Interrail Wiki

Wiki about Interrailing in Europe

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is Interrail/Eurail?

A: It’s a ticket valid for most trains in Europe, for a certain amount of days in a month, or continuously for an entire month or more. Interrail is the version for European residents, Eurail is for people from the rest of the world. It may be cheaper or more expensive than regular tickets depending on your trip.

A: Interrail offers an online reservation service for many trains, they do charge an extra 2€ fee for each reservation, so you will usually save money by booking directly with the operator of your train. Interrail can also occasionaly be wrong about where reservations are required, to be sure double check with the operator of your train. Some reservations can’t be bought online at all, for example for Spanish high speed trains. You can usually buy them at train stations with international ticket offices, even in other countries. Another option is booking by phone for example with DB or SNCF, some reservations that aren’t sold online can be obtained this way. You can find a guide for each country at the seat61 guide above, or at this subreddit’s wiki.

Q: Rail planner says some of the trains in my trip require reservations, where do I get them?

Some useful websites where you can book reservations, besides the Interrail reservation service (some work for neighboring countries as well):

Full guide to reservations is here: https://interrailwiki.eu/seat-reservations-guide/

Q: Reservations are sold out for my train, can I still get on?

A: If reservations are optional for your train, you will be allowed on even if it’s sold out. If reservations are mandatory for your train, usually not. For example on TGV or Eurostar trains you won’t be allowed to board. There are exceptions such as Poland. If reservations are sold out for travellers with Interrail, you can still sometimes buy a full price ticket, and save a travel day. You can look for alternative routes that don’t require reservations (for example slower regional trains). You can check the guides above answer for the specifics of each country.

Q: I’m travelling in the Baltic countries / in the Balkans, and the app won’t show any trains!

A: Many services in these areas have been cancelled, so on many routes there are only buses. For example, no international trains run to Greece, only one international train runs from Serbia (to Montenegro), trains between Poland and Lithuania only run twice per week, etc. Check with the local train company. Not all trains show up in the Rail Planner app.

More infromation at Interrailing in the Baltic States & Interrailing in the Balkans.

Q: How far in advance should I book the reservations?

A: It depends on the service. Generally, high speed trains and night trains especially in Western Europe should be booked as soon as possible, as they can sell out or become a lot more expensive if you leave it for the last minute. Fridays and Sundays, as well as public holidays tend to be sold out sooner than other days.

Q: How can I get a pass cover number to my mobile pass?

A:
Interrail: https://www.interrail.eu/en/book-reservations#/generatePassCoverNumber
Eurail: https://www.eurail.com/en/book-reservations#/generatePassCoverNumber

Q: What to do when my train doesn’t show up in the app?

A: You will have to add it manually.

Q: Do I get discounts on ferries?

A: Use the filter to select “ferries” here: https://benefitsportal.eurail.com. Note that discounts usually exclude fees, such as port or fuel fees or taxes. So if you see that there is 50 % discout for pass holders and normal ticket is €40, the pass holder fare can be for example €30, and it is not a mistake. Read the terms and conditions of discounts.

Q: Can I travel on first class with second class pass? I was able to get a reservation for first class with my second class pass.

A: No. You have a reservation, but you don’t have a valid ticket. A reservation is only valid with a valid ticket, and with first class reservation you need a first class Interrail Pass. Some trains also have an option to upgrade a second class ticket to a first class ticket, but that’s not common and it’s usually very expensive. Buying a first class reservation is NOT a way to upgrade your seat by itself.

Q: Trains from Hamburg to Copenhagen are full. How can I make this trip?

A: Use bahn.de or the DB Navigator app to find your route. Choose advanced search and ‘via Flensburg’ or ‘via Fredericia st’ and ‘seat only’ You will need to change trains once or twice, but there are more seats than on direct trains. You can (and probably should) reserve seats for this journey. It cost 4,5€ for the whole trip, no matter how many train changes there are.

Q: Can I go back to my home country middle of my Interrail trip and continue my Interrail later?

A: Yes, you can. Out/inbound journeys don’t start or stop your trip. 🙂 Just be aware that you need to buy a full priced ticket to get out of your home country, since there are only two travel days possible in your home country.

Q: My train was cancelled due to track work. Can I use the replacement bus with my Interrail ticket?

A: Yes. When there is specific train replacement bus that’s there by the railway company, yes, your train ticket is valid on that bus. The bus is there for replace the train, so that’s for you. When the trains are cancelled, train companies usually gives you info about the replacement bus which you’re supposed to take.

Q: What do to if reservations are not required?

A: Add the train (manually) to your journey in the app and then generate QR code for that trip and you’re ready to go. Seat 61 has a great guide how to use the Interrail mobile pass.

Q: Do I need to print my reservation, or the app says they can only post it to me?

A: In general you don’t need to print a reservation, a PDF on your phone is fine. The main exception is international night trains, where the attendant keeps your printed reservation overnight for the new train staff in each country you pass through. Your hotel or hostel will usually print your reservation off for you if you ask the reception nicely. If you are only offered a postal reservation, you may be able to make it through a different website. Alternatively, you can make reservations at a ticket office in person. See the full information in the seat reservation guide.

Q: My Apple wallet makes it impossible to show the QR code in the NL. What to do?

A: You can simple just try and scan the QR code further away. Your phones NFC range should be maximum of 4 to 10 cm. QR codes can be scanned further – in theory QR code with 3 cm width should be scannable from 30 cm distance and 5 cm from 50 cm etc. Increasing the brightness on your phone screen can help. You can also turn the ‘express mode’ off on your Apple wallet.

Q: Why can’t I see my trip and reservations on the Interrail website?

A: The rail planner app and Interrail website do not sync, so unfortunately you cannot see your plans on the website.

Q: What is the deal with in/out days?

A: Interrail offers a limited number of days that can be used in your country of residence. For most countries this is 2 days that can be used to cross a border. This is intended for you to use to cross the border. In 2023 there is a trial where some transit countries get 3 days instead of 2. You can use the day in any way in your own country, do keep in mind that this will count as a normal travel day if you have a x days per x months pass. See it as an upgrade to a travel day so that you can use it in the country you live in.

Some useful links

General guides

Maps

Other