Rail travel to
Europe:
A beginner's guide to choosing, buying & using an
InterRail pass. . .
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Rail travel to Europe: |
A beginner's guide to choosing, buying & using anInterRail pass. . . |
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The InterRail Global Pass is the best international rail pass for European citizens who want to tour Europe. An InterRail Global Pass gives you unlimited stress-free train travel throughout Europe for as little as £10 per day if you're under 26, £15 a day if you're over 26, a bargain! (that's the 1 month pass price divided by 31, if you were wondering).
Global InterRail prices 2007: |
Adult 1st class | Adult 2nd class | Child 1st class | Child 2nd class | Youth 2nd class |
| 5 days within 10 days (flexi): | £264 | £200 | £132 | £100 | £128 |
| 10 days within 22 days (flexi): | £392 | £288 | £196 | £144 | £192 |
| 22 days continuous: | £504 | £376 | £252 | £188 | £248 |
| 1 month continuous: | £648 | £480 | £324 | £240 | £320 |
Child = aged 4 to 11 inclusive. Youth = anyone under 26. Children under 4 go free. Age on first day of pass validity is what counts.
'Continuous' means that you pick the date you want your InterRail to start, and it then gives 22 days or 1 calendar month's continuous unlimited travel for the whole of that period.
'Flexi' means that the InterRail lasts for an overall period of either 22 or 10 days, starting on any date you specify, but you only get 5 or 10 days of unlimited travel within that period. You 'spend' each day of unlimited travel by writing the date in one of the 5 or 10 boxes printed on your pass. Overnight trains leaving after 19:00 count as the next day's train, so you normally only need to use up one day of unlimited travel for an overnight journey.
What countries are covered? The global InterRail pass gives you unlimited train travel throughout Europe, covering the national train operators in Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Republic of Ireland and (unless you're a UK citizen, see next paragraph) the UK. For more info on what train operators are covered in each country, see here.
InterRail global passes do not cover Russia, Ukraine, Albania, the Baltic States, Moldova or Belarus. As of April 2007, Morocco is no longer covered.
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.
Single Country InterRail prices: |
Adult 1st class | Adult 2nd class | Child 1st class | Child 2nd class | Youth 2nd class |
| 3 days within 1 month (flexi) |
Prices vary by country, so |
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| 4 days within 1 month (flexi) | |||||
| 6 days within 1 month (flexi) | |||||
| 8 days within 1 month (flexi) | |||||
Train travel in your home country: First of all, your InterRail pass will not give you free travel in the country where you live. So a UK citizen buying an global InterRail will not get free travel in the UK, only in the other countries the pass covers. So remember that you'll need to buy a train ticket from wherever you live to London (to connect with Eurostar) or to a ferry port. Click here for tips on buying UK train tickets to connect with Eurostar.
Eurostar: The other key thing is that an InterRail pass does not give free travel on Eurostar. Eurostar offer a reduced fare for InterRail passholders, £50 one way, £100 return, with changes of travel date allowed. This passholder fare is available to anyone who has bought an InterRail pass, you don't need to use up one of your days of free travel on a flexi InterRail flexi pass, for example. If you aren't sure when you'll be returning, or if all the cheap non-passholder tickets are sold out, or you need to travel at short notice, this £50/£100 passholder fare can be a good option. However, if you are absolutely sure of your exact outward and return dates, normal Eurostar fares start at £59 return, no refunds, no changes to travel plans, limited availability at the cheapest prices, and this is usually a cheaper option if you can book in advance. The easiest way to buy a Eurostar ticket is online at www.eurostar.com.
Ferries to Europe: If you prefer to travel by ferry rather than Eurostar, just buy a ticket from your home town to Dover (you can find train times and fares on www.nationalrail.co.uk) and show your InterRail pass at the port to get a discounted ferry ticket to Calais with SeaFrance. Or buy a combined train+ferry ticket from London to Hoek van Holland, from £25 one way or £50 return for all passengers, with or without a railpass, see the Netherlands page and book online at www.dutchflyer.co.uk. Alternatively, there are discounts for InterRail passholders on the following ferry routes: Dover-Calais (only with SeaFrance, as from 2006 P&O no longer offer any InterRail discount), UK to Denmark or Norway with DFDS Seaways (call 0870 533 3000), Harwich-Hoek van Holland with Stena Line (call 0870 570 7070 or see www.dutchflyer.co.uk).
What trains are covered by InterRail, once in mainland Europe? An InterRail pass gives unlimited free travel on all the train services run by the national train operator in each of the countries it covers, although you'll need to make a reservation and/or pay a supplement on some trains, more about that below. InterRail passes also cover the main private operators in Switzerland. However, an InterRail pass does not give free travel on underground or metros in big cities, or on some small private train operators such as FEVE narrow-gauge trains in Spain or the Circumvesuviana railway (Naples-Pompeii-Sorrento) in Italy.
How do I find train times around Europe on which I can use my InterRail? Go to the excellent German Railways online timetable at http://bahn.hafas.de (English selector upper right). It covers the whole of Europe. As a general rule, any train shown in its database can be used with an InterRail pass, although supplements or special fares must be paid on some. It will also show which trains have compulsory reservations.
What about ferries within Europe? An InterRail global pass also gives free travel on Superfast Ferries, Minoan Lines & Blue Star Ferries between Italy (Bari, Brindisi, Ancona or Venice) and Greece (Corfu, Igoumenitsa or Patras for the train to Athens). A few euros for port taxes needs to be paid, and cabin berths are extra. Superfast and some other ferry operators charge a small summer supplement (about 10 euros or so), you pay at the port. An InterRail pass also gives a significant discount (usually in the region of 30%-50%) on normal fares for some other shipping operators - for example, Silja Line (Stockholm-Helsinki), Limadet Ferry (Malaga-Tangier), SNCM (France-Corsica). As of 2006, there is no longer any InterRail discount on Trasmediterranea (Barcelona to Ibiza, Majorca & Minorca and Algeciras to Tangier).
On most local and regional trains you can just hop on, find any empty seat and show your InterRail pass when asked by the conductor. On most of these trains you can't even make reservations if you want to. Easy!
On longer distance trains, seat reservation is usually optional. Making a reservation can be a good idea to ensure you get a seat on a long trip, but it's not essential. A seat reservation costs about 3 euros, depending on the country.
However, on many European high-speed & long-distance trains, a reservation is compulsory and must be made before boarding (weeks, days, hours or minutes before boarding, as long as you make one...). A fee of about 3 euros is charged, again depending on the country. These trains are normally shown in the timetable as 'Reservation obligatory', often with an 'R' symbol.
Many high-speed or high-quality trains in western Europe require InterRail passholders to pay a supplement or special passholder fare, which normally includes the reservation fee. The timetable normally shows these trains with either an 'S' symbol or a special brand name, such as Thalys or Eurostar Italia or AVE. The simple rule of thumb is that if a fancy brand name applies to the train, the chances are that you'll have to pay a supplement or special fare and probably make a reservation. Supplements for daytime trains vary from 3 to around 15 euros depending on the type of train and the journey being made, so here's a summary of how much supplements are likely to cost in each country.
Here's another rule of thumb that may help: In Spain & Portugal, every single long-distance train requires a supplement & reservation, and it's getting to be like that in France & Italy now, too. But in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium & Luxembourg hardly any domestic trains require a supplement or reservation, even ones branded InterCity (IC) or InterCityExpress (ICE).
Couchettes are basic bunks with rug & pillow, 4 or 6 per compartment, a sort of youth hostel on rails. Sleepers are hotels on rails, with proper beds and washbasin, 1, 2, 3, or occasionally 4 beds per compartment. Some overnight trains only have couchettes and sleepers, no ordinary seats, others also have seats, but ALWAYS budget for at least a couchette on overnight trains, for both comfort and security. Travelling overnight slumped in a seat is not recommended, it's a false economy. Couchettes and sleepers are explained in more detail on the sleeper page.
With an InterRail pass, you need to pay the normal couchette or sleeper supplement. A couchette supplement is around 15-20 euros in western Europe, 10-15 euros in eastern Europe, per person per night in a 6-bunk compartment. For a bed in a more comfortable sleeper, you'll pay 30-40 euros in western Europe, 20-30 euros in eastern Europe.
You can make reservations and pay supplements at any station ticket office as you travel around on your InterRail pass;
You can make them by telephone from the same agency which sells you the InterRail;
Unfortunately, most ticket-sales websites only sell complete tickets, and don't allow you to make 'reservation only' bookings online. One of the few exceptions is the seat61 Rail Shop, which allows you to make reservations to go with a railpass here on many trains in western Europe (remember to change 'ticket+reservation' to 'reservation only').
It's a good idea to make some reservations for your outward journey to get you started. For example, if your plan is to start by heading down to Italy, you should at least buy the Eurostar ticket to Paris and make a couchette or sleeper reservation from Paris to (say) Rome. You wouldn't want to head off without any outward reservations, only find when you get to Paris that all the trains to Italy are full, would you?
The easiest way is to buy your InterRail pass online at the seat61 Rail Shop.
After buying the pass, you can make reservations online here (remember to change 'ticket+reservation' to 'reservation only').
You can buy a Eurostar ticket (without pass reduction, which is actually cheaper) at www.eurostar.com.
For more information about InterRail passes and what is and isn't covered, see www.interrailnet.com or visit the InterRail pages at the Seat61 Rail Shop, www.railchoice.co.uk or www.raileurope.co.uk.
Travel insurance: Finally, remember to take out travel insurance. Your InterRail pass can be refunded less an admin charge if returned before the first day of validity, but it cannot be refunded or replaced if you lose it!
Here's a list of the countries which participate in InterRail, which operators are covered, what other train or ferry operators give discounts in each country, and what supplements you may have to pay on trains to, in and from each country. Note that where a discount or reduction is offered, travel must be made within the overall validity of the pass, but holders of a flexi InterRail pass don't need to give up a 'flexi day'. So for example, if you bought a 10 days in 22-day InterRail pass, you could buy a DFDS Seaways ferry ticket from the UK to Denmark with the 25% reduction, the ferry must sail after the overall 22 day pass validity has have started, but you don't need to use up any of your 10 flexi days, you can save these until you get on your first train after arriving in Denmark.
Austria InterRail passes are valid on:
OBB (Austrian federal railways)
National trains:
No supplements for InterRail holders to pay on any normal internal train, even Austrian InterCity services.
Overnight trains from Vienna to Bregenz (per person): couchette in 6-bunk compartment 21.90 euro, couchette in 4-bunk compartment 29.90 euro, bed in 3-bed sleeper 49.90 euro, bed in 2-bed sleeper 65 to 79 euro
International trains:
Vienna to Germany by IC or ICE train: No supplement
Vienna to Budapest by InterCity or EuroCity train: No supplement
Vienna to Prague by EuroCity: Small supplement to pay, a few euros.
Vienna to Hamburg or Berlin by overnight train: Couchette in 6-bunk compartment 22 euro, couchette in 4-bunk compartment 30 euro, bed in 3-bed sleeper 50 euro, bed in 2-bed sleeper 65 to 79 euro.
Vienna to Strasbourg by Orient Express: Couchette in 6-bunk compartment 22 euro, couchette in 4-bunk compartment 30 euro, bed in 3-bed sleeper 50 euro, bed in 2-bed sleeper 79 euro.
Vienna to Cologne & Dortmund by CityNightLine hotel train: Reclining seat 9 euro, 6-bunk couchette 19 euro, 4-bunk couchette 29 euro, 4-berth sleeper 39 euro, 2-berth sleeper 49 euro, see www.bahn.de/citynightline.
Belgium
InterRail passes are valid on:
SNCB (Belgian National Railways)
Other InterRail benefits:
InterRail passes give 25% discount on www.superfast.com Scotland-Zeebrugge ferry.
National trains:
No supplements to pay on any normal internal train, even Belgian InterCity trains.
International trains:
Brussels-Amsterdam: No supplement or seat reservation required on the hourly InterCity trains, but a 12 euro passholder fare with compulsory reservation for the high-speed Thalys trains.
Brussels to Cologne: 3 euros supplement for travel on an ICE train or 12 euros passholder fare for travel on Thalys trains, seat reservation compulsory (you can avoid Thalys/ICE by using local trains, changing trains at Aachen).
Brussels to Paris: Thalys trains passholder fare 12 euros, seat reservation compulsory.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
InterRail passes are valid on:
ZFBH/ZRS (Railways of Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Bulgaria
InterRail passes are valid on:
BDZ (Bulgarian State Railways)
Supplements: No information available.
Croatia
InterRail passes are valid on:
HZ (Croatian national railways)
National trains:
A 5 euro supplement is charged for the premier air-conditioned ICN daytime train from Zagreb to Split. 1 euro supplement for InterCity trains Zagreb to Rijeka.
Czech Republic
InterRail passes are valid on:
National trains:
A 7 euro supplement is charged for SuperCity trains.
International trains:
Sleeper and couchette supplements from Prague to Krakow or Warsaw: 9.60 euro per person in 6-bunk couchette, 14 euro in 4-bunk couchette, 15 euro sharing far more comfortable 3-bed sleeper (recommended). You can check Polish sleeper and couchette supplements online at www.wars.pl. The sleeper supplement includes complimentary tea/coffee and croissant. Supplements from Prague to Frankfurt: couchette in 6-bunk compartment 15 euro, bed in 3-bed sleeper about 30 euro.
Denmark
InterRail passes are valid on:
Other InterRail benefits:
25% discount on DFDS Seaways (ferries UK-Denmark, Copenhagen-Oslo overnight ferry)
30% discount on Stena Line ferries (including Frederikshavn-Gothenburg)
50% discount on Color Line ferries (including Frederikshavn-Oslo)
More information on InterRail discounts.
National trains:
No supplements to pay on any normal internal train, including Danish InterCity trains.
International trains:
EuroCity trains from Copenhagen to Hamburg: No supplement.
X2000 125mph trains from Copenhagen to Stockholm or Gothenburg: supplement about 6.60 euro.
Finland
InterRail passes are valid on:
InterRail passes give free travel Stockholm-Turku on Silja Line ferries (cabin berths extra)
InterRail passes also give free travel on Veljekset Salmela bus service Kemi/Tornio-Haparanda (across the top from Sweden into Finland)
Other InterRail benefits:
50% discount on Viking Line ferries Stockholm-Helsinki and Stockholm-Turku.
Up to 30% discount on Superfast Ferries Rostok (Germany) to/from Helsinki.
More information on InterRail ferry & bus discounts.
National trains:
A supplement is charged on InterCity trains: between 2 and 6 euros depending on distance.
A supplement is charged on premier Pendolino tilting trains: between 2 and 12 euros depending on distance.
France
InterRail passes are valid on:
SNCF (French national railways)
Other InterRail benefits:
50% discount on Nice-Digne private railway
50% discount on Corsican Railways
50% discount on SeaFrance Dover-Calais ferries
30% discount on Irish ferries (including direct Ireland-France ferries).
More information on InterRail discounts.
National trains:
There is no supplement to pay on local or regional trains, or basic 'Corail' long distance trains which still operate on a few routes such as Boulogne-Paris.
TGV high-speed trains run on most long distance routes, and seat reservation is compulsory. A supplement is charged which includes the reservation fee, ranging from the basic cost of seat reservation (about 4 euros) to about 27 euro, depending on how 'peak' or 'off-peak' that TGV on that day of the week is.
Seat reservation is also compulsory on the swish 'Corail Téoz' trains on routes such as Paris-Limoges-Toulouse, 4 euros reservation fee.
Overnight trains in France (per person): Couchette in 6-bunk compartment about 20 euro, bed in 2-bed sleeper about 65 euro.
International trains:
To the UK: Eurostar Paris to London: Passholder fare about 70 euro one-way, 140 euro return. The cheapest regular fares are cheaper than the passholder fare, if you are making a return journey and can commit to a particular train in advance.
To Austria: Strasbourg-Vienna by Orient Express: 22 euros for a couchette in a 6-bunk compartment, 30 euros for a couchette in a 4-bunk compartment, 50 euros for a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, 80 euros for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.
To Belgium, Netherlands, Germany: A special passholder fare is charged on Thalys TGV high-speed trains from Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam & Cologne. Paris to Brussels or Amsterdam is about 12 euros. Your pass must cover all the countries travelled through, a higher passholder fare applies for anyone with a pass that covers just one of the countries.
To Switzerland: Special passholder fares are charged on Lyria TGV high-speed trains from Paris to Lausanne, Geneva, Basel, Bern & Zurich: if your pass covers both France and Switzerland, the fare is about 10 euro. If your pass only covers France, the fare is about 35-45 euros.
To Italy: On direct daytime TGV trains Paris-Turin-Milan, a supplement is charged, about 10 euros including seat reservation. A special passholder fare is charged on the Artesia overnight sleeper trains from Paris to Rome/Florence/Milan/Venice for each type of couchette or sleeper, see the passholder fares in the fares tables on the London to Italy page. A lower passholder fare applies if your pass covers both France and Italy, a higher fare is charged if your pass only covers one country.
To Spain: A special passholder fare is charged for the Elipsos overnight trainhotel Paris to Madrid & Paris to Barcelona, for anyone holding a pass covering either France or Spain or both: The passholder fares are shown for each type of sleeper on the London to Spain page. They are also quoted on www.elipsos.com. It's about 60 euros for a bed in a 4-bed sleeper.
To Portugal: (1) There's a small supplement to pay for the TGV Paris to Irun on the Spanish border (maybe 4-10 euros), then (2) a supplement for the overnight Sud Express from Irun to Lisbon: 7 euros in a seat, 27 euros in a couchette, 43 euros for a berth in 3-bed sleeper, 60 euros for a berth in a 2-bed sleeper, 110 euros for a single-bed sleeper.
Germany
InterRail passes are valid on:
DB Deutsche Bahn (German Federal Railways)
Other InterRail benefits:
Up to 30% discount on Rostock-Helsinki ferry (www.superfast.com )
National trains:
There is now no supplement to pay with an InterRail pass on high-speed ICE (InterCityExpress) trains, InterCity, EuroCity, regional or local trains wholly within Germany. A seat reservation must still be made on some 'reservation obligatory' services, for about 4 euros.
Overnight trains within Germany: Couchette in 6-bunk compartment about 15 euro, couchette in 4-bunk compartment about 20 euro, bed in 3-bed sleeper about 45 euro, bed in 2-bed sleeper about 60 euro. If you have an InterRail pass you can make 'reservation only' bookings for overnight trains online at www.bahn.de/citynightline (English button top right) and print out your own reservation in .pdf format.
International trains:
EuroCity trains Hamburg-Copenhagen: No supplement.
No supplement on IC, EC or ICE daytime trains to Amsterdam.
Thalys high-speed trains Cologne-Paris: Special fare about 10 euros.
Overnight trains from Berlin or Hamburg to Vienna (per person): couchette in 6-bunk compartment 21.90 euro, couchette in 4-bunk compartment 29.90 euro, bed in 3-bed sleeper 49.90 euro, bed in 2-bed sleeper 65 to 79 euro.
CityNightLine hotel train from Vienna to Cologne & Dortmund (per person) - reclining seat 10 euro, couchette in 6-bunk compartment 20 euro, 4-bunk couchette 30 euro, berth in 4-berth sleeper 40 euro, berth in 2-berth sleeper 50 euro - see www.bahn.de/citynightline.
Greece
InterRail passes are valid on:
National trains:
InterCity trains (for example Athens -Thessaloniki): supplement 5.30 euro to 18.90 euro depending on distance. Patras-Athens is 6 euros supplement.
InterCity Express trains (e.g. Athens -Thessaloniki): supplement 9.80 euro to 31 euro depending on distance.
Greece-Italy ferries:
InterRail passes give free travel on Blue Star & Superfast (Attica Group) Bari-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Patras, Ancona-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Patras, and on Minoan Lines Venice- or Ancona-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Patras.
InterRail passes provide 'deck class' travel which means a place on the ferry but with no specific seat or berth. There is space under cover on deck to use a sleeping-bag if you have one, and many backpackers do this. Or you can pay extra for a reclining seat or cabin berth. Very helpfully, Minoan Lines give free travel to InterRail flexi pass holders without requiring them to use up a 'flexi day' of travel.
Port taxes (a few euros) must be paid (no port tax on Venice routes).
Supplement for reclining aircraft-style seat: About 16 euros on Superfast Ferries, 12 euro on Blue Star Ferries.
Supplement for cabin berths: 26 to 76 euros, depending on type of cabin.
High season supplement: Superfast and Blue Star charge InterRail holders a summer supplement, about 16-25 euros.
Hungary
InterRail passes are valid on:
MAV (Hungarian State Railways)
National trains:
No supplement to pay for travel on local or regional trains.
A supplement is charged for InterCity Rapid trains (2 euros), for InterCity trains (2 euros) & InterPici trains (0.50 euros).
International trains:
No supplement to pay on Vienna-Budapest EuroCity or InterCity trains.
A supplement is charged for other international journeys by EuroCity train, maybe 2-4 euros.
Ireland
InterRail passes are valid on:
IE (Ironrod Eirean, Irish republic railways)
Other InterRail benefits:
30% discount on Stena Line Ireland-UK ferries
30% discount on Irish Ferries Ireland-UK & Ireland-France ferries
National trains:
No supplement to pay on any internal trains.
International trains:
No supplement on the Enterprise Dublin-Belfast trains.
Italy
InterRail passes are valid on:
FS/Trenitalia (Italian State Railways)
National trains:
No supplement to pay on purely local or InterRegional trains.
InterCity & InterCity Plus trains: supplement about 5 euros per journey. Seat reservation usually optional.
Eurostar Italia high speed trains: Supplement 15-20 euros per journey, including compulsory seat reservation.
You can calculate the InterCity and Eurostar Italia supplements using www.trenitalia.com and comparing the fare for an InterRegional service for your journey with the fare for an InterCity or Eurostar Italia train. The supplement is the difference between these fares.
InterRail is not valid on the local Circumvesuviana Railway Naples-Pompeii-Sorrento.
International trains:
Cisalpino daytime trains Milan or Venice to Switzerland: supplement 8 euros.
Special passholder fares are charged on Artesia overnight and daytime trains Italy to Paris (a lower passholder fare is charged if your InterRail covers both France and Italy, a higher fare is charged if it only covers one country). The passholder fares for the overnight trains are shown for each type of couchette and sleeper on the London to Italy page.
Paris to Milan on daytime TGV: 6 euros if your InterRail covers both countries, 75 euros if it only covers one country.
Italy-Greece ferries:
InterRail passes give free travel on Blue Star & Superfast (Attica Group) Bari-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Patras, Ancona-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Patras, and on Minoan Lines Venice- or Ancona-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Patras.
InterRail passes provide 'deck class' travel which means a place on the ferry but with no specific seat or berth. There is space under cover on deck to use a sleeping-bag if you have one, and many backpackers do this. Or you can pay extra for a reclining seat or cabin berth. Very helpfully, Minoan Lines give free travel to InterRail flexi pass holders without requiring them to use up a 'flexi day' of travel.
Port taxes (a few euros) must be paid (no port tax on Venice routes).
Supplement for reclining aircraft-style seat: About 16 euros on Superfast Ferries, 12 euro on Blue Star Ferries.
Supplement for cabin berths: 26 to 76 euros, depending on type of cabin.
High season supplement: Superfast and Blue Star charge InterRail holders a summer supplement, about 16-25 euros.
Luxembourg
InterRail passes are valid on:
CFL (Luxembourg State Railways)
Other InterRail benefits:
An InterRail pass gives free travel on buses run by CFL
National trains:
No supplements to pay on any normal internal train.
Macedonia
InterRail passes are valid on:
CFARYM (Macedonian Railways)
Supplements: No information available.
Montenegro
InterRail passes are valid on:
ZCG (Railways of Montenegro)
Supplements: No information available.
Netherlands
InterRail passes are valid on:
NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, Dutch national railways)
An InterRail pass also gives free travel on these private local train operators: Veolia, Syntus, Noordnet, Arriva.
Other benefits:
30% reduction on Harwich-Hoek ferries with Stena Line.
25% reduction on Amsterdam-Newcastle overnight ferry with DFDS Seaways.
More information on InterRail ferry discounts
National trains:
No supplement to pay on any Dutch internal train, no seat reservations required or even possible on internal trains.
International trains:
There is no supplement to pay on the regular hourly InterCity trains from Amsterdam, Den Haag & Rotterdam to Antwerp & Brussels. Seat reservation is unnecessary and not even possible on these trains, you turn up and hop on, show your InterRail when asked.
Thalys high-speed trains Amsterdam & Rotterdam to Antwerp, Brussels & Paris: Special passholder fares are charged, about 12 euros with InterRail pass, seat reservation compulsory.
No supplement necessary on IC, EC or ICE trains from Amsterdam to Germany.
CityNightLine overnight sleeper trains from Amsterdam to Zurich, Munich, Vienna (per person): Reclining seat 9 euro, couchette in 6-bunk couchette 19 euros, couchette in 4-bunk couchette 29 euro, berth in 4-berth sleeper 39 euro, berth in 2-berth sleeper 49 euro, see www.bahn.de/citynightline. If you have an InterRail pass you can make 'reservation only' bookings to go with your pass online at www.bahn.de/citynightline and print out your own supplement/reservation in .pdf format.
Amsterdam-Berlin InterCity trains: supplement about 3 euro.
Amsterdam-Cologne-Frankfurt ICE (InterCityExpress) trains: Information not available.
Norway
InterRail passes are valid on:
NSB (Norwegian State Railways)
Other InterRail benefits:
25% discount on UK-Norway ferries with DFDS Seaways.
25% discount on Oslo-Copenhagen overnight ferry with DFDS Seaways.
50% discount on Color Line ferries (including Oslo-Frederikshavn in Denmark)
50% discount on many regional bus services
30% discount on the Flåm Railway.
More information on InterRail ferry discounts
National trains:
No supplements to pay on any normal Norwegian internal train.
Seat reservations optional on long-distance trains, 6 euros per seat.
Poland
InterRail passes are valid on:
National trains:
No supplement to pay for local or regional trains.
InterCity and 'Ex' (Express) trains: supplement between 4 and 6 euros.
International trains:
'Berlin-Warszawa Express' EuroCity trains Berlin-Warsaw: supplement of about 3 euros if your pass covers both Germany and Poland. Special reduced fare charged if your InterRail covers just Germany or just Poland.
Overnight train supplements to/from Poland are very cheap: Krakow-Prague, Krakow-Budapest, Warsaw-Budapest, Warsaw-Berlin: 9.60 euros for a couchette in a 6-bunk couchette, 14 euros for a couchette in a 4-bunk couchette, 15 euros for a bed in a much more comfortable 3-berth sleeper (recommended). You can check Polish sleeper and couchette supplements online at www.wars.pl. The sleeper supplement includes complimentary tea/coffee and croissant.
Portugal
InterRail passes are valid on:
CP (Portuguese national railways)
National trains:
No supplement to pay on local or InterRegional trains.
InterCity trains (for example Lisbon - Faro): supplement about 4 euros, including compulsory seat reservation.
Alfa Pendular fast tilting trains Lisbon - Porto: supplement about 10 euros, including seat reservation.
International trains:
Lisbon-Madrid: Special InterRail fares apply for the 'Lusitania' trainhotel Lisbon-Madrid: Reclining seat 30 euros, bed in 4-berth sleeper 55 euros, bed in 2-berth sleeper 75 euros, 1-berth sleeper 119 euros.
Lisbon-Paris: Supplement for the Sud Express from Lisbon to Hendaye (for TGV to Paris): 7 euros in a seat, 27 euros in a couchette, 43 euros for a berth in 3-bed sleeper, 60 euros for a berth in a 2-bed sleeper, 110 euros for a single-bed sleeper. A small supplement is also payable for the TGV from Hendaye to Paris, maybe 4-10 euros.
Romania
InterRail passes are valid on:
CFR (Romanian National Railways)
National trains:
InterCity trains require a supplement, between 3 to 18 euros depending on distance, and seat reservation is compulsory on all long distance trains.
International trains:
Reservation is compulsory on all international trains from Romania. Couchette supplement Bucharest-Budapest about 10 euros, Bucharest-Istanbul about 6 euro. Sleeper supplement for bed in 3-bed sleeper Bucharest-Budapest about 18 euros, Bucharest-Istanbul about 12 euros.
Serbia
InterRail passes are valid on:
Supplements: No info
Slovakia
InterRail passes are valid on:
ZSR (Slovak Republic Railways)
National trains:
Seat reservation is compulsory on all InterCity and EuroCity trains, supplement 3 euros. SuperCity tilting trains 7 euros supplement.
Slovenia
InterRail passes are valid on:
National trains:
Seat reservation is compulsory on all ICs trains, free in advance or 4.50 euros on board the train.
International trains:
Ljubljana to Venice by EuroCity: Supplement & reservation costs 5 euros in advance, or 8 euros paid on the train.
Ljubljana to Innsbruck or Munich by EuroCity: Supplement & reservation about 5 euros.
Spain
InterRail passes are valid on:
RENFE (Spanish National Railways)
There is no longer any InterRail discount on Trasmediterranea ferries to Ibiza or Majorca, or to Morocco. However, normal fare tickets for these ferries can be booked at the Seat61 Ferry Shop.
National trains:
Rail fares in Spain are very cheap, but if you have an InterRail pass, every Spanish long-distance train requires you to make a reservation and pay a supplement.
AVE and Talgo200 high speed trains (Madrid to Seville, Cordoba, Cadiz, Malaga): Supplement 10 euros in 2nd class or 23 euros 1st class with 1st class pass (includes meal in 1st class).
EuroMed (Barcelona-Valencia-Alicante), Alvia (Madrid-Barcelona), Alaris (Madrid-Valencia), Altaria (e.g. Madrid-Algeciras) trains: 6.50 euros supplement in 2nd class or 23 euros in 1st class with a 1st class pass (includes meal in 1st class).
Most other long distance trains (Talgo, Arco) charge a supplement, about 6 euros in 2nd class or 10 euros for 1st class travel with a 1st class pass.
Normal Estrella overnight trains: seat 3 euros, 6-bunk couchette 9 euros, 2-berth sleeper 24 euros, 1-berth sleeper 48 euros.
Trenhotel overnight trains: reclining seat 3 euros, 4-berth sleeper 24 euros, 2-berth sleeper 43 euros, 1-berth sleeper 83 euros.
InterRail passes are not valid on regional train operators www.euskotren.es and www.feve.es.
International trains:
Special passholder fares are charged for the 'Elipsos' overnight hotel trains Madrid to Paris, Barcelona to Paris, Barcelona to Switzerland, Barcelona to Italy to anyone holding a pass covering at least one of the countries travelled through: See the fares shown on the London to Spain page or see www.elipsos.com.
A supplement is charged for the two daily Barcelona to Narbonne/Montpellier international 'Talgo' trains: 16 euros with InterRail passes.
Special passholder fare for 'Lusitania' trainhotel Lisbon-Madrid with an InterRail pass: Seat 30 euros, 4-berth sleeper 55 euros, 2-berth sleeper 75 euros, 1-berth sleeper 119 euros.
Sweden
InterRail passes are valid on:
SJ (Swedish national railways) which runs most Swedish mainline trains.
Connex (part of Veolia Group, it operates the sleeper trains from Stockholm & Gothenburg up to the north of Sweden)
Free travel on Arlanda Express airport rail link.
Free travel on the Inlandsbanen private local railway.
Free travel on Silja Line ferries Stockholm-Turku (for train to Helsinki). Cabin berths extra.
Free travel on Veljekset Salmela bus service Kemi/Tornio-haparanda (across the top from Sweden into Finland)
Other InterRail benefits:
50% discount on Viking Line ferries Stockholm-Helsinki and Stockholm-Turku.
30% discount on Stena Line ferries (including Gothenburg-Frederikshavn in Denmark)
More information on InterRail ferry discounts
National trains:
A supplement is charged for travel on 125mph X2000 tilting trains (for example, Stockholm to Gothenburg or Malmö): about 7 euros in 2nd class or 17 euros in 1st class with 1st class pass (includes light meal in 1st class).
Night train supplements within Sweden (per person): Seat 3 euros, couchette in 6-bunk compartments 10 euros, bed in 3-bed sleeper 16 euros, bed in 2-bed sleeper 30 euros.
International trains:
Stockholm to Copenhagen by X2000: about 7 euros supplement.
Switzerland
InterRail passes are valid on:
SBB Swiss Federal Railways (which runs most inter-city main lines)
InterRail passes are also valid on these private railways:
BLS Bern-Lotschberg-Simplon (which runs the main Bern-Interlaken-Brig line)
FART Ferrovie Autolinee Regionall Ticinesi
MOB Montreux Oberland Bernois
RhB Rhatische Bahn (Chur-Davos/St Moritz)
SOB Sudostbahn
SOB-bt Bodensee Toggenburg Bahn
SSIF Societa Subalpina di Imprese Ferroviarie
THURBO Mittelthrugau Bahn
Other InterRail benefits:
50% discount on many other private railways and bus services, though only for those under 26 on some routes. Complete list of buses and private railways giving discounts.
National trains:
Using an InterRail pass in Switzerland is easy, as there are no supplements to pay on any normal internal Swiss train, including Swiss InterCity trains. There's no supplement to pay when using German ICE trains or French TGV trains for journeys wholly within Switzerland. Reservation is required and a supplement (CHF10-20) is payable on one or two narrow-gauge panoramic trains, such as the famous Glacier Express from Zermatt to St Moritz, Bernina Express from Chur & St Moritz to Tirano or Golden Pass Panoramic trains from Montreux to Zweissimmen.
International trains:
Cisalpino tilting daytime trains from Swiss cities to Milan & Venice: Supplement 8 euros.
EuroCity trains from Zurich to Innsbruck, Salzburg & Vienna: No supplement required.
