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Hello dear future traveler (yes, because as we now know, the future of travel is the train). Ready to discover all the hidden subtleties of the pass synonymous with freedom? We'll tell you all about it in this article.
As a reminder, the Interrail Pass is a single pass that allows you to use participating European rail networks* at will for a defined number of travel days with a range of validity periods - from 4 days to 3 months' travel - and the option of a Interrail Global Pass valid in 33 European countries or for a Pass on a single country. That's for the principle (brilliant, we agree). But in practice, here are a few pitfalls to avoid.
* The list of partner companies is available on Interrail website if you want to dig deeper.
While it's not impossible to make last-minute arrangements, you should know that all night trains and most high-speed trains require prior reservation and are often fully booked in high season. This applies in particular to France, Spain and Italy: victims of their own success!
Of course, if you appreciate the charm of improvisation and want to get off the beaten track (and if you've got time on your hands, too...), there's a special "à l'arrache" section on the Interrail website (well, it's not really called that, but you get the idea), to be found at via this link.
The Pass can save you a lot of money. For example, if you book a sleeper berth in a cabin of 6 on Friday November 25 on the Paris-Vienna route, the journey will cost you €39.90 instead of €79.90, a saving of €40.
That said, there are a few subtleties that can raise the starting price. Additional expenses can include :
So how do you know if it's interesting, after all? At the risk of being a bit of a caricature on this point:
So our best advice: make a budget with and without Interrail pass so you can simply compare!
For more tips on save on your Interrail Pass We recommend Isabelle's testimonial, who spent 6 months on the rails with her husband in Eastern Europe:
Article
Travelling Europe by train: the best tips for travelling with Interrail
If you're already a aficionado As you can see, choosing this type of transport means giving full meaning to Robert Louis Stevenson's famous phrase: "It's not the destination that's important, it's the journey." As a result, the relationship with time is completely different, as the aim here is to discover, meet, stroll around and experience travel as something other than the consumption of destinations.
And for those who hate idleness, there's even a way to work in peace, as most trains today are clean, comfortable and rather quiet. Ideal for profiles digital nomad workaholics, or simply people who like to take their time (and not waste it). And if you really need tips on how to avoid being bored when you're away, we recommend this article !
To find out more about this famous relationship with time, we recommend that you read avoid changing cities every day. Firstly, because it's rare to be able to really discover and immerse yourself in a place in just 24 hours, and also because it involves even more logistics (booking new accommodation and putting your bag in a safe place, for example). Sometimes, though, it's nice to be able to settle down for just 2 or 3 days and not add an unnecessary mental burden.
Of course, it's the train that's going to carry your luggage for the whole journey, but have you thought about all that time you're going to be lugging it around afterwards? And if the idea of a wheeled suitcase seems sensible at first glance, you've probably never experienced it on rough roads, cobblestones, mud... So unless you've got an all-terrain, self-cleaning suitcase, we'd recommend a good backpack instead!
Ndlr: on this subject, Benjamin introduced me to the Haize Project bags, and I've got a feeling that their modularity, sturdiness and all-terrain appeal are going to get me hooked. But for my own good! And if you want to know what to put inside, this article is for you.
Travelling alone can be frightening, especially for women. But the train is no less safe than any other means of transport!
Ndlr: so yes, on a personal note, I'm a woman and I travel (even solo sometimes), whatever the mode of transport! To put it simply, from my point of view, after having traveled quite a bit: most people on this planet are rather benevolent and, if "danger" can exist, it's the exception rather than the rule. Of course, you have to use a little common sense (keep your belongings and luggage close to you). But on the whole, bus, train, plane, touk-touk... nothing has ever happened to me. And I don't think the train is any riskier than any other mode of transport. On the contrary, if you take into account the extremely rare accidents that have occurred, there's only one watchword: go for it! Fear doesn't avoid danger anyway. To go further, I recommend this article on the Oiseau rose blog.
A final misconception (rather than a genuine error): thinking that train travel across Europe is reserved for young people who need less comfort. Scoop: it's completely false!
The train is truly for everyone from families to top executives, from young students to the elderly (editor's note: proof is, I'll take it... Who said veteran again? Who?). And in the end, it's hardly surprising, since most airlines offer different levels of comfort to suit all tastes and budgets. What's more, once you reach a certain age, you're back on the budget, so you might as well make the most of it.
Not to mention our responsibility to decarbonize transport. Ndlr - small aside: air travel is a mode of transport that has long been a dream of mine, and one that I myself once enjoyed. I just don't think it's possible today to ignore the ecological considerations and carbon impact of this mode of travel. No moralizing, then, but rather a way of finding pleasure in other ways of moving, and thank you! HOURRAIL! for making it easier for us! And if I had to give you a few arguments for choosing the train over the plane :
1 - Quite regularly, it's much easier to get to a train station than to an airport, by public transportation (= saving money and peace of mind, as there's no car to park and collect),
2- You arrive in the heart of downtown - and the countryside for that matter - as stations are generally a central point for places to visit (= saving time and money on ancillary transport once again),
3- It's much quicker and less restrictive to board a train than a plane, and the same goes for disembarking (= time and energy savings: no more endless security checks),
4- It's obviously much more environmentally friendly than air travel (on average 30 times less CO2 emissions).
What about the hip hip hip train? HOURRAIL!
