How to plan an Interrail trip

One of the things I often get asked is how to plan an interrail trip. The prospect of it to begin with can be quite daunting, particularly if this is something you have never done before! I thought it was about time that I put together a small guide for helping people plan their perfect European getaway – sometimes you just can’t beat it!

When first thinking how to plan an interrail trip, the first thing you absolutely need to do is to determine the date, duration and return of your adventure. Interrail offers a host of packages designed to satisfy most itineraries, with passes ranging from a One Country Pass to a Global Pass (the latter of which covers 33 countries) if you choose to self-organize. Alternatively you can (at a hefty price) purchase a tailor-made Interrail Pass package where accommodation, seat reservations and discounts on attractions are included which makes life so much easier for those who might be prefer a more carefree (and organized) approach to travelling around the Interrail network. However, where would the fun be in that and, to be honest, if you fancied that you wouldn’t be reading this post!

Interrail state that the 7 days in 1 month Pass is the most popular, but I have found that the 10 days in 2 months (used to be 10 days in 1 month) allows for a greater choice of ‘circular’ tours starting from either Paris or Brussels. You can now, if you wish, use the Interrail Pass on the Eurostar service, subject to booking a seat reservation in advance and paying a booking fee of €30 in Standard for 2^nd class pass holders or €38 in Standard for 1^st class pass holders. If you want more information, you can find it here.

The range of Interrail Passes, plus a comprehensive source of other valuable information regarding travel around Europe, including Recommended Routes, Destinations in Europe, City-Guides and ’24 hours in’ guides, can be found on the Interrail Home site. I’ve also written plenty of posts from my own interrail trips, which if you’re interested, you can find here.

An illustration drawn by yours truly of one of our trips

So, having decided to explore Europe, it is useful to have an idea of a route and cities along the way that you would like to visit, or simply use as a base for further excursions into the countryside. Another idea is to break the journey; we did this last year from our journey from Prague to Warsaw as the train journey was just a bit too long. Remember that a travel day lasts 24 hours from midnight to midnight so a pause from time to time may also be necessary!

Traditionally, I have opted to travel mornings and arrive in my destination around about lunchtime, ready to check-in to my chosen accommodation, freshen-up and then start to explore my surroundings. This occasionally means an early start, but it does mean you get a good half-day to familiarise yourself with the local transport system and begin the process of investigating all that the local area has to offer. It also gives you an opportunity to begin identifying where the main tourist sites are (for the first-time visitor) or to head a little off the beaten track to find those hidden gems that every city has.

I have also found that some research beforehand often dictates how long I spend in a place and offers a rough guide to which sights I visit, packing in as much as I can in the time available (often limited to a day or two). Internet sites such as TripAdvisor, Visitacity, Lonely Planet and Inyourpocket can provide valuable information on what to see and what to do but local Bloggers often provide an alternative to the well-trodden tourist routes; the more homework you do the better! You can also easily access city-centre maps on the internet and get approximate distances (and public transport links) using Google maps. With this done, you have completed your first part of the plan to a perfect interrail trip!

How to construct an itinerary

A few years ago I decided to use my Interrail ticket to explore a little of Scandinavia, so, based on starting in Brussels I used the Deutsche Bahn website to access train times. Deutsche Bahn accesses most, if not all, of the national rail franchises across Europe and is often my first port-of-call when constructing my planned trip.

The above plan leaves me 1 day on my Pass which allows me some flexibility and the chance to enjoy a full-day’s excursion from one of my chosen stopping-off places (perhaps, a day trip from Hamburg to Lübeck or Bremen)

All of the journeys are direct (no changes) and by inter-city trains.

Having completed the 10 days of train travel it is then up to you to decide how long you want to stay in each of your chosen destinations. Your Pass, 10 days within 2 months, means just that; 10 days travel in a 2 month period. Therefore you could, if you liked, spend a total of 50 days travelling out and about from those stop-off points and take in the museums, art galleries, excursions around the surrounding countryside and go native. It’s your choice!

If you want to read more about my Interrail trip to Scandinavia, you can find all my posts here.

How to book the hotels / accommodation

From experience it is always a bonus if you can find accommodation near the station as it means the journey from hotel to your departure point is not dependent upon traffic, connections or weather. In most cities there is a good choice of accommodation within walking distance (500m) of the main station.

The booking sites found on the internet are a valuable source of information but do shop around and do not necessarily ‘grab’ the first good offer that comes around. Be aware also that a lot of these sites are ‘connected’ and do track your enquiries. Plan well ahead, always check out the individual hotel’s website (although, surprisingly, can be more expensive) and think about signing up to one or two of the loyalty schemes associated with the various hotel groups. The Accor loyalty scheme (Le Club AccorHotels) offers up to 10% extra off for members and also has reductions for early bookings and occasionally flash-sales. Accor hotels offer a wide range of accommodation from ibis Budget through Mercure and Novotel to high-end establishments under the banner Pullman, MGallery and Sofitel. Other hotel groups offer similar rewards to their regular customers.

How to book seat reservations

If you are travelling long distances across Europe by train it is advisable to ensure you have a seat reserved for your peace of mind and for your weary legs. Many of the fast trains require compulsory reservations when travelling with an Interrail Pass, so in that sense it is a must when making a plan for your interrail trip.

In many cases, the national carrier will offer, on its website, an opportunity to secure seat reservations prior to travel so plan ahead. Each carrier has different rules, prices and availability so if you want to be ahead of the game familiarise yourself with the Deutsche Bahn (for travel in Germany), Oui.SNCF (for travel in France), Trenitalia (for travel in Italy), Renfe (for travel in Spain) or use the Seat Reservation service offered by Interrail.

Note, one or two national carriers, for example PKP (for travel in Poland) does not currently offer this service.

When using the Interrail Pass it is also important to know that on certain fast train services such as the TGV in France there is a limit on the number of seats reserved for Pass holders and these can sell out very quickly.

Also, some of the fast trains in Italy and Poland for example are run by ‘private’ companies and bookings and seat reservations are handled outside of the main carrier portal.

Seat reservations costs vary, for example, Deutsche Bahn charge € 4 per person for a fixed, single journey (and can be bought up to 6 months in advance), ÖBB (Austrian railways) € 3 per person, TGV (French railways) between € 10-20, Frecciabianca and Frecciargento (Italian railways) € 10, so include such costs in your travel budget. (TGV and Italian trains normally offer seat reservations from 3 months prior to the date of travel).

See here for more details and more countries.

Over to You!

Having covered the essentials, all that’s left is for you to decide where it is you want to go, how long you want to go for and what you want to see along the way. You can save yourself some long journeys by flying to your start point and/ or flying home from your most distant point, if you don’t want to plan a ‘circular’ tour. With an Interrail Pass you have endless options and can design your trip as tightly or as loosely as you wish.

So, start dreaming, planning, budgeting (a Travel Money Card is a useful purchase beforehand) and then let the train take you where it will (the Interrail Pass also allows travel on some of the ferries which get you to the islands.

I really hope that this has helped to show you how to plan an interrail trip, and just how easy it really is! Enjoy the experience of carefree travel around the European rail network, benefit from real value-for-money and immerse yourself in the cultural side of Europe. A final top tip; engage with your fellow travellers and exchange experiences as you traverse the beautiful countryside as, more often than not, they would rather chat as they travel as the vast majority of Europeans can speak English and are only too eager to improve their language skills so dive in and make some new friends; they could show you some real highlights!

My Travel Tips and Recommendations

Flights

My usual go-to for booking flights is Skyscanner, the flight search engine. What I love about Skycanner is that you have various options depending on your situation. If you know where you want to go it’s easy – all you need is to search for your destination and dates, and you are provided with all flight options to choose from. If you haven’t decided on your next trip yet, you can use the Everywhere tool for inspiration and to find the cheapest places to fly to.

Accommodation

Whenever I plan my travels Booking.com is my best friend. The website is super easy to use and provides a whole range of accommodation from fancy resorts to budget hotels. Jack and I also regularly use Airbnb – in particular, for staycations in the UK.

Things I can’t travel without

As a travel blogger and keen photographer I never travel without my trusty technology. Always packed are my

Canon EOS M3
GoPro Hero5 Black
I’m also saving for a DJI Mavic Pro

Travel Insurance

It is so important to be prepared for all possibilities when travelling and you simply shouldn’t travel without insurance. When looking for cover I would personally recommend World Nomads or the Post Office – both are affordable and certainly won’t break the bank.

How to plan an Interrail trip