Interrail Pass Worth – So last summer I was contacted by the InterRail company who offered me the opportunity to travel across Europe using their famous
InterRail pass . The goal ? Enjoy the different festivals in summer (including Sonar, Youpiii) and share my experience with you.
So generally I don’t accept Blog Trips, but InterRail gave me complete freedom over my itinerary, my program and my articles. And since I receive a lot of questions on the subject and on the cheapest way to travel in Europe, I said to myself that this would be an opportunity to test their services.
So if you are asking yourself the following questions:
- Is the InterRail pass worth it?
- How does the InterRail pass work?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of the InterRail Pass and do you recommend it?
- How to travel in Europe differently and inexpensively?
Then this article is for you!
Note: If you think the InterRail pass is right for you, you can purchase it through one of the links in this article. This will allow me to earn a small commission at no additional cost to you and therefore continue the free work on the blog 🙂
Summary
What is the InterRail pass?
So my little one, it’s simple, the InterRail pass is a train ticket which allows you to travel in Europe (30 countries) unlimitedly in 2nd class (or 1st class…) for a given period.
It’s a pass that has existed since 1972! And yeah, it’s not from yesterday.
We are free to go where we want, when we want, within the limits of the rail network of course! It’s a unique experience for people who love to travel and go on adventures with the bare minimum.
IS IT REALLY ECONOMICAL?
Well not really, there are situations in which you will have to pay on top of your subscription, so understanding how the pass works is really essential to reducing your transport budget. I give tips further down in the article.
During my train journey, I realized that the advantage of the InterRail pass was first in the experience, and only second in the savings.
THE DIFFERENT INTERRAIL PASSES
There are two InterRail passes:
- The InterRail Global Pass which allows travel to all participating countries for a given period (maximum 1 month). This is the one I traveled with
- The InterRail One Country Pass which allows you to travel to the country of your choice for three, four, six or eight days spread over a total validity period of one month.
An Interrail Pass can only be used by European citizens and official residents.
Non-EU citizens can, however, use a Eurail pass , available at eurail.com .
If you are not a European citizen, but live in Europe, you can use an Interrail Pass.
In this article, I will only talk about the InterRail Pass , but the advice is valid for the Eurail pass.
The advantages of the InterRail pass
The biggest advantage of the InterRail pass is that you become a real adventurer! No need to bother booking a train ticket days in advance, you choose your destination once on the platform. Traveling by train is also a great experience in addition to being comfortable in most cases:
- The seats leave plenty of room to stretch your legs and it is still possible to walk in the corridors when the train is on its way.
- Most trains have a restaurant and sometimes even a bar.
- By traveling at night, it is possible to save a night in a hostel.
- Trains generally depart and arrive in the city center, which saves on buses and taxis.
- No need to arrive two hours in advance unlike by plane.
- The pass allows you to benefit from discounts on certain boats and ferries in Europe (see here for the list)!
If used correctly, the InterRail pass will cost you much less than individual tickets purchased at the last minute.
THE INTERRAIL MOBILE APP TO PLAN YOUR TRIP
InterRail also has a really useful iPhone and Android mobile application that allows you to plan your route.
It works offline and provides quick access to train departure and arrival times in Europe. The app allows you to plan your trip in advance, but it’s also useful when you’re stuck in a crowded station and desperately trying to find a connection.
Disadvantages of the InterRail Pass
As I said earlier, the InterRail pass can ultimately be more expensive than traveling by bus or plane and this is the major disadvantage.
Of course the bus is cheaper, but it is also slower and less comfortable…
Europe has a whole network of low-cost airlines ( Ryan Air , EasyJet , GermanWings , you can take a look at this article where I talk about the different companies). So finding plane tickets for less than €40 is entirely possible if you plan in advance.
Some trains require a seat reservation in advance (sleeper and express trains), so it is not always possible to arrive at the station and take any train.
One last thing, the rules of the railway companies vary depending on the country, it is not always easy to navigate.
Alternatives to the InterRail pass
To find the cheapest way to travel, don’t ignore any mode of transportation.
For example, if you want to do Berlin – Barcelona , compare the prices of trains, buses, planes and even carpooling!
- For buses, you can check ticket prices on Eurolines.com , a bus company that covers most of Europe.
- For carpooling in Europe there is BlaBlaCar or CarPooling .
- Sites like Momondo or Skyscanner will also give you an idea of the price of plane tickets.
Each country also has its own train and bus network, the best thing to do is to compare prices online.
Comparing prices everywhere takes a lot more time than buying a train pass , but it’s the best way to go if you want to travel inexpensively. If you don’t want to bother with that and don’t have time to waste, then buy the InterRail pass .
How to get the most out of your InterRial Pass
If you decide to buy the InterRail Pass , here are some tips to make the most of it.
- TGVs and the most popular routes require a reservation and a supplement to pay. This supplement is generally around €7, but can reach €15-25 in certain cases.
If you’re willing to take a little extra time to get around, there’s no extra charge for slower trains. - Do not use Rail Europe or InterRail’s online seat reservation system. It’s certainly more convenient, but it’s sometimes more expensive than going to the station yourself to book. If you want to make reservations in advance, try to do so on each train company’s website (depending on the country).
- Not all sites allow reservations, but the German site Bahn.com , for example, offers a whole bunch of interesting features.
- You can use the InterRail Map to plan your trips, or even better, the mobile application that I mention above in the article.
- Look at the price of a standard train ticket on the railway company’s website. In some cases, it is cheaper to take an individual ticket than to use the pass. For example, in Spain, you can buy a train ticket for 4 hours of travel for just €15. The average value of each ticket with my pass being €50, it is more beneficial to buy a ticket alone.
- Take the night trains which leave after 7 p.m. These sleeper trains allow you to save a night in a hotel. Plus, the journey goes much faster when you sleep. With a Flexi pass (unlike the unlimited pass), this journey counts for one day of travel and not two, as long as the train arrives after 4 a.m. the following day.
For more tips, watch The Man in Seat 61 . His blog (in English) is dedicated to train travel and an entire section is dedicated to the InterRail pass.
My final opinion on the InterRail Pass
If you are looking for fun, enjoyable and comfortable transportation and don’t want to spend hours comparing prices to save money, then buy this pass and don’t feel guilty .
If your priority is to travel cheaply, then this pass is not for you. Instead, find the best mode of transportation for each trip by comparing prices of planes, buses, trains, rideshares and rental cars.
These alternatives allow you to be more flexible and allow you to make some last-minute program changes. But remember one thing, choosing the cheapest means of transport is often more tedious and can waste a lot of time.
