Interrail Passes

[D6130]

Interrail works on residency not on citizenship, and the UK is still considered as a Interrail country (which is logical as using a Eurail pass would allow you unlimited days in the UK)

https://www.interrail.eu/content/dam/_new-structure/doc/terms/Pass%20Conditions%20of%20Use%20(updated%2030%20October%202025).pdf

Thanks!

 

[rvdborgt]

I've just been having a look at the Interrail website, with a view to buying first class passes for me and my wife for a trip from Yorkshire to Italy, stopping off in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Austria next April. It clearly states that Interrail passes are only available to citizens of EU countries and that citizens of non-EU countries must purchase Eurail passes instead.

Could you please mention the URL where you saw that? It's clearly incorrect, so when we know the URL it can be corrected.
Whether a country is in the EU or not is irrelevant for Interrail. Interrail is even from before the UK joined (the predecessor of) the EU. There are also many other non-EU countries whose inhabitants have to use Interrail.

 

[mad_rich]

I've just been having a look at the Interrail website, with a view to buying first class passes for me and my wife for a trip from Yorkshire to Italy, stopping off in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Austria next April. It clearly states that Interrail passes are only available to citizens of EU countries and that citizens of non-EU countries must purchase Eurail passes instead. Does this apply to UK citizens....or do we still have some kind of exemption?

That's wrong. Interrail is for European* residents - nothing to do with EU or non-EU. If there's somewhere on the Interrail or Eurail website which states otherwise (which wouldn't surprise me - there's a lot of duff information on there!) please point it out to them so they can correct it.

* Including Iceland, Russia, and even a few North African countries, I believe.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Dec 2025 ==

Pricing airport stations as 1st only seems italian, similar at Malpensa. I wouldn’t be surprised if the new Venice Marco Polo will be the same.


And Frecciarossa Executive is so ‘far beyond first’ (seats, menu, … have a look if you don’t already own know) that none of us would expect it to be on a pass. Italo (not Interrail) and Iryo (maybe) have a 2+1 class and a ‘plus extras’ with lounges and maybe food included. It’s a commercial decision. If it was mine, on the kind of revenue they probably get from an Interrail 1st pass, I would not include the extras. Renfe is Renfe, everything is a supplement. Premium (lounges, meal) is a fixed supplement on any Elige Confort fare, if you want it on Interrail you can pay the extra. Premium is per-seat, not a separate coach.

At the end of the day, long distance rail is supposed to be commercial in europe nowadays so it’s up to the operator. Let’s be grateful Avanti give us 1st and not Standard Premium and ÖBB let us use their lounge, it might not last.

Oh yeah, I wouldn't expect Executivo on the Frecciarossa (I took it between Lyon and Paris, and was very impressed).

And there will always be quirks. But my preference would be that passholders should at leat be entitled to 'Regular First Class', and have the opportunity to buy up to whatever the premium version is, like on ÖBB or Renfe. On Iryo, I believe you can't upgrade. I don't know about TGV Business Première - I assume not.

I can't see Avanti shifting people down to Standard Premium - it would be too much effort for them.

 

[Wandering Pom]

Maybe on this page? https://www.interrail.eu/en/interrail-passes/what-is-interrail - in the "Who can travel with Interrail?" section. But that states "European citizens", not "EU citizens".

I've tried a Google search on the whole https://www.interrail.eu site, and it can't find the phrase "EU citizens" anywhere.

 

[30907]

I've just been having a look at the Interrail website, with a view to buying first class passes for me and my wife for a trip from Yorkshire to Italy, stopping off in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Austria next April. It clearly states that Interrail passes are only available to citizens of EU countries and that citizens of non-EU countries must purchase Eurail passes instead. Does this apply to UK citizens....or do we still have some kind of exemption?

Phrased differently here
https://www.interrail.eu/en/interrail-passes

Interrail Passes are for you if you’re a resident of a European country (including non-EU members). If not, you can travel with a Eurail Pass.

There are (still) several non-EU countries involved, of which Norway and Switzerland are the most obvious

 

[mad_rich]

There are nearly as many non-EU Interrail countries as there are EU member states

 

[D6130]

Could you please mention the URL where you saw that? It's clearly incorrect, so when we know the URL it can be corrected.
Whether a country is in the EU or not is irrelevant for Interrail. Interrail is even from before the UK joined (the predecessor of) the EU. There are also many other non-EU countries whose inhabitants have to use Interrail.

Sorry, I can't do a link from my mobile....but the "How to choose your Interrail Pass" section of the website states - and I quote:

Interrail vs Eurail:​

Your passport determines which pass is right for you:

Interrail Pass: For European citizens and residents with EU passports. (my bold).

Eurail Pass: For international travellers and legal residents outside of Europe.

 

[Wandering Pom]

Sorry, I can't do a link from my mobile....but the "How to choose your Interrail Pass" section of the website states - and I quote:

Interrail vs Eurail:​

Your passport determines which pass is right for you:

Interrail Pass: For European citizens and residents with EU passports. (my bold).

Eurail Pass: For international travellers and legal residents outside of Europe.

Which website are you using?

The official Interrail site is at https://www.interrail.eu/. I've just tried a Google advanced search for both "How to choose your Interrail Pass" and "EU passports" within that site, and it can't find either phrase.

That whole passage does exist on https://www.europe-train-passes.com/interrail/. This appears to be an agency site, run by Headout Inc., a company registered in New York City. It's unsurprising (if disappointing) that they haven't appreciated the distinction between "Europe" and "EU".

 

[mad_rich]

Interrail Pass: For European citizens and residents with EU passports. (my bold).

That is definitely misleading.

 

[D6130]

Which website are you using?

The official Interrail site is at https://www.interrail.eu/. I've just tried a Google advanced search for both "How to choose your Interrail Pass" and "EU passports" within that site, and it can't find either phrase.

That whole passage does exist on https://www.europe-train-passes.com/interrail/. This appears to be an agency site, run by Headout Inc., a company registered in New York City. It's unsurprising (if disappointing) that they haven't appreciated the distinction between "Europe" and "EU".

Err, yes....it would appear that that was the site in question.

 

[scragend]

That whole passage does exist on https://www.europe-train-passes.com/interrail/. This appears to be an agency site, run by Headout Inc., a company registered in New York City. It's unsurprising (if disappointing) that they haven't appreciated the distinction between "Europe" and "EU".

They have an interesting take on "major European railway operators" too.

It connects you with major European railway operators, including SNCF, Hellenic Train, Eurostar, Deutsche Bahn, and Elron, offering a wide range of travel options.

If I had to pick five major European railway operators I wouldn't have put those two in there!

 

[43096]

They have an interesting take on "major European railway operators" too.



If I had to pick five major European railway operators I wouldn't have put those two in there!

I wouldn't put Eurostar in there either.

I'd suggest DB, SNCF, Trenitalia and then pick any two from ÖBB, SBB, ČD, MÁV, Renfe.

 

[nwales58]

There’s now a chance that Google and other summaries will choose europe-train-passes.com as authoritative and quote those 5 as the operators that offer bargain fares anywhere in europe, or maybe only the eu.

 

[peteb]

If you're a UK national with a UK passport but live and work in, say, The Netherlands, which inter-rail pass can/should you buy for a visit to the UK?

I'm thinking, for someone I know in this position, it might be worth them buying a NL global inter-rail pass with one out/back within Benelux, as this would give "unlimited" travel in the UK for the remainder of the validity. But would UK ticket staff question a UK national using a pass like that?

 

[signed]

If you're a UK national with a UK passport but live and work in, say, The Netherlands, which inter-rail pass can/should you buy for a visit to the UK?

I'm thinking, for someone I know in this position, it might be worth them buying a NL global inter-rail pass with one out/back within Benelux, as this would give "unlimited" travel in the UK for the remainder of the validity.

Interrail

Nationality isn't a factor at all as the terms of use read (in #210). The Netherlands is a EU country so Interrail with a residence country of NL is the one to buy.

But would UK ticket staff question a UK national using a pass like that?

Yes, but any UK national would need to hold either a D visa or a residence permit to reside in the EU, which would clear any doubts.

 

[peteb]

Interrail

Nationality isn't a factor at all as the terms of use read (in #210). The Netherlands is a EU country so Interrail with a residence country of NL is the one to buy.


Yes, but any UK national would need to hold either a D visa or a residence permit to reside in the EU, which would clear any doubts.

Ok, thanks, I'll pass your advice on.

 

[scragend]

If you're a UK national with a UK passport but live and work in, say, The Netherlands, which inter-rail pass can/should you buy for a visit to the UK?

I'm thinking, for someone I know in this position, it might be worth them buying a NL global inter-rail pass with one out/back within Benelux, as this would give "unlimited" travel in the UK for the remainder of the validity. But would UK ticket staff question a UK national using a pass like that?

Global passes for residents of the Netherlands come with three outbound/inbound days rather than two. So for the said Dutch-resident UK national that's a pretty good position to be in.

https://www.interrail.eu/en/interrail-passes/what-is-interrail/travel-your-own-country

Also I think (but am happy to be corrected) that those outbound/inbound days only relate to the Netherlands, so it would still be unrestricted in the other Benelux countries.

 

[country_end_37]

If you're a UK national with a UK passport but live and work in, say, The Netherlands, which inter-rail pass can/should you buy for a visit to the UK?

I'm thinking, for someone I know in this position, it might be worth them buying a NL global inter-rail pass with one out/back within Benelux, as this would give "unlimited" travel in the UK for the remainder of the validity. But would UK ticket staff question a UK national using a pass like that?

I'm in this position (UK passport, living in NL). When I needed to do lots of train travel in the UK over a couple of weeks, with one journey outward from NL—UK and one return journey UK—NL, I just bought an Interrail global pass using my Dutch address. No UK rail staff ever asked to see my passport—they have no idea what nationality I am*. But if they had wanted ID, I would have shown my Dutch residence card. I hadn't realised the 3 rather than 2 inbound/outbound days as scragend mentions above at the time (which would have been useful!) although I did notice it in the app on a more recent Interrail journey and wondered why it showed 2/3 used rather than 2/2.

I suppose the extra inbound/outbound days for certain countries make it easier to use sleeper trains, but also it seems plausible that quite a lot of Interrail "grand tour"-type itineraries are likely to involve crossing the "home" country at least once, apart from the initial outbound or final return journey. For example, a Hamburg resident decides to head up into Scandinavia first, then (back through Germany) down into Switzerland.

*In my experience, it's only ever been Swiss train staff who have asked to see my passport with Interrail.

 

[MrJeeves]

I've been asked a few times to show ID with Interrail in the UK, primarily on LNER, but also once on board Avanti, once at an Avanti lounge, and once at a gateline on GTR.

SBB in Switzerland almost always asks me for my passport, and DSB in Denmark usually does too. I don't remember being asked in any other European country.

 

[signed]

SBB is nearly a 100% for me, and SNCF does check sometimes, but it's very random and from my experience, mostly on TER services

 

[rvdborgt]

I'm in this position (UK passport, living in NL). When I needed to do lots of train travel in the UK over a couple of weeks, with one journey outward from NL—UK and one return journey UK—NL, I just bought an Interrail global pass using my Dutch address. No UK rail staff ever asked to see my passport—they have no idea what nationality I am*. But if they had wanted ID, I would have shown my Dutch residence card.

They typically want to see the ID that you used for your Interrail pass, which cannot be a residence card.

I suppose the extra inbound/outbound days for certain countries make it easier to use sleeper trains, but also it seems plausible that quite a lot of Interrail "grand tour"-type itineraries are likely to involve crossing the "home" country at least once, apart from the initial outbound or final return journey. For example, a Hamburg resident decides to head up into Scandinavia first, then (back through Germany) down into Switzerland.

Eurail say: "We are conducting this pilot as a test solution to some commonly experienced travel issues with night trains or when customers live too far from their country's border to make it across within one travel day."
As to the "commonly experienced travel issues with night trains", IMO in many cases, this is merely a workaround for an issue that they have known for several years now.

 

[Segedunum]

I'm currently doing a short Austria trip with a three-day Interrail. The app seems to have descended into a buggy disaster (though the ticket displays just fine).

Using the "departures" function gives all sorts of outcomes such as:

• Showing you a totally different train to the one you selected and sticking to it, no matter what you pick thereafter
• Claiming there are no departures from a station, at random, requiring you to kill the app and start again
• Claiming there are no possible journeys unless you restart the app, when they'll magically appear.

I've not encountered these before, so it makes you wonder what sort of mess is being made in the backend.

 

[D6130]

Does the current Interrail sale also apply to paper passes....or just to the digital version?

 

[rvdborgt]

I'm currently doing a short Austria trip with a three-day Interrail. The app seems to have descended into a buggy disaster (though the ticket displays just fine).

Using the "departures" function gives all sorts of outcomes such as:

• Showing you a totally different train to the one you selected and sticking to it, no matter what you pick thereafter
• Claiming there are no departures from a station, at random, requiring you to kill the app and start again
• Claiming there are no possible journeys unless you restart the app, when they'll magically appear.

I've not encountered these before, so it makes you wonder what sort of mess is being made in the backend.

1. What app version are you using? (Go to More and scroll to the bottom.)
2. Is this in online or in offline mode? (Go to More > Settings and check the status of "Use live updates".)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Dec 2025 ==

Does the current Interrail sale also apply to paper passes....or just to the digital version?

Also to paper passes, but myinterrail.co.uk doesn't seem to take part in this sale at all, so you'll have to buy your pass elsewhere.

 

[D6130]

1. What app version are you using? (Go to More and scroll to the bottom.)
2. Is this in online or in offline mode? (Go to More > Settings and check the status of "Use live updates".)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Dec 2025 ==


Also to paper passes, but myinterrail.co.uk doesn't seem to take part in this sale at all, so you'll have to buy your pass elsewhere.

Thanks. I'm not confident using the digital version from what I've read on here.

 

[rvdborgt]

Thanks. I'm not confident using the digital version from what I've read on here.

As a pass it works fine. You just shouldn't use the Rail Planner app to plan anything.

 

[Segedunum]

1. What app version are you using? (Go to More and scroll to the bottom.)
2. Is this in online or in offline mode? (Go to More > Settings and check the status of "Use live updates".)

Thanks - turning it to offline has fixed the magical disappearing departures.

 

[D6130]

As a pass it works fine. You just shouldn't use the Rail Planner app to plan anything.

Yes.... I've noticed that it's very fond of giving 2/3/4 minute connections! Given the present state of Deutsche Bahn services, how often do the trains from Stuttgart make the connection for Zürich at Schaffhausen?

 

[country_end_37]

They typically want to see the ID that you used for your Interrail pass, which cannot be a residence card.

The Interrail website states "If you're a resident of Europe but not a citizen, we ask for your country of residence when you place an order. This will show on your Interrail Pass, so you will need to bring your official European residency card or document along during your travel," so as far as I understand it, I can show proof of residence rather than my passport.

 

[signed]

Yes.... I've noticed that it's very fond of giving 2/3/4 minute connections! Given the present state of Deutsche Bahn services, how often do the trains from Stuttgart make the connection for Zürich at Schaffhausen?

You can look on https://zugfinder.net

I think it's free to use the connection checker, else I have a pro sub if you would like me to check for you