Interrailing/Eurailing Advice Superthread (IMPORTANT: FAQ at start)
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Original post by Message
Hey Everyone
Me and my friends are planning an Interail trip for next summer. However I am very confused as to what the pass actually entitles you to!
If I pay £213 for a 22 day pass (travel on 10), does this mean I can simply get on a train for free in Germany for example? If I want to get a train from Vienna to Bratislava for example is this free?
I know that night trains have a fee - but again I am confused. I was looking on the DB website for a night train from Amsterdam to Berlin, and it was coming up with a final price of around 600 euros for 4 people! How does one gain access to these apprantly 'cheap' night trains that save money? Do you reserve a night train seat once you have your Interail pass?
We are so confused and would really appreciate some assistance!
Me and my friends are planning an Interail trip for next summer. However I am very confused as to what the pass actually entitles you to!
If I pay £213 for a 22 day pass (travel on 10), does this mean I can simply get on a train for free in Germany for example? If I want to get a train from Vienna to Bratislava for example is this free?
I know that night trains have a fee - but again I am confused. I was looking on the DB website for a night train from Amsterdam to Berlin, and it was coming up with a final price of around 600 euros for 4 people! How does one gain access to these apprantly 'cheap' night trains that save money? Do you reserve a night train seat once you have your Interail pass?
We are so confused and would really appreciate some assistance!
Ok, don't fear! I can help. But have you read the FAQ first? Some of these questions are kind of covered in that already..
Original post by Message
Hey Everyone
Me and my friends are planning an Interail trip for next summer. However I am very confused as to what the pass actually entitles you to!
If I pay £213 for a 22 day pass (travel on 10), does this mean I can simply get on a train for free in Germany for example? If I want to get a train from Vienna to Bratislava for example is this free?
I bought that exact same pass and normal daytime DB trains in Germany were free and I travelled from Vienna to Budapest for free using this pass although that may be different to Bratislava. Just remember you may want to reserve a seat for peace of mind at a cost of a few euros.
I know that night trains have a fee - but again I am confused. I was looking on the DB website for a night train from Amsterdam to Berlin, and it was coming up with a final price of around 600 euros for 4 people! How does one gain access to these apprantly 'cheap' night trains that save money? Do you reserve a night train seat once you have your Interail pass?
It was a headache trying to find night train fares online using the IR pass, in fact the internet was useless for this. My advice is to contact Rail Europe for these night fares before you depart, and also go into the train stations when you're travelling to book the night tickets. It's almost certaintly not 150 euros for amsterdam to berlin with an IR pass, it's jsut a case of findng the right vendor
We are so confused and would really appreciate some assistance!
Me and my friends are planning an Interail trip for next summer. However I am very confused as to what the pass actually entitles you to!
If I pay £213 for a 22 day pass (travel on 10), does this mean I can simply get on a train for free in Germany for example? If I want to get a train from Vienna to Bratislava for example is this free?
I bought that exact same pass and normal daytime DB trains in Germany were free and I travelled from Vienna to Budapest for free using this pass although that may be different to Bratislava. Just remember you may want to reserve a seat for peace of mind at a cost of a few euros.
I know that night trains have a fee - but again I am confused. I was looking on the DB website for a night train from Amsterdam to Berlin, and it was coming up with a final price of around 600 euros for 4 people! How does one gain access to these apprantly 'cheap' night trains that save money? Do you reserve a night train seat once you have your Interail pass?
It was a headache trying to find night train fares online using the IR pass, in fact the internet was useless for this. My advice is to contact Rail Europe for these night fares before you depart, and also go into the train stations when you're travelling to book the night tickets. It's almost certaintly not 150 euros for amsterdam to berlin with an IR pass, it's jsut a case of findng the right vendor
We are so confused and would really appreciate some assistance!
In bold
The last post might be a little misleading about the night trains so here's my 2 cents..
Some trains need reservation, some don't. You need to check the journey on the Deutche Bahn website, or Rail Europe, to see if it has an R in a circle next to it. High speed trains in Italy, France, Spain and Belgium typically require reservations. Night trains also require a reservation whether you have a bed or not. Thalys trains are the most expensive! See the FAQ please!
You only need to pay a reservation fee to use a night train. Please see the relevant section of the FAQ for ways you can book this reservation.
It's not so difficult to find out how much it costs though, just go and look up the night train journey on raildude - this will tell you what price to expect. Typically it's 70 euros to stay in a 2 person cabin, so nowhere near 150 euros!
Amsterdam to Berlin is here: RAILDUDE
But I would suggest since it arrives at 4am it's probably not the best value for money! You might want to explore night trains to other destinations and then get a day train from wherever else to Berlin. Or do your trip in reverse order?
You also do not need to have bought your interrail pass before you can reserve a night train!
Original post by Message
If I pay £213 for a 22 day pass (travel on 10), does this mean I can simply get on a train for free in Germany for example? If I want to get a train from Vienna to Bratislava for example is this free?
Some trains need reservation, some don't. You need to check the journey on the Deutche Bahn website, or Rail Europe, to see if it has an R in a circle next to it. High speed trains in Italy, France, Spain and Belgium typically require reservations. Night trains also require a reservation whether you have a bed or not. Thalys trains are the most expensive! See the FAQ please!
I know that night trains have a fee - but again I am confused. I was looking on the DB website for a night train from Amsterdam to Berlin, and it was coming up with a final price of around 600 euros for 4 people! How does one gain access to these apprantly 'cheap' night trains that save money? Do you reserve a night train seat once you have your Interail pass?
You only need to pay a reservation fee to use a night train. Please see the relevant section of the FAQ for ways you can book this reservation.
It's not so difficult to find out how much it costs though, just go and look up the night train journey on raildude - this will tell you what price to expect. Typically it's 70 euros to stay in a 2 person cabin, so nowhere near 150 euros!
Amsterdam to Berlin is here: RAILDUDE
But I would suggest since it arrives at 4am it's probably not the best value for money! You might want to explore night trains to other destinations and then get a day train from wherever else to Berlin. Or do your trip in reverse order?
You also do not need to have bought your interrail pass before you can reserve a night train!
(edited 11 years ago)
For interest here is the full route of that night train:
http://www.raildude.com/en/amsterdam-d%C3%BCsseldorf-cologne-prague/city-night-line-457-kopernikus/night-trains-city/10873/15
It might be a nice route, if you had time, to get the night train straight through to Prague or Dresden and then heading back to Berlin a few days later? They are about a 4.5 and 2 hour train away from Berlin, respectively, so it might be worth the extra sleep, and Prague is truly gorgeous! Plus, also consider the 7pm rule (see the FAQ) - you can use your pass the day after your night train effectively for 'free' so you could always sleep a little longer, get off in Dresden, then head straight back to Berlin for the same price.
http://www.raildude.com/en/amsterdam-d%C3%BCsseldorf-cologne-prague/city-night-line-457-kopernikus/night-trains-city/10873/15
It might be a nice route, if you had time, to get the night train straight through to Prague or Dresden and then heading back to Berlin a few days later? They are about a 4.5 and 2 hour train away from Berlin, respectively, so it might be worth the extra sleep, and Prague is truly gorgeous! Plus, also consider the 7pm rule (see the FAQ) - you can use your pass the day after your night train effectively for 'free' so you could always sleep a little longer, get off in Dresden, then head straight back to Berlin for the same price.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by TheRandomer
The last post might be a little misleading about the night trains so here's my 2 cents..
Some trains need reservation, some don't. You need to check the journey on the Deutche Bahn website, or Rail Europe, to see if it has an R in a circle next to it. High speed trains in Italy, France, Spain and Belgium typically require reservations. Night trains also require a reservation whether you have a bed or not. Thalys trains are the most expensive! See the FAQ please!
You only need to pay a reservation fee to use a night train. Please see the relevant section of the FAQ for ways you can book this reservation.
It's not so difficult to find out how much it costs though, just go and look up the night train journey on raildude - this will tell you what price to expect. Typically it's 70 euros to stay in a 2 person cabin, so nowhere near 150 euros!
Amsterdam to Berlin is here: RAILDUDE
But I would suggest since it arrives at 4am it's probably not the best value for money! You might want to explore night trains to other destinations and then get a day train from wherever else to Berlin. Or do your trip in reverse order?
You also do not need to have bought your interrail pass before you can reserve a night train!
Some trains need reservation, some don't. You need to check the journey on the Deutche Bahn website, or Rail Europe, to see if it has an R in a circle next to it. High speed trains in Italy, France, Spain and Belgium typically require reservations. Night trains also require a reservation whether you have a bed or not. Thalys trains are the most expensive! See the FAQ please!
You only need to pay a reservation fee to use a night train. Please see the relevant section of the FAQ for ways you can book this reservation.
It's not so difficult to find out how much it costs though, just go and look up the night train journey on raildude - this will tell you what price to expect. Typically it's 70 euros to stay in a 2 person cabin, so nowhere near 150 euros!
Amsterdam to Berlin is here: RAILDUDE
But I would suggest since it arrives at 4am it's probably not the best value for money! You might want to explore night trains to other destinations and then get a day train from wherever else to Berlin. Or do your trip in reverse order?
You also do not need to have bought your interrail pass before you can reserve a night train!
Thanks for your help - we seem to have made progress now!
Planning on going interrailing this summer!
For 2 weeks, how many cities would you aim to hit? We were planning on 7, but I feel it's such a shame we can't see more. Do many people stop by somewhere for 1 night?
For 2 weeks, how many cities would you aim to hit? We were planning on 7, but I feel it's such a shame we can't see more. Do many people stop by somewhere for 1 night?
Original post by abeautifulmistake8
Planning on going interrailing this summer!
For 2 weeks, how many cities would you aim to hit? We were planning on 7, but I feel it's such a shame we can't see more. Do many people stop by somewhere for 1 night?
For 2 weeks, how many cities would you aim to hit? We were planning on 7, but I feel it's such a shame we can't see more. Do many people stop by somewhere for 1 night?
I'd say definitely any more than 6 or 7 would be seriously pushing it! However it also depends which cities you plan to see.. is it 7 places all in France or is it say from France all the way to Poland? I'd say you're probably better off just extending your trip, since the cheapest pass is a 5 in 10 day one - so you'd only be able to visit 6 places on it without paying extra. It'd be more fun and more economic to get a longer pass and then just explore as much as you like
Please see my FAQ on the front page.Hi, me and 5 friends are considering going inter-railing on the 10 trains in 22 days pass. Was just wondering if this route is feasible.
Fly to Ljubljana > Zagreb > Budapest > Bratislava > Vienna > Prague > Munich > Berlin > Amsterdam (coach home).
If anybody would recommend any changes to the routes as we know little about cities such as Ljubljana. We are looking for places with interesting things to do during the day and a good student/young persons night life. We will all be 19. Any information on how much this will cost will be appreciated. We are hoping not to spend more than £1000 each.
Thanks.
Fly to Ljubljana > Zagreb > Budapest > Bratislava > Vienna > Prague > Munich > Berlin > Amsterdam (coach home).
If anybody would recommend any changes to the routes as we know little about cities such as Ljubljana. We are looking for places with interesting things to do during the day and a good student/young persons night life. We will all be 19. Any information on how much this will cost will be appreciated. We are hoping not to spend more than £1000 each.
Thanks.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by lKryptiC
Hi, me and 5 friends are considering going inter-railing on the 10 trains in 22 days pass. Was just wondering if this route is feasible.
Fly to Ljubljana > Zagreb > Budapest > Bratislava > Vienna > Prague > Munich > Berlin > Amsterdam (coach home).
If anybody would recommend any changes to the routes as we know little about cities such as Ljubljana. We are looking for places with interesting things to do during the day and a good student/young persons night life. We will all be 19. Any information on how much this will cost will be appreciated. We are hoping not to spend more than £1000 each.
Thanks.
Fly to Ljubljana > Zagreb > Budapest > Bratislava > Vienna > Prague > Munich > Berlin > Amsterdam (coach home).
If anybody would recommend any changes to the routes as we know little about cities such as Ljubljana. We are looking for places with interesting things to do during the day and a good student/young persons night life. We will all be 19. Any information on how much this will cost will be appreciated. We are hoping not to spend more than £1000 each.
Thanks.
Sounds like a good route. We did Slovenia, Budapest and Prague this past summer, so I can only give advice on them!
My top piece of advice is to go on a free walking tour when you arrive in each city - basically every city has them and your hostel will probably tell you where to find them. You get a really good bearing of the city, find out about it's history, pick up some local knowledge, and all you have to do is tip the guide. Lots of guides are students, so they know what sort of thing you're looking for from cheap restaurants to good bars.
If you can make time - go up to Lake Bled from Ljubljana. It's beautiful and we had a great time swimming in the lake and so on. Admittedly that was after we'd done 3 cities, so were looking for something new. Anyway it's not far at all from Ljubljana, and there's lots of buses daily.
One good way of making the most of nightlife is staying in a sociable hostel, because the people there will know all the best places to go and will often organise groups to go out in the evening. Looking on hostelworld and reading the reviews is the best way.
Budapest has some great nightlife and lots of things to do in the day - it was my 2nd favourite city on our trip this summer (after Istanbul). There's a chain of hostels that sell themselves as party hostels... We didn't stay in one but people we met along the way said a couple of them were really wild.
Apparently Bratislava is seriously cheap - not a lot to do, but amazing value.
Prague is more expensive - though a beer costs about the same as a diet coke in the pubs! Loads of organised pub crawls if you're into that sort of thing. Some of the most popular and social hostels do get booked up a bit in high summer, but if you're not picky about the sort of room/are happy to split between different rooms as a group you should be fine!
Not on your list but we loved Krakow in Poland, and lots of people do. Really great student city, with a beautiful square and great clubs and bars. Lots of people end up there because it's relatively close to Auschwitz. Not a pleasant trip, but definitely fits your criteria of 'interesting things to do during the day'.
I'd try and pick up one of the 'Europe on a Budget' (there's a Rough Guides and Lonely Planet one) books because they had so much useful info in! I got a Kindle version and it was really helpful to have an idea about what each city offers when planning the trip. Most local libraries have them - so maybe borrow one.
Original post by Poppyxx
Sounds like a good route. We did Slovenia, Budapest and Prague this past summer, so I can only give advice on them!
My top piece of advice is to go on a free walking tour when you arrive in each city - basically every city has them and your hostel will probably tell you where to find them. You get a really good bearing of the city, find out about it's history, pick up some local knowledge, and all you have to do is tip the guide. Lots of guides are students, so they know what sort of thing you're looking for from cheap restaurants to good bars.
If you can make time - go up to Lake Bled from Ljubljana. It's beautiful and we had a great time swimming in the lake and so on. Admittedly that was after we'd done 3 cities, so were looking for something new. Anyway it's not far at all from Ljubljana, and there's lots of buses daily.
One good way of making the most of nightlife is staying in a sociable hostel, because the people there will know all the best places to go and will often organise groups to go out in the evening. Looking on hostelworld and reading the reviews is the best way.
Budapest has some great nightlife and lots of things to do in the day - it was my 2nd favourite city on our trip this summer (after Istanbul). There's a chain of hostels that sell themselves as party hostels... We didn't stay in one but people we met along the way said a couple of them were really wild.
Apparently Bratislava is seriously cheap - not a lot to do, but amazing value.
Prague is more expensive - though a beer costs about the same as a diet coke in the pubs! Loads of organised pub crawls if you're into that sort of thing. Some of the most popular and social hostels do get booked up a bit in high summer, but if you're not picky about the sort of room/are happy to split between different rooms as a group you should be fine!
Not on your list but we loved Krakow in Poland, and lots of people do. Really great student city, with a beautiful square and great clubs and bars. Lots of people end up there because it's relatively close to Auschwitz. Not a pleasant trip, but definitely fits your criteria of 'interesting things to do during the day'.
I'd try and pick up one of the 'Europe on a Budget' (there's a Rough Guides and Lonely Planet one) books because they had so much useful info in! I got a Kindle version and it was really helpful to have an idea about what each city offers when planning the trip. Most local libraries have them - so maybe borrow one.
My top piece of advice is to go on a free walking tour when you arrive in each city - basically every city has them and your hostel will probably tell you where to find them. You get a really good bearing of the city, find out about it's history, pick up some local knowledge, and all you have to do is tip the guide. Lots of guides are students, so they know what sort of thing you're looking for from cheap restaurants to good bars.
If you can make time - go up to Lake Bled from Ljubljana. It's beautiful and we had a great time swimming in the lake and so on. Admittedly that was after we'd done 3 cities, so were looking for something new. Anyway it's not far at all from Ljubljana, and there's lots of buses daily.
One good way of making the most of nightlife is staying in a sociable hostel, because the people there will know all the best places to go and will often organise groups to go out in the evening. Looking on hostelworld and reading the reviews is the best way.
Budapest has some great nightlife and lots of things to do in the day - it was my 2nd favourite city on our trip this summer (after Istanbul). There's a chain of hostels that sell themselves as party hostels... We didn't stay in one but people we met along the way said a couple of them were really wild.
Apparently Bratislava is seriously cheap - not a lot to do, but amazing value.
Prague is more expensive - though a beer costs about the same as a diet coke in the pubs! Loads of organised pub crawls if you're into that sort of thing. Some of the most popular and social hostels do get booked up a bit in high summer, but if you're not picky about the sort of room/are happy to split between different rooms as a group you should be fine!
Not on your list but we loved Krakow in Poland, and lots of people do. Really great student city, with a beautiful square and great clubs and bars. Lots of people end up there because it's relatively close to Auschwitz. Not a pleasant trip, but definitely fits your criteria of 'interesting things to do during the day'.
I'd try and pick up one of the 'Europe on a Budget' (there's a Rough Guides and Lonely Planet one) books because they had so much useful info in! I got a Kindle version and it was really helpful to have an idea about what each city offers when planning the trip. Most local libraries have them - so maybe borrow one.
Thanks, this is really helpful. I was wondering what your travel times were like and how much you paid for hostels/budgeted each day. Krakow sounds good, might swap it for bratislava and Ljubljana. Cheers
Original post by lKryptiC
Thanks, this is really helpful. I was wondering what your travel times were like and how much you paid for hostels/budgeted each day. Krakow sounds good, might swap it for bratislava and Ljubljana. Cheers
Krakow is definitely very nice, I'd love to have some more time there to wander around.
Ljubljana also looked very nice, and again, I didn't get that much time to really explore. (I went to both of these places on tour with college concert band).
Ugh I really want to interrail again this year but none of my friends are up for it 
Opinions on taking a light one-man tent along? Also, I'm starting to feel like my £2000 estimate for total cost is slightly over-estimated? Anyone can give me some views? Thanks.
Edit: Read FAQ
Mostly travelling in Eastern Europe, but will be doing a significant bit in Italy.
Thanks.Edit: Read FAQ
Mostly travelling in Eastern Europe, but will be doing a significant bit in Italy.
(edited 11 years ago)
4 of my friends and I are inter-railing this Summer (nothing booked yet, mind).
My first question is where would I be able to find very VERY cheap hostels for the places we are going, i.e. TripAdvisor etc?
My second question is, if we book for a three/four person room, would five people be allowed to stay in that room, or would we have to be sneaky. (Trying to cut down on costs hugely)
Also, I know sleeping on the train is a possibility, but what are people's opinions on this?
Any help on this is greatly appreciated.
hungrydave4
My first question is where would I be able to find very VERY cheap hostels for the places we are going, i.e. TripAdvisor etc?
My second question is, if we book for a three/four person room, would five people be allowed to stay in that room, or would we have to be sneaky. (Trying to cut down on costs hugely)
Also, I know sleeping on the train is a possibility, but what are people's opinions on this?
Any help on this is greatly appreciated.
hungrydave4
Original post by hungrydave4
4 of my friends and I are inter-railing this Summer (nothing booked yet, mind).
My first question is where would I be able to find very VERY cheap hostels for the places we are going, i.e. TripAdvisor etc?
My second question is, if we book for a three/four person room, would five people be allowed to stay in that room, or would we have to be sneaky. (Trying to cut down on costs hugely)
Also, I know sleeping on the train is a possibility, but what are people's opinions on this?
Any help on this is greatly appreciated.
hungrydave4
My first question is where would I be able to find very VERY cheap hostels for the places we are going, i.e. TripAdvisor etc?
My second question is, if we book for a three/four person room, would five people be allowed to stay in that room, or would we have to be sneaky. (Trying to cut down on costs hugely)
Also, I know sleeping on the train is a possibility, but what are people's opinions on this?
Any help on this is greatly appreciated.
hungrydave4
There's a big sticky thread at the top of this forum with information but...
You could use www.hostelworld.com and www.hostelbooker.com both of them you can sort by price etc, your best bet is staying in large dorms for cheaper prices. You would stuggle to sneak someone in, and isn't really worth the risk when you can get beds for about £10pppn.
Doing night connections is one way to save, although some trains will have supplements for night trains, even more so if you fancy a bed. If you do have just a seat booked on a night train, don't expect a great nights sleep, the experience I had was in a full 8 seat person cabin with people coming and going at all hours - I really wasn't able to stretch out etc.
There are also other ways to save money while interrailing, have a look through that thread.
Original post by Oromis263
Opinions on taking a light one-man tent along? Also, I'm starting to feel like my £2000 estimate for total cost is slightly over-estimated? Anyone can give me some views? Thanks.
Edit: Read FAQ
Mostly travelling in Eastern Europe, but will be doing a significant bit in Italy.
Thanks.Edit: Read FAQ
Mostly travelling in Eastern Europe, but will be doing a significant bit in Italy.
Hi
did you use the raildude cost calculator? That's pretty useful but I see your problem, you're doing a mix of very cheap and very expensive! I did a trip including a week in Italy last year, staying in private hostel rooms as cheap hotels, and spent around £500 per week including everything: flights, pass, food, accom. So it depends how long you're going for and what kind of 'lifestyle' you want but I'd say for £2000 you could reaaaally live it up haha. Glad you found the FAQ useful
Having budgeting problems? any quick advice? I'll be reading through the entire thread once I get home
Original post by TheRandomer
Ugh I really want to interrail again this year but none of my friends are up for it
Go alone! I'm going on a week and a half mini trip in a few weeks on my own
I'm planning on travelling in Italy for 2 months and I want to get an interrail pass, but I can't find any 2 month interrail passes? Does this mean I would have to buy two 1 month passes?
The only 2 month passes I can find are Eurail ones, but you have to be a non-EU resident for those. Why arent there any 2 month ones for UK residents?
The only 2 month passes I can find are Eurail ones, but you have to be a non-EU resident for those. Why arent there any 2 month ones for UK residents?
Original post by franki91
I'm planning on travelling in Italy for 2 months and I want to get an interrail pass, but I can't find any 2 month interrail passes? Does this mean I would have to buy two 1 month passes?
The only 2 month passes I can find are Eurail ones, but you have to be a non-EU resident for those. Why arent there any 2 month ones for UK residents?
The only 2 month passes I can find are Eurail ones, but you have to be a non-EU resident for those. Why arent there any 2 month ones for UK residents?
No such thing as a 2 month interrail pass. You would have to buy two one month passes.
Question: Has anyone been to Bar/Kotor while on an IR trip? I missed out on going there on my last IR trip. My next one is taking me to Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova, but if anyone can recommend it I might head over there via possibly Kosovo.
(edited 11 years ago)
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