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Interrail is the railpass range for European residents, giving unlimited train travel on the scheduled train services of the national train operators across most of Europe.  It started in 1972 as a railpass for young people, there are now Interrail passes for adults, children youths & seniors, an ideal way to explore Europe at ground level with someone else doing the driving.

Who qualifies for an Interrail pass ?

You can buy an Interrail pass if you are a citizen of any of the countries which participate in the Interrail scheme

United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey.

You can also buy an Interrail pass if you can prove that you are legally resident in any of the countries listed above, or in one of the following countries:

Iceland, Albania, Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova, Malta, Cyprus, Morocco, Turkey, Algeria or Tunisia.

Since 2015 you don't need to have lived in one of these countries for over 6 months, it's enough to be legally resident when you buy the pass as long as your residency doesn't expire before the end of the pass validity period.

If you live outside these countries, for example in the USA, Canada, India or Australia, you qualify for a Eurail pass instead .  But don't worry, Eurail passes are now virtually identical to Interrail passes.

You can buy an Interrail pass a maximum of 11 months before the date you want it to start.  If you buy a mobile pass to use on your phone, there's no need to specify a start date, you can choose the start date any time in the 11 months after buying it.

To qualify for a Youth pass you must be under 28 on the first day of pass validity.  The age limit was increased from under 26 in 2017.

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Interrail global pass prices

An Interrail Global Pass covers all participating countries from Portugal to Poland, download the map here .  Check prices at www.raileurope.com (click rail passes).

Children under 12 go free!  Children aged 4-11 inclusive still need a pass, but it costs £0 if accompanied by an adult (max 2 children per adult, the adult must buy an Adult pass, not a Youth or Senior pass).  However, children still need to pay passholder reservation fees .

Interrail one-country pass prices

You can buy one or more Interrail passes covering just one country each.  These also come in 1st class adult, 2nd class adult, 1st class child (aged 4-11), 2nd class child (4-11), and 2nd class youth (aged 12-25 inclusive) versions.  Prices vary by country, see www.interrail.eu or (if you're in the UK) www.raileurope.com .

How to buy an Interrail pass

To buy a Eurostar passholder fare, see the instructions here .

If you choose a mobile pass

If you choose a hard copy pass, is interrail cheaper than point-to-point tickets .

There's no magic answer!

Why?  Because point-to-point train fares vary like air fares, cheap in advance, expensive at short notice or on popular days or dates.  Just like flights!

The cost of a pass also varies, depending whether it's adult, senior or youth, and whether it's for a shorter or longer period.  Longer period passes are better value as the cost-per-day is lower.

The only way to know for sure is to go online and check current point-to-point prices for each journey you plan to make, add them up and compare with the price of the pass you'd need, factoring in the necessary passholder reservation fees.

See Interrail pass prices & check passholder reservation fees .  Check point-to-point prices by selecting the starting city here and I'll tell you which website to use to check fares for that specific route.

But it's not all about price, it's also about flexibility .  This example may help:

How much is a point-to-point ticket?

Assume you plan to go from Prague to Berlin:

- €18.90 is the cheapest possible advance-purchase fare, price varies like air fares, specified train only, no changes, no refunds.

- €82.50 is the fully-flexible fare which can be bought on the day, unlimited availability, good for any train.

Assume that a few days later you plan to go from Berlin to Amsterdam:

- €37.90 is the cheapest possible advance-purchase fare, price varies like air fares, specified train only, no changes, no refunds.

- €139.90 is the fully-flexible fare which can be bought on the day, unlimited availability, good for any train.

How much is an Interrail pass?

If you divide the pass cost by the number of days travel, you get a cost-per-day.  The longer the pass duration, the cheaper the cost-per-day:

- €64 per day using a 5-days-in-1-month Interrail global pass (5-day price divided by 5)

- €45 per day using a 10-days-in-2-months Interrail global pass (10-day price divided by 10)

Or if you're aged under 28 and can buy a youth pass:

- €48 per day using a 5-days-in-1-month youth Interrail global pass.

- €34 per day using a 10-days-in-2-months youth Interrail global pass.

A pass gives you unlimited travel, so you can use any train you like, as if you'd bought the fully-flexible ticket.  Better, as you could go up & down on trains between Prague & Berlin all day if you wanted, or carry on beyond Berlin to Cologne or Hamburg.

So is a pass cheaper?

No, point-to-point advance-purchase tickets are cheaper, it's not a trick question!  Prague-Berlin from €18.90, Berlin-Amsterdam from €37.90.

And easiest too, easy to buy online at the German Railways website and show on your phone.  Click, click, booked!

So if you're only planning 2, 3 or maybe 4 such trips on fixed dates, your accommodation is pre-booked and you're happy to commit to specific trains 2-3 months in advance on a no-refunds, no-changes basis, then advance-purchase tickets are usually cheapest & easiest.

But at short notice or on popular dates, a pass might save money

Remember these are the cheapest possible advance-purchase fares.  On your date, prices may be higher, especially at popular times of year.  And if you need to go tomorrow or next week so cannot book months in advance, a pass can be cheaper than short-notice point-to-point fares.

An Interrail makes sense if you value flexibility

Even when it costs more than advance-purchase tickets, a pass may still make sense because it is flexible .  It's significantly cheaper than the fully-flexible fare for most longer-distance journeys.

With an advance-purchase ticket you're nailing your plans to the floor months in advance.  Trading up to a pass gives you the freedom to travel when you want, or even decide not to go to Prague after all, but to Vienna instead.  An Interrail pass gives unlimited travel all day, so you can make additional journeys the same day, before or after this one.

For extensive itineraries, a pass is better

For extensive itineraries, using a stack of advance-purchase point-to-point tickets might be cheaper, but it's risky.  If a flood, fire, strike or landslide knocked out one journey, the rest of the trip could come crashing down like a house of cards as advance-purchase tickets become worthless if you miss the train.  An Interrail pass gives you the flexibility to re-plan, re-schedule or even re-route as necessary.

Mrs 61 and I once travelled from my in-laws in the Netherlands to Italy using Interrail passes.  The day before our return, a train crash in Belgium blocked our planned route, Milan-Paris-Rotterdam.  But with our passes we easily re-routed via Milan-Zurich-Cologne-Rotterdam.

But avoid using use a pass for short hops

Vienna to Bratislava costs only €11 or so, Florence to Pisa only €9, even bought on the day.

It'd be cheaper to buy a 4-days-in-1-month pass plus a point-to-point ticket for a short hop like this, than to pay an extra €50 for a 5-days-in-1-month pass.  Common sense, surely?

Remember to factor in the passholder reservation fees

The point-to-point fares you see online always include any necessary reservation.  If you use a pass, you may have to pay a reservation fee in addition to the cost of the pass.  Here's a rule of thumb:

In France, Italy, Spain, reckon on a €10+ reservation fee for every train other than purely local ones, in addition to the cost of the pass.

However, in Benelux, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Denmark & most of eastern & central Europe, there are usually no fees to pay (unless you want a sleeping berth), you can just board a train, sit in any empty unreserved seat, and show your pass to the conductor.  That's a generalisation, but even if a seat reservation is required in these countries it's typically €2 - €5, the same as any other ticket-holder would pay.

The Prague-Berlin & Amsterdam-Berlin examples above usually involve no reservation fee, unless you choose to reserve a seat.

You need to pay a passholder fare to use Eurostar between London & Paris, Lille, Brussels or Amsterdam.  This costs €30 in 2nd class or €38 if you have a 1st class pass, see Eurostar passholder information .

On overnight sleeper trains you need to pay for a sleeping-berth, perhaps €39 for a couchette or €100 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.

See a list of Interrail reservation requirements & costs in each country .

How does an Interrail pass work ?

The journey in your home country can involve more than one train, but in principle it should be a continuous single journey between a point of origin (typically your local station) and a border, airport or ferry port.  The mobile pass doesn't police this, so if (for example) you wanted to pause for an hour or two in London between arriving by Eurostar and taking a domestic train home to Newcastle or wherever that's fine, but you shouldn't abuse it by travelling up & down all over Britain all day, it's intended for travel from & to your home town.

Apart from that, inbound/outbound days work like any other travel day, unlimited mileage & unlimited trains midnight to midnight, you need to record the journey on your pass as normal and if it's a flexi pass an inbound/outbound day counts as one of your travel days - it's not additional!

If you live in Britain, that first inbound/outbound travel day could cover travel from your home station to London, a Eurostar passholder journey , and an onward train on the Continent, all on one pass day.

When must you make reservations ?

Local, regional & suburban trains

In virtually all countries, you can just hop on any local, regional or suburban train at any time, and show your Interrail pass to the conductor if and when asked.  Easy!

Pass-friendly countries

Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Denmark & most of central & eastern Europe.

In these countries, seat reservation is usually optional even on long-distance trains and there's nothing extra to pay unless you want a reserved seat, or a couchette or sleeper on an overnight train .

You can just hop on any train without a reservation, sit in any unreserved empty seat, and show your Interrail pass when asked by the conductor - even premier high-speed trains like Germany's superb ICE or Austria's excellent railjet trains .  Trains cannot 'sell out'.

If you want a reserved seat (a sensible move for a long journey to avoid having to stand at busy times) it only costs €3-€5.  Passes retain their 'hop on, hop off' convenience factor in and between these countries.

The key exceptions are as follows :  International journeys to or from France & Italy do require compulsory reservation with a fee to pay.  Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed trains between Brussels & Amsterdam and between Brussels & Cologne have compulsory reservation & a fee for railpass holders.  A few scenic tourist trains in Switzerland require a seat reservation/supplement, such as the Glacier Express & Bernina Express .  Poland, Slovakia, Hungary & Romania require seat reservations on all their inter-city trains, but these are just normal seat reservations costing €1-€3, no big deal.  All this is explained in the country-by-country guide .

Pass unfriendly countries

France, Italy, Spain, Portugal & Sweden

In these countries, passholders must make a reservation and pay a fee for almost every inter-city journey, including international journeys starting or ending in these countries.

Reckon on paying €10+ for every train ride in these countries, sometimes less, sometimes more.  On French TGV s it's either €10 (limited quota) or €20 (when the €10 places sell out).  Eurostar (formerly Thalys) Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam is €15-€25. TGV-Lyria €30-€70, Paris-Milan TGV €31, Paris-Barcelona TGV €34.

There are limited quotas for passholder places on Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam Thalys , Paris-Turin-Milan TGVs & Paris-Barcelona TGVs which can sell out if you don't reserve seats soon enough, but for other trains including French domestic TGVs , TGV-Lyria and Spanish or Italian high-speed trains, passholders can always get seats unless the train is physically full, which might happen at Christmas or Easter or on a busy Friday afternoons, but generally there's usually places available even on the day.

See the country-by-country reservations guide to see which trains need a reservation, what it costs and how to make it.

Sleeper trains

You'll need to make a reservation & pay the appropriate fee for a sleeper or couchette on overnight trains. Remember that with a flexi type pass, an overnight train only uses one pass day, the date of departure, see the explanation here .

Can you avoid having to reserve?

Overnight trains.

Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €54, bed in 2-berth sleeper €74, bed in single-berth sleeper €114, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €94, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €134.

Berth fees for specific routes are listed in the Interrail pass reservation guide .

Using a pass on a sleeper train

If you have a flexi-type pass, an overnight train only uses one day on your pass, the day of departure.  Here is the new rule, this replaced the old 'After 19:00' rule in January 2019:

A Flexi pass day runs from midnight to midnight.  But if you board any overnight train before midnight, and do not change trains after midnight , you only need to use one day on a Flexi pass, the day of departure .  Got it?

It doesn't matter what time your sleeper train leaves on day 1, or what time it arrives on day 2.  The date you enter on your pass is that of day 1.

As normal, you get unlimited travel from midnight to midnight on day 1, so can take other trains on day 1 in addition to the sleeper, all on the same pass day.  You can then continue your journey on the direct overnight train until you get off at your destination on day 2.  The only proviso is that you cannot change trains after midnight , and that both the departure day and arrival day must fall within the overall pass validity period.

For example, if you wanted to take the Dacia Express leaving Vienna at 19: 42 on the 1st August and arriving Bucharest at 16:06 on the 2nd August, you'd use 1st August as one of your unlimited travel days, this covers the whole of the sleeper journey, even the part on 2nd August - in this example well into in the afternoon.

You'd have unlimited travel all day on 1st August, so it would also cover other journeys that day, for example a preceding journey from Prague to Vienna to connect with the sleeper.  On the other hand, if you wanted to take an onward train from Bucharest to Constanta on 2nd August after getting off the sleeper, that means using up another travel day, this time dated 2nd August.

How to use a mobile pass

Step 8, show your pass to the conductor

When a conductor comes along, open the app, click on My pass , pass details appear.  Click on Show ticket , the pass QR code appears.  The conductor will scan the QR code.  Most times, that's it.

Occasionally, Rail Planner's journey planner can't find a train you want to take, but you can add such journeys manually.

You can buy passes for multiple people in one transaction, for example for your family, partner or group of friends.  You'll get a separate pass number for each person.

One option is to give each person their own pass number so they can load their own pass on to their own phone and use it independently as explained above.  You should use this option if there is any chance that people may want to split up and go off on their own.

The other option is for you to be 'group leader' and manage passes on behalf of everyone, by loading multiple passes onto one phone.  Just remember that you won't then be able to split up as all the passes will be one one phone.  This cannot be changed afterwards without help from the Interrail Support Team.

How to use a hard-copy pass

To make it clear, Brussels to Nuremberg with a change in Frankfurt requires two separate entries, Brussels-Frankfurt and Frankfurt-Nuremberg.  However, if a conductor found you had made only one entry, Brussels to Nuremberg, they should point it out (and maybe ask you to change it) but that's all.

How to make reservations

'pass' and 'reservations' are totally separate.

This often confuses people, so listen up:  The process of (1) loading, activating and using your Interrail pass, and (2) making seat or berth reservations on particular trains, are two different, separate, entirely unconnected things.  One does not affect the other, in any way whatsoever .

So finding a train in the Rail Planner app, adding it to your 'trip' then adding it to your pass does not 'book' the train or reserve seats on it.  All it does is render the pass valid for it, an electronic record that helps Interrail management allocate pass revenue between operators.

Conversely, making a seat or berth reservation on a particular train does not in any way activate your pass, or use up a day on your pass, or commit you to using the pass on that train or date.  If you have to enter your pass number when reserving, that's only to stop people without a pass making a reservation, it does not affect, trigger or use up your pass.  Passes & reservations are entirely unconnected .

Option 1, online at the train operator's website

If it's possible - reality check, it seldom is - making reservations at the train operator's own site is ideal as you pay no booking fee (just the reservation fee) & you get a wide choice of seating options, sometimes specific seat selection.

Unfortunately, most train operator websites don't sell passholder reservations, only normal tickets.  Eurostar, SNCF (French Railways) & Trenitalia used to sell passholder reservations, all 3 stopped because it was abused by fare-evaders without a pass.

Operators that can sell passholder reservations on their websites include:

- The ÖBB (Austrian Railways) website www.oebb.at sells passholder reservations for Nightjet sleeper trains , Nightjet partner sleeper trains, and Vienna-Italy railjet trains .

- The SJ (Swedish Railways) website www.sj.se sells passholder reservations for Swedish domestic trains and Copenhagen-Stockholm, Stockholm-Oslo international trains.

There are also routes where trains are reservation optional , where passholders don't have to pay a special passholder reservation fee, just make a normal seat reservation if they want one like any other ticket-holder.  Some operators allow reservation-only bookings to be made on their website for anyone with an existing ticket, including a pass:

- The DB (German Railways) website int.bahn.de can do 'seat-only' bookings for German domestic trains and international trains between Germany & Amsterdam, Brussels, Prague or Switzerland, with specific seat selection on key routes.

- The ÖBB (Austrian Railways) website www.oebb.at can do 'seat only' bookings on trains between Austria & Prague, Budapest, Germany or Switzerland, sometimes with seat selection.

- The Czech Railways website www.cd.cz can do 'seat-only' bookings for many routes out of Prague, often with specific seat selection.  Isn't it great being able to choose your seats from a plan?

Option 2, online using the Interrail reservation service

If you can't book online direct with the train operator, the next best thing is to book online using the official Interrail reservations service.

You need to buy a pass before you can access this service, as a pass number is required even to run enquiries.

There's a booking fee of €2 per reservation in addition to the reservation fee.  The prices shown on their website include the booking fee.

One downside, you aren't offered any seating choice, not even 'aisle' or 'window', you basically have to take what the system gives you.

How to use it:   Go to www.interrail.eu , click Seat reservations at the top, yes you have a pass, no you don't have an account, create an account, enter your pass number.  Now you can use the reservation system journey planner to bring up train departures for the route you want.

You'll see the abbreviation IRT a lot.  This stands for Integrated Reservation Ticket , and simply means it's a ticket combined with a compulsory seat reservation (the way France, Italy, Spain do ticketing), as opposed to a stand-alone optional seat reservation designed to go with a separate travel ticket (the way Germany, Austria, Switzerland usually do ticketing.  A distinction too subtle to concern most travellers!

Trains it can book, with an e-ticket:   Reservations shown as e-ticket are automated and usually emailed to you within minutes.

Reservations can be made until 3 hours before departure, you can use their mobile website if you're already on the move.

For example, the system can e-ticket passholder reservations for Eurostar , domestic trains in France ( TGVs , Intercités, Intercités de Nuit couchettes ), Paris-Turin-Milan TGVs , Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam/Cologne Eurostar (formerly Thalys) , Paris-Switzerland TGV-Lyria , Paris-Germany ICE & TGV .  Domestic trains in Italy ( Frecciarossa , Frecciargento , Frecciabianca, Intercity , ICN sleeper trains ), Switzerland-Italy EuroCity trains .  Copenhagen-Stockholm X2000 trains .  It will also book optional seat reservations in countries such as Germany or Austria, but you can make those without any added fee using the train operator's own website.

Trains it can book, with a paper ticket that has to be posted to you:   Reservations shown as paper ticket have to be posted to you for an extra fee (for example, €9 to the UK & other European countries, with tracking).  This typically takes 2 weeks to the UK, for example.

For example, the system has to send paper tickets for Paris-Barcelona TGVs, Lyon/Marseille-Barcelona AVEs, Prague-Krakow trains, Budapest-Bucharest daytime & sleeper trains, Berlin-Warsaw & Berlin-Krakow EuroCity trains, Norwegian trains.

Trains it can't book:   The system cannot currently book Spanish or Portuguese domestic trains or trains in the UK, Ireland, Finland, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey.  It also can't book Nightjet sleeper trains or Venice-Vienna railjets (but www.oebb.at can book these).  It only seems to offer 2nd class reservations on the Munich-Italy Brenner EuroCity trains.  In France, it can't book some trains run by the regions, such as Paris-Cherbourg.

Option 3, online at b-europe.com (Eurostar only)

Tip:   If you have a mobile pass and it won't accept your mobile pass number, simply generate a pass cover number from your mobile pass number using this special page: www.eurail.com/en/book-reservations#/generatePassCoverNumber .

Option 4, make reservations by phone with a UK booking agency

In many cases, you can't make reservations online, you need to pick up the phone.

For trains within France, Spain, Switzerland and between France, Spain and neighbouring countries, call International Rail on 0844 248 248 3 or Trainseurope on 0871 700 7722, office hours Monday-Friday in both cases.

Option 5, in person at the station

Tips for finding accommodation, other railpasses worth knowing about.

Interrail is the main pass range for European residents, but several countries also have their own national railpasses which can be worth knowing about.

Timetable & maps

T he European Rail Map of Europe is easily the best and most comprehensive map of train routes all over Europe.  High speed and scenic routes are highlighted - well worth buying to go with your rail pass!  Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (with worldwide delivery).  There are other maps & even two good European Rail Atlases, see here .

The all-Europe online timetable:   You can check train times for almost any European train journey online at int.bahn.de .  This is an extremely useful resource for trip planning, provided by the German Railways.

Recommended guidebooks

If you're planning a grand tour, I strongly recommend investing in a Thomas Cook European Timetable for in-depth train information, and the relevant Lonely Planet Guide for in-depth country information on the sights to see, places to stay, places to eat.  Alternatively, the Europe by Rail guide combines basic train info with country information.

Click the images to buy online at Amazon.co.uk

Hotels & accommodation, tips for booking hotels in europe.

Location, location, location:   For a night between trains, I'd pick a decent hotel near the station.  For a longer stay, I'd want to be close to the sights, for example if we're talking somewhere like Prague, I'd want a hotel right in the old town.  That sometimes costs more, but you see more - if you're right there, you can wander out again after dinner, for example.  In a cheaper hotel 3 miles out, you probably wouldn't.

Hotels will almost always look after your bags for free if you need to check out and catch an afternoon or evening train, or if you arrive in the morning before you can check in to your room.

www.tripadvisor.com is a huge resource, and a good place to browse independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

Budget backpacker hostels

www.hostelworld.com :  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about the hostels.  Hostelworld allows online booking of dorm beds or ultra-cheap private rooms in backpacker hostels in most European cities at budget prices.

Travel insurance & other tips

Always take out travel insurance.

You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer.  It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit.  These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself.  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here .  Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a European mobile data package and stay connected.  Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list .  There's no need to buy a physical SIM card!  Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data .

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate then add a foreign transaction fee on top.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this.  The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.  And you can get a Curve card for free.

How it works:   1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android .  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader.  The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than getting a card out).  I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card , they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  Why you need a VPN

When travelling you may use free public WiFi which is often insecure.  A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi.  It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply.  See VPNs & why you need one explained .  ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using this link you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription.  I also get some commission to help support this site.

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, hotel bookings and Interrail or Eurail passes are often now held on your mobile phone.  You daren't let it run out of power, and you can't always rely on the phone's internal battery or on being near a power outlet.  I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over.  Buy from Amazon.co.uk or Buy from Amazon.com .

Touring cities?  Use hill walking shoes!

One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa.  They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities.  My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!

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A Beginner’s Guide to Interrailing Europe in 2024; prices, passes, planning, and Itineraries

Interrailing is a unique way to explore Europe, and it’s an adventure that combines the romance of travel with the freedom of the railways. With an Interrail pass, you can visit multiple countries and cities by train while experiencing the diversity and culture of Europe in a way that’s impossible by any other means of transportation.

As you travel by train, you’ll have the opportunity to admire stunning landscapes, meet new people, and discover hidden gems along the way. You’ll have the freedom to go wherever your curiosity takes you, and you’ll be able to travel at your own pace without the stress of navigating unfamiliar roads or fighting traffic.

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a first-time Interrailer, there’s something remarkable about the experience of Interrailing. It’s a journey that will stay with you long after you’ve returned home, and it’ll create memories that you’ll treasure forever.

Page Contents

What is interrailing?

Interrailing is a way of traveling around Europe by train using an Interrail pass. This pass allows you to travel on the rail networks of the 33 countries, and it can be purchased by anyone who is a resident of Europe. 

Several types of Interrail passes are available, including global passes that allow you to travel to all 33 countries in the Interrail network. They also have one-country passes that allow you to travel within a single country. You can also choose between first-class and second-class passes, between passes that are valid for a certain number of days within a specific time period and those that are valid for a certain number of travel days within a specific time period.

The big difference of this Interrail pass is the fact that you can take as many trains as you like within the validity of your pass, except for some high-speed and overnight trains which require reservations and come with an additional cost.

Interrailing is a popular way to see Europe, especially for young people and students as it’s a flexible and convenient way to travel, and it allows you to see many different places quickly.

How does such an Interrail pass work?

As we explained, the Interrail pass is a train ticket that allows you to travel on the rail networks of the 33 European countries included in the Interrail network. 

As with all train tickets, you must validate an Interrail pass before your first journey. This involves writing the date and time of your first journey in the designated space on the pass. 

Once your pass is validated, you can start using it to travel by showing your pass to the conductor when you board the train. From there on, you’ll have the freedom to take as many trains as you like within the validity of your pass. You can travel on any train that is included in the Interrail network as long as you have a valid pass and, if necessary, a reservation.

If you rather use the mobile Interrail pass, you will need to have the Interrail app installed on your phone (and have an active internet connection during your trip).

To validation on the app is pretty straightforward; you will need to open the app and tap on the pass in your pass wallet. Then, tap on the “Validate Pass” button and enter the date and time of your first journey. Once your pass is validated, you can start using it to travel.

How much does interrailing cost?

As you can imagine, the cost of an Interrail pass depends on the type of pass you choose, as well as the class of travel (first or second) and the duration of your trip.

Global passes, which allow you to travel to all 33 countries in the Interrail network, start at around €441 for a second-class 5-day pass for adults, while it’s €619 for a first-class 5-day pass. One-country passes on the other hand – which allow you to travel within a single country – start at around €67 for a second-class 5-day pass.

There are also a few flexible passes available that are valid for a certain number of days within a certain time period and others that focus on the number of travel days. The number of travel days refers to the number of days you can actually take a train, while the number of days refers to the number of days the pass is valid, regardless of whether you take a train or not.

While the cost of an Interrail pass may seem high initially, it can be used as a cost-effective way to travel if you plan to take a lot of trains. It’s also a sustainable way to explore Europe, allowing you to r educe your carbon footprint and minimize your environmental impact . By traveling by train, you’ll be using a mode of transportation that is more energy-efficient and generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions than air or road travel.

Is an Interrail Pass worth the money?

This depends from person to person, but in general, an Interrail pass should be a good value for money if you plan to take a lot of trains and visit several countries during your trip. This is because the Interrail pass includes unlimited travel on the rail network in the countries covered by your pass, saving you a lot of money compared to buying individual tickets for each journey.

When traveling by interrail to big European cities, you’ll have to make use of additional public transport when you want to discover specific places, this is why theInterrail passes also include discounts on ferries, buses, and some local transportation, as well as discounts on attractions, hotels, and hostels. These discounts can add up over the course of the trip and help offset the cost of the pass.

Another reason why the passes are popular is because of the convenience of an Interrail pass; it gives you the freedom to take as many trains as you like within the validity of your pass, without having to worry about buying tickets each time you want to travel. This can be especially convenient if you’re visiting several cities or countries and don’t want to spend much time planning your itinerary beforehand.

Are interrail tickets refundable?

If you order your pass directly from the Interrail website, you can exchange it for another pass or get an 85% refund if your plans change.

You just need to make your refund request within six months of the pass’ last day of validity and have it endorsed as ‘Not Used’ by railway staff before or on the first day of validity.

Is Eurostar covered by Interrail?

The Eurostar is a high-speed train that operates between London and several European destinations. While the Eurostar is not part of the Interrail network, the Interrail Global Pass allows you to travel on the Eurostar high-speed train connecting London with France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

A seat reservation (which comes with an additional cost) is mandatory for this train and can be made up to 6 months in advance.

Is Thalys covered by Interrail?

Thalys is a high-speed train that operates in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. While the Thalys is not part of the Interrail network, the Interrail passes are valid on Thalys trains when reservations are made (which must be made at an additional cost) .

How to plan your interrail trip?

Planning a trip can be half the fun, especially when it comes to Interrailing. As you plan your trip, you’ll have the opportunity to research destinations, create an itinerary, and make any necessary reservations. This process can be exciting and rewarding, as you’ll be able to customize your trip to suit your interests and preferences.

Here are some handy tips to keep in mind when planning your interrail trip: 

• Determine your budget . Before you start planning your trip, it’s a good idea to determine how much money you have available to spend. This will help you decide on the type of pass you need and help you plan your route and accommodation.
• Choose your route . Decide which countries you want to visit and in what order. You can use the Interrail Planner to search for train schedules and make necessary reservations.
• Book your accommodation . Decide where you want to stay in each city or town, and book your accommodation in advance. You can use websites like Booking.com or Airbnb to find hotels, hostels, and apartments.
• Make any necessary reservations . Some high-speed and overnight trains require reservations, which can be made at an additional cost. You can make reservations online or at a train station.
• Pack wisely . Make a packing list and only bring the essentials, as you’ll have to carry your backpack everywhere you go. Remember to pack your Interrail pass and any necessary documents, such as your passport or visa.
• Be flexible . Try to be flexible and open to new experiences, as this will help you make the most of your trip. Don’t be afraid to change your plans if you come across something unexpected or interesting along the way.

When do you need to make reservations?

Reservations are required for some high-speed and overnight trains and can be booked up to 3 months in advance, especially during the peak travel season.

It’s worth noting that while reservations are required for some high-speed and overnight trains, they are not required for most local and regional trains. You can simply board these trains and show your Interrail pass to the conductor.

Where do you stay when you’re interrailing?

With an Interrail pass, you have the freedom to explore multiple countries and cities by train, and you can go wherever your curiosity takes you. This freedom is one of the things that makes it so romantic for many travelers, as it allows you to travel at your own pace and discover hidden gems along the way.

While the freedom is certainly romantic, it’s important to remember that you’ll still need to make some basic plans for a successful trip. One of the most important things to consider is your accommodation, as you’ll need a place to stay each night.

Many passangers are students or young travelers who are looking for affordable and convenient accommodation options. As such, it’s common for Interrailers to stay in hostels, hotels, or apartments, as these types of accommodation offer a range of amenities and price points to suit different budgets and preferences.

Does the Interrail have sleepers and couchettes?

Not all trains on the Interrail network have sleepers or couchettes, as these types of accommodations are generally only available on overnight trains, and availability may be limited. It’s a good idea to book as early as possible to ensure that you get a seat on the train you want.

Most trains containing sleepers and couchettes come with a supplementary cost. 

What to pack when you’re on an interrailing trip?

We already briefly mentioned it, but it’s important to pack wisely when you’re Interrailing, as you’ll be carrying your belongings with you as you travel. 

Here are some tips for what to pack:

• Pack light . Only bring the essentials and try to pack everything in a carry-on size bag. This will make it easier to move around and will save you money on baggage fees.
• Pack for the weather . Make sure to pack clothes and accessories that are appropriate for the weather in the places you’ll be visiting. Check the forecast for each destination and pack accordingly.
• Bring a travel adapter . Traveling to different countries requires a travel adapter to charge your electronics. Make sure to bring one that is compatible with the outlets in the countries you’ll be visiting.
• Bring copies of important documents . Make copies of your passport, Interrail pass, and any other important documents and bring them with you. Keep the originals in a safe place, and leave copies with a trusted friend or relative in case of an emergency.
• Pack a first-aid kit. It’s a good idea to bring a small first-aid kit with you, including items like painkillers, band-aids, and any prescription medications you may need.

What are the most popular Interrailing routes in Europe?

One of the great things about Interrailing is that it’s 100% customizable, which means you can create your own itinerary and go wherever your curiosity takes you. To help spark your imagination, here are a few examples of European itineraries:

• The classic mainland route : This route takes you through some of Europe’s most iconic cities, including Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Prague.
• The Mediterranean route : This route takes you through some of the most beautiful and sunny cities in Europe, including Barcelona, Rome, and Athens.
• The Scandinavian interrail route : This route takes you through the beautiful and unique countries of the Nordics, including Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway.
• The Eastern Europe route : This route takes you through the vibrant and historic countries of Eastern Europe, including Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.
• The British Isles route : This route takes you to the picturesque and historical countries of the British Isles, including England, Scotland, and Ireland.

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Interrailing explained: What it is, how to do it and how much it costs

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Since its inception in 1972, Interrailing has been a popular concept with travellers looking to see Europe on a budget.

Though originally for students, it now offers people of all ages the freedom to explore countries at their leisure while saving money on flights and avoiding having to book dozens of separate trains.

Whether you want to spend a few days travelling across France or two months traversing the length of the continent, Interrailing is an accessible option that leaves you in control.

Travel whenever you want and to wherever you want across 33 different countries, from the UK to Greece and Turkey .

With a little bit of research – from route maps to pricing options – you can easily book the European rail trip of a lifetime. We’ve collated all the information you need to get planning.

What is an Interrail pass, and how do they work?

An Interrail pass is an ‘all-in-one’ ticket that allows you to travel on trains within 33 countries in Europe without having to buy separate tickets.

Global Passes offer access to several countries, with no need for specific itineraries, from €194 (£168). One Country Passes give you the opportunity to explore a single country in depth, with prices starting at €51 (£44).

Read more on  travel inspiration :

• The best river cruises around the world 
• 6 amazing sports travel experiences to combine with once-in-a-lifetime trips
• 7 of the coolest cultural festivals in Europe

Passes allow travel either continuously – in other words, on every day within a given timeframe – or on a flexible basis, for example on any 10 days within a given two-month period. One Country Passes start at offering three days’ travel within a given month, extending up to eight days, while Global Passes offer anything from four days within one month up to continuous travel over three months, the latter giving you the ultimate freedom to travel on any day you like for around €711 (£618).

Passes can be used by anyone who lives in Europe – and the UK is included – with discounts for certain age groups, including over-60s and those under 27 years old (children aged between four and 11 travel for free).

How much is an Interrail pass?

One Country Passes vary in price according to the country, with prices in Italy starting at €133 (£115) and Germany available from €153 (£133).

For reference, an eight-day pass in Italy would cost €235 (£204). The cheapest One Country passes are as little as £47 for countries including Poland, Bulgaria and Latvia.

Global Passes start at €194 (£168) for a four-day Flexi Pass, which allows travel on “as many trains as you like on each of your four travel days”. The most expensive Flexi Pass is €389 (£338), and it allows travel on 15 different days within two months.

The second category of Global Passes, called Continuous Passes, start at €349 (£303). These allow you to take “as many trains as you like for 15 days straight”. Such passes are also available for 22 days (€408/£354), one month (€528/£459), two months (€575/£500) and three months (€711/£609).

Included in the price is one outbound and one inbound journey into your resident country.

Which countries are included in the passes?

According to the interrail website, passes are valid in the following 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”. 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)”.

Helpful additional information

Many trains can be boarded by simply showing your ticket to staff, though seat reservations need to be booked separately. Passes can be provided in paper format or delivered straight to your phone via the Interrail app.

Passes are valid on all national railways, and some private railways, in participating countries. They are not valid on local services, such as the metro, but do give discounts on some networks, including a variety of ferry networks around Finland, Estonia, Greece and Turkey.

The Interrail website is somewhat unclear in its assertion regarding some trains being included.  Seat reservations  are an important aspect of the pass, as your pass alone is not valid for travel on some trains – you must also have a seat reservation.

Reservations are often required in France, Spain and Germany, and are necessary on all night trains and most high-speed trains. Prices range €2 (£1.74) to €20 (£17.40), and must be paid for in addition to the cost of your pass.

If travelling from the UK, though you can board Eurostar trains to Paris, Amsterdam and Lille, each journey carries an additional reservation fee of €30 (£26).

Loose route ideas , a  railway map of Europe ,  FAQs  and a  train timetable  can be found on the  Interrail website .

You have up to 11 months from the date of purchase to activate your mobile pass. Do this by selecting your first travel day (the start date) and entering your passport or ID number.

The Interrail site states: “Your first travel day is the start date of your Pass – you have the option to select the start date in advance or when you’re ready to activate the Pass.”

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Interrail FAQ

Questions and answers. Here you get help.

Start > Interrail FAQ

Can I take any train with Interrail?

You can use all trains of the state railroads of the participating countries. But also some trains of private operators. For some trains you need an extra reservation or have to pay a surcharge, e.g. for the Eurostar train from Paris to London. A list of all trains in Europe with information if you can use them for free or if you have to make a reservation can be found on rail.cc.

Who is Interrail suitable for?

Interrail is suitable for single travelers, groups and families. Young or old does not matter. Interrail is characterized by its flexibility. On the one hand from the travel period, e.g. 5 travel days in one month or three months at a stretch. On the other hand by the comfort: 2nd class is cheap, 1st class is more expensive but more comfortable. So you can adapt Interrail to your individual needs.

How much does Interrail cost?

The price of an Interrail ticket starts at 51 EUR for a single-country pass and at 185 EUR for the Interrail Global Pass, which allows you to travel all over Europe. Often Interrail offers discount promotions where you can save 10% off the purchase price. Additionally, there are discounted prices for young travelers (up to 27 years) and for seniors (60 years and older). You can find an overview of all Interrail ticket types and their prices on rail.cc.

How far in advance do I have to order my Interrail ticket?

You should order a paper ticket two weeks before your Interrail trip. Then it will definitely arrive on time. However, you can now also buy the Interrail Pass via app as an e-ticket. This only takes a few minutes and you save the shipping costs. You can buy this e-ticket on interrail.eu.

Can I buy the Interrail ticket at the train station?

Yes, you can buy your Interrail ticket at any major train station. However, it is much easier and faster to buy your Interrail pass through the Interrail app.

How much does an Interrail trip cost?

An Interrail trip is very individual. You can travel for a few days for 300 EUR, but you can also spend over 1000 EUR. Calculate the Interrail travel cost as follows:

1. the price of the Interrail ticket. 2. accommodation cost per day: this depends on the country and category, e.g. hotel in Italy on average 70 EUR. 3. food per day: cook your own food in the accommodation, supermarket or go out to eat. 4. Potential reservation costs for certain types of trains or night trains.

In the Raildude forum you will be helped by experienced travelers who will give you an overview and point out where you can save money.

How much does an Interrail ticket cost?

An Interrail ticket costs from 51 EUR as a one-country pass. The Interrail Global Pass for the whole of Europe costs from 185 EUR. You can find an overview of all prices on rail.cc.

How much is an Interrail ticket?

The Interrail ticket price depends on the scope of services. An Interrail Global Pass for one month of free travel in Europe costs from 503 EUR. An Interrail One Country Pass for Italy costs from 105 EUR for 5 days in one month. On rail.cc you can find an overview of all Interrail prices.

Which trains included in Interrail?

In principle, you can use all trains of the national European railroads, within the participating countries. However, you have to distinguish between "Interrail friendly" countries like Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and countries where you have to buy an extra seat reservation for almost every train. These are countries like France, Spain and Italy. Some private train operators and night trains are usually a bit more expensive to reserve. An overview of all train types in Europe and possible reservation costs can be found on rail.cc.

Which trains can I use with Interrail?

You can use almost all trains of the participating countries in Europe. However, some of them require an extra seat reservation. This is mostly the case with high-speed trains and also night trains. Special trains, such as the Eurostar train from Paris/Brussels to London also require a reservation. An overview of the types of trains you can use with Interrail can be found on rail.cc.

How much does an Interrail ticket for Europe cost?

An Interrail Global Pass for 5 travel days in one month costs from 212 EUR. This is among the most popular rail pass next to the classic "Interrail Global Pass 1 month at a time", available from 503 EUR. Compare all Interrail prices and find the best and cheapest option on rail.cc.

In which countries is Interrail valid?

Interrail is valid in Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.

What is Discover EU?

DiscoverEU is an offer of the European Union to get a free Interrail Pass as a young person. The purpose is to get to know and appreciate Europe. However, nobody has thought about the fact that young people from poorer countries with lower income standards can hardly afford a trip through Western Europe.

Can I travel ICE with the Interrail ticket?

Yes, you can board any ICE train within Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands and simply find a free seat. ICEs with destination France require an extra seat reservation from 13 EUR.

Which countries are included in Interrail?

These countries are included in the Interrail ticket: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.

How old do you have to be for Interrail?

There is no age limit for Interrail. If you are under 18, you will need your parents' permission to travel alone. It is best if it is in English, short and concise: "My daughter/son FIRST NAME NAME, born on DATE, is allowed to travel alone with the Interrail ticket through Europe in the period FROM/TO, DATE / SIGNATURE of both legal guardians". There are many 16 and 17 year olds traveling alone with Interrail. Note: some hostels and hotels do not accept minors traveling alone. Either one of your traveling friends is already 18 years or older, or you clarify it in advance with the hostel/hotel.

Does the Interrail Global Pass include travel from home to the border or to the airport and back?

Yes. These are the so-called "inbound" and "outbound" days. They count as travel days on your Interrail Pass and allow you to travel from your place of residence to a country border or airport. Normally, travel in your country of residence is not included in the Interrail ticket. However, it can often be cheaper to buy a saver fare ticket and travel to the border or your first Interrail destination and save a day of travel on your ticket.

How much does Interrail cost for adults?

The most popular Interrail Global Pass with 5 travel days in one month costs 282 EUR. The Interrail Classic with "one Mont of travel at a time" costs 670 EUR. Often (mostly in spring) there are discount promotions with 10% reduction. You can find an overview of all Interrail tickets on rail.cc.

Who can use Interrail?

Everyone can use Interrail. No matter what age, alone or in a group. Interrail makes sense if you want to travel flexibly across several destinations in Europe. If you only want to visit one or two cities, single saver price train tickets are often the cheaper alternative.

How much does a Europe ticket cost?

The Interrail ticket for borderless train travel in Europe costs from 185 EUR. You can find all Interrail prices on rail.cc.

Which countries belong to Interrail?

These countries belong to Interrail: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.

These countries are participating in Interrail: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.

How does an Interrail work?

Interrail is a rail pass that you can use all-inclusive on many train routes in Europe. One ticket for many train journeys and routes. First you think about your desired itinerary through Europe. Then you check which train connections are available between your travel destinations. You can do this for example on rail.cc or with the Interrail Planner. Some trains require an extra seat reservation. You can find an overview on rail.cc. If you have questions about your planning, use the Raildude forum. Here experienced Interrail experts will help you. Finally, find cheap accommodation on sites like Booking.com.

What is Eurail?

Eurail is now the same as Interrail. The "Eurail" brand is marketed outside Europe. The "Interrail" brand within Europe. The two product names are historical and date back to the 1970s. In the future, both brands will be merged into one product.

How much money to budget for Interrail?

You can do an Interrail tour for 500 EUR, but you can also do it for 2000 EUR. Factors are the duration, the route and your comfort level. The following factors will ultimately determine how much money you need to budget for your Interrail tour: 1. the price of the Interrail ticket. 2. accommodation costs per day: this depends on the country and category, e.g. hotel in Italy on average 70 EUR. 3. food per day: cook your own food in the accommodation, supermarket or go out to eat. 4. potential reservation costs for certain types of trains or night trains.

What does a Europe train ticket cost?

The train ticket Interrail for borderless travel in Europe costs from 185 EUR. You can find an overview of all prices on rail.cc.

What is an Interrail Global Pass?

An Interrail Global Pass is a train pass that allows you to travel all over Europe. One train ticket for almost all train routes in Europe.

How long can I travel with an Interrail ticket?

You can travel up to three months with the "Interrail Global Pass - 3 months at a time" by train through Europe. If you want to travel longer, just buy another Interrail Pass afterwards. The Interrail classic is the "Interrail Global 1 Month Pass".

How does the Interrail Global Pass work?

You plan your destinations, regions, cities. Then you choose the appropriate Interrail Global Pass that best fits your number of travel days needed. Some trains require a seat reservation. However, you can often avoid this. Afterwards, you can look for accommodation via Booking.com, Airbnb or Couchsurfing. If you have any questions during your planning, visit the Raildude forum, where Interrail experts will help you.

Can I travel by bus with the Interrail ticket?

No. The Interrail Pass is a train ticket.

How much does an Interrail Pass cost?

The Interrail Global Pass for the whole of Europe costs from 185 EUR. The Interrail Pass for a single country is available from 51 EUR. The prices depend on your travel period and comfort class, as well as your age. You can find an overview of all Interrail Pass variants and prices on rail.cc.

Yes, with an Interrail ticket you can travel on the ICE of Deutsche Bahn. Also international ICE journeys are free of charge with Interrail in the ICE. Except the train connections by ICE from Germany to France and back.

When is Interrail worthwhile?

Interrail is worthwhile from three to four destinations. In general, compare savings prices of railroad companies with the Interrail ticket price. Interrail is ideal for flexible and spontaneous travel. If your travel dates and destinations are already absolutely fixed, you can often travel cheaper with saver fares. In the Raildude forum you can get help from train travel experts, just ask.

Where can I buy an Interrail ticket?

You can buy an Interrail ticket conveniently and securely via the Interrail app. This is the fastest way. Of course, you can also buy an Interrail ticket at any major train station in Europe.

What is an Interrail tour?

An Interrail tour is a train trip through Europe with the Interrail rail pass. The Interrail ticket is basically ONE ticket for almost all train connections in Europe, so it is an all-inclusive ticket.

What is an Interrail Pass?

An Interrail Pass is a flat-rate train ticket for the whole of Europe. A single train ticket for almost all train connections within Europe.

How does the Interrail Ticket work?

The Interrail ticket works quite simply. You buy your Interrail ticket through the app. Before you board a train, check if a seat reservation is necessary. If necessary, you buy it. Then, enter your trip into the Interrail app and enjoy your ride to your next destination.

Can I cancel an Interrail ticket?

Yes. However, there is an administration fee of 15% of the purchase price. The return is done where you bought your Interrail ticket.

What is the Interrail Ticket?

The Interrail Ticket is ONE one-way ticket for almost all train connections in Europe. You don't have to buy tickets for every train ride, but only this one train pass. Practically an all-inclusive ticket.

The Interrail pass works in 33 countries and gives you access to 40 000 different destinations.

What is Interrail?

The Interrail Pass is a ticket allowing you to travel within Europe by train with only one ticket. The Interrail pass works in 33 countries and gives you access to 40 000 different destinations.

Interrail allows you to explore and discover different European destinations in a practical and adventurous way where you always are in charge of where to go next. On some trains, you must make a seat reservation in advance. If you travel with an Interrail Pass, you will get a discount on the trains where a seat reservation is required. Discounts on ferries, buses, and museums are other benefits you can enjoy with your Interrail Pass.

With the Interrail Pass, you can sit back and enjoy the view while traveling between your chosen destinations.

No matter how old you are, whether you travel alone or in a group, want to be spontaneous, or plan the whole journey beforehand, there is an Interrail Pass that will suit your journey. Every European citizen can travel by Interrail.

The Interrail Pass is discounted for youths up to 27 years old and for seniors over 60 years old. For children under 12, the Interrail Pass is free in the company of an adult who holds an Interrail Pass.

The age of your first day of travel is the age the Interrail Pass should reflect.

One adult can bring 2 children free of charge. The child Passes need to be booked together with the adult Pass.

Interrail Mobile Pass

What exactly is a mobile pass.

The Mobile Pass is a paperless ticket that can be added instantly to your phone. After receiving the Mobile Pass Number , you are just a few steps from discovering Europe by train. Download the Rail Planner app to start your adventure.

How Does a Mobile Pass Work?

To travel with a Mobile Pass, you need your phone, the Rail Planner app, an internet connection (at least once every 3 days), and seat reservations where needed. An order confirmation with your Mobile Pass Number will be sent to your email address after your purchase.

Why Choose a Mobile Pass?

Travel in 33 countries.

Have the possibility to travel to almost all the European countries: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey.

Save Hundreds

With Interrail, you don't have to buy dozens of full-price tickets along the way. Since you pay a fixed price for the Interrail Pass, the more you travel, the more you will save.

Low Prices For Everyone

Although our Interrail Passes are affordable for all ages, we give a 10-15% additional discount for youths and seniors. We believe that traveling should be cheap!

Free For Children

Children up to 11 always travel for free with the company of an adult who holds an Interrail Pass (Maximum 2 children per adult).

Interrail Pass Benefits

Interrail Pass holders get discounts and attractive offers all around Europe. For example, you can go on a ferry between Italy and Greece – for free!

Essential Information

How do i count my travel days.

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. You can access the train networks where your Interrail Pass is valid on each travel day.

When traveling on a night train, you only need to write down the day of departure. For example, if you travel on a night train from June 6 to 7, you only write down June 6. If you change trains after midnight, a new travel day will start.

On the night train departure day, you can take as many trains as you want; since it's on the same day. If you take another train after the night train has arrived, you'll have to use a new travel day.

What is the Difference Between the Interrail Pass and Global Pass?

The Global Pass is a type of Interrail Pass and the only type we sell online. It allows you to travel between 33 different countries within Europe. The other type is One Country Pass. A Mobile One Country Pass lets you discover more of your chosen country. It can only be purchased via customer service.

Interrail is the travel ticket that allows you to travel between 33 countries in Europe.

Mobile Pass is the way we distribute the ticket. It's now a digital Interrail Pass that you use on the mobile app, Rail Planner. We don't distribute paper passes.

What is a Global Pass?

The Interrail Global Pass virtually provides unlimited travel between 33 different European countries.

It keeps the cost down to buy one travel ticket instead of purchasing a point-to-point ticket for every journey. Note that you still might need to reserve a seat.

With the Interrail Global Pass, you choose a certain amount of travel days and a validity period. Your traveling days can only be used during the period of validity stated on your Interrail Pass.

This Pass is perfect for those who want to travel to several countries; it can be a planned- or spontaneous trip. The choice is yours.

How do I Choose the Right Pass for me?

Decide which cities or destinations you want to visit. It might be a city break or a longer journey. The possibilities are endless. It will be easier to choose the right Pass most suited for you if you have an approximate idea of your travel plans.

Are you traveling from your country of residence and back again? The Pass allows one outbound and one inbound journey within your country of residence. Note that these journeys count as travel days on your Interrail Pass.

The number of travel days is decided by you. You can choose between a Continuous Pass or a Flexi Pass. If you have a Pass with a certain amount of travel days, it's only when you actively travel that these days will be counted. With a Continuous Pass, the travel days are counted every day.

Interrail Pass

The Interrail Pass virtually gives you unlimited travel opportunities within 33 different European countries. This Pass is perfect for you who want to travel to several countries; it can be a carefully planned or spontaneous journey. The choice is yours.

Seat Reservation

A seat reservation is an additional ticket to your Interrail Pass. Seat requirements can vary depending on the train you are traveling with. Please make sure to look up what is needed for your journey in advance. Seat reservations are only valid together with your Interrail Pass.

Questions & Answers

Do you have any questions? We have gathered some of our most frequently asked questions concerning traveling with Interrail. Do you need additional information? Contact our customer service, and we will be happy to help you.

HOW DOES INTERRAIL WORK? A FULL GUIDE TO TRAIN TRAVEL IN EUROPE

• TWO TYPE OF PASSES : GLOBAL PASS VS ONE COUNTRY PASS
• PASS LENGTH: FROM 3 DAYS TO 3 MONTHS!
• CONTINUOUS TRAVEL OR FLEXI TRAVEL?
• HOW TO FILL IN YOUR INTERRAIL PASS
• FARES&DISCOUNTS
• WHY SHOULD I BUY A 1ST CLASS PASS?
• RESERVATIONS
• NIGHT TRAINS
• WHERE&HOW TO BOOK: THE RAIL PLANNER APP
• NOT ONLY TRAINS: FERRIES AND BUSES
• FURTHER INTERRAIL PERKS

USEFUL LINKS

1. TWO TYPE OF PASSES: GLOBAL PASS VS ONE COUNTRY PASS

Although this may seem so, it is not such an obvious choice. Most travellers would want to make the most out of their pass and travel to multiple countries. However the One Country Pass is the best option if you are planning to visit one of the big European nations like France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Sweden or Norway, which you can explore easily for weeks. Furthermore, getting two One Country Passes will be cheaper than buying a Global Pass when visiting two countries only. From three destinations upwards, the Global Pass will be the cheapest option. With a Global Pass you can reach all of the 30 other nations included in the program. Remember that travel in your own country with the pass is forbidden, except for your outbound and inbound journey.

Visualizza questo post su Instagram Our Interrail trip has come to an end 🚂 . Some numbers of our trip: -8,000 kilometres across Europe 🛤 -15 countries 🇪🇺 -47 days 🕒 -38 train travels 🚄 -26 cities touched 🏙 -4 currencies used 💶 -11 different languages 🔤 -thousands of photos taken 📸 -endless unforgettable memories ♾️ . This experience with @interraileu has enriched us in so many ways, and now it’s the best moment for YOU to ask all you want to know about our Eurotrip with Interrail! ➡️ Planning, distances, costs, favourite places… Shout it all out! 📣 . We took this photo in #Madrid Atocha train station, one of our favourites overall visited during this trip together with Antwerp Central, Budapest Keleti, Porto Sao Bento and Paris Gare du Lyon. 🏢 . ❓What now? Our Interrail trip may be over but our MILLION TRAVELS surely are not! Check our stories to see where we are these days.👆 . . 🇮🇹 Il nostro viaggio in Interrail è giunto al termine 🚂 . Alcuni numeri del nostro viaggio: -8,000 chilometri attraverso l’Europa 🛤 -15 paesi 🇪🇺 -47 giorni 🕒 -38 viaggi in treno 🚄 -26 città toccate 🏙 -4 valute usate 💶 -11 diverse lingue 🔤 -migliaia di fotografie scattate 📸 -infiniti ricordi indimenticabili ♾️ . Questa esperienza con @interraileu ci ha arricchito in così tanti modi, ed ora è il momento migliore per VOI per chiederci tutto ciò che volete sapere riguardo al nostro viaggio in Europa con Interrail. ➡️La pianificazione, le distanze, i costi, i posti preferiti… Sparate! 📣 . Abbiamo scattato questa foto nella stazione di Madrid Atocha, una delle nostre preferite insieme a Anversa Centrale, Budapest Keleti, Porto Sao Bento e Parigi Gare du Lyon. 🏢 . E adesso? Il nostro Interrail sarà anche finito ma i nostri Million Travels sicuramente non lo sono! Guardate le nostre stories per vedere dove siamo ora!👆 . . _____________ #amilliontravels #interrail #interraileu #interrailpass #interrailing #createyourownstory #traintrip #traintravel #europetrip #europe #europebound #travelblog #travelstory #travelgram #tlpicks #iamtb #travelstoke #instapassport #instatravel #doveviaggi #siviaggia #inviaggio #viaggiointreno #couplegoals #creativetravelcouples #travelcouplesinspiration Un post condiviso da Ambra&Edo│Travel Couple 🇮🇹 (@amilliontravels) in data: 18 Nov 2019 alle ore 9:21 PST

2. INTERRAIL PASS LENGTH: FROM 3 DAYS TO 3 MONTHS!

Depending on your plans, there are different passes available:

• 3 days within one month
• 5 days within one month
• 7 days within one month
• 10 days within two months
• 15 days within two months
• 15 consecutive days
• 22 consecutive days
• 1 consecutive month
• 2 consecutive months
• 3 consecutive months

These are pretty much self explanatory, but we do need to explain the difference between Continuous or Flexi options, see next paragraph below.

3. CONTINUOUS TRAVEL OR FLEXI TRAVEL?

The longest options are labelled Continuous Travel. Days go by as normal calendar days, whether you use trains or not. With one of these solutions you can travel as many days as you like during the period of validity of your pass. This allows you to travel on continuous days and move frequently from place to place. Of course these options are more expensive since you could theoretically take trains everyday for 30 days in a row with a 1 month pass. The shortest options call for Flexible Travel. You use your days only when you actually use trains. Flexi travel is ideal if you are in fact flexible, meaning you plan to stop for more days in one place and you don’t necessarily need to take trains every day. Only days when you actually take a train are counted as days of travel. Thus, if in a day you take no trains you don’t use your days of travel left. For example, with a 7 days within one month Flexi Pass, you can visit 7 destinations and stay in average 4-5 days in each place, that’s great value for money! In any case, you can take unlimited trains on a day of travel.

4. HOW TO FILL IN YOUR INTERRAIL PASS

Your Interrail Pass consists of two sections: the actual ticket on the top, plus the travel calendar on the bottom. Validating your ticket is not required. If you have a Flexi Pass, it is compulsory to fill in the upper part of your ticket by pen before or as soon as you get on board. You need to write down the day and month of travel in the appropriate boxes. The ticket inspector will take care of the validation of your ticket. A Continuous Pass does not require this task, having unlimited days of travel. For both versions, you then have to fill in the underlying travel calendar with departure and arrival destinations for each train you’ll board, to show to the inspector. This will allow you to keep your itinerary handy. Besides, by sending for free your own pass to the Interrail headquarters in The Netherlands, who will analyze the most covered routes by users, you’ll receive a gift in exchange.

5. FARES&DISCOUNTS

6. WHY SHOULD I BUY A 1ST CLASS PASS?

There are several perks of having a 1st class pass. The most obvious: the comfort of larger seats and more leg room. The most convenient: 2nd class seats are always the first to sell out, and it could get as worse as be standing on some busy routes, especially in Summer. 1st class carriages are usually less crowded and when seats need to be reserved, they are guaranteed. Whilst Wi-Fi is either available for the whole train or for nobody, complimentary refreshments are usually provided in 1st class carriages only. Power supply is almost guaranteed in 1st class, not always in 2nd. Keep this in mind if you like to have you devices charged and running all the time. Lastly, 1st class Lounge Access is accessible in the biggest European train stations. This might be useful if you have time to kill before boarding your train.

7. RESERVATIONS

With an Interrail Pass you can simply hop on and off most trains. However, for some particular services like high speed and night trains you need a reservation to secure your seat/bed on board. Reservations are not included in your pass, but can be purchased for a small fee. In details these are the average reservation fees: -high speed trains: 6€ -international trains: 15€ -night trains: 20€ Planning in advance is always a good idea . Reservations can also be done prior to your trip and tickets delivered to your door if you want so. But personally we don’t mind some genuine improvisation , in the end we’re talking about an adventurous journey ! As for all things there are pro’s and con’s and you will have to use your sense of judge depending on the season you will be travelling in . As we were travelling in October/November, we would usually arrive in one city and ask info at the train station on day 1, and end up buying our reservation on day 2 or day 3, or even simply hopping on a train with no reservation when we were sure it was not sold out! For example, we headed to the counter in Dresden, Germany , 1 hour in advance and were told that a reservation was not necessary as the train wasn’t busy that afternoon.

8. NIGHT TRAINS

Night trains deserve their own paragraph. Despite being labelled as an antiquated way of travelling, they remain fascinating other than a great way to save time. Travelling by night takes you long distances while you sleep, saves you money on accommodation and makes you live a unique experience. For example you can visit 2 cities in 2 full days and move between them by night while you sleep. Also, if you have a Flexi Pass and take a sleeper train arriving at your destination in the morning of the following day, only 1 day of travel will be required and not 2. The system works so that travelling by sleeper train between two days doesn’t use an extra day of travel of your pass. So you can travel for more kilometres&time for the value of 1 day! We arrived in Bratislava from Budapest at 1pm and had over 8 hours to visit the capital of Slovakia. At 10pm, we hopped on our night train from Bratislava to Krakow and reached Poland by 7am. After a good night of sleep we enjoyed the quiet and not busy at all morning to visit the best sights of Krakow peacefully. Overall, by travelling from Budapest to Krakow with two different trains between 1pm and 7am the day after, we only used 1 day of travel of our Interrail Pass.

9. WHERE&HOW TO BOOK: THE RAIL PLANNER APP

There are few different ways to book your reservations. – the good old way: in person at the counter at any train station, showing your Interrail Pass details; – the other good old way: by phone. You can find the list of various call centers here ; -the modern way: online. Booking online is possible, unfortunately since Interrail scheme includes dozens of different Railway companies, both national and private, there is not a unique reservation system. This means that: -some trains are bookable with the Rail Planner App, a great intuitive app that shows the best routes, with timetables available offline too; -other trains are bookable on each country’s website . Each national railway website usually has a section for Interrail users; -some other (few) trains require booking in advance and on request , providing for sending the physical ticket to your preferred address (home, hotel, hostel, etc.). But this takes us back to the previous point where we talked about improvising and self problem solving at the train station. OUR TIP : unless you have a super tight schedule where you need each single trip booked in advance, get the info you need for your next train trip from time to time . After all, you’ll reach every new city via a train station, so a quick stop at the counter will solve your questions in a matter of few minutes.

10. NOT ONLY TRAINS: FERRIES AND BUSES

Last but not least, Interrail can take you to every corner of the 31 countries participating in the scheme. This includes places where rails can’t reach, i.e. islands and unwelcoming landscapes, which you can get to by ferry or by bus . Above all, we mention the beautiful Greek islands. As many as 53 islands are connected by ferry via The Interrail Greek Island Pass . Other panoramic transfers with discounted fares thanks to your Interrail Pass include sea routes between Baltic and Scandinavian countries (Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Sweden, Norway), towards Great Britain and Ireland, and to the Balearic Islands.

11. FURTHER INTERRAIL PERKS

The perks don’t end here, there are further reasons why Interrail is a perfect tool for travelling Europe , both economical and practical. With an Interrail Pass you can get discounts for city’s attractions, hotels, hostels, museums, city tours, bike rental, guides and many more services. It goes without saying that train travelling helps reducing CO2 emissions and is the most eco-sustainable mean of transport . Trains are always spacious and allow you to travel comfortably , doing any activity from reading, sleeping, using your devices, writing. Compared to plane travel, you won’t have to waste time on airport security . There are no restrictions on luggage, and when you reach your destinations you are actually in the city centre, not in a 30-40km away airport! And of course you can always look out the window and take in the various scenery of countryside, seaside and the mountain views Europe has to offer. Lastly, the value of human experiences you’ll do during your trip is something you can’t put a price tag on : getting to know other cultures, learning history, making new friends, creating unforgettable memories, and appreciating that feeling of European Union.

We hope we helped you clearing your mind about Interrail and wish you an epic trip discovering Europe!

WHERE TO BUY YOUR INTERRAIL PASS?

Head to the  Interrail website and choose the option that better suits your needs. Use Eurail for non-EU residents.

WHERE TO SLEEP DURING THE INTERRAIL?

• Hostels are often linked with a low-cost Eurotrip. They’re definitely ideal for those who travel solo and to know other travelers. Search for hostels in your destinations here .
• For couple, sometimes a double room is cheaper than two beds in a dorm, keep 2 or 3-star hotels in consideration in order to have more privacy. Cheap hotels for couples here.
• A great option for groups of at least 3-4 people are private apartments you can find on AirBnb, ideal to cook your own food to and save money on meals.

Useful websites and links to browse during your Interrail trip:

• Eurail.com (for non EU residents)
• DB German National Railways
• SNCF French National Railways
• RENFE Spanish National Railways
• Interrail Railway Map
• Download the Rail Planner App for Apple devices
• Download the Rail Planner App for Android devices

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Never leave home without a reliable travel insurance. Even if you trust yourself, you can’t always trust others. Better safe than sorry! Get your quote here.

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• Get ready to travel
• Eurail & Interrail Passes

How does travel days work and do I need an adult or youth pass?

• 1 year ago 7 July 2022

• Frankie Reyes

Just making sure I am understanding the Europass correctly since I am unavailable to speak with an actual Eurorail agent. I am going to Europe in October for a little bit over 2 weeks and wanted to visit 4 major countries including Spain, France, Italy, and Germany. My concern is that traveling between some of these countries the trip would take about anywhere from 10-15 hours, I wanted to make sure that for every time i do travel on train per one destination it would only be accounted for one day. However if a certain trip went past midnight would that count as another day? on top of that I am 27 now however will be turning 28 end of this month should i get the youth or adult pass?

Best answer by rvdborgt 7 July 2022, 00:45

• 9810 replies

On a travel day , you can use as many trains as you like. For night trains, as long as you don’t change after midnight, you don't need a new travel day.

As to your age: what counts is your age on the first day of validity. If you turn 28 this month and travel in October, you will need an adult pass.

• Full steam ahead
• 3896 replies

In the past EUrail had in fact 1000s of very small scale ´agents´-most were slightly smarter students who had been in EUR and learnt the ropes-they would make some money in commissions by re-selling passes-and taking all these USA-style  worries away. That is no more-also the era of all paper passes (noted for considerable fraud) has gone-as has last century too in 2000.

In the past there were also-who would ever have thought of that-even students- BOOKs, explaining it all. A certain Rick Steves was famous for that. Maybe the library still stocks a few.

So its all do-it-yourself now, no USA style ever present agents on the phone. Fetch for yourself-also when things do not go very rosy.

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Interrail Planner

Blog posts to help you plan the perfect Interrail trip.

What is the night train rule for Interrail? (formerly known as the 7pm rule)

Updated: February 2020

In 2019, Interrail announced simpler rules for night trains. The “7pm rule” is no longer in use, so please disregard anything you have read or heard about that. This blog post is kept up-to-date & covers the Interrail night train rules as of 2020.  At the end, there is a quiz so that you can make sure you understand the rules!

Night train rule summary

Here are the key things you need to know about taking a night train with your Interrail pass.

• Travelling on a night train only requires the use of one travel day.
• The travel day used is for the date the night train departs (i.e. if the night train departs on Day 1 & arrives on Day 2, the travel day used is for Day 1)
• If you travel on other trains on Day 1 , this uses the same travel day
• If you travel on other trains on Day 2 , this uses a second travel day
• If you get a night train but then change trains any time after midnight, this counts as travelling on Day 2, so requires the use of a second travel day
• Both Day 1 & Day 2 need to be within the period your Interrail pass is valid for, i.e. if your pass expires on Day 1 of the night train & is no longer valid on Day 2, your pass is not valid for that night train

A night train is defined as any train journey that departs on one date, and arrives on the next, i.e. the journey takes you past midnight. This could range from a long overnight journey across Europe in a sleeper cabin, to a short late-night train back to your hostel departing before midnight but arriving just after midnight.

The night train rules are important if you have a pass that only includes a limited number of travel days, such as the ‘7 days within 1 month’ pass. Understanding the night train rules can help you to maximise the use of your valuable travel days & get the most out of your Interrail trip.

If you have a pass where every day is a travel day (such as the ’22 days’ pass), the rules do not matter as much – you just need to make sure your pass is valid for both Day 1 and Day 2 when getting a night train.

Night train rule examples

Here are some examples to demonstrate how different combinations of trains use different amounts of travel days, as per the rules above:

Night train rule FAQ

What if I need to change trains as part of my overnight journey?

If you have to change train after midnight, this will use 2 travel days. For example, if you get one train on 1st July from 20:00 to 00:30 and another train on 2nd July from 1:00 to 8:00, this will use a travel day for 1st July and a travel day for 2nd July.

If you change trains before midnight, you only need to use 1 travel day. For example, if you get one train on 1st July from 20:00 to 23:00 and another train from 23:30 to 8:00 this will use a travel day for 1st July only.

What if I need to get another train before taking a night train?

This is perfectly fine. Any trains you get on the day your night train departs are covered by the same travel day as the night train. See example #2 in the table above.

What if I need to get another train after taking a night train?

This will require the use of a second travel day. See example #3 in the table above.

Can I get a night train on the last day of my Interrail pass?

No, your Interrail pass is not valid for night trains that depart on the last date your pass is valid. Your pass must be valid for both the day the night train departs & the day it arrives.

What is the “7pm rule”?

The “7pm rule” is the old night train rule, from before 2019 – it is no longer in use, so can be ignored. The rules outlined above are the ones currently in use – those are the ones you should pay attention to.

Night train reservations

Make sure you make a reservation for your night train. While they’re not always that busy, you need to book in advance. This is to ensure you get the comfort you want, as there are generally three options: seats, couchettes, and sleepers. Take a look at our guides to night trains or Interrail seat reservations for more info.

How Interrail Planner helps with night trains

Using our free Interail planning tool, you can create a trip itinerary complete with night trains. If you upgrade to our Premium account , you gain access to the pass tracking feature, which automatically calculates the travel days your itinerary uses – this feature takes the night train rule into account & covers all the different scenarios outlined in this blog post.

Now, test your knowledge with our quiz about night train rules!

21 Interrail Tips for First-Timers: Interrailing Europe (2023)

Some links in this post contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission if you use the links at no extra cost to you! Happy reading 😀

Looking for some insider interrail tips? You’re in the right place! This post details some of the best interrail tips for first time travellers using the pass.

If you’ve decided to interrail Europe this summer , you’ve made an amazing decision! Before I interrailed across Europe in 2015, I had no idea what to expect. And during my month-long interrailing trip, I learnt a thing or two about what I should have done (and what I shouldn’t). 

Since then, I have travelled Europe on countless occasions, picking up extra interrail tips and advice on every trip. Below I have listed my top interrailing tips, for anyone just starting or travelling around Europe this summer. 

As always, if you have anything to add or any questions, let me know over on Instagram or pop your comment in the box at the end of this post!

🚝 Need to buy your interrailing pass ? I recommend checking this website for the best discounts and deals!

Interrailing Europe? Check out my other Europe posts!

• What To Pack Interrailing Europe: Packing List Essentials
• Backpacking Europe: A Beginners Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Interrail on a Budget: Interrail Europe CHEAP!

Want to see epic photos and videos from these experiences?

Follow me on Instagram! As we travel, I post everything live on Instagram, so check out my recent highlights and posts. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, drop me a DM!

What is an Interrail Pass?

Interrailing is a great way to see Europe on a budget . Interrail passes are available for people of all ages, and they allow you to travel on any day of the week. You can also travel on multiple trains per day, making it easy to explore different countries and cities all in one single trip.

Interrail passes are valid for a certain number of days, so you can tailor your trip to your own needs. Plus, if you’re under 27 years old or under, you can get a special Youth Interrail pass that’s even cheaper!

Global passes for interrailing are the best way to see Europe – and they’re not as complicated or expensive as you might think. With a global pass , you can hop on a train and explore up to 33 different countries in Europe. There are different types of global passes to choose from, so you can tailor your trip to exactly what you want.

Whether you’re looking to backpack Europe for a week or a month, interrailing is a great option. Just be sure to check the rules and regulations before you go so that you can make the most of your trip.

Not sure whether the interrailing pass is worth it? Check out my detailed guide on interrailing passes here.

Interrail Tips: Before You Leave

🎫 Explore a city’s attractions and save up to 50% with GoCity passes .

1) Decide on the duration of your interrailing trip in advance

Seems simple, but deciding on the duration of your backpacking trip will help you to plan your European adventure with ease. This will also give you an idea of how much you need to budget, what to pack and how many countries you can squeeze in (but more on that later). 

How long do you want to interrail for? If you’re travelling from a further distance (for example the USA) you’re going to want to have enough time to enjoy it.  When I interrailed the first time, I spent just over 4 weeks travelling to four different countries , travelling from the UK.

Decide on your duration, and then everything else will flow from there. 

Need to book train tickets to travel around Europe? If you’re NOT buying an interrailing pass, I recommend this company for the cheapest tickets. ➡ You can check out their availability and timetables here.

Want to start your digital nomad life?

Check out my ebook page (click here!) to see if there’s a guide that suits you. I’m here to help you leave the 9-5 and work remotely around the world! 💻 🌎

2) Check out local events before you begin interrailing Europe

Whether you want to attend local festivals or events or avoid them, it’s a good thing to check them out online beforehand. For example, if you’re interrailing through Spain and want to catch the Barcelona Beach Festival in July, or Hideout in Croatia, you can plan that into your trip!

Check dates and book tickets for events and festivals like this early.  This also helps to save money, as most European festivals sell tickets on a tier system. The earlier you book, the less you’ll pay!

3) Decide on a budget and start saving early

Interrailing Europe is not cheap, but it can be done on a backpacker’s budget if you’re smart about it.

Budget at least £80-100 ($100-150) per day to interrail/eurail Europe . This includes staying in hostels , cooking your own meals and pre-drinking in your hotel common room rather than the local cocktail bar! 

If you want to stay in Airbnbs and dine in restaurants for dinner, you’ll need to budget a whole lot more than that!

But I have you covered – just read my full detailed post on how to interrail on a budget first!

4) Decide on an interrail pass and purchase it beforehand 

Interrailing is an all-in-one pass that will allow you to enter 33 countries, but there are different types of passes to choose from. When you go to buy your pass, you will see there are different options to choose from, and you need to decide which one is best for you. 

NOTE: Each pass is counted in ‘days’. Each day will more than likely be 1 journey. So if your pass covers 5 days in one month, that essentially means 5 train journeys (5 countries) in one month. However, you can board multiple trains on the same day if you need to. 

There is also a one-country pass , which is only valid in one country. This means you can travel one specific country slower and deeper, really immersing yourself in the culture. 

Check out my post: Is the Interrail Pass Worth it? An Honest Review for more information about the passes.

5) Book at least your first hostel in advance

One of my best interrail tips is to at least book your first hostel in advance .  During the summer months, hostels in Europe will be fully booked. It will be tough finding a good hostel last minute.

Use Hostelworld to pre-book any hostels . They have excellent cancellation policies and you can usually get your money back right up until 24 hours before staying , so if you have any last-minute changes, you have that flexibility.

Whilst I can’t list every single hostel in Europe, these are some of the best, well-known hostels to stay in whilst interrailing. Simply click the link to check prices and availability!

• 🇫🇷  Paris:  Generator Paris  or  The People
• 🇭🇺  Budapest:   Maverick City Lodge
• 🇳🇱  Amsterdam:  Ecomama
• 🇩🇪  Berlin:  The Circus Hostel
• 🇵🇹  Lisbon:   Home Lisbon
• 🇦🇹  Vienna:   Hostel Ruthensteiner
• 🇪🇸  Madrid:  Sungate One
• 🇮🇪  Dublin:   Gardiner House

6) Book your seats for fast trains in advance

If you’re interrailing during peak times (i.e summer or Christmas), seat reservations fill up fast.  You must pre-book any night trains in advance!

The interrailing app makes this easy. It even allows you to see the different seat prices, as well as whether it’s direct or not.

7) Remember your interrailing pass cannot be used in your own country

One of the main interrailing rules is that your pass cannot be used in your own country of residence. So if you need to begin your journey in London, Paris or Amsterdam, make sure you plan and budget for your journey to your starting location. 

Booking hostels?

Choosing the right hostel as a backpacker is crucial to how successful your trip will be. Always use Hostelworld.com for the cheapest rates, widest availability and most importantly – honest reviews from other travellers! Click here to view the best hostels for your trip.

8) Download the interrail “Rail Planner” app

Luckily, there’s a way to keep everything in one place and well-organised. Download the Rail Planner app before you go, and you’ll be able to make seat reservations, change plans, find out which trains need a reservation and check out which trains you can use your pass on.

9) Take emergency cash

The majority of countries on your interrailing trip will use Euros. Whilst I’m a big fan of using Monzo whilst travelling, it’s always good to have emergency cash on you.

It’s also important to know that some countries do not use Euros. For example, Sweden uses SEK, Norway uses NOK and Turkey uses the Turkish Lira. It’s not hugely important to worry about, but just something to bear in mind. 

10) Know what to pack and be prepared

Europe is expensive! Forgetting something in your luggage is the last thing you need. Use my Interrailing Packing List to help pack your bag before you leave.

My biggest tip is to pack light. Lugging around big backpacks on long journeys and train stations is not ideal!

11) Be open to night/sleeper trains

I know this may sound daunting, but sleeper trains in Europe aren’t that bad. I prefer overnight trains, as you can save money on accommodation and won’t miss any days of exploring.

Only use night trains for longer journeys. If you use them for a 2-3 hour trip, you could end up arriving in a new city at 3/4am, and if you’re a solo traveller this isn’t ideal (although still manageable!). Don’t forget to pre-book your sleeper/night trains in advance. 

12) Make a rough itinerary and route plan

One of my best interrail tips is to make a rough itinerary or route for your interrail trip. This means you won’t miss out on anything you want to see. 

Decide on the countries, cities and areas you most definitely want to visit, and start from there. You can then look at each train journey. Look at a map of Europe. Use common sense and think – is it going to work travelling France one day, then Turkey the next?

You may want to plan your route to visit neighbouring countries to make it easier for yourself or plan less so you can soak in the culture. Get some paper and a pen, or open a new Google Doc, and get planning. And book your flights to your starting destination early. They’ll be cheaper!

Interrail Tips: During your European trip

13) be open to things going wrong .

And this isn’t just for interrailing! Things ARE going to go wrong . And that’s ok!

If you do change your plan or schedule, don’t panic. Reassess and re-evaluate what you can do next. Your interrail train journeys can be cancelled and altered easily. They can be changed at the click of a button, so don’t worry too much if you’ve changed your mind or want to alter your route. 

14) Make friends in hostels and free walking tours

If you’re solo travelling, or even travelling in a couple or with a friend, you might want to meet people along the way. Even when Tom and I travel together, one of our favourite things to do is meet like-minded travellers!

Staying in hostels is one of the best ways to make friends, or attend a free walking tour!

15) Stick to your daily budget as much as possible

Don’t spend all of your cash before the end of your trip, or you’re going to need to pick up work along the way. And picking up work in Europe isn’t easy (plus illegal on a tourist visa). Although if you need a quick online paying job, check out my ebook for making money online!

Hostels in Europe are usually around £15-30 a night, even in a shared dorm. If you want an Airbnb, you’re looking more at £80-100 a night. Make sure you’ve budgeted for this before you spend all of your money and run out.

For activities, food (fast or home-cooked), drink, socialising and everything in between, budget at least £30-50 a day.  Of course, you can have cheaper days, but it’s better to be on the safe side.

16) Don’t be afraid to be spontaneous

One of the best things about the interrail pass is the flexibility! The passes are designed to be used as ‘hop on, hop off’ tickets, so your trip can change as much as you desire. And trust me, spontaneity is what makes a good travel story!

17) Use Google’s ‘My Maps’ for offline directions

This is a great tool when you’re solo travelling and need to make sure you don’t get lost! My Maps has a function to download directions and maps that can be used with little or no signal. It’s also great to bookmark or ‘favourite’ what you want to do in each individual location.

18) Make sure your phone is unlocked

With the EU rules ever-changing, sometimes it can be easier and cheaper to just pick up new SIM cards in different countries. Most places in Europe do have Wifi, but if you need your data for work or something specific, SIM cards are easily available in shops all over Europe. 

Some UK networks are still available to use across Europe (as far as I know, O2 doesn’t charge any extra for travelling Europe), but some networks such as EE have added data roaming charges.

Alternatively, check out eSIMS in the country you’re visiting. I recently bought an eSIM in Mexico, and it was a lot easier than swapping physical SIM cards.

If you’d prefer to use eSIMs (like myself), I recommend pre-buying with this company. They have easy, downloadable eSIMs for countries all over the world. You can  check prices and availability here.

19) Use Google Translate for conversations and written text

One feature of the Google Translate app that I use almost everywhere is the written text translator. Simply hold it up to any foreign language (street signs, menus, shop windows), and it will instantly translate it for you!

20) Apply for a Worldpackers experience if you’re running out of money

If you’re flexible with time, I’d recommend checking out the opportunities on the Worldpackers volunteering platform. Here you can browse opportunities to swap volunteering work for accommodation. It’s perfect if you’re running out of money!

If you haven’t signed up to Worldpackers yet, you can get $10 off using my code JENNIEWANDERS.

21) Take snacks for your train journeys! 

It may be simple, but snacks always make a train journey more exciting.

Interrail tips: FAQs

1) how long should i interrail for.

This is down to you and how many countries you’d like to visit, how long you have off of work, and what you want to do on your interrail trip.  A standard interrail trip is 3-5 weeks, but you can purchase tickets to last up to 3 months. 

Work out where you want to go, what you want to do, and your budget. You’ll then be able to decide your duration easily. 

2) How much should I budget for interrailing?

Budget at least 70-90 Euros per day for interrailing. This includes accommodation, transport, food, drink, activities, socialising, and everything in between. However, this is for if you’re staying in shared dorms and hostels.  

If you are staying in Airbnbs or hotels, you will need to budget at least £150 a day. 

Interrailing CAN be done on a budget, but you just need to be smart. Read my detailed interrailing on a budget post here.

3) Can you sleep on the interrail trains?

Yes. There are designated sleeper trains or night trains for specific interrail journeys. These can all be viewed and booked on the interrailing app. You will need to prebook your sleeper train or night train seat reservation in advance. This will also help you to save money.

4) What time of year should you interrail Europe?

Ultimately, interrailing Europe at any time of year is going to be expensive. But if you’re sensible and travel during off-peak times, you may be able to save some money.

☀️ Avoid peak summer time (June – August) in Europe,  because this is when European schools break up, and locals will want to take their summer holidays. Big tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower or Oxford Street are 10 times busier, so you can expect to share your interrailing trip with hundreds of other people.

🍁  Travelling during spring or autumn (March-May/September – November) are a great   time to backpack and interrail Europe . They’re quieter and children in Europe are in school.

❄️  Winter can be pricier in Europe, as most places will get snow.  London at Christmas is one of the most magical times of year, but wow, it’s expensive!

5) Is interrailing Europe safe?

Yes, interrailing is safe. But like anywhere in the world, you have to be vigilant and use common sense. But on a whole, Europe is a safe place to travel for both solo travellers and solo female backpacker.

6) Do I need a SIM card to interrail Europe? 

Yes, it’s worth downloading an eSIM on your phone to ensure you can use it for directions and avoid roaming charges as soon as you arrive. 

ESIMs are easy to download and ready to use within a few minutes of purchasing! Plus, there are eSIMs available for the entire continent of Europe, so there’s no longer a need to hunt down free Wifi! ➡ You can check out the prices and packages for eSIMs here!

7) What tours should I do whilst interrailing Europe? 

Looking to book a tour whilst interrailing Europe? Tours are one of the best ways to see the hidden gems of the country you are visiting. If you’re travelling during peak season, I highly recommend pre-booking your tours to ensure you don’t miss out!

When travelling, we use this company to book our tours . Tours include skip-the-line tickets to the world’s most iconic attractions, walking tours by top local experts, immersive food and beverage tours, cooking and craft classes, bucket list experiences, and niche offerings you won’t find anywhere else! 

➡ You can check out available tours in Europe with prices here!

8) Do I need a car to interrail Europe?

The whole point of interrailing is to travel Europe by train, so it’s unlikely you will need to hire a car. However, if you head to the Italian countryside, or want to take a day trip, you may want to hire a car ; especially if a group of you have got together in a hostel and want to travel together.  

If you’re looking to hire a car in Europe, we rent our cars from this company . They’re reliable, cheap and have car rentals all over the world!  ➡ You can check out the prices for car hire in Europe now!

Interrail Tips For First-Timers: In a Nutshell

So, there we have it. My best interrail tips, all in one place for you to refer to! Are you planning an interrailing trip for this summer? I’d love to hear about it! Let me know on Instagram or in the comments below, and let’s chat!

Got a question about interrailing? My DMs are always open. I hope you have the most wonderful trip, and hope this interrail tips post has been helpful!

Happy travelling!

Other interrailing posts:

• Going Interrailing Alone: Interrailing Solo Tips
• Best Backpack For Interrailing: Ultimate Europe Backpack Guide

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MEET THE AUTHOR!

Hi! I'm Jennie! As a part-time travel blogger based in London, I'm using my 10+ years of travel expertise to encourage & inspire you to step out of your comfort zone through sustainable, mindful and purposeful travel.

If I'm not writing, I'm either reading, drinking coffee or taking a wild swim (all at the same time if I'm feeling impressive).

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• Fact Sheets

Fact Sheet: Presidential Proclamation to Suspend and Limit Entry and Joint DHS-DOJ Interim Final Rule to Restrict Asylum During High Encounters at the Southern Border

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration took decisive new action to strengthen border security, announcing a series of measures that restrict asylum eligibility, and significantly increase the consequences for those who enter without authorization across the southern border. These extraordinary steps, which will be in effect during times when high levels of encounters exceed our ability to deliver timely consequences, will make noncitizens who enter across the southern border ineligible for asylum with certain exceptions, raise the standard that is used to screen for certain protection claims, and speed up our ability to quickly remove those who do not qualify for protection.

These actions follow a series of steps that the Administration has taken over the past three years as it prepared for the end of the Title 42 public health Order, and since it was lifted last year, including surging personnel, infrastructure, and technology to the border, issuing the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways Rule, and referring record numbers of noncitizens into expedited removal. Over the past year, we have removed or returned more than three quarters of a million people, more than in any fiscal year since 2010. Despite these efforts, our outdated and broken immigration and asylum system, coupled with a lack of sufficient funding, make it impossible to quickly impose consequences on all noncitizens who cross irregularly and without a legal basis to remain in the United States.

The Administration has repeatedly called on Congress to provide the resources and legal authorities needed to secure our border. The measures announced today will better enable the Department to quickly remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States, strengthening enforcement and change the calculus for those considering crossing our border irregularly. However, they are no substitute for Congressional action. We continue to call on Congress to provide the new tools and resources we have asked for to support the men and women on the frontlines.

President Biden issued a Presidential Proclamation to temporarily suspend the entry of noncitizens across the southern border. The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General also jointly issued an interim final rule that, consistent with the Proclamation, generally restricts asylum eligibility for those who irregularly enter across the southern border – including the Southwest land and the southern coastal borders. The rule also limits fear screenings to those who manifest a fear or express a desire to file for protection and heightens the screening standard for statutory withholding and claims under the Convention Against Torture. Taken together, these measures will significantly increase the speed and scope of consequences for those who cross our borders irregularly or who attempt to present themselves at Ports of Entry without authorization, allowing the Departments to more quickly remove individuals who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States. The restriction on asylum eligibility will be discontinued when encounters fall below certain levels but will come back into effect if encounters rise again.

The rule makes three key changes to current processing under Title 8 immigration authorities during periods of high border encounters:

• First, noncitizens who cross the southern border unlawfully or without authorization will generally be ineligible for asylum, absent exceptionally compelling circumstances and unless they are excepted by the Proclamation.
• Second, noncitizens who cross the southern border and are processed for expedited removal while the limitation is in effect will only be referred for a credible fear screening with an Asylum Officer if they manifest or express a fear of return to their country or country of removal, a fear of persecution or torture, or an intention to apply for asylum.  
• Third, the U.S. will continue to adhere to its international obligations and commitments by screening individuals who manifest a fear as noted above and do not qualify for an exception to the Rule for withholding of removal and Convention Against Torture protections at a reasonable probability of persecution or torture standard – a new, substantially higher standard than is currently applied under the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways rule.  

Like the Proclamation, the rule provides for an end to these enhanced measures following a sustained reduction in southern border encounters. Specifically, these measures are in effect until 14 calendar days after there has been a 7-consecutive-calendar-day average of less than 1,500 encounters between the ports of entry. The measures would again go into effect, or continue, as appropriate, when there has been a 7-consecutive-calendar-day average of 2,500 encounters or more.

During periods of high encounters, the Proclamation will apply across the southern border. Lawful permanent residents, unaccompanied children, victims of a severe form of trafficking, and other noncitizens with a valid visa or other lawful permission to enter the United States are excepted from the Proclamation.

In addition, the suspension and limitation on entry and rule will not apply to noncitizens who use a Secretary-approved process—such as the CBP One mobile app—to enter the United States at a port of entry in a safe and orderly manner or pursue another lawful pathway.

Noncitizens who cross the southern border and who are not excepted from the Proclamation will be ineligible for asylum unless exceptionally compelling circumstances exist, including if the noncitizen demonstrates that they or a member of their family with whom they are traveling:

• faced an acute medical emergency;
• faced an imminent and extreme threat to life or safety, such as an imminent threat of rape, kidnapping, torture, or murder; or
• satisfied the definition of “victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons” currently provided in 8 CFR 214.11.

Consequences

Noncitizens who are subject to the rule’s limitation on asylum eligibility and who manifest or express a fear of return to their country or country of removal, express a fear of persecution or torture or an intention to apply for asylum, but do not establish a reasonable probability of persecution or torture in the country of removal will be promptly removed.

Those ordered removed will be subject to at least a five-year bar to reentry and potential criminal prosecution.

The Proclamation and rule will significantly enhance the security of our border by increasing the Departments’ ability to impose swift consequences for individuals who cross the southern border irregularly and do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States.  Together, the Proclamation and rule make critical changes to how the Departments operate during times when encounters are at historically high levels—levels that, in the absence of these changes, undermine the government’s ability to process individuals through the expedited removal process. These changes will enable the Departments to quickly return those without a lawful basis to stay in the United States and thereby free up the asylum system for those with legitimate claims.

These extraordinary measures are a stop gap. Even with these measures in place, the Departments continue to lack the authorities and resources needed to adequately support the men and women on the frontlines. The Administration again calls on Congress to take up and pass the bipartisan reforms proposed in the Senate, which provide the new authorities, personnel, and resources that are needed to address the historic global migration that is impacting countries throughout the world, including our own. Until Congress does its part, we will continue to take any actions needed under current law and within existing resources to secure the border.

• Border Security
• Immigration
• Biden-Harris Administration
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
• Department of Justice (DOJ)

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FACT SHEET: President   Biden Announces New Actions to Secure the   Border

New actions will bar migrants who cross our Southern border unlawfully from receiving asylum Biden taking action as Congressional Republicans put partisan politics ahead of national security, twice voting against toughest reforms in decades

Since his first day in office, President Biden has called on Congress to secure our border and address our broken immigration system. Over the past three years, while Congress has failed to act, the President has acted to secure our border. His Administration has deployed the most agents and officers ever to address the situation at the Southern border, seized record levels of illicit fentanyl at our ports of entry, and brought together world leaders on a framework to deal with changing migration patterns that are impacting the entire Western Hemisphere.  Earlier this year, the President and his team reached a historic bipartisan agreement with Senate Democrats and Republicans to deliver the most consequential reforms of America’s immigration laws in decades. This agreement would have added critical border and immigration personnel, invested in technology to catch illegal fentanyl, delivered sweeping reforms to the asylum system, and provided emergency authority for the President to shut down the border when the system is overwhelmed. But Republicans in Congress chose to put partisan politics ahead of our national security, twice voting against the toughest and fairest set of reforms in decades. President Biden believes we must secure our border. That is why today, he announced executive actions to bar migrants who cross our Southern border unlawfully from receiving asylum. These actions will be in effect when high levels of encounters at the Southern Border exceed our ability to deliver timely consequences, as is the case today. They will make it easier for immigration officers to remove those without a lawful basis to remain and reduce the burden on our Border Patrol agents. But we must be clear: this cannot achieve the same results as Congressional action, and it does not provide the critical personnel and funding needed to further secure our Southern border. Congress still must act. The Biden-Harris Administration’s executive actions will:   Bar Migrants Who Cross the Southern Border Unlawfully From Receiving Asylum

• President Biden issued a proclamation under Immigration and Nationality Act sections 212(f) and 215(a) suspending entry of noncitizens who cross the Southern border into the United States unlawfully. This proclamation is accompanied by an interim final rule from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security that restricts asylum for those noncitizens.
• These actions will be in effect when the Southern border is overwhelmed, and they will make it easier for immigration officers to quickly remove individuals who do not have a legal basis to remain in the United States.
• These actions are not permanent. They will be discontinued when the number of migrants who cross the border between ports of entry is low enough for America’s system to safely and effectively manage border operations. These actions also include similar humanitarian exceptions to those included in the bipartisan border agreement announced in the Senate, including those for unaccompanied children and victims of trafficking.

Recent Actions to secure our border and address our broken immigration system: Strengthening the Asylum Screening Process

• The Department of Homeland Security published a proposed rule to ensure that migrants who pose a public safety or national security risk are removed as quickly in the process as possible rather than remaining in prolonged, costly detention prior to removal. This proposed rule will enhance security and deliver more timely consequences for those who do not have a legal basis to remain in the United States.

Announced new actions to more quickly resolve immigration cases

• The Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security launched a Recent Arrivals docket to more quickly resolve a portion of immigration cases for migrants who attempt to cross between ports of entry at the Southern border in violation of our immigration laws.
• Through this process, the Department of Justice will be able to hear these cases more quickly and the Department of Homeland Security will be able to more quickly remove individuals who do not have a legal basis to remain in the United States and grant protection to those with valid claims.
• The bipartisan border agreement would have created and supported an even more efficient framework for issuing final decisions to all asylum seekers. This new process to reform our overwhelmed immigration system can only be created and funded by Congress.

Revoked visas of CEOs and government officials who profit from migrants coming to the U.S. unlawfully

• The Department of State imposed visa restrictions on executives of several Colombian transportation companies who profit from smuggling migrants by sea. This action cracks down on companies that help facilitate unlawful entry into the United States, and sends a clear message that no one should profit from the exploitation of vulnerable migrants.
• The State Department also imposed visa restrictions on over 250 members of the Nicaraguan government, non-governmental actors, and their immediate family members for their roles in supporting the Ortega-Murillo regime, which is selling transit visas to migrants from within and beyond the Western Hemisphere who ultimately make their way to the Southern border.
• Previously, the State Department revoked visas of executives of charter airlines for similar actions.

Expanded Efforts to Dismantle Human Smuggling and Support Immigration Prosecutions

• The Departments of State and Justice launched an “Anti-Smuggling Rewards” initiative designed to dismantle the leadership of human smuggling organizations that bring migrants through Central America and across the Southern U.S. border. The initiative will offer financial rewards for information leading to the identification, location, arrest, or conviction of those most responsible for significant human smuggling activities in the region.
• The Department of Justice will seek new and increased penalties against human smugglers to properly account for the severity of their criminal conduct and the human misery that it causes.
• The Department of Justice is also partnering with the Department of Homeland Security to direct additional prosecutors and support staff to increase immigration-related prosecutions in crucial border U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Efforts include deploying additional DHS Special Assistant United States Attorneys to different U.S. Attorneys’ offices, assigning support staff to critical U.S. Attorneys’ offices, including DOJ Attorneys to serve details in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in several border districts, and partnering with federal agencies to identify additional resources to target these crimes.

Enhancing Immigration Enforcement

• The Department of Homeland Security has surged agents to the Southern border and is referring a record number of people into expedited removal.
• The Department of Homeland Security is operating more repatriation flights per week than ever before. Over the past year, DHS has removed or returned more than 750,000 people, more than in every fiscal year since 2010.
• Working closely with partners throughout the region, the Biden-Harris Administration is identifying and collaborating on enforcement efforts designed to stop irregular migration before migrants reach our Southern border, expand investment and integration opportunities in the region to support those who may otherwise seek to migrate, and increase lawful pathways for migrants as an alternative to irregular migration.

Seizing Fentanyl at our Border

• Border officials have seized more fentanyl at ports of entry in the last two years than the past five years combined, and the President has added 40 drug detection machines across points of entry to disrupt the fentanyl smuggling into the Homeland. The bipartisan border agreement would fund the installation of 100 additional cutting-edge inspection machines to help detect fentanyl at our Southern border ports of entry.
• In close partnership with the Government of Mexico, the Department of Justice has extradited Nestor Isidro Perez Salaz, known as “El Nini,” from Mexico to the United States to face prosecution for his role in illicit fentanyl trafficking and human rights abuses. This is one of many examples of joint efforts with Mexico to tackle the fentanyl and synthetic drug epidemic that is killing so many people in our countries and globally, and to hold the drug trafficking organizations to account.

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Q&A on Trump’s Criminal Conviction

By Robert Farley , D'Angelo Gore , Lori Robertson and Eugene Kiely

Posted on May 31, 2024

Este artículo estará disponible en español en El Tiempo Latino .

Donald Trump became the first U.S. president, current or former, to be convicted of a criminal offense when a 12-person jury in New York on May 30 found him guilty on 34 felony counts of business fraud as part of an illegal scheme to influence the 2016 election by making payments to suppress a sordid tale of sex with a porn star.

The unprecedented conviction raises questions about what’s next for the 77-year-old man who is in line to become the Republican Party’s nominee for president in 2024.

In remarks at Trump Tower a day after his conviction, Trump called the United States “ a corrupt country ” and declared that he would be “ appealing this scam .”

(Trump also repeated many of the false, misleading and unsupported claims he has made about the judge, the judge’s rulings, the district attorney and other issues related to the trial. For more about Trump’s talking points, see our May 30 article, “ Trump’s Repeated Claims on His New York Hush Money Trial .” He also repeated false and unsubstantiated claims on other issues, such as taxes and migrants .)

Here, we answer some of the questions raised by the former president’s conviction:

What are the next steps in the case? What punishment could Trump face? Will he go to prison? Can Trump vote in the 2024 election? Can a felon run for president, hold office? Can Trump pardon himself on this conviction, if he wins?

What are the next steps in the case?

Sentencing and an appeal are up next in this case.

Sentencing by Justice Juan Merchan is scheduled for July 11. Before that date, a probation officer or someone in that department will interview Trump, and potentially others involved in the case or connected to Trump, and prepare  a pre-sentence report  for the judge. The report includes the personal history and criminal record of the defendant, and it recommends what sentence the defendant should receive, according to the New York State Unified Court System.

“The pre-sentence interview is a chance for the defendant to try to make a good impression and explain why he or she deserves a lighter punishment,” the state court system explains.

Trump’s lawyers have to wait until after the sentencing to appeal the conviction. First, Trump’s lawyers will file motions before the judge “in a couple weeks” saying why they found the trial to be “unfair,” Trump’s defense attorney Todd Blanche  told CNN  hours after the guilty verdict.

Cheryl Bader , a clinical associate professor of law at Fordham University School of Law, said these motions are typical when a defendant is convicted. The defense attorneys will ask the judge to overturn the jury’s conviction. “It’s rarely, rarely granted, and I don’t think there’s a chance that will happen in this case,” she told us in a phone interview.

Blanche told CNN that if the motions aren’t successful, “then as soon as we can appeal, we will. And the process in New York is there’s a sentencing, and then — and then we appeal from there.”

Bader, a former assistant U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, walked us through the appeals process. “The case is considered completed at sentencing,” she said. “At that point, his lawyers file a notice of appeal … letting the court know that he intends to appeal.”

At that point, they will also request a “stay” on the sentence, meaning a pause on imposing the sentence while the case is being appealed.

This appeal goes to the  Appellate Division, First Judicial Department  in Manhattan. The appeals court doesn’t retry the case. “They’re not going to substitute their judgment on the facts for the jury’s judgment,” Bader explained. Instead, “they’re looking for where there was error that would have led to an improper prosecution or an unfair trial.”

The appeals process would take several months to a year, she said. After the notice of appeal is given, the record of the case is gathered, including trial transcripts, the indictment, pretrial motions, evidentiary rulings, jury selection and instructions, and more. Trump could also appeal the sentencing. The lawyers need to write their arguments for all of the issues they’re objecting to, and that takes time, Bader said.

And then the appeals court needs to consider the case and write a decision on it.

If Trump ultimately isn’t successful at the appellate level, he can appeal to the highest court in New York state, which is called the  Court of Appeals . But the court decides whether or not it takes the case.

After such an appeal to the highest state court, the case would be over — unless Trump tries to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. But there has to be a U.S. constitutional issue for that. “I don’t see one,” Bader said, but perhaps Trump’s lawyers would try to make an argument.

What punishment could Trump face? Will he go to prison?

Whether Trump is sentenced to any time in prison is up to the judge.

Each of the 34 counts of  falsifying business records in the first degree , a class E felony, carries a maximum sentence of up to  four years in prison . The judge could decide to impose the sentences consecutively or simultaneously. However, under New York law,  20 years  is the maximum prison time that Trump could get — not 187 years, as Trump  falsely claimed  in his May 31 remarks.

Norman Eisen , a CNN legal analyst and a senior fellow in governance studies for the Brookings Institution, said that “in the most serious” cases of business records falsification in New York that he studied, “a sentence of imprisonment was routinely imposed.” Trump’s case “is the most serious one in NY history,”  he wrote  on X, predicting that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin “Bragg will likely ask for incarceration & Merchan will consider it.”

While possible, Bader, with Fordham’s School of Law, told us she doesn’t think incarceration will happen.

For a first-time convicted felon, with a low-level, nonviolent felony and a person of advanced age, “under any circumstance like that, there’d be a relatively low chance of incarceration,” she said.

“On the other hand, I could see the prosecutor arguing that here’s a man who has shown disrespect for the court system and the rule of law and has violated the court’s orders on numerous occasions. He is not remorseful. And that in order to promote general deterrence, he needs to be punished,” she said in describing a possible argument from the prosecutor.

Bader said any incarceration sentence “would be only a token amount of time to make the point that Trump is not above the law.” Other sentencing possibilities include probation or a “conditional discharge” with conditions other than incarceration or probation.

The “simplest” option might be for the judge to fine Trump, she said.

Can Trump vote in the 2024 election?

Yes, Trump can vote as long as he is not in jail on Election Day, which this year is on Nov. 5.

Trump owns homes in New York and Florida, but in 2019 he changed his primary residence to Florida. However, Florida law does not apply in Trump’s case because he was convicted in New York. Instead, New York law applies.

“If you were convicted outside Florida, your voting rights are governed by the state where you were convicted,” as the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida explains on its website.

In 2021, New York state enacted a law that “restores the right to vote for a person convicted of a felony upon release from incarceration, regardless of if they are on parole or have a term of post-release supervision,” the New York State Board of Elections says . “If a convicted felon is not incarcerated, they are eligible to register to vote.”

Can a felon run for president, hold office?

Yes. According to Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the U.S. Constitution, there are three qualifications to serve as president: He or she must be at least 35 years old upon taking office, a U.S. resident for at least 14 years and a “natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States.”

“These qualifications are understood to be exclusive,” Josh Chafetz , a Georgetown University law professor, told us last year when we were writing about Trump’s federal indictment related to allegations of mishandling sensitive classified documents after he left office. “Anyone can be president so long as they meet the constitutional qualifications and do not trigger any constitutional disqualifications.”

“Someone can run for president while under indictment or even having been convicted and serving prison time,” said Chafetz, who pointed to the example of Eugene V. Debs, the late labor leader, who, in 1920, ran for president from prison on the Socialist Party ticket and got almost 1 million votes.

There is an exception to that rule. The Constitution says in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment that no U.S. officeholder, including the president, can serve if they are convicted of “engag[ing] in insurrection or rebellion” against the U.S. — something Trump has not been charged with either in this case or the three others he faces.

Six Colorado voters successfully sued in state court to prevent Trump from appearing on that state’s ballot, citing the constitutional amendment barring insurrectionists from holding federal office. But the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the state ruling, “[b]ecause the Constitution makes Congress, rather than the States, responsible for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates.”

Can Trump pardon himself on this conviction, if he wins?

The short answer is no.

Trump was convicted in New York for offenses in violation of state law. Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution states that a president has the “[p]ower to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States.” According to Constitution Annotated , a government-sanctioned record of the interpretations of the Constitution, that means the power extends to “federal crimes but not state or civil wrongs.”

In a case decided in 1925, Ex parte Grossman , the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed that interpretation, writing that the Constitution’s language specifying presidential pardon power for offenses “against the United States” was “presumably to make clear that the pardon of the President was to operate upon offenses against the United States as distinguished from offenses against the States.”

The New York governor has the power to pardon Trump for his conviction of crimes under state law. That’s currently Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat. After the verdict, Republican Rep. Nick LaLota called on Hochul “to immediately announce her intention to pardon President Trump and pre-emptively commute any sentence. To not do so is to allow America to become a banana republic.” Hochul released a statement on May 30 saying, “Today’s verdict reaffirms that no one is above the law.”

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Watch CBS News

How Trump's conviction could change the dynamics of the 2024 race

By Olivia Rinaldi , Jacob Rosen , Katrina Kaufman

Updated on: May 31, 2024 / 11:57 AM EDT / CBS News

Former President Donald Trump has been found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in his Manhattan criminal trial, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already unprecedented campaign.

As a c onvicted felon , Trump is not prevented from continuing to campaign for president , since the Constitution does not prohibit candidates from running for president even if they are convicted of a crime. In fact, there is precedent for a candidate running from behind bars: In 1920, Socialist Party candidate Eugene V. Debs ran for president from a federal penitentiary in Atlanta.

Trump is the first former U.S. president to be found guilty of felonies, and the first major party candidate to run for office after being found guilty of a crime. Here's how his conviction could change the 2024 campaign:

How Trump can campaign after his conviction

Now that he's convicted, Trump is all but certain to appeal the decision handed down by the jury, and he is likely to be able to return to the campaign trail as the process plays out. 

The next development in the case will come at sentencing, currently scheduled for July 11. Justice Juan Merchan has wide discretion over when sentencing occurs and what the punishment looks like. Trump faces a maximum of up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine for each of the 34 felony charges of falsification of business records. The sentencing options available to Merchan include prison, probation, conditional discharge, fines or house arrest.

The judge could put limitations on his travel, such as restricting Trump from leaving the state and taking his passport, but Merchan has said he doesn't want to interfere with his ability to campaign.

"I would think that the judge wouldn't dare interfere with his right to speak to the American public because it's the right of the voters to be informed as well," said John Coffee, a professor at Columbia Law School and an expert on corporate governance and white collar crime.

In a recent survey of dozens of cases brought by Manhattan District Attorney's Office in which falsifying business records was the most serious charge at arraignment, attorney and author Norm Eisen found that roughly one in 10 of those cases resulted in a sentence of incarceration.

"I think that is fascinating," said Caroline Polisi, a criminal defense attorney and professor at Columbia Law School. "A lot of commentators say the reason he won't be incarcerated is because the logistics of it with respect to the Secret Service would be too much. On the other hand, if you're saying he should be treated like any other defendant, we have a lot of data saying that 90% of other defendants would not get jail time in this situation."

The impact of the conviction on Trump's ability to campaign could largely hinge on what sentence Merchan ultimately hands down, and when Trump would serve it.

"In the context in which he is found guilty and then sentenced to no jail time, I don't think it's going to cause a bit of difference," added Polisi. "There might be some minor issues. He might not be able to vote for himself. But other than that, I don't think it's going to cause any problems."

When determining Trump's sentence, the judge could take into account his numerous gag order violations — which led Merchan to threaten him with jail time if the violations continued — and his lack of demonstrated remorse or respect for the legal system. Throughout the trial, Trump referred to Merchan as "conflicted" and "corrupt" and to the case itself as a "sham." 

"In New York, a 78-year-old defendant, who's a first time offender, committed a non-violent offense, and has an otherwise, well, distinguished record — in some regards being an ex-president is distinguished. In that kind of world, there'd be no chance of an incarceration sentence," said Coffee. Trump turns 78 on June 14. "They can use probation, they can use fines. But there may be a view of many judges that you have to show that no one's above the law, and even the future president should have a taste of prison."

Even if Merchan does order Trump to serve time behind bars, the sentence could be deferred until his appeal has run its course.

"In other cases, when you don't have someone running for the White House, it would be more or acceptable to put him immediately into incarceration," said Coffee. "You certainly could put special conditions on what he could do or put him under house arrest, but I think until we get to the actual election, we're going to have to let Donald Trump run around and campaign."

The conviction's possible impact on Trump's poll numbers and support

Trump has predicted that a conviction in this trial could boost his poll numbers. 

"Even if convicted, I think that it has absolutely no impact. It may drive the numbers up, but we don't want that. We want to have a fair verdict," Trump told CBS Pittsburgh in an interview earlier this month.

Trump's support among his Republican base has been remarkably resilient in the face of his various criminal cases. In the months following his four indictments last year, Trump maintained his commanding lead in the Republican primary, capturing the nomination despite the dozens of criminal charges he faced.

Many Trump supporters who CBS News has interviewed since the trial began have said a guilty conviction will not change how they vote in November, adopting the former president's grievances as their own.

"Stormy Daniels has already been reviewed and stuff. It's kind of coincidental," Michigan resident Lori Beyer said at a recent rally in Freeland, Michigan, adding she would vote for Trump regardless of the conviction. "I don't think it's going to impact it, as far as I'm concerned."

Whether a conviction changes the minds of voters who are not committed to the former president remains to be seen. A recent CBS News poll found that the majority of Americans believed Trump is "definitely or probably" guilty of the charges he faced in New York. The overwhelming majority of Democrats — 93% — believed Trump was guilty, while 78% Republicans said he was not. Independents were split, with 53% believing he was guilty and 47% saying he wasn't. 

Opinions about whether Trump was guilty or not were already highly partisan, according to Kabir Khanna, deputy director of elections and data analytics for CBS News. Most people who believed Trump was guilty also thought the jury would convict him, and vice versa. 

Additionally, Khanna said people who followed the trial closely were the most polarized in their views.

"Together, these factors could blunt the impact of the verdict on the views of an already divided public," Khanna said. "Some voters may be swayed by the news, but I wouldn't expect a sea change." 

Other polling supports that notion. A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey released Thursday found that 67% of registered voters nationwide said a Trump conviction would not make a difference in how they vote. Among independents, just 11% said a guilty verdict would make them less likely to vote for Trump.

The conviction also gives the Biden campaign a potentially potent new weapon in their arsenal: the ability to label Trump a convicted felon. Mr. Biden remained largely silent about the Trump trial while it was ongoing, but NBC News reported last week that he planned to become more aggressive about Trump's legal woes after the trial concluded, while acknowledging that Trump would be on the ballot regardless of how his legal cases played out.

Trump has used the trial to help boost his fundraising, and will likely look to capitalize on the conviction. The Trump campaign and Republican National Committee saw an influx of donations after jury selection began, with the two entities raising $76 million in April. His campaign had about $50 million cash on hand at the beginning of May as he prepared to get back out on the campaign trail after the trial.

The former president repeatedly used the developments in the trial to raise money, including when he was held in contempt for violating the gag order against him.

"I'd get arrested ONE MILLION TIMES before I'd let those filthy dogs get their hands on you," one typical fundraising appeal read. 

Trump's other criminal cases

The New York case might be the only one of Trump's four criminal prosecutions to reach a conclusion before voters cast their ballots in the fall, giving the guilty verdict added weight.

The two federal cases brought by special counsel Jack Smith remain in limbo. 

In Washington, D.C., Trump faces charges related to his actions to remain in power after the 2016 election. Trump has argued that he is immune from prosecution, and the Supreme Court is currently weighing his claim.

The high court heard arguments in the immunity dispute on April 26 and is expected to issue a decision on the matter before the end of the court's term, likely in June. If the case is allowed to move forward, there is a slim possibility that the district court could schedule the trial before November. If the justices side with Trump and find him immune from prosecution, the charges would be dropped.

In Florida, Trump faces federal charges stemming from his retention of classified documents after he left the White House. Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, has indefinitely postponed the trial. She ruled in early May that picking a trial date would be "imprudent and inconsistent with the court's duty to fully and fairly consider" numerous unresolved pre-trial motions. Those motions include Trump's efforts to dismiss the case altogether, as well as issues related to what classified information can be revealed at trial.

In the third case that remains outstanding, Trump faces state charges related to the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia. The trial in that matter is also on hold as Trump seeks to have District Attorney Fani Willis removed from the case. Georgia's Court of Appeals recently granted Trump's appeal of a decision that had allowed her to remain, bringing the trial to a temporary halt.

Trump's two federal cases could largely be in voters' hands if they are not resolved by November, a fact that raises his personal stake in the outcome. If he wins and returns to the White House in January 2025, Trump could order the Justice Department to seek to drop the charges altogether.

Trump has pleaded not guilty in all of the criminal cases against him.

• Donald Trump

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Trump Has Been Convicted. Here’s What Happens Next.

Donald J. Trump has promised to appeal, but he may face limits on his ability to travel and to vote as he campaigns for the White House.

• Share full article

By Jesse McKinley and Maggie Astor

• May 30, 2024

The conviction of former President Donald J. Trump on Thursday is just the latest step in his legal odyssey in New York’s court system. The judge, Juan M. Merchan, set Mr. Trump’s sentencing for July 11, at which point he could be sentenced to as much as four years behind bars, or to probation.

It won’t stop him from running for president, though: There is no legal prohibition on felons doing that . No constitutional provision would stop him even from serving as president from a prison cell, though in practice that would trigger a crisis that courts would almost certainly have to resolve.

His ability to vote — for himself, presumably — depends on whether he is sentenced to prison. Florida, where he is registered, requires felons convicted there to complete their full sentence, including parole or probation, before regaining voting rights. But when Floridians are convicted in another state, Florida defers to the laws of that state, and New York disenfranchises felons only while they are in prison.

The Trump Manhattan Criminal Verdict, Count By Count

Former President Donald J. Trump faced 34 felony charges of falsifying business records, related to the reimbursement of hush money paid to the porn star Stormy Daniels in order to cover up a sex scandal around the 2016 presidential election.

“Because Florida recognizes voting rights restoration in the state of conviction, and because New York’s law states that those with a felony conviction do not lose their right to vote unless they are incarcerated during the election, then Trump will not lose his right to vote in this case unless he is in prison on Election Day,” said Blair Bowie, a lawyer at the Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit watchdog group.

Mr. Trump will almost certainly appeal his conviction, after months of criticizing the case and attacking the Manhattan district attorney, who brought it, and Justice Merchan, who presided over his trial.

Long before that appeal is heard, however, Mr. Trump will be enmeshed in the gears of the criminal justice system.

A pre-sentencing report makes recommendations based on the defendant’s criminal record — Mr. Trump had none before this case — as well as his personal history and the crime itself. The former president was found guilty of falsifying business records in relation to a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, a porn star who says she had a brief sexual tryst with Mr. Trump in 2006, in order to buy her silence.

At the pre-sentence interview, a psychologist or social worker working for the probation department may also talk to Mr. Trump, during which time the defendant can “try to make a good impression and explain why he or she deserves a lighter punishment,” according to the New York State Unified Court System.

The pre-sentencing report can also include submissions from the defense, and may describe whether “the defendant is in a counseling program or has a steady job.”

In Mr. Trump’s case, of course, he is applying — as it were — for a steady job as president of the United States, a campaign that may be complicated by his new status as a felon. Mr. Trump will likely be required to regularly report to a probation officer, and rules on travel could be imposed.

Mr. Trump was convicted of 34 Class E felonies, New York’s lowest level , each of which carry a potential penalty of up to four years in prison. Probation or home confinement are other possibilities that Justice Merchan can consider.

That said, Justice Merchan has indicated in the past that he takes white-collar crime seriously . If he did impose prison time, he would likely impose the punishment concurrently, meaning that Mr. Trump would serve time on each of the counts he was convicted of simultaneously.

If Mr. Trump were instead sentenced to probation, he could still be jailed if he were later found to have committed additional crimes. Mr. Trump, 77, currently faces three other criminal cases: two federal, dealing with his handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election , and a state case in Georgia that concerns election interference.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers can file a notice of appeal after sentencing, scheduled for July 11 at 10 a.m. And the judge could stay any punishment during an appeal, something that could delay punishment beyond Election Day.

The proceedings will continue even if he wins: Because it’s a state case, not federal, Mr. Trump would have no power as president to pardon himself .

Jesse McKinley is a Times reporter covering upstate New York, courts and politics. More about Jesse McKinley

Maggie Astor covers politics for The New York Times, focusing on breaking news, policies, campaigns and how underrepresented or marginalized groups are affected by political systems. More about Maggie Astor

Our Coverage of the Trump Hush-Money Trial

Guilty Verdict : Donald Trump was convicted on all 34 counts  of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened his bid for the White House in 2016, making him the first American president to be declared a felon .

What Happens Next: Trump’s sentencing hearing on July 11 will trigger a long and winding appeals process , though he has few ways to overturn the decision .

Reactions: Trump’s conviction reverberated quickly across the country  and around the world . Here’s what voters , New Yorkers , Republicans , Trump supporters  and President Biden  had to say.

The Presidential Race : The political fallout of Trump’s conviction is far from certain , but the verdict will test America’s traditions, legal institutions and ability to hold an election under historic partisan tension .

Making the Case: Over six weeks and the testimony of 20 witnesses, the Manhattan district attorney’s office wove a sprawling story  of election interference and falsified business records.

Legal Luck Runs Out: The four criminal cases that threatened Trump’s freedom had been stumbling along, pleasing his advisers. Then his good fortune expired .