The Benefits of the InterRail Pass and Top Ten Tips
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Here are a few of the benefits of the pass:
- When you want flexibility because you can always change your plans and take the next train if you want to explore somewhere and stay a bit longer.
- If you don’t want the hassle of having to buy tickets on-route.
- When you want the peace of mind that if you miss a train you can simply take the next convenient one, at no additional cost.
- When you want the freedom to meander around a country or the whole of Europe without a fixed timetable.
- The pass can offer a major saving especially on long journeys and during high season.
Ten InterRailing Tips:
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Planning pays off if you want a leisurely and comfortable trip, especially pre-booking at least the first nights accommodation at each destination.
- Download the handy InterRail planning app which works on iPhone and Android devices and is great for checking times and routes whilst travelling.
- InterRail have a good website for planning journeys and they can book necessary reservations for sleeper trains and high-speed routes.
- Use overnight trains to save on accommodation costs and minimise perceived travelling time, but there are supplements to pay.
- For short trips between destinations it may sometimes be sensible to take a bus or buy a local train ticket and save a rail pass travel day for longer journeys.
- Although you can usually take as much luggage as your like, its sensible to pack light and only take one wheeled bag/case to reduce transit hassle.
- Buy your favourite picnic food and drink for long journeys and skip the overpriced and usually poor fare from the snack trolley.
- Whatever it is that you enjoy at home for relaxation - reading, music, games, films - take some with you for long journeys or station waits
- You can reserve seats at any station on your day of travel, but during high season (June-September) reserve seats as far in advance as possible if you need to travel on a specific train - especially French TGV, Thalys and sleeper trains.
- The InterRail website has an option to search timetables to find which trains do not need a reservation.
• Read my blog about my journey around Europe by InterRail
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So many useful tips too.
Last time I went inter railing I was a student, living in Germany for a year and travelling extensively throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France. Happy days!
That was 50 years ago....Time to give it a go again....?!
Having grown weary of airports, queues, delays, security etc. I had just begun to consider alternatives, so your blog has come at just the right time.
Hope you don't mind if I do a cut and paste to keep as a reference?
Thanks again
Jennifer.
Now that plane travel is becoming more and more stressful, train travel becomes more and more of an attractive option, and I will definitely consider Inter Railing the next time I travel to Europe.