passes let for 2 journeys successful your location state – crossing nan separator connected nan measurement retired and connected your return journey.

Interrail One Country Pass: Allows you to recreation wrong 1 country.

Interrail Plus Pass (Beta): All nan perks of an Interrail Pass, positive nan prize of having your spot preservation costs covered for astir trains.

Which countries are included successful nan passes?

Interrail Passes are valid successful nan pursuing 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 arsenic a recreation day?

The Interrail website states that a recreation time is “a 24-hour play successful which you tin recreation connected trains pinch your Interrail Pass. It lasts from 00.00 (midnight) to 23.59 connected nan aforesaid almanac day.”

With a Continuous Pass, each time successful nan validity play is simply a recreation day. With a Flexi Pass, you tin prime and take which days you would for illustration to usage arsenic recreation days.

Night trains tin thief you prevention a recreation day, arsenic “you only person to usage 1 recreation time (the time of departure if the train departs earlier 23:59)”.

Do I request spot reservations?

You will beryllium capable to recreation connected astir location trains crossed Europe pinch your Interrail Pass without needing to reserve a spot up of time. There are, however, immoderate exceptions.

Reservations are mandatory for world high-speed trains, specified arsenic Eurostar, TGV, AVE and nighttime trains.

Reservations will beryllium charged by nan European railway companies and will not beryllium included successful your Interrail Pass. The mean preservation prices successful Europe for home trains are £8.70, £13 for world trains and £17.30 for nighttime trains.

Reservations connected trains thin to beryllium much important successful Spain, France, Italy and Sweden.

Interrail advises travellers to make their reservations arsenic early arsenic possible, arsenic immoderate trains whitethorn waste out.

If you want to effort to debar nan other costs of reserving a seat, usage location trains arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable erstwhile travelling successful mainland Europe. But connected immoderate routes, this whitethorn not beryllium imaginable – such arsenic if you are starting your travel via Eurostar.

How to scheme your route

Pick retired nan must-see destinations you want to sojourn while Interrailing, past participate them into Interrail’s Trip Planner to representation retired nan champion train routes for you to hop from 1 destination to nan next. Check train timetables and nan railway representation to visualise really agelong it will really return you to get from 1 spot to different and double-check if these trains request spot reservations.

This will pass you really galore recreation days you will apt need, which will thief you prime retired nan champion pass.

Interrail advises that travellers make larger cities a guidelines for a fewer days, and research nan surroundings connected time trips by train.

What are immoderate of nan champion routes to take?

Some interrail routes person been tried and tested by galore travellers complete nan decades nan walk has been available.

One of nan astir celebrated obstruction journeys is nan classical west to eastbound route: London to Istanbul via Paris, pinch stops successful Munich, Budapest, Craiova, Vidin and Sofia on nan way.

Or, possibly you will take a travel that skirts nan Mediterranean coast, travelling past beautiful beachside locations and picturesque seaside towns, starting from Valencia, Spain, done France and Monaco and into Italy.

Some recommended trips are besides formed astir themes, specified arsenic nan Game of Thrones filming locations tour, which will return you done Croatia, Spain and Northern Ireland, aliases nan two-week European nutrient tour, which takes you to places purely for exploring section cuisine.

If you are readying connected purchasing an Interrail One Country Pass, Interrail has besides created state itineraries, specified arsenic successful Switzerland, wherever you tin recreation by train betwixt Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Bern and Geneva.

Helpful further information

Interrail passes are disposable for group who are residents of a European state (including non-EU members), truthful that includes residents of nan UK. If you are not a European citizen, you tin recreation pinch a Eurail Pass.

Passes are disposable astatine discounts depending connected your age. If you are aged 12 to 27, aliases aged 60 and older, passes will beryllium cheaper for you and will beryllium discounted astatine checkout.

You tin bargain a beingness aliases integer Interrail Pass. Digital Interrail Passes tin beryllium loaded connected your smartphone utilizing nan Rail Planner app and is reccommended complete nan insubstantial summons owed to their instant transportation consecutive to your telephone and nan expertise to person a free replacement walk if you suffer your device. You cannot get a refund connected a mislaid aliases stolen insubstantial pass.

You tin usage your walk to recreation connected nan nationalist railways and immoderate backstage railways crossed nan 33 countries. Check nan full database here. The walk moreover includes definite buses and ferries, depending connected nan destination you are in.

Read more: What is our champion way erstwhile Interrailing astir Europe?