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Eurail is now Interrail: Buy a pass at
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Eurail becomes Interrail, 9 September 2026...
For decades, Eurail was the European railpass for visitors from outside Europe, while Interrail was the railpass for those of us resident in Europe.
In recent years, pass types and prices for Interrail and Eurail have converged - some of us guessed what was going to happen!
On 9 September 2026, Eurail and Interrail merged into one European railpass range for EVERYONE, called Interrail.
Passes are managed on behalf of train operators by an organisation based in Utrecht in the Netherlands, originally called Eurail B.V., renamed Interrail B.V. in May 2026 in anticipation of the Big Change in September.
For information about
Interrail passes, hop over to the Interrail page!
Interrail: One pass to rule them all!
It makes a lot of sense: There's now only one range of passes, wherever you live and whatever your nationality. There's no longer a need to maintain two separate websites with virtually identical information, nor do train operators need to split their marketing budget between two differently-named but similar pass ranges.
A Brit resident in Canada and a Canadian resident in Britain no longer need to worry about which pass they qualify for. Nor do a Brit and an Australian wanting to tour Europe together have to worry about differences in the type of pass they must each buy. Now everyone buys Interrail!
Trains, buses, flights or hire car?
Whether you use a pass or buy point-to-point tickets, the train is the best way to tour Europe, relaxed, in comfort, seeing a lot in a short time. It's not just transportation, train travel is part of the European way of life, the journeys are an experience and in some cases a highlight of your trip. An Interrail pass gives you freedom & flexibility, or you can buy cheap point-to-point train tickets by booking in advance, just as you would with a budget airline.
Things to consider
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In Europe, cars and city centres don't mix
Hiring a car is a great way to explore the countryside, but to visit cities such as Paris, Rome, Prague, Barcelona or Budapest, hiring a car is a big mistake. It's not like driving in the States. In overcrowded Europe, driving on busy motorways is tedious. European cities are congested, parking non-existent or expensive. There may be fines for entering traffic-free zones. Some car hire companies won't let their cars cross borders, others charge prohibitive fees for one-way cross-border rentals.
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A 1-hour flight takes 4 hours
With the bus or train to the airport, 2-hour check-in, flight, more airport hassle then another bus, train or taxi into town, a 1-hour flight takes 4 hours. And you miss out on the experience: The train lets you chill out, read, chat, work, meet people and experience Europe - it can even be a highlight of your trip. If you fly you must factor in the extra cost of airport transfers & baggage fees. And short-haul flights cause disproportionate environmental damage.
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Long distance buses are usually the poor person's choice
Buses travel on ugly motorways which spoil the scenery they pass through. A 3-hour train ride at 300 km/h (186 mph) with hourly departures might be an 8-hour endurance test by bus with 2 departures per day. You're stuck in a bus seat, no restaurant or cafe-bar and at night you sleep slumped in a seat. Unlike trains, you may not be allowed to bring your own food & drink, let alone alcohol such as a nice beer or glass of wine. Avoid!
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Relax by train, city centre to city centre
The rail network covers almost every town & city, with a range of departures every day. Trains run at up to 320 km/h (199 mph), faster than flying for journeys such as London to Paris (2h20), Paris to Amsterdam (3h20), Paris to Geneva (3h05), Barcelona to Madrid (2h30) or Rome to Venice (3h45). Even Paris-Barcelona (6h30) is better by train, with great scenery compared to 5 hours of RER train, airport, flight, airport, then metro. Sleeper trains are an experience, covering huge distances while you sleep, such as Amsterdam-Vienna, Zurich-Prague or Prague-Krakow, saving a hotel bill & avoiding the 4 or 5 daytime hours wasted by flying. Trains are low-hassle, low stress, with loads of legroom, you can wander to the bar or restaurant. Or bring your own picnic and bottle of wine or beer, it's allowed on most trains!