Beginners Guide to Interrail & EuRail

Beginners Guide to Interrail & EuRail

Planning on heading out on an Interrail or Eurail adventure? Our Beginners Guide is a must read before you set off on your Interrailing journey!

Travelling by train is one of the most popular and greenest ways to get around Europe. With easy connections, comfortable cars, on board service, wifi, and more, you’ll understand why so many people are ditching planes for trains. Remember that time you got stuck with a huge fee for overweight baggage? That won’t happen on a train. Or the time you got stuck next to a crying baby? That could happen on a train, but at least you can move around!

Lots of people refer to travelling by train as ‘interrailing‘, and it’s just one of those things you have to do at least once. InterRail & EuRail offer passes for unique train travel around Europe, but the idea can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. In an effort to answer all your questions and encourage you to explore Europe by rail, we’ve put together the Beginners Guide to Interrail & Eurail.

What’s The Difference Between Interrail & Eurail?

This is always the first question people have, so it makes sense to answer this one first in our Beginners Guide to Interrail & Eurail. To keep it simple, the Interrail Pass is for EU-citizens, while the Eurail Pass is for non-EU citizens. However, if you’re a permanent resident of the EU but not a citizen, you can still use use an Interrail Pass. If you’re not sure which Pass you should get, check this article for more information.

How Much Are Passes?

The cost of your Pass depends on where you want to go and how long you want to go for. Each Country Pass varies in price as well. For example, the Italy Pass starts at 105€, while the France Pass starts at 67€. The Global Pass starts at 178€. You can also choose between First or Second Class Travel.

Are Passes Limited To A Certain Age?

We’re happy to tell you that Interrail and Eurail Passes are available to anyone at any age. Passes are divided into Child (4-11), Youth (12-27), Adult (28+), and Senior (60+).

Do I Really Get Unlimited Train Rides?

Every Pass is unique and has limits to its validity in terms of region and time period. For example, each Country Pass gives you unlimited trains on each travel day, and you can choose how many days you want to travel. Some countries, like Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg are included on a single pass because of their size and proximity to each other.

Does the Interrail or Eurail Pass Just Apply to Trains?

Nope! Interrail and Eurail Passes offer extra transportation benefits depending on the country you’re in. For example, many country passes extend their benefits to include busses and ferries, especially in areas which are not connected by rail. Want to travel between Greece and Italy via ferry? Your Pass will cover that! You can often book overnight crossings, which is a clever way to save a few bucks on accommodation. And if you travel between Germany and Denmark, you’re in for a treat. There’s a train that actually goes on the ferry, which is a pretty unique train experience!

Is It ‘One Pass Fits All’?

Hardly! Interrail & Eurail offer a variety of passes to choose from. If you want to explore a single country, you can get a pass for 33 participating destinations. The most popular and extensive is the Pass InterRail Global which allows you to travel throughout all 33 destinations. In total, the Passes give you access to over 40.000 destinations, so go wild with the planning! You might end up needing more time off than you originally thought!

Are There Any Extra Benefits to The Pass?

Apart from train, bus, and ferry rides you can enjoy loads of additional benefits with your Interrail or Eurail Pass! Whether you’re looking to save on accommodation, food, car rentals, or attractions, your Pass will help you save. Here’s a few places where you can get a discount:

• 10% Discount on bookings at all Europe’s Famous Hostel locations
• 20% Discount on luggage storage with Stasher
• 20% Discount on bike rentals with Donkey Republic
• 15% Discount at City Sightseeing Tours
• 10% Discount at GetYourGuide Tours (includes museums, tours, city passes, and theme parks)
• 20€ Discount at Disney Paris

Does Interrail/Eurail Have An App?

Interrail has an amazing app where you can find all your train times, destinations, and more relevant information. This way, you can plan your trip in advance to see how much you need to get from place to place. And of course, your Pass is also an included feature on the app.

Do I Have to Make Train Reservations?

Generally speaking, you don’t actually have to make a reservation. However, if you plan on travelling on a busy line between popular destinations, then making a reservation is a good idea. You can use the app to see if your desired train line requires a reservation or not. But if you want to avoid reservations entirely, the app also gives you the option to view reservation-free routes. A pretty handy tip in our Beginners Guide to Interrail & Eurail!

Can I Use The Pass In My Home Country?

Unfortunately, this is not possible. The pass is designed specifically for travellers to explore new places. The only way this is allowed is upon departure of your home country, and arrival back into your home country.

Do I Have To Keep Track of My Train Rides?

You can keep track of your rides on your app, but if you want to go old school, you can use the paper portion of your rail pass. Call us old fashioned, but we think it can be a really nice souvenir afterwards, seeing as it will have travelled throughout Europe with you.

Beginners Guide to Interrail & EuRail

We hope you’ve found tons of useful tips in our Beginners Guise to Interrail & Eurail. The most important thing on any adventure is to enjoy every minute and to be open to new experiences. While we all want the perfect trip to unfold, things can go wrong, but learning to flow with it can lead you to even greater adventures!

The train is not an option for you? Save up to 20% by traveling with FlixBus

We have a great deal for you! FlixBus is one of the most in-demand companies when traveling and is the best possible option combining comfort with wallet-friendly as well as environmentally friendly traveling.

Choosing to go by FlixBus you have the opportunity to participate in the Eco-Wanderer campaign as well and save up to 20% by choosing to travel sustainably and avoiding planes. Try our calculation tool to claim your discount!

And that’s not all… You can get a 10% discount on FlixBus tickets after signing up and 15% off your next rides after completing 3 trips with Eco-Wanderer!

If you’re looking for more information to help you plan, click qui. Our blog ranges from city guides, to food guides, travel tips, and more, all in an effort to inspire your next getaway. For all the latest news at Famous Hostels, follow us or subscribe on Instagram, Facebook, Pintereste YouTube.