Explore 30 European countries by rail

The Interrail pass lets you explore Europe by rail visiting 40,000 destinations in 30 countries.

Freedom and flexibility with an Interrail pass

With frequent trains (every 15 minutes on some intercity routes) the Interrail pass gives you the ultimate freedom to explore the continent and unlike air travel, European trains whisk you directly from city centre to city centre so you avoid time wasted in airports. On most rail services you simply hop on without a reservation (although reservations are required for some high-speed and express services) and you can simply show up at a station and take whichever train you fancy.

You can choose the Interrail railpass that best suits you from the Europe-wide unlimited travel pass that lets you travel every single day, to flexi-passes that give you a choice of travel days in a longer travel period to single country passes that let you explore a single country in depth.

You also have access to ferry routes and the Interrail pass now includes travel on the Eurostar from London to Brussels, Lille and Paris.

Where you can travel with an Interrail pass

The Interrail pass covers travel in the following countries:

The two types of Interrail passes are the Global Interrail pass (valid in all countries in the Interrail network) and the Interrail One Country pass (valid in a single country, or three countries in the case of the Benelux pass).

Interrail Global pass

The Interrail Global pass is the most comprehensive of the Interrail railpasses. It gives you unlimited rail travel in all 30 countries in the Interrail network.

The Interrail Global pass works in the following countries:

The following Interrail Global passes are available:

5 travel days in a 15-day period
7 travel days in a one month period
10 travel days in a one month period
15 travel days in a one month period
Unlimited travel in 15 consecutive days
Unlimited travel in 22 consecutive days
Unlimited travel in a one month period

Interrail One Country passes

The Interrail One Country rail passes are ideal if you want to focus on a single country.

The following Interrail One Country rail passes are available:

Interrail One Country passes come in various flavours starting with most One Country passes offering the option of three, four, six or eight travel days within a one-month period. The Interrail One Country passes for Greece and Italy include a One Country Plus pass, which also includes ferry travel to neighbouring countries and the Interrail One Country passes for Italy and Spain include a One Country Premium pass, which includes free seat reservations.

Travel on the Eurostar train is included with the Interrail One Country passes for Benelux, France and Great Britain.

Click the images for more details on individual Interrail One Country passes:

Train seat reservations

The Interrail pass offers unlimited travel on most trains in Europe, but some trains (usually high-speed trains, but also some international night services) require seat reservations. On most routes, there are alternate train services available (usually slower trains) that allow you to reach your destination without paying seat reservation fees.

During peak periods, popular train services may be fully booked so it may make sense to book these well in advance (at least two months in advance on busy routes during summer). Since booking so far in advance takes away the spontaneity offered by the rail pass and also incurs a booking fee, it may be worth checking the cost of buying these tickets separately (tickets booked in advance are often much cheaper than those purchased on the day of travel) saving your travel days for travel on regional trains and countries where fewer trains require seat reservations.

Trains that require seat reservations include the international Thalys plus the French TGV, Spanish AVE and some international ICE rail services. However, domestic ICE high-speed rail services within Germany generally do not require seat reservations.

The easiest way to make seat reservations is either online using the Interrail Trip Planner or with the Interrail Rail Planner app (available for both Apple iPhones and Android phones). Using either this app or the Interrail website, it is also possible to plan your route to avoid trains that require seat reservations.

There is no charge for seat reservations if you have an Interrail Premium pass (available for the Interrail One Country Italy and Spain rail passes).

Who can travel with an Interrail pass?

The Interrail pass is available to European residents (both European citizens and non-Europeans who are legal residents in European countries), but it is not valid for travel in your home country. If you live in one of the following countries you are able to purchase an Interrail pass:

If you live in one of the following countries you are able to purchase an Interrail pass: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia (FYROM), Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom (incl. the Channel Islands) and the Vatican City.

If you’re not sure if you qualify for an Interrail pass you can check here.