I am a 70 year Interailer and have been doing month hols with the Global Pass for over 5 years. A couple of tips that you did not cover, 1. Buy the ticket when there is a sale on usually at the turn of the year. 2. Plan your holiday not at the peak of the summer. 3. Factor in the trip from your home station in the uk to your uk port of departure and uk port of arrival. Which is covered by the ticket. 4. Try and stay outside of the city you want to stay in, it could be the suburbs or a small town and use the train as a taxi into the city. Will save you a fortune in accommodation costs and see the real place. This really brought the cost of accommodation down. Let’s hope brexit does not screw this ticket up.
@@icdgyixifyinstereo IR /EU rail HQ is located in The Netherlands. We have now lost access to the cheaper EU rail pass administered from there Dutch office for EU citizens. Do you not remember when the uk rail industry tried to remove the pass sold to uk citizens that allowed the pass to be used to travel to the port of exit and entry on return. Also to remove pass travel for EU citizens inside the uk Did you know that US citizens can buy a rail travel pass for the uk cheaper than what uk citizens can!!!!
Or in short: Take the option with few travel days. You want to travel at maximum every fourth day, otherwise it's just far to exhausting. And it shouldn't be as a vacation;)
Great video, I did a Eurail Global pass first class for 30 consecutive days. I went on 75 trains, so I got my money's worth. It was great you pointed out that certain countries require a reservation fee. I had to on high speed in Italy and also on a TGV I took from Germany to Paris. The other countries I went to Germany, Switzerland and Austria didn't require extra fees. Good video, thanks
I love and hate Europe. I was fascinated by the stunning scenery and rich history, but I was overwhelmed by the high cost. I think trainpal's discount coupon saved me.
That's a generalisation which isn't always true. I recently did Milan-Bari using one of my Interrail travel days (cost €43) plus a €12 seat reservation, making €55. A separate ticket for that journey would have been over €100.
@@icdgyixifyinstereo Your point about advance tickets being cheaper completely misses the point that part of the fun of Interrail is being able to have flexibility so that if you like a place you can decide to stay another day etc. Yes, you have to buy seat reservations in Italy for Frecciarossa trains, but they are transferrable between trains at no cost subject to availability, even on the day of departure. I recently completed a three-week Interrail trip and apart from my Eurostar reservations, I planned everything on a day to day basis. Great fun - but insecure people who will only leave the house with advance reservations never experience that feeling of freedom.
@@Clivestravelandtrains In some countries, that is true. But in Italy, an Inter-railer would have to make a reservation in advance as seats on the trains are limited. So your claim of flexibility may work in Germany but Italy, France and Spain are not Inter Rail friendly.
we are a senior couple and had calculated the economic disadvantages of Interrail global passes vs normal tickets while buying them at their face value. so on the occasion of their 75Th anniversary when the company announced a 50 % discount running for 5 days, we grabbed Interrail 3 months 1st class continuous global pass without any further thought or hesitation.now we plan to use them for about 71 days out of total 91 days which includes 5 night trains and still it would be quite economical after paying for reservations.
Great detailed sharing! thank you for your dedication 😍I also saw a discount on trainpal for buying EU train tickets on another channel, anyone who needs it can contact me for the code😃
A couple of other tips. 1. Keep an eye out for Interrail special offers. There are plenty. 2. If you find you';ve got a few unused days on your pass, think of some way to use them. Take a side-trip to Lisbon, say. It won't cost you anything at all.
Since I was (55 then, travelled after a major surgery when 53, had myself muster the courage to go solo to Europe because life is too short, though I'm a seasoned traveller to Asia, US, UK) only given 15 days Schengen visa duration for 3 countries, I utilized buying from a site that sold DB Bahn tickets since my routing was Munich-Salzburg on 6th day travelled to Salzburg; after 5 days travelled to Munich from Salzburg to board the DB Bahn motorcoach to Prague. Likewise, I already booked and confirmed cheaper rates nice hotels with filling breakfasts. My train tickets also included the one station travel from Munich Hauftbanhof to Huckerbrüke station where there is the coach terminal heading to various cities like Zurich, etc. In all routes I paid less than $180. I learned first time that in a day, there are various rates like $21, $65, $120, the only difference was the higher costing tickets can be changed. But I have no need to do that because my ensuing hotel accommodations were already waiting for me. I cannot afford to have a changeable mind since I was maximizing my visa duration. Also, I already have arranged and pre-paid local tours before I left for Europe. Like while in Munich, I booked a tour to Neuschwanstein Castle but turned out there were 2 additional places to see (free) like Oberramagau, & Linderhof Castle, & another day for a tour to see Dachau Concentration Camp (both tours have transportation back & forth to Munich with guides). In Salzburg, I had the Sound of Music Tour, then on my own explored the Old Town, birthplace building of Mozart right in the commercial complex area, Hohenzalsburg Castle, etc. In Prague, learned the Tram routes, where to buy tram tickets-required to validate per ride, cheaper I got a Day Pass, and went from Old Town to New Town. The trip waa a success, I all saw what I aimed to see, & bought souvenirs for family & officemates cheaply. Only needed were advanced researched, planned well, and actual trip is the acid-test of my efforts. Knowledge is power! And re-deposited my allowances to the Bank upon return because I never made a wrong ride or got lost even if that was my first on own arrangement European trip. Information abounds in Google!
Good film, but you never mentioned it's also cheaper for us over-60s. Also, I personally found First Class good value as it's usually only 25% dearer than second class. Admittedly not all trains have first class, but those that do are good.
This is exactly what I wanted to know. I’m planning an interrailing trip with my partner next year but didn’t know the cheapest way! I have got so much more planning to do than I realised. This was so interesting to see the set days being cheaper. Did you have to pay extra for the flix buses you used? Also, are you allowed on trains you didn’t reserve a seat for? The website gave the impression you HAD to reserve a seat (I think I’d risk it for shorter ones and potentially have to stand).
No worries! We did have to pay extra for the Flixbuses, but they’re pretty good value. You do need to reserve a seat for the high speed trains and other routes which are in high demand. The interrail app will show you if a journey you’re planning requires a reservation. Hope that helps 😊
Hi Laura and Luk I know that Euro and Inter rail passes are extremely popular , but they are definitely not cheap, especially if you are on a budget. I will reveal tips and tricks to you. From my experience, traveling by train is significantly cheaper if you don't take Rail passes. If you take a Rail pass for it, it will cost you a lot of money, several hundred euros for each Rail pass, and you must also buy and pay extra for each reservation for every train marked IC, EC, NC, NJ and similar. The only advantage of the rail pass is mobility. Since I plan my trips several months in advance, I prefer to give up that mobility and save money, I take individual fixed train tickets for seat second class with reservation for each train, which are much cheaper. Of course you have to buy them several months (4 or 3 for my exprience, 4 is better) in advance, because as the date approaches, the occupancy of the train increases and the price of the ticket increases. Another little trick is to plan travel on weekdays from Monday to Thursday, because tickets for train those days are often much cheaper than on Friday and weekends. When added up, you will save a minimum of 100 euros probably even more. This is significant if you are on a budget.
From Canada, I was in Europe in the 1970's and learned about Eurorail. I thought that one important point is that if you buy a Eurorail pass in your country of origin, you pay a lot less than if buy the same pass when you arrive in Europe?
I have been using it since 75. The price depends on the country, but today the cheapest option is ordering online and getting the paperless version for your smartphone. It is delivered free by email.
Hi. Thanks for the info. Could you advise which travel pass we should buy if we are traveling for 17 days within and from Paris to Switzerland, Munich, and Prague and finally going to the UK
Thanks for the tips. We are planning to travel to London - Paris, Spain, Switzerland & Italy in Dec. We have 2 youth and 3 adults travelling. We are planing to take the Euro Rail travelling from London to Paris, Barcelona to Geneva, Glacier Express to visit Switzerland, Zurich to Milan, then Florence n finally Rome. Do you think it will be worth for 10 days travel days in 1 month Eurail pass? Also is there a sleeper class train from Barcelona to Geneva ? Thanks
So the trains do not seem to go into Lisbon from Arles France. It seems my Eurail pass is useless. Should I books a seat on Flixbus? Thank you for your help!❤
Hi can you guide me , I need to London to Paris and Paris to Rome , Rome to Venice , and to Melan In 12 days in August can I buy train ticket for 15 days
Would you recommend EUrail for someone who wants to use rail travel as a substitute for a one-way flight? Not necessarily to cut down costs, or even travel greener - I'm just an avid train enthusiast.
We would only recommend if you plan to take enough trains to get your moneys worth, otherwise it would be cheaper and simple enough to buy tickets as you go
Thanks Sav 1Up we went to france, brussells, germany, czech poland, hungary, Croatia, italy. Loved every single place they were all so unique and different 😁 highlights are Krakow, train from zagreb to split and Tuscany in Italy
Ever you have purchase the 15 travel days in 2 months pass, do you still need to purchase and reserve seat when in advance? like travel from Venice to interlaken? or travel from Florence to Venice?
Hi Jerry. The rules do change from journey to journey. You should download the "interrail rail planner" app which will tell you if you need an "an additional reservation". We have checked Florence to Venice and it would appear that along with the 15 day ticket, you would also need to pay for a seat reservation for your train.
Every day you use the pass counts as a travel day, irrespective of the distance or the number of trips you take on that day. I prefer the continuous passes because in most places you can use the local trains to visit interesting places nearby, or like in Germany and Austria you can use the pass on the S Bahn, which is a train covering the major cities and surrounding areas like a local bus or metro, on which the pass is not valid. Also, you can have a paperless version of the pass (slightly cheaper because you do not pay for delivery and insurance) which you load onto your smartphone and the ticket inspector just scans it.
Hi Stario! Yes you’re right, the Interrail Pass can only be used by European citizens. However, non-European citizens can use the Eurail Pass instead, which can be found at Eurail.com 😀 More info can be found here: www.interrail.eu/en/support/interested-in-interrailing/do-i-need-an-interrail-or-eurail-pass
Great tips! We're turning 28 on our eurail trip! Do they check ages/eligibility for a youth ticket each trip or if we buy it while we're 27 would that be ok?
Hi James! Glad you enjoyed the video :-) Good news, according to the Eurail website; "If you're 28 or older on the first day your Eurail Pass is valid, you'll need to order an Adult Pass." Presuming that you don't turn 28 on the first day of your trip, then you will be ok with the Youth ticket. Enjoy the trip, and we hope you have amazing birthdays! 😊
Hi trekking pals! We visited 10 different countries in our 2 months in Europe (France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Montenegro, and Italy). We also stayed in a number of different cities/towns within some of those countries too. Absolutely loved it! So much yummy food, sunshine and train rides 😍
I have used flexbus from amsterdam to Luxembourg in the summer holiday last year. You get what you pay for. It was only 25 euros and a 6 hour ride. I loved it. We could both sleep & had good wifi. But some kids puked on the toilet, so the last 2,5 hours I kept my pee in :). But besides that, it's great and cheap in my opinion! :) I recommend it to family and friends.
Most of the bus companies in the countries are in the interrail pas, so are some boats for short trips. You can look the companies for busses and botes up on the site
I rented a car in Calais France and drove south along western France, across northern Spain, south through western Portugal, across southern Spain and France, down the west coast of Italy across the Amalfi coast to the eastern coast of Italy then took a car ferry to Greece and drove to Athens. Then back to to western Greece, took the ferry back to Italy and drove up the east coast to Venice. then drove west across northern Italy and crossed into France going over Mount Blanc. Took a quick trip into Switzerland to Geneva that back across the border and up to Paris. Then onto Brugge Belgium and then to Amsterdam than back to Calais to return car. In total 10775 km in 4 weeks. Now that's a road trip.
549 pounds! You're better off finding deals on plane tickets. You could do at least 7 countries by plane with handluggage. I payed amsterdam to Prague 15 euro's last year. Flying is super cheap! My train journey to Amsterdam cost more than the plane to Prague. Avoid July tho. Best option is to combinate flying and the train.
True but the thing is you will enjoy the view traveling through empty nature and cities.. the middle of cities intsted of planes.. Checkout before an hour or 2.. For long periods.. I think trains are more exciting which kinda worth it somehow.. Sometimes.
