Interrail & Eurail train reservations

 

Interrail - Eurail pass logo

small bullet point  How to use an Interrail pass

small bullet point  How to use a Eurail pass

On this page I explain...

small bullet point  which trains & operators are covered by Interrail/Eurail in each country;

small bullet point  which trains in each country require a reservation and which don't;

small bullet point  how much reservations cost for specific trains in each country;

small bullet point  how to make reservations online for each specific route or train.

Select the country where a train starts.  Prices per person per journey.  Children (even with a free pass) pay the same reservation fee as an adult.  Reservation costs are the same for both Eurail & Interrail.  You can check these prices at www.eurail.com or www.interrail.eu.  And remember, making reservations is entirely separate from managing the pass itselfLast updated February 2023.

Don't expect train ticket websites to sell passholder reservations - most don't.  However, you can make passholder reservations online for some trains if you know which website to use.  Many reservations can be made using the official Interrail & Eurail reservations service.  Look up each specific journey below and I will tell you if you can reserve online, and which website to use.

Select the country where your journey starts

small bullet point  Austria

small bullet point  Belgium

small bullet point  Bosnia

small bullet point  Bulgaria

small bullet point  Croatia

small bullet point  Czech Republic

small bullet point  Denmark

small bullet point  Estonia

small bullet point  Finland

 

small bullet point  France

small bullet point  Germany

small bullet point  Great Britain

small bullet point  Greece

small bullet point  Hungary

small bullet point  Ireland

small bullet point  Italy

small bullet point  Latvia

small bullet point  Lithuania

 

small bullet point  Luxembourg

small bullet point  Montenegro

small bullet point  Netherlands

small bullet point  North Macedonia

small bullet point  Norway

small bullet point  Poland

small bullet point  Portugal

small bullet point  Romania

small bullet point  Serbia

 

small bullet point  Slovakia

small bullet point  Slovenia

small bullet point  Spain

small bullet point  Sweden

small bullet point  Switzerland

small bullet point  Turkey


Austria

What's covered?

Interrail & Eurail passes give unlimited travel on Austrian Federal Railways (ΦBB), www.oebb.at.

That includes all local & mainline trains run by ΦBB and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run jointly by ΦBB & the national railways in those countries.

Passes also give unlimited travel in 2nd class on competing Westbahn trains between Vienna, Linz & Salzburg, www.westbahn.at.  If you have a 1st class pass, you can use 2nd class for free but must pay a €9.90 for Westbahn first class.

Passes give unlimited travel on privately-run Regiojet trains between Vienna & Prague, Vienna & Budapest, seat reservation required.

Passes give unlimited travel on Micotra trains between Villach & Tarvisio in Italy.

Passes give unlimited travel on Raaberbahn trains between Vienna/Graz & parts of Hungary.

Help with train times

For train times within Austria see www.oebb.at

See international train times & routes from Vienna

See international train times & routes from Salzburg

See international train times & routes from Innsbruck

Using a pass on trains within Austria

Using a railpass in Austria is easy, as reservation is optional not mandatory on almost all Austrian Railways (ΦBB) domestic daytime trains, and there are no supplements to pay, even on railjet trains.  So you can simply hop on any train, find an empty seat and show your pass when asked.

You can make a seat-only booking online for around €3 per seat at the ΦBB website, see the instructions here.

As well as ΦBB, you can also use competing Westbahn trains between Vienna, Linz & Salzburg.  These give free travel in 2nd class for holders of all classes of pass, reservation optional.  If you have a 1st class pass, you can use 2nd class for free or pay a €9.90 for Westbahn first class.

Nightjet sleeper train from Vienna to Bregenz (per person):  Couchette in 6-bunk compartment €22, couchette in 4-bunk compartment €30, bed in 3-bed sleeper €50, bed in 2-bed sleeper €65 to €79.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Using a pass on trains to Belgium

By Nightjet sleeper train, Vienna or  Innsbruck to Brussels:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €74, bed in 2-berth sleeper €94, bed in single-berth sleeper €144, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €114, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €154.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types, as from 2017.

Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Using a pass on trains to France

By Nightjet sleeper train, Vienna or Salzburg to Paris:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €74, bed in 2-berth sleeper €94, bed in single-berth sleeper €144, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €114, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €154.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types, as from 2017. 

Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Using a pass on trains to Germany

By IC, ICE or railjet train:  No fee.  Seat reservation is optional, you can hop on any train and show your pass, nothing more to pay unless you want a reserved seat.  You can make a seat reservation for a few euros at either the German Railways site (€4.50 see the instructions here) or Austrian Railways site (€3, see the instructions here).  Reserving is a good idea at busy times.

Salzburg-Munich by BRB regional train:  No fee, no reservation possible, just hop on and sit anywhere you like.

Vienna-Salzburg-Munich Westbahn trains (6 per day, competing with the normal 2-hourly railjets):  Free travel in 2nd class for holders of all classes of pass, reservation optional.  If you have a 1st class pass, you can use 2nd class for free or pay a €9.90 for Westbahn first class.

By Nightjet sleeper train Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Vienna or  Innsbruck to Cologne, Dusseldorf, Hamburg by Nightjet:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €74, bed in 2-berth sleeper €94, bed in single-berth sleeper €144, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €114, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €154. 

Vienna to Berlin by Nightjet:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €54, bed in 2-berth sleeper €74, bed in single-berth sleeper €114, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €94, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €134.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is needed for all Nightjet accommodation types.

Using a pass on trains to Netherlands

By Nightjet sleeper train, Vienna to Amsterdam:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €74, bed in 2-berth sleeper €94, bed in single-berth sleeper €144, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €114, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €154.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types, as from 2017.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Using a pass on trains to Switzerland

By daytime railjet train, Vienna, Linz, Salzburg Innsbruck to Zurich:  No fee.  Reservation is optional, you can hop on any train and show your pass, nothing more to pay unless you want a reserved seat.  You can make a normal seat reservation for around €3 at the Austrian Railways site, see the instructions here.  This is a good idea as it's a long journey, especially at busy times such as Friday or Sunday afternoons.  This is a lovely ride through the scenic Arlberg Pass, see the railjet & scenery photos, tips & information on the Arlberg Railway page.

By Nightjet sleeper train, Vienna or Linz to Zurich:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €54, bed in 2-berth sleeper €74, bed in single-berth sleeper €114, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €94, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €134.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types, this is new from 2017.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Using a pass on trains to Italy

By daytime EuroCity train, Innsbruck to Verona, Bologna or Venice:  There is a passholder surcharge for travel on these Brenner Pass EuroCity trains, €10 in 2nd class or €15 in 1st class, a reserved seat is optional for an extra €3 per seat.  You can either board the train without a reservation, sit in any empty unreserved seat and pay the surcharge on board when the conductor comes round, or make a seat reservation & pay the surcharge online at the Austrian Railways website by adding an Interrail/Eurail discount exactly as for Nightjet sleeper trains as explained here See photos & information on the Munich & Innsbruck to Venice page.

By daytime railjet train, Vienna or Villach to Venice:  There is a passholder surcharge for travel on these Vienna-Venice railjet trains, €10 in 2nd class or €15 in 1st class, a reserved seat is optional for an extra €3 per seat.  You can either board the train without a reservation, sit in any empty unreserved seat and pay the surcharge on board when the conductor comes round, or make a seat reservation & pay the surcharge online at the Austrian Railways website by adding an Interrail/Eurail discount exactly as for Nightjet sleeper trains as explained hereSee the railjet & scenery photos & information on the Vienna to Venice page.

By daytime EuroCity train, Vienna to Trieste:  There is a passholder surcharge for travel on the extension into Italy, €2.60.  Make an optional seat reservation & pay the surcharge online at the Austrian Railways website by adding an Interrail/Eurail discount exactly as for Nightjet sleeper trains as explained here.

By Nightjet sleeper train, Vienna or Salzburg to Venice, Milan, Florence or Rome:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €54, bed in 2-berth sleeper €74, bed in single-berth sleeper €114, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €94, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €134.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types, as from 2017.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Using a pass on trains to Hungary

Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck to Budapest by railjet, EuroCity or other express train:  Reservation is optional, you can hop on any train and show your pass, nothing more to pay unless you want a reserved seat.  You can make a seat reservation for around €3 at the Austrian Railways site, see the instructions here.  This is a good idea at busy times such as Friday or Sunday afternoons.  More information about Vienna to Budapest trains.

Vienna to Budapest by private operator Regiojet, a few trains per day, www.regiojet.com):  Seat reservation required, €1.3 in Low Cost, €2 in Standard, €2.8 in Relax or (only if you have a 1st class pass) €1.3 in Business.  Regiojet passholder reservations can be made online at www.regiojet.com: Use the journey planner as if buying a normal ticket.  When prices appear, look for the Only seat reservations toggle and use it.  Select the train you want, then under Type of ticket purchased select Interrail & Eurail.  You print out your reservation or can show it in the Regiojet app.  Alternatively, approach staff on the train before departure or go to the Regiojet/Student Agency sales point at Vienna HbfMore information about Vienna to Budapest trains.

Using a pass to the Czech Republic

Vienna to Prague by railjet train:  Reservation is optional, you can hop on any train and show your pass, nothing more to pay unless you want a reserved seat.  You can make a normal seat reservation for around €3 at the Austrian Railways site (see the instructions here).  This is a good idea at busy times such as Friday or Sunday afternoons.  More information about Vienna to Prague trains

Vienna to Prague by Regiojet train:  Seat reservation required, €1.3 in Low Cost, €2 in Standard, €2.8 in Relax or (only if you have a 1st class pass) €1.3 in Business.  Regiojet passholder reservations can be made online at www.regiojet.com: Use the journey planner as if buying a normal ticket.  When prices appear, look for the Only seat reservations toggle and use it.  Select the train you want, then under Type of ticket purchased select Interrail & Eurail.  You print out your reservation or can show it in the Regiojet app.  Alternatively, you can approach staff on the train before departure or go to the Regiojet/Student Agency sales point at Vienna Hbf More information about Vienna to Prague Regiojet trains.

Vienna to Cesky Krumlov via Ceske Velenice:  This is all on regional trains, so no reservation necessary or possible, just hop on and show your pass.  However, Interrail & Eurail passes don't cover the GWTR local trains between Ceske Budejovice and Cesky Krumlov, this only costs €1.80 or so, you can pay on board the GWTR train using the ticket machines which take cash & contactless cards.  How to plan this journey.

Using a pass on trains to Slovakia

Vienna to Bratislava by hourly regional train:  Just hop on and sit in any empty seat, no reservation necessary or possible.

Vienna to Bratislava by once per day railjetReservation is optional, you can hop on the train and show your pass with nothing more to pay unless you want a reserved seat.  You can make a normal seat reservation for around €3 at the Austrian Railways site, see the instructions here.  This is a good idea at busy times such as Friday or Sunday afternoons.

Vienna to Kosice & Slovakia by InterCity (IC):  Reservation is required, this varies from €3-€12 in 2nd class or €13-€22 in 1st class depending on distance.

Using a pass on trains to Poland

Vienna to Krakow or Warsaw by daytime EuroCity train:  Reservation is compulsory, seat reservation fee €3.  This is just a normal seat reservation like any other passenger with a pre-existing ticket would make, you can make a reservation online at the ΦBB website for €3, see the instructions here.

Vienna to Krakow or Warsaw by EuroNight sleeper train:  €29 for a couchette in 6-berth, €39 for a couchette in 4-berth, €44 for a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €59 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, €119 for a bed in a single-bed sleeper, €79 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper with shower & toilet, €139 for a bed in a single-bed sleeper with shower & toilet (all fine with 2nd class pass).  Passholder reservations for this train can be made online at the Austrian Railways website, see the instructions below, but only for this eastbound direction as a hard-copy reservation ticket must be collected in Austria.

Using a pass on trains to Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia

Vienna to Ljubljana, Zagreb or Belgrade by EuroCity train:  Reservation is optional, you can hop on any train and show your pass, nothing more to pay unless you want a reserved seat.  You can make a normal seat reservation for around €3 at the Austrian Railways website, see the instructions here.

Using a pass on trains to Romania

Vienna to Sighisoara, Brasov or Bucharest by Dacia Express sleeper:  Couchette in 6-berth €13.40, couchette in 4-berth €20, bed in 3-berth sleeper €28, bed in 2-berth sleeper €42.  Bed in single-berth sleeper (requires 1st class pass) €98.  Passholder reservations for this train can be made online at the ΦBB website, if you follow the instructions below, you can now print out your own reservation.

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Belgium

What's covered?

Interrail & Eurail passes give unlimited travel on Belgian National Railways (SNCB), www.belgiantrain.be

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by SNCB and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run by SNCB & the partner railways in those countries.

Help with train times

For train times within Belgium see www.belgiantrain.be

See international train times & routes from Brussels

See international train times & routes from Bruges

Using a pass on Belgian trains

Using a railpass in Belgium is easy, as reservation is not necessary or even possible on Belgian domestic trains.  You can simply hop on any train, find an empty seat and show your pass when asked.

There are two exceptions

The Brussels airport trains require a €5.20 supplement, paid at the station or on board the train.

High-speed Thalys trains are reservation compulsory and carry a hefty €15+ passholder reservation fee, so avoid using them for domestic Belgian journeys such as Brussels-Antwerp or Brussels-Liege, use the alternative Belgian InterCity trains for free instead.

Using a pass on trains to Great Britain

Brussels to London by Eurostar:  Eurail & Interrail passes now cover Eurostar from Brussels to London, on payment of a special passholder fare of €30 in standard class or (if you have a 1st class pass) €38 in standard premier. You can make Eurostar passholder reservations online as explained here.

Using a pass on trains to France

Brussels to Paris by high-speed Thalys train:  A passholder reservation fee applies, €25 in either class.  Passholder places are limited by a quota which can sell out even if the train isn't full - so book sooner rather than later!  You can make Thalys passholder reservations online at either b-europe.com as explained here or using the official Eurail/Interrail reservations service.

To save money or if all Thalys tickets have sold out:  You can travel from Brussels to Paris avoiding Thalys by using regional trains Brussels-Charleroi-Maubeuge-Paris as shown here as Brussels-Paris option 2.  It takes around 4h30, there's only 1-3 departures per day with 2 changes of train, but no reservations are necessary, no extra to pay, just board the trains and show your pass.

Brussels to other French destinations such as Lyon, Avignon, Marseille by direct TGV by-passing Paris:  A passholder reservation fee applies, €20 in 2nd class, €30 in 1st class, passholder tickets be booked online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service.

No reservation is necessary or even possible for the regular cross-border regional trains from Belgium to Lille.

Using a pass on trains to the Netherlands

Brussels to Amsterdam by high-speed Thalys train:  A passholder reservation fee applies, €15 in 2nd class, €25 in 1st class.  Passholder places on Thalys are limited by a quota which can sell out even if the train isn't full - so book sooner rather than later!  You can make Thalys passholder reservations online at either b-europe.com as explained here or using the official Eurail/Interrail reservations service as explained here.

Brussels to Amsterdam by hourly InterCity (IC) train:  There's no fee if you use the regular hourly InterCity trains, although these take just over 3 hours rather than 2 hours.  These have no reservations, you can just hop on, sit in any empty seat and show your pass when asked.  You can check times at www.b-europe.com (Tip:  Select Direct trains only and look for trains marked IC).  Incidentally, there is definitely no need to pay the Dutch €2.70 high-speed IC Direct supplement when making an international journey from Belgium to Amsterdam on these trains, whatever the Railplanner app may say, the supplement only applies when making a Dutch domestic journey such as Rotterdam to Amsterdam.

Using a pass on trains to Germany

Brussels to Cologne & Frankfurt by ICE high-speed train:  No fees!  Reservation is optional, you can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat and show your pass when asked.  If you like, you can make a normal seat reservation for a few euros at the German Railways website, see the instructions here.  This is a good idea at busy times such as Friday or Sunday afternoons.

Brussels to Cologne by Thalys high-speed train:  A passholder reservation fee applies, €25 in either class.  Passholder places are limited by quota which can sell out even if the train isn't full - so book early!  You can make Thalys passholder reservations online at either b-europe.com as explained here or using the official Eurail/Interrail reservations service as explained here, although the obvious solution is to save your money by taking an ICE instead!

Brussels or Antwerp to Berlin by European Sleeper overnight train:  Not currently covered by Interrail or Eurail, but this could change, watch this space...

Using a pass on trains to Austria

By Nightjet sleeper train, Brussels to Vienna or  Innsbruck:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €74, bed in 2-berth sleeper €94, bed in single-berth sleeper €144, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €114, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €154.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types, as from 2017.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Using a pass on trains to Luxembourg

Brussels to Luxembourg by InterCity trains:  Seat reservation neither necessary nor possible, you just hop on any train, sit in any empty seat and show your pass when asked.

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Bosnia

What's covered?

Interrail & Eurail passes give unlimited travel on all trains run by ZFBH/ZRS (Railways of Bosnia-Herzegovina)

Reservation not required on local trains.

Reservation is necessary to travel on the excellent Talgo trains between Sarajevo & Mostar, Banja Luka and Bihac, €0.50 in both classes.

Help with train times

See train times Sarajevo-Zagreb

See train times Sarajevo-Mostar

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Bulgaria

What's covered?

Interrail & Eurail passes give unlimited travel on all trains run by Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ), www.bdz.bg.

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by BDZ and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run by BDZ & the partner railways in those countries.

Help with train times

For train times within Bulgaria see www.bdz.bg

See international train times & routes from Sofia

Using a pass on national trains

Local trains, barz & patnicheski trains do not require reservations.

Seat reservation is compulsory on express trains (Expresen), this costs around €0.50 and can only be done at stations in Bulgaria.

Sleeper trains within Bulgaria:  Bed in 3-bed sleeper €5.80, in 2-bed sleeper €7.80, in single-bed sleeper €15.

Using a pass on international trains

Sofia to Dimitrovgrad, Belgrade or Bucharest by daytime train:  Reservation is obligatory on all main international trains, but a seat reservation only costs around €1.25.  Reservations cannot be made online, but there are always places available, just make reservations at the station.  See tips for buying tickets (or making reservations) at Sofia station.

Sofia to Istanbul by sleeper train:  €10 supplement for a couchette in 4-berth compartment or €15 supplement for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.  If you have a 1t class pass, a single-bed sleeper all to yourself costs €35.

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Croatia

What's covered?

Interrail & Eurail passes give unlimited travel on all trains run by Croatian Railways (HZ), www.hzpp.hr.

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by HZ and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run by HZ & the partner railways in those countries.

Passes are not accepted on Regiojet's summer-only sleeper train between Prague & Split.

Help with train times

For train times within Croatia, see www.hzpp.hr

See international train times & routes from Zagreb

See international train times & routes from Dubrovnik & Split

Using a pass on Croatian trains

Air-conditioned ICN trains from Zagreb to Split and InterCity trains between Zagreb & Rijeka, Osijek, Cakovec:  Reservation necessary, €3.60 in both classes.

Zagreb-Split sleeper train:  Couchette in 6-berth €10.  Bed in 3-bed sleeper €15, bed in 2-bed sleeper €25, bed in single-bed sleeper €40.

Reservations cannot be made online, but it's easy to make a reservation at the station, places almost always available.

Alternatively, if it's just a seat, try asking for a reservation by email to rezervacije@hzpp.hrFeedback appreciated, let me know if that email changes.

Using a pass on international trains

Zagreb to Ljubljana or Lesce-Bled:  Reservation optional, try asking for a reservation by email to rezervacije@hzpp.hrFeedback appreciated, let me know if that email changes.  You can also to reserve a seat for €3 at least on some departures, using the Austrian ΦBB website, see the instructions below.  In this case, it's just an ordinary seat reservation, so you use the Seat only - no ticket link to run the enquiry.

Zagreb to Vienna, Budapest or Belgrade:  Seat reservation is optional, you can just get on the train, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat, this costs around €3.  If you want a seat reservation on the direct Zagreb to Vienna train, you can make it at the Austrian Railways website as shown here.

Zagreb to Munich or Zurich by sleeper train:  Couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-bed sleeper €54, in 2-bed €74, in single-bed €114.  Passholder reservations for sleepers or couchettes can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

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Czech Republic

What's covered?

Interrail & Eurail passes give unlimited travel on Czech Railways (CD), www.cd.cz.  That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by CD and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run by CD & the partner railways in those countries.

Passes also give unlimited travel on most Regiojet trains, see www.regiojet.com.  However, passes are not accepted on Regiojet's summer-only sleeper train between Prague & Split/Rijeka.

Passes now also give unlimited travel on Leo Express trains, www.leoexpress.com.

What's not covered

Passes are not valid on private local train operators Arriva or GWTR.

Trains to Cesky Krumlov:  Your pass covers the Czech Railways (CD) trains from Prague or Linz to Ceske Budejovice, which is the junction station for the branch line to Cesky Krumlov.  But the local trains from Ceske Budejovice to Cesky Krumlov are now operated by private operator GWTR which doesn't accept Interrail or Eurail passes.  However, the fare is less than €2, so all you have to do is buy a ticket for this short 40-minute hop, either at the green & orange GWTR ticket kiosk at Ceske Budejovice or using the machines on board the train which take contactless cards or cash.  There's a once-daily Prague-Cesky Krumlov direct train run by CD, your pass is of course valid on this CD train all the way to or from Cesky Krumlov.

Help with train times

For train times within the Czech Republic see www.cd.cz.

See international train times & routes from Prague

See international train times & routes from Cesky Krumlov

Using a pass on Czech trains

On the fast tilting SuperCity (SC) trains between Prague & Ostrava, reservation is compulsory for a €8 fee, you can make these reservations online at the CD website, see the instructions here.

On EuroCity, InterCity & other express trains you can just board the train, sit in any empty seat and show your pass when asked, although you have the option to reserve a seat if you like for around €3.  If you want a reserved seat, simply make a normal seat reservation at the CD (Czech Railways) website, see the instructions here.

On Regiojet trains (see www.regiojet.com, for example Prague-Ostrava or Prague-Brno) seat reservation is compulsory, €1.3 in Low Cost, €2 in Standard, €2.8 in Relax or (only if you have a 1st class pass) €1.3 in Business.  Regiojet passholder reservations can be made online at www.regiojet.com: Use the journey planner as if buying a normal ticket.  When prices appear, look for the Only seat reservations toggle and use it.  Select the train you want, then under Type of ticket purchased select Interrail & Eurail.  You print out your reservation or can show it in the Regiojet app.  Alternatively, approach staff on the train before departure or go to the Regiojet/Student Agency sales point at Prague Hlavni.

On Leo Express trains, 2nd class passes in economy, 1st class passes in business class (or standard plus class), reservation required but free of charge, you can make passholder reservations in person at their Prague or Ostrava offices or online at leoexpress.com following the advice here.  Upgrade to Premium class is not possible.

Using a pass on trains to Germany

Prague to Berlin or Dresden by EuroCity train:  Reservation is optional, so you can just board the train, sit in any empty seat and show your pass when asked.  However, these trains get very busy so reserving a seat for around €4 is a good idea, especially in summer or on Friday & Sunday afternoons at any time of year.  If you want a reserved seat, simply make a normal seat reservation at the CD (Czech Railways) website, see the instructions hereSee the photos, video, tips & info on the Prague to Berlin page.

Prague to Munich by express train:  Reservation is optional, so you can just board the train, sit in any empty seat and show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat, simply make a normal seat reservation at the CD (Czech Railways) website, see the instructions hereSee the photos, video, tips & info on the Prague to Munich page.

Prague to Nuremberg & Frankfurt via Cheb or Schwandorf:  You can check times from Prague to Germany via these two useful routes at www.cd.cz, clicking Advanced options, then Travel via and then entering Cheb or Schwandorf in the via box.  These routes avoid the need to use any long-distance buses!  Reservation is unnecessary on these two routes route unless the Prague-Cheb train is a SuperCity (SC) trains when a €7 fee applies.  You can make a Prague-Cheb SuperCity reservation online at the CD website, see the instructions here.

Using a pass on trains to Austria

Prague to Vienna by railjet train: Reservation is optional, so you can just board the train, sit in any empty seat and show your pass when asked.  However, reserving a seat for around €4 is a good idea on this busy route, especially in summer or on Friday & Sunday afternoons at any time of year.  If you want a reserved seat, simply make a normal seat reservation at the CD (Czech Railways) website, see the instructions hereSee the photos, video, tips & info on the Prague to Vienna page.

Prague to Vienna by Regiojet (www.regiojet.com):  Seat reservation required, €1.3 in Low Cost, €2 in Standard, €2.8 in Relax or (only if you have a 1st class pass) €1.3 in Business.  Regiojet passholder reservations can be made online at www.regiojet.com: Use the journey planner as if buying a normal ticket.  When prices appear, look for the Only seat reservations toggle and use it.  Select the train you want, then under Type of ticket purchased select Interrail & Eurail.  You print out your reservation or can show it in the Regiojet app.  Alternatively, approach staff on the train before departure or go to the Regiojet/Student Agency sales point at Prague Hlavni See the photos, video, tips & info on the Prague to Vienna page.

Prague to Linz (for Salzburg & Innsbruck):  Reservation is optional on both the Czech train to Linz and onward Austrian railjet trains to Salzburg & Innsbruck, so you can just board the train, sit in any empty seat and show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat, simply make a normal seat reservation at the CD (Czech Railways) website, see the instructions here.  Seat reservations from Linz to Salzburg or Innsbruck can be made at the Austrian Railways website, see the instructions hereSee the photos, video, tips & info on the Prague to Salzburg page.

Using a pass on trains to Switzerland

Prague to Zurich by EuroNight sleeper train (both routes):  With 2nd class pass, bed in 3-berth sleeper €45, bed in 2-berth sleeper €58, bed in single-berth sleeper €110.  With 1st class pass, bed in 3-berth deluxe sleeper with shower & toilet €45, bed in 2-berth deluxe sleeper with shower & toilet €58, bed in single-bed deluxe sleeper with shower & toilet €110.

Passholder reservations for Prague to Zurich sleeper trains can be made online at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz, with no added booking fee.  Before running the enquiry, click where it says 1 x Adult 26-64 No discount card then click on No discount card , click Interrail and Eurail Pass then select the one you have.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Prague to Zurich by daytime trains with a change at Munich or Linz/Salzburg:  None of the daytime trains Prague-Munich & Munich-Zurich or Prague-Linz and Linz-Salzburg-Zurich require reservations, you can just hop on and show your pass when asked.  Seat reservations are optional, you can make a normal seat reservation from Prague to Munich or Linz at the CD (Czech Railways) website as shown here.  you can make a normal seat reservation from Munich to Zurich at the German Railways website as shown here or from Linz or Salzburg to Zurich at the Austrian Railways website as shown here.

Using a pass on trains to Hungary

Prague to Budapest by EuroCity train:  Reservation is optional, so you can just board the train, sit in any empty seat and show your pass when asked.  However, reserving a seat for around €3 is a good idea.  If you want a reserved seat, simply make a normal seat reservation at the CD (Czech Railways) website, see the instructions here.

Prague to Budapest by sleeper train:  €21 for a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €31 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, €72 in a single-bed sleeper, all bookable with a 2nd class pass.  More information about the Budapest to Prague sleeper train.

Passholder reservations for Budapest to Prague sleeper berths can be made online at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz, with no added booking fee.  Before running the enquiry, click where it says 1 x Adult 26-64 No discount card then click on No discount card , click Interrail and Eurail Pass then select the one you have.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Prague to Budapest by private operator Regiojet (www.regiojet.com):  Seat reservation required, €1.3 in Low Cost, €2 in Standard, €2.8 in Relax or (only if you have a 1st class pass) €1.3 in Business.  Regiojet passholder reservations can be made online at www.regiojet.com: Use the journey planner as if buying a normal ticket.  When prices appear, look for the Only seat reservations toggle and use it.  Select the train you want, then under Type of ticket purchased select Interrail & Eurail.  You print out your reservation or can show it in the Regiojet app.  Alternatively, approach staff on the train before departure or go to the Regiojet/Student Agency sales point at Prague Hlavni.

Using a pass on trains to Slovakia

Prague to Bratislava by EuroCity train:  Reservation optional, so nothing to pay unless you want a reserved seat for €4.  If you want a reserved seat, simply make a normal seat reservation at the CD (Czech Railways) website, see the instructions here.

Prague to Poprad Tatry & Kosice by fast tilting SuperCity (SC) trains:  Reservation compulsory, €8 reservation fee.  Simply make a normal seat reservation at the CD (Czech Railways) website, see the instructions here.

Prague to Bratislava, Poprad Tatry, Kosice & Slovakia by Regiojet train (www.regiojet.com):  Seat reservation required, €1.3 in Low Cost, €2 in Standard, €2.8 in Relax or (only if you have a 1st class pass) €1.3 in Business.  Regiojet passholder reservations can be made online at www.regiojet.com: Use the journey planner as if buying a normal ticket.  When prices appear, look for the Only seat reservations toggle and use it.  Select the train you want, then under Type of ticket purchased select Interrail & Eurail.  You print out your reservation or can show it in the Regiojet app.  Alternatively, approach staff on the train before departure or go to the Regiojet/Student Agency sales point at Prague Hlavni.

Using a pass on trains to Poland

Prague to Krakow or Prague to Warsaw by daytime EuroCity train:  Reservation is compulsory, but only costs around €3.50 per seat.  Simply make a normal seat reservation at the CD website, see the instructions here.

Prague to Krakow or Warsaw by EuroNight sleeper train:  €13.40 per person in 6-bunk couchette, €?? in 4-bunk couchette, bed in 3-bed sleeper €20, bed in  2-bed sleeper €30, bed in single-bed sleeper €70, bed in 2-bed sleeper with shower & toilet €??, bed in single-bed sleeper with shower & toilet €80. 

Passholder reservations for the Prague to Krakow/Warsaw sleeper train can be made online at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz, with no added booking fee.  Before running the enquiry, click where it says 1 x Adult 26-64 No discount card then click on No discount card , click Interrail and Eurail Pass then select the one you have.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Prague to Krakow by Leo Express (see timetable here):  2nd class passes entitle you to free travel in economy, 1st class passes to free travel in standard plus or business class.  Reservation is required but free of charge, you can make passholder reservations in person at their Prague or Ostrava offices or online at leoexpress.com following the advice here.  Upgrade to Premium class is not possible.

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Denmark

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on all trains run by DSB = Danish State Railways, www.dsb.dk

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by DSB and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run by DSB & its partner railways in those countries such as SJ (Sweden), DB (Germany).  Passes also cover local trains run by Arriva.

Passes give free travel on the Φresund trains between Copenhagen, Malmo & Gothenburg.

Other pass benefits

30% discount on Stena Line ferries (including Frederikshavn-Gothenburg)

Help with train times

For train times within Denmark www.dsb.dk.

See international train times & routes from Copenhagen

Using a pass on Danish trains

No reservations necessary and nothing extra to pay on any normal Danish domestic train, including Danish InterCity trains.  Just hop on and show your pass.  Optional reserved seat on longer-distance trains €3.90 per seat.

Using a pass on trains to Germany

Copenhagen to Hamburg & Berlin by EuroCity trainReservation is usually optional, but over the last few years it's been made compulsory in the summer months June-September, and it's strongly recommend at all times as these trains get very busy.  Reservation fee around €5.   You can make a seat reservation online at the German or Danish railways website, following the instructions here.

Using a pass on trains to Sweden

Copenhagen to Malmo & Gothenburg by Oresund Link regional trains:  No reservation necessary or even possible, just hop on any train, sit where you like and show your pass when asked.

Copenhagen to Stockholm by SJ's X2000 trainReservation compulsory, passholder reservation €6.60 in 2nd class, €16 in 1st class.

You can make Copenhagen-Stockholm passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service, the reservation is e-ticketed and emailed to you in minutes.  You can also make them with no added booking fee at www.sj.se following the instructions below.

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Estonia

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on all trains run by Estonian railways = Elron, elron.ee.

Other pass benefits

Special fares on Tallink-Silja Line ferries Helsinki-Tallinn, Stockholm-Tallinn.

Help with train times

For trains within Estonia, see elron.ee.

See international train times & routes from Tallinn.

Using a pass on national trains

Reservations aren't needed, just hop on and show your pass.  But prices are incredibly cheap, don't buy a pass for Estonia before checking normal train fares.

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Finland

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on all trains run by VR = Finnish state railways, www.vr.fi.

Other pass benefits

50% discount on Viking Line ferries Stockholm-Helsinki and Stockholm-Turku.

Special fares on Tallink-Silja Line ferries Stockholm-Helsinki, Stockholm-Turku, Helsinki-Tallinn.

30% discount on Finnlines ferries Helsinki-Travemόnde & Helsinki-Rostock (Germany).

Help with train times

For trains within Finland, see www.vr.fi.

See international train times & routes from Helsinki.

Using a pass on Finnish trains

Reservation on InterCity & Pendolino trains is optional, if you want a reserved seat it costs €5 to €10 in 2nd class or €10-€15 in 1st class, depending on distance. 

Sleeper trains to Lapland:  Bed in 2-bed sleeper €40, Bed in 2-bed sleeper with shower & WC €45, bed in single sleeper €100, bed in single sleeper with shower & WC €110.

You can make passholder reservations at the station or by phone by calling www.vr.fi.

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France

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on SNCF = French national railways, www.sncf-connect.com/en.

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by SNCF and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run by SNCF & the partner railways in those countries including Thalys (to Brussels & Amsterdam). TGV-Lyria (to Switzerland), Renfe (Spain), DB (Germany).  The Mont-Blanc Express is covered, as it's run by SNCF.

Virtually all major international trains to or from France require reservation, as explained below

What's not covered?

Passes don't cover the Paris metro or RER (express metro) routes run by the Paris urban transit authority RATP, but are valid on a few RER routes run by SNCF.

Passes don't cover Ouigo lo-cost trains.  Ouigo is a separate company, even though it's an SNCF subsidiary.

Passes don't cover Trenitalia's Frecciarossas on the Paris-Lyon-Turin/Milan route as Trenitalia France is a separate company (but they cover SNCF TGVs on this route).

Passes don't cover the Nice-Digne private railway.

Other pass benefits

30% discount on Irish Ferries (www.irishferries.com) direct France-Dublin ferries.  You cannot book online with this discount, but call them and it can be done over the phone or at the port.

Help with train times

For trains within France see www.raileurope.com.

See international train times & routes from Paris

See international train times & routes from Nice

See international train times & routes from Marseille

See international train times & routes from Lyon

See international train times & routes from Bordeaux

See international train times & routes from Toulouse

See international train times & routes from Montpellier

See international train times & routes from Strasbourg

Using a pass on French trains

In France, you must pay a passholder reservation fee for almost all long-distance trains.

TGV high-speed trains:  These run on all major long distance routes, and seat reservation is compulsory.  A limited number of €10 passholder reservations is offered on each TGV.  When these sell out passholders can reserve any remaining places for a higher €20 reservation fee up to the point where the train is actually full.  Passes are not valid on Ouigo budget TGVs, as Ouigo has been set up by SNCF as a separate company.

Intercitιs with compulsory reservation: These run on routes such as Paris-Limoges-Toulouse, Bordeaux-Toulouse-Marseille-Nice.  Seat reservation compulsory, passholder reservation fee €10.

Intercitιs de nuit overnight trains within France, for example Paris-Nice, Paris-Toulouse-Latour de Carol:  Reclining seat €10, couchette in a 2nd class 6-bunk compartment €21.60, couchette in a 1st class 4-berth compartment (with 1st class pass) €21.60.

Train Nomad:  This is a brand name used for mainline trains between Paris & Normandy, such as Paris-Caen-Cherbourg, Paris-Rouen-Le Havre.  Seat reservation is compulsory, €10.  Confusingly, as they're operated by the Normandy region they are shown as TER in some ticketing systems/timetables.

Regional trains = TER, Trains Express Rιgionaux.  Reservation not necessary or even possible, hop on, sit in any empty seat, show your pass when asked.

How to make passholder reservations for France online

You CANNOT make passholder reservations at the French Railways website sncf-connect.com.

Option 1, you can make passholder reservations for French trains online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service.  It's e-ticketed, the reservation is emailed to you within minutes.  This system can reserve TGVs, Intercitιs & Intercitιs de nuit.  You may find they only open reservations 90 days ahead.

Option 2, you can make passholder reservations for TGVs (but not for Intercitιs or Intercitιs de nuit) at travel.b-europe.com/Eurail-GE/en/booking-tgv, and bookings here open up to 4 months ahead.  This website also lets you check availability and prices (is it €10 or €20 on your train?) before you buy a pass, as it doesn't require a pass number to run an enquiry, only to make a reservation.  As you can see from the URL, this is a page run by the Belgian Railways, but it's re-badged for the Interrail/Eurail organisation and not accessible via the normal B-europe.com home page.  This special page is designed to be accessed via the Interrail/Eurail Railplanner app for in-app reservations, but there's no reason why you can't use it directly on a desktop or laptop if you know the URL to access it (which you do, I just gave it to you!).  If it doesn't accept your mobile pass number, simply generate a pass cover number from your mobile pass number using this special page: www.eurail.com/en/book-reservations#/generatePassCoverNumber.

How to make passholder reservations at stations when in France

You can make passholder reservations at staffed counters of course, but it's easier & quicker to use one of the SNCF self-service ticket machines, this not only saves time you can see for yourself which trains have availability.  The self-service machines have a touch screen which can be switched to English.  If you don't immediately find Eurail/Interrail in the list of passes & discounts, click other (something like that!) and you'll find it hidden away.

Using a pass on trains to Great Britain

Eurostar from Paris, Lille or Calais to London:  Eurail & Interrail passes cover Eurostar to London on payment of a passholder reservation fare of €30 in standard class if you have a 2nd class pass or €38 in standard premier if you have a 1st class pass.  You can make Eurostar passholder reservations online as explained here.

Using a pass on trains to Belgium, Netherlands

Paris to Brussels, Rotterdam, Amsterdam by Thalys high-speed train: You must pay a passholder reservation fee, €25 to Brussels or €30 to Amsterdam in either class.  There's a quota for passholders which can sell out even if the train isn't full - so book early!  You can make Thalys passholder reservations online at either b-europe.com as explained here or using the official Eurail/Interrail reservations service.

To save money or if Thalys trains have no passholder places left:  You can avoid using Thalys by taking regional trains Paris-Maubeuge-Charleroi-Brussels as shown here as Paris-Brussels option 2.  It takes much longer than Thalys, there's only 1-3 departures per day with 2 changes of train, but no reservations are necessary, no extra to pay, just board the trains and show your pass.  You can then take the hourly classic InterCity train from Brussels to Amsterdam.

Direct TGVs from Lyon & other French cities to Brussels:  Reservation compulsory, €20 in 2nd class, €30 in 1st class.  Passholder reservations can be made online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service.  It's e-ticketed, the reservation is emailed to you within minutes.

Using a pass on trains to Luxembourg

Paris-Luxembourg by TGV:   Reservation compulsory, €10 fee in both classes. 

You can make passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service.  It's e-ticketed, the reservation is emailed to you within minutes.

Using a pass on trains to Switzerland

Paris to Switzerland by TGV-Lyria TGV high-speed train:  A passholder reservation fee applies, €29 in 2nd class, €39 in 1st class from Paris to Basel, Zurich, Geneva or Lausanne.  These new rates apply from 1 July 2023.

The good news is that TGV-Lyria passholder places shouldn't run out as they're taken from the top full-price quota.

You can make passholder reservations for TGV-Lyria using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service.  It's e-ticketed, the reservation is emailed to you within minutes.

If you can book 2-3 months ahead, regular advance-purchase tickets start at €29 including reservation, booked at www.thetrainline.com.

How to travel Paris-Switzerland avoiding the TGV-Lyria passholder fee:

Option 1, take a TER regional train from Paris to Mulhouse then a TER regional train from Mulhouse to Basel SBB, no reservation necessary or possible on either train.  Find times using www.bahn.de/en, click Types of transport & de-select High-speed trains then run a Paris-Basel enquiry.

Option 2, take a TGV from Paris to Strasbourg (€10 or €20 fee) then a TER regional train from Strasbourg to Basel.  Find times using www.bahn.de/en, click Stopover and enter Strasbourg, then run a Paris-Basel enquiry.  Make the Paris-Strasbourg TGV reservation using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service.

Option 3, take one of the several Paris-Lyon TER regional trains (no reservation needed, just hop on & show your pass, but they take 5h rather than 2h by TGV) then another TER regional train from Lyon to Geneva (no reservation required, just hop on & show your pass).  Find times using www.bahn.de/en, clicking Stopover and entering Lyon Part Dieu and clicking Types of transport and de-selecting High-speed trains, then running a Paris-Geneva enquiry.

Using a pass on trains to Italy

Paris to Turin or Milan by SNCF (French Railways) TGV train

Reservation is compulsory, you must pay a hefty passholder reservation fee, €31 in 2nd class, €45 in 1st class.

You can buy passholder tickets online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service.  It's e-ticketed, the reservation is emailed to you within minutes.

Passholder places are controlled by quota, passholder places can run out even when there are plenty of seats left. 

If booking well in advance, even if you've already bought a pass, it may be cheaper to buy a normal ticket from just €29 2nd class, €46 in 1st class including reservation at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  If you haven't already bought a pass, check point-to-point prices online at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com as even a €49 or €59 fare (which includes reservation) is cheaper than a €55-per-day railpass + €31 passholder reservation fee, if thi9s is all you're doing.

Can you avoid these high fees between Paris & Italy?

Not easily, as there are no local trains across the border on the direct Paris-Milan route.  But you could consider going Paris-Nice by TGV (€10 fee, or €20 when the €10 reservations sell out) then using local trains along the Mediterranean coast from Nice to Ventimiglia then onwards into Italy.  Find times from Nice to Italy using www.bahn.de/en, if you want to stick with fee-free regional trains click Types of transport and de-select High-speed trains and Intercity/EuroCity trains.  Look for trains marked TER, R & RV.

Paris or Lyon to Turin or Milan by Trenitalia (Italian Railways) Frecciarossa

Passes aren't currently valid on Trenitalia's Paris-Lyon-Turin-Milan Frecciarossas, because it is run when in France by Trenitalia France, a separate company not a signatory to the Interrail & Eurail schemes, even though it is a subsidiary of Trenitalia.  But advance-purchase fares for the Frecciarossa start at €29 which is cheaper than the TGV passholder fee, so check normal prices using www.italiarail.com, www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

Cannes, Nice, Monaco to Genoa, Milan & Italy via Ventimiglia

The direct Nice-Genoa-Milan Thello trains were discontinued in July 2021, but you can still travel between Nice & Italy using TER regional trains from France to Ventimiglia on the Italian border, then an onward Italian domestic train, see the Nice to Italy by train page.  No reservation needed for the French TER trains to Ventimiglia, nor for Italian regional trains from Ventimiglia to Genoa.  Normal reservation arrangements & fees apply to Intercity trains from Ventimiglia, see the Italy national trains section below.

Using a pass on trains to Spain

Paris to Barcelona by TGV:  Passholder reservation required, a hefty €35 in 1st or 2nd class.

You can make passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service, it's now e-ticketed, the reservation is emailed to you and can be printed or shown on your phone.

How to avoid these expensive reservation fees

Option 1, Toulouse to Latour de Carol to Barcelona:  There are no fees to pay or reservations required on the TER regional trains from Toulouse to Latour de Carol or on the Spanish Cercanias train from Latour de Carol through the Pyrenees to Barcelona, see here for details.  Just turn up, hop on and show your pass when asked.

Option 2, Perpignan - Cerbθre- Barcelona:  Take a TGV from Paris to Perpignan, €10 reservation fee booked in advance or €20 fee when the €10 fees sell out, book this online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service.  Or travel to Perpignan from Montpelier, Avignon, Marseille, Nice or wherever.  Then take a local TER regional train from Perpignan to either Cerbθre or Portbou and a Spanish Rodalies local train along the scenic coast from Cerebθre or Portbou to Barcelona Sants, no reservation necessary for either train.  The easiest way to find Perpignan-Barcelona TER/Rodalies times is to use www.bahn.de/en, clicking Stopover and entering Portbou as a via station with duration left as zero, it also helps to click Types of transport and deselect High-speed trains.  Then run an enquiry from Perpignan to Barcelona Sants, this will bring up journeys with one change, at either Cerbθre or Portbou, marked TER, R.  If this method stops working for any reason, search for Perpignan to Cerbθre or Portbou TER trains using www.bahn.de/en, then check times of the Rodalies trains from Cerbθre or Portbou to Barcelona Sants at rodalies.gencat.cat/en/horaris.

Option 3, via San Sebastian at the northern end of the Pyrenees:  Take a TGV from Paris or Bordeaux to Hendaye on the Spanish border, €10 fee in advance or €20 fee when the €10 fees sell out, easily bookable online as shown here.  You'll also find fee-free TER regional trains from Bordeaux or Biarritz to Hendaye, no reservation necessary, just hop on and show your pass.  Now take the little Euskotren metro from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara station, this runs every 30 minutes and takes 37 minutes.  It's not covered by Interrail or Eurail, but the fare is only €2.50 or so, just buy at Hendaye Euskotren station.  Now take a Spanish train from San Sebastian to Madrid, Barcelona or wherever, reservation fee €10, make the reservation at the station.  Check times at www.raileurope.com.

Using a pass on trains to Germany

Paris to Stuttgart, Mannheim, Munich or Frankfurt by TGV Duplex or ICE:  Reservation is compulsory, passholder fee €18 in both classes.  You can make passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service.  It's e-ticketed, the reservation is emailed to you within minutes.  Passholder places on these trains are quota-controlled, so can sell out.

Paris to Cologne by Thalys high-speed train:  You must pay a passholder reservation fee, €30 in either class.  There is a quota for passholder places which can sell out even if the train has seats available, so book early!  You can make Thalys passholder reservations online at either b-europe.com as explained here or using the official Eurail/Interrail reservations service.

Paris to Munich Ost by Nightjet sleeper train:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €74, bed in 2-berth sleeper €94, bed in single-berth sleeper €144, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €114, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €154.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types, as from 2017.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Using a pass on trains to Austria

By Nightjet sleeper train, Paris to Salzburg & Vienna:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €74, bed in 2-berth sleeper €94, bed in single-berth sleeper €144, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €114, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €154.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

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Germany

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on DB = Deutsche Bahn = German Federal Railways, www.bahn.de.  That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by DB and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run by DB & the partner railways in those countries.

Passes are valid on the S-Bahns in Berlin, Hamburg & other cities as these are run by DB.

Passes are valid on Austrian-run Nightjet trains, with a seat, couchette or sleeper reservation fee. 

Passes are valid on many regional trains that have been outsourced to private operators, for a list of German opertaors see this page - please let me know if this link stops working).

What's not covered?

Interrail passes are not valid on privately-run lo-cost Flixtrain, or on the Kulturzug regional train Berlin-Wroclaw.

Interrail passes are not valid on HSB (the Harz Railway)

Help with train times

For train times within Germany see www.bahn.de.

See international train times & routes from Berlin

See international train times & routes from Munich

See international train times & routes from Cologne & Dusseldorf

See international train times & routes from Frankfurt

See international train times & routes from Hamburg

Using a pass on German trains

Using a Eurail or Interrail pass in Germany is easy, as reservation is optional not mandatory on almost all German domestic daytime trains, even on fast InterCity (IC) or high-speed InterCityExpress (ICE) trains.  So you can simply hop on any train, find an empty seat and show your pass when asked. 

If you want to reserve a seat, simply make a normal seat reservation for €4.50 2nd class or €5.90 1st class using the German Railways website as explained here.

Nightjet sleeper trains Munich to Hamburg, Munich to Cologne & Dusseldorf:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €74, bed in 2-berth sleeper €94, bed in single-berth sleeper €144, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €114, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €154.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Using a pass to Paris & France

Cologne to Paris by Thalys high-speed trains:  A passholder reservation fee must be paid, €30 in either class, with passholder places limited by quota which can sell out even if the train isn't full - so book early!  You can make Thalys passholder reservations online at either b-europe.com as explained here or using the official Eurail/Interrail reservations service.

Frankfurt, Mannheim, Stuttgart, Munich to Paris by TGV or ICE:  A passholder reservation fee applies, €18 in both classes.  You can make passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service.  Passholder places on these trains are also quota-controlled.

Using a pass to Brussels & Belgium

Frankfurt & Cologne to Brussels by high-speed ICE:  No fee!  Reservation is optional on these ICE trains.  You can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  If you want to reserve seat for a few euros fee, you can do that using the German Railways website as explained here.

Cologne to Brussels by Thalys high-speed train:  A passholder reservation fee must be paid, €25 in either class.  Thalys passholder places are controlled by a quota which can sell out even if the train isn't full, so book sooner rather than later or use the ICE instead.  You can make Thalys passholder reservations online at either b-europe.com as explained here or using the official Eurail/Interrail reservations service.  But the easier and cheaper option is to use an ICE!

Berlin to Antwerp & Brussels by European Sleeper overnight train:  Not currently covered by Interrail or Eurail, but this could change, watch this space...

Using a pass to Amsterdam & the Netherlands

Berlin or Hanover to Amsterdam by Intercity (IC) train:  Reservation is optional, you can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat, you can make a normal seat reservation using the German Railways website, as explained here.

Frankfurt, Cologne, Dusseldorf or Duisburg to Amsterdam by ICE train:  Reservation is normally optional, you can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat, you can make a normal seat reservation using the German Railways website, as explained here

Important:  From 17 June to 18 August 2023 reservation is compulsory for cross-border journeys on the Amsterdam-Cologne-Frankfurt ICE trains.  Try making a reservation using the German Railways website, as explained here.  However, it seems they have disabled the ability to make reservation-only bookings on these ICEs during this period.  If so, phone NS Customer Support to make your reservation, on +31 30 23 000 23.

By Nightjet sleeper train, Munich to Amsterdam:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €74, bed in 2-berth sleeper €94, bed in single-berth sleeper €144, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €114, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €154.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types, as from 2017.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Berlin to Amsterdam & Rotterdam by European Sleeper overnight train:  Not currently covered by Interrail or Eurail, but this could change, watch this space...

Using a pass to Luxembourg

The regional trains linking Germany to Luxembourg have no seat reservations, you can just hop on, sit in any empty seat & show your pass when asked.

Using a pass to Switzerland

Various InterCity, ICE & EuroCity trains link Germany with Switzerland.  Reservation is optional on all these services.  You can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat, you can make a normal seat reservation using the German Railways website, as explained here.

Using a pass on trains to Italy

Munich to Verona, Bologna or Venice by EuroCity train:  There is a passholder surcharge for travel on these Brenner Pass EuroCity trains, €10 in 2nd class or €15 in 1st class, a reserved seat is optional for an extra €3 per seat.  You can either board the train without a reservation, sit in any empty unreserved seat and pay the surcharge on board when the conductor comes round, or make a seat reservation & pay the surcharge online at the Austrian Railways website by adding an Interrail/Eurail discount exactly as for Nightjet sleeper trains as explained here.

Munich to Rome, Florence, Milan or Venice by Nightjet sleeper train: Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €54, bed in 2-berth sleeper €74, bed in single-berth sleeper €114, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €94, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €134.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Using a pass on trains to Austria

Germany to Salzburg or Vienna by EuroCity (EC), Intercity (IC), ICE or railjet:  Reservation is optional on this route, you can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat, you can make a normal seat reservation using the German Railways website as explained here or the Austrian Railways website as explained here, the latter charges slightly less for a seat reservation.

Munich to Salzburg by BRB regional train:  No fee, no reservation possible, just hop on and sit anywhere you like.

Munich-Salzburg-Vienna Westbahn trains (6 per day, competing with the normal 2-hourly railjets):  Free travel in 2nd class for holders of all classes of pass, reservation optional.  If you have a 1st class pass, you can use 2nd class for free or pay a €9.90 for Westbahn first class.

Nightjet sleeper trains from Cologne, Dusseldorf, Berlin or Hamburg to Innsbruck or Vienna, (per person):  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €74, bed in 2-berth sleeper €94, bed in single-berth sleeper €144, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €114, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €154.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Using a pass to Copenhagen & Denmark

Hamburg to Copenhagen by EuroCity train:  Reservation is usually optional, but over the last few years it's been made compulsory in the summer months June-September, and is strongly recommended at all times of year as these trains get very busy.  Reservation fee around €5.  You can make a normal seat reservation online at the German or Danish Railways website, see the instructions here.

Using a pass to Stockholm & Sweden

Berlin or Hamburg to Malmo or Stockholm by Snδlltεget night train (daily except Saturdays April-November):  Reservation required, €19 in a seat, €39 with a couchette.  You can make a passholder reservation online at www.snalltaget.se simply by entering the code INTERRAIL in the box marked Promotion code (if you have one).

Hamburg to Stockholm by SJ EuroNight sleeper train (daily all year):  Reservation required.  You can book passholder places in couchettes or sleepers at the Swedish Railways website www.sj.se by adding an Interrail/Eurail discount to each passenger.

Berlin to Sweden by daytime trains changing in Copenhagen:  See the Germany to Denmark & Denmark to Sweden sections.

Using a pass to the Prague & the Czech Republic

Berlin or Dresden to Prague by EuroCity train:  Reservation is optional on this route, you can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat, you can make a normal seat reservation for a few euros using either the German Railways website as explained here or the Czech Railways website as explained here.  It can get very busy in summer and on Fridays & Sundays all year so I'd strongly recommend reserving a seat.

Munich to Prague by Munich-Prague express train:  Reservation is optional on this route, you can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.

Nuremberg or Frankfurt to Prague via Schwandorf or Cheb:  You can check times from Germany to Prague via these two useful routes at www.cd.cz, clicking Advanced options, then Travel via and then entering Cheb or Schwandorf in the via box.  On ICE & regional trains you can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  The same goes for Czech express trains.  Occasionally the Cheb-Prague connection is a CD SuperCity (SC) trains, reservation compulsory, €7 fee.

Using a pass to Poland

Berlin to Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk or Gdynia by EuroCity train:  Reservation compulsory, €4 in either class.

You can make passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service, but in this case the reservation cannot be e-ticketed, it has to be sent to you at extra cost, so it's €4 + €2 booking fee + €9 postage fee.  Consider buying at the station, there are usually places available.

Berlin to Stettin by regional train:  No reservation needed, just hop on the train.

Using a pass to Hungary

Berlin or Dresden to Budapest by EuroCity train:  Reservation is optional on this route, you can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat, you can make a normal seat reservation for a few euros using either the German Railways website as explained here or the Czech Railways website as explained here.  It can get very busy in summer and on Fridays & Sundays all year so I'd strongly recommend reserving a seat.

Berlin to Budapest by sleeper train:  Couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-bed sleeper €54, in 2-bed €74, in single-bed €114, all fine with 2nd class pass.  Passholder reservations for sleepers or couchettes can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Munich to Budapest by railjet train:  Reservation is optional on this route, you can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat, you can make a normal seat reservation for a few euros using the German Railways website as explained here.

Munich to Budapest by sleeper train:  Couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-bed sleeper €54, in 2-bed €74, in single-bed €114, all fine with 2nd class pass.  Passholder reservations for sleepers or couchettes can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Using a pass to Slovenia & Croatia

Munich to Ljubljana & Zagreb by daytime train:  Reservation optional, you can just get on and sit in any empty unreserved seat and show your pass when asked.    If you want a reserved seat, you can make a normal seat reservation for a few euros using the German Railways website as explained here.

Munich to Zagreb by sleeper train:  Couchette in 6-berth €20, couchette in 4-berth €30, bed in 3-bed sleeper €60, in 2-bed €80, in single-bed €120.  Passholder reservations for sleepers or couchettes can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

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Great Britain

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on all 20+ train operators which make up National Rail, www.nationalrail.co.uk, including LNER, Avanti West Coast, Great Western, ScotRail, Transport For Wales Trains, South Western Railways and so on

Passes don't cover Transport for London's London Underground, buses or trams.  But they do cover London Overground and the National-Rail-run Elizabeth Line.

Passes do not cover the Heathrow Express.

If you live in the UK, remember the 2-day limit on using an Interrail pass in your home country.

Help with train times

About train travel in Britain

About Eurostar from London to Paris & Brussels

About Eurostar from London to Amsterdam

See train times & routes from London to mainland Europe

Using a pass on British trains

Overnight sleeper trains

There are just two services in Britain where reservation is compulsory for all passengers including passholders (but read the All other trains in Britain paragraph below), namely the Caledonian Sleepers between London & Scotland and GWR's Night Riviera sleeper between London & Cornwall.

To use a sleeper berth between London & Scotland or London & Cornwall you need to pay the sleeper berth supplement, see the Caledonian Sleeper page for prices & how to book a berth online to/from Scotland or the Sleeper to Cornwall page for how to make reservations to or from Cornwall.  A seat reservation on these sleeper trains is free, if you're happy with a seat not a bed.

All other trains in Britain

Reservation on all other trains in Britain is either unnecessary (suburban & local trains) or optional (longer-distance trains).  You can just get on any train, find any empty unreserved seat and sit in it, showing your pass when asked.

However, several train operators are shown on the official Interrail & Eurail websites as mandatory reservation for Interrail & Eurail passholders even though they are not compulsory-reservation for normal ticket holders.  The list used to include a dozen operators, I'm glad to see it's been shortened to just a few:

LNER (London-York-Leeds/Newcastle-Edinburgh & branches), TransPennine Express (Liverpool-Manchester-York/Leeds-Newcastle & branches) and Avanti West Coast (London to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Holyhead, Carlisle & Glasgow)

The Man in Seat 61 says:  "In fact, as these operators' trains are NOT in reality 'mandatory reservation' at all for normal ticket holders, this is just Rail Delivery Group being over-the-top.  Feedback suggests you'll be fine getting on without a reservation, I doubt conductors know or care, they just check your pass and carry on.  However, a reserved seat for a long journey is a very good idea, especially on Friday or Sunday afternoons or morning peak periods.  I have so far had one correspondent say they travelled around extensively on these operators without making any reservations at all, and the conductors never worried about it - just as I expected.  So make a free seat reservation if you can, but don't worry too much about it if you can't."  Feedback appreciated.

In fact, the information on travel in Great Britain on www.myinterrail.co.uk - which is managed by National Rail, who ought to know - differs from that on the Interrail & Eurail website, it confirms that no reservations are compulsory on any British domestic train, other than sleepers.

How to make seat reservations online free-of-charge

Do not pay £££ to make seat reservations through an agency or even via the Interrail/Eurail reservation service.  There's now a well-hidden way to make stand-alone seat reservations for free to go with an Interrail or Eurail pass:

Go to www.gwr.com and register for an account.  Sign in & click My account.  Then click Bookings.  Then click the Make a seat/bike reservation box. 

Run an enquiry and select a train.  It will look as if you need to select a fare, select any fare in the right class, it doesn't matter which, continue and make the reservation.  It says you won't be charged and indeed you'll get the free stand-alone seat reservation without needing to enter any payment details.

Even though it's GWR, this works for any train/route/operator where seat reservations are available including LNER, Avanti, Cross-Country, TransPennine & GWR.  Please let me know if this process changes, or ceases to work.

Tip for seat reservations on LNER trains:  If you want a seat reservation on an LNER train (for example, between London & York, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh) you can also use www.lner.co.uk/travel-information/make-a-reservation to make a free seat reservation to go with a pass, up to 5 minutes before the train leaves its starting station.  The advantage over using gwr.com is that you can choose an exact seat from a seating plan on LNER trains if you make a reservation this way.  You'll need to register for an LNER account during the process, but no payment is necessary, it's free just like gwr.com.  However, gwr.com can reserve seats on any operator, this LNER system can only make reservations on LNER trains.

In person:  Simply ask at any staffed station any time up to about 2h before departure, or ideally the day before.  There are always places available, even on the day.

Using a pass on Eurostar to Paris, Brussels & Amsterdam

Eurostar to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam:  Eurostar can be used from London, Ebbsfleet or Ashford to Lille, Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam if you pay a special passholder fare of €30 in standard class or (if you have a 1st class pass) €38 in standard premier.  You can buy Eurostar passholder tickets online as explained here.

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Greece

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on Hellenic Train (Greek national railways, www.hellenictrain.gr, formerly TrainOSE).  That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by Hellenic Train and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from North Macedonia, Serbia & Bulgaria run by Hellenic Train & the partner railways SZ (Serbia), MK (North Macedonia) & BDZ (Bulgaria), if and when running.

Help with train times

See train times & routes from Athens

Using a pass on Greek trains

InterCity trains including most Athens -Thessaloniki trains:  Reservation compulsory, it's free.  Cannot be done online, just make a reservation at any main station, there are usually places available on most trains even on the day.

Using a pass on international trains

The supplement for a couchette on the Thessaloniki-Belgrade train (if and when running) is around €8.

Using a pass on the ferries to Italy

Eurail & Interrail passes give 'free passage' on Blue Star & Superfast (Attica Group) Bari-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Patras, Ancona-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Patras.

You still have to pay port taxes (€7), fuel surcharge (€20 to Bari, €40 to Ancona) & high season supplement, €15 in June or September, €25 in July & August.

2nd class passes give a free 'deck passage' which means a place on the ferry but with no specific seat or berth.  You can use the seating in the lounge and there's space under cover on deck to use a sleeping-bag if you have one, many backpackers do this.  1st class passes give free passage with an aircraft-style reclining seat.

You can pay extra for a cabin, this starts at €140+ per cabin for a private room with shower & toilet for up to 4 people.  There's no discount on the cabin.

Book the ferry online at www.superfast.com, adding a reclining seat or cabin if you like.  Pre-booking is recommended in summer as the route gets busy.

Important tip:  To book the ferry with Interrail/Eurail discount, select passenger type Adult (26-59) for all passengers with a railpass, regardless of their actual age, then in the Discount box select Eurail or Interrail global pass.  You must select Adult because if you select passenger types Child, Juvenile (under 26) or Senior, the Interrail & Eurail pass options don't appear (and price-wise it doesn't matter as the basic fare is €0 anyway).  You will then find that this prevents you from entering the correct birth year for children, youths or seniors, so just enter the right date with the wrong year and complete the booking.  Then email the Superfast Help Desk (their email address is at the bottom of the booking pages) with the correct date(s) of birth.  This is the booking advice provided by Superfast Help Desk themselves.

Eurail & Interrail passes give a 20% discount on Minoan Lines Venice-Igoumenitsa-Patras.

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Hungary

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on MAV = Hungarian State Railways, www.mav-start.hu.  That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by MAV and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run by MAV & the national railways in those countries.

They also cover GySev, a private operator of regional trains in part of Hungary, www.gysev.hu.

Passes also cover private operator Regiojet, who run a handful of Budapest-Vienna-Prague trains in competition with the national operators.

Help with train times

For train times within Hungary, see www.mav-start.hu.

See international train times & routes from Budapest

Using a pass on Hungarian trains

No supplement to pay for travel on local or regional trains.

Reservation for domestic journeys on InterCity (IC), EuroCity (EC) & railjet (RJ or RJX) trains is compulsory in Hungary, €0.750 to €2.50 fee per seat.  This is a normal seat reservation as for any ticket holder.

You can make a seat reservation online without any booking fee using the MAV app or at the MAV website jegy.mav.hu.  You do this by clicking Passengers and discounts and adding the discount International pass Global price to each passenger.  This gives 100% discount on the fare, leaving just the reservation fee.

Using a pass on international trains

Budapest to Vienna by EuroCity, InterCity or railjet trains:  Reservation is optional, you can hop on any train, sit in any empty unreserved seat and show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat, you can make a normal seat reservation for around €3 at the Austrian Railways website, see the instructions hereMore information about Budapest to Vienna trains.

Budapest to Salzburg, Innsbruck or Munich by railjet train:  Reservation is optional, you can hop on any train, sit in any empty unreserved seat and show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat, you can make a normal seat reservation for around €3 at the Austrian Railways site, see the instructions here.

Budapest to Berlin by EuroCity train:  Reservation is optional, you can hop on the train, sit in any empty unreserved seat and show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat, you can make a normal seat reservation for around €4.50 at the German Railways site, see the instructions here.

Budapest to Prague by EuroCity train:  Reservation is optional, you can hop on any train, sit in any empty unreserved seat and show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat, you can make a normal seat reservation for around €3 at the Czech Railways site, see the instructions hereMore information about Budapest to Prague trains.

Budapest to Prague by sleeper train:  €21 for a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €31 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, €72 in a single-bed sleeper, all bookable with a 2nd class pass.  More information about the Budapest to Prague sleeper train.

Passholder reservations for Budapest to Prague sleeper berths can be made online at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz, with no added booking fee.  Before running the enquiry, click where it says 1 x Adult 26-64 No discount card then click on No discount card , click Interrail and Eurail Pass then select the one you have.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Budapest to Munich, Berlin or Zurich by sleeper train:  Couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-bed sleeper €54, in 2-bed €74, in single-bed €114, all can be used with 2nd class pass.  Passholder reservations for sleepers or couchettes can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Budapest to Krakow or Warsaw by sleeper train:  €17 for a couchette in a 6-bunk couchette, €32 for a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €44 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, €83 in a single-bed sleeper, all bookable with a 2nd class pass.  Make the reservation at the station, phone an agency, or use the Interrail/Eurail reservation service (hard copy tickets must be posted to you)

Budapest to Bucharest by sleeper train:  Couchette in 6-bunk compartment €13.40, 4-bunk couchette €20, berth in 3-berth sleeper €28, berth in 2-berth sleeper €42.  Bed in single-bed sleeper (requires 1st class pass) €98.  Make the reservation at the station, phone an agency, or use the Interrail/Eurail reservation service (hard copy tickets must be posted to you).

Budapest to Bucharest & Romania by daytime train:  Reservation optional, if you want a reserved seat it costs €3.  Make the reservation at the station, phone an agency, or use the Interrail/Eurail reservation service (hard copy tickets must be posted to you).

Budapest to Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade on the direct trains:  Seat reservations are optional, you can hop on any train, sit in any empty unreserved seat and show your pass when asked.

Regiojet trains from Budapest to Vienna & Prague (www.regiojet.com): Seat reservation required, €1.3 in Low Cost, €2 in Standard, €2.8 in Relax or (only if you have a 1st class pass) €1.3 in Business.  Regiojet passholder reservations can be made online at www.regiojet.com: Use the journey planner as if buying a normal ticket.  When prices appear, look for the Only seat reservations toggle and use it.  Select the train you want, then under Type of ticket purchased select Interrail & Eurail.  You print out your reservation or can show it in the Regiojet app.  Alternatively, approach staff on the train before departure.  More information about Budapest to Vienna trainsMore information about Budapest to Prague trains.

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Ireland

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on IE = Iarnrod Eireann, Irish republic railways, www.irishrail.ie.

Other pass benefits

30% discount on Stena Line (www.stenaline.co.uk) Ireland-UK ferries (Dublin-Holyhead, Rosslare-Fishguard, Belfast-Cairnryan)

30% discount on Irish Ferries (www.irishferries.com) Ireland-UK & Ireland-France ferries (Dublin-Holyhead, Rosslare to Cherbourg & Roscoff, Rosslare to Pembroke).  You cannot book online with this discount, but call them and it can be done over the phone or at the port.

Using a pass on Irish trains

No supplement to pay on any internal trains.  Seat reservation is never mandatory on any Irish train, you can just hop on and show your pass when asked.  For train times see www.irishrail.ie.

Using a pass on international trains

No supplement on the Enterprise Dublin-Belfast trains.

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Italy

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on Trenitalia = Italian State Railways, www.trenitalia.com.

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by Trenitalia and (if you've a global pass) most international trains to or from neighbouring countries run by Trenitalia & its partner railways in those countries.  It also includes trains between Fiumicino airport and Rome.

Passes give unlimited travel on the Milan-Turin-Paris TGVs run by SNCF French Railways, for a fee.

Passes give unlimited travel on Trenord, a consortium of Trenitalia & LeNord which runs regional trains north of Milan including Milan-Tirano, www.trenord.it.  However, Lecco-Piona trains and Milan-Malpensa airport Trenord trains aren't covered.

What's not covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes don't cover Italo high-speed trains run by private operator NTV Turin/Milan/Venice-Florence-Rome-Naples in competition with Trenitalia.

Eurail & Interrail passes don't cover Trenitalia's international Frecciarossa train between Paris, Lyon, Turin & Milan, because whilst in France it is run by Trenitalia France which is a separate company and not a signatory to the Interrail/Eurail scheme, even though it's a Trenitalia subsidiary.  You can use it (with a fee) on the competing French Railways TGV between Paris & Turin/Milan instead.

Eurail & Interrail passes don't cover the Circumvesuviana Railway Naples-Pompeii-Sorrento, although this is very cheap anyway.

Eurail & Interrail passes don't cover the train route run by SAD between Fortezza and San Candido (connecting for Lienz & Austria).

Eurail & Interrail passes don't cover trains between Malpensa airport and Milan.

Eurail & Interrail passes don't cover the Ferrovia Circumetnea local trains in the mount Etna area.

Eurail & Interrail passes don't cover Ferrovie del Sud Est (FSE) local trains in the Bari & Lecce area, even though it's now a Trenitalia subsidiary.

Help with train times

For train times within Italy use www.trenitalia.com.

See international train times & routes from Rome

See international train times & routes from Florence

See international train times & routes from Venice

See international train times & routes from Milan

See international train times & routes from Naples

See international train times & routes from Pisa

See international train times & routes from Cinque Terre

Using a pass on Italian trains

Regional trains:  Reservations are not required and not even possible on regional trains (Regionale & Regionale Veloce, marked R & RV).  You simply get on, sit in any empty seat and show your pass when asked.

However, passholders must pay a passholder reservation fee for almost all high-speed & long-distance trains:

High-speed trains (Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca):  A €13 passholder reservation fee applies to all Frecciarossa, Frecciargento & Frecciabianca trains linking Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples, Venice, Verona, Turin.  It's per trip, so two connecting trains = 2 x €13.

InterCity trains:  A €3 passholder reservation fee applies.

Sleeper trains within Italy, including those to Sicily:  With any class of pass (1st or 2nd), a couchette in 4-berth costs €41, bed in 3-bed sleeper €48, bed in 2-bed double sleeper €58, single bed sleeper €122.  All per person per bed.  Passes cannot be used in Excelsior sleepers, only in the regular sleepers branded Deluxe

Tip:  If booking a couchette or sleeper in Italy, first check point-to-point fares at www.trenitalia.com.  For example, I've just found a sleeper from Milan to Bari in 6 weeks time for €80.90 (limited-availability super-economy fare with single-bed sleeper included), which is cheaper than paying €122 passholder supplement for a single sleeper.  Even if you had already bought a pass, it would be cheaper not to use it!  But as fares are dynamic, it depends what fares you see on your date.

How to make passholder reservations for trains within Italy

You CANNOT make passholder reservations at Trenitalia.com.

Option 1, strange as it may seem, the best place to make passholder reservations online for Italian daytime trains is at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.

This is the cheapest option because you pay no booking fee, just the reservation fee.  It works for Italian high-speed & InterCity trains, but not for sleepers or couchettes on night trains.

Go to Austrian Railways www.oebb.at and set up an enquiry for the Italian journey you want, for example from Rome to Florence.

Where it says 1 x adult, click change.

Now click Add discount and run a search for Interrail or Eurail.  Select Interrail / Eurail - Globalpass and confirm.

Now run the enquiry, clicking the Find services button then the One-way tickets and day tickets link.

You should see €13 passholder reservations on high-speed trains and €3 reservations on Intercity trains. 

If it says Ticket not available, you may have used the Reservation only no ticket link to run the enquiry, you must use the One-way tickets and day tickets link.

Go ahead and buy!  You print out your reservation.  Do let me know if this method stops working.

Option 2, you can make passholder reservations for Italian high-speed & InterCity trains online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service, the reservation is e-ticketed and emailed to you in minutes.  There's a €2 booking fee in addition to the cost of the reservation.

The Eurail/Interrail reservations service can also make reservations for sleepers & couchettes on InterCity Notte trains, but there's a problem.  If you have a 2nd class pass it only offers couchettes, even though you're entitled to book single or double sleepers with a 2nd class pass.  So if you have a 2nd class pass and want to book a single or double sleeper, use option 3 below.

Option 3, to book couchettes or sleepers on InterCity Notte trains, email andy@railtravelcentre.com, the same expert that runs www.discoverbyrail.com.  He can arrange passholder bookings for Italian sleeper trains including single or double sleepers whatever class of pass you have.  Tickets can be posted to you or he can email the booking reference which is in fact all you need.

Option 4, you can make passholder reservations at stations of course, but you'll need to use the staffed counter, not the self-service machines.

Using a pass to Switzerland

Venice & Milan to Geneva, Zurich, Basel, Bern, Luzern etc. by fast direct EuroCity train:  A passholder reservation fee applies, €11 in 2nd class, €13 in 1st class. 

Option 1, strange as it may seem, you can make passholder reservations for these Italy-Switzerland EuroCity trains at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.

This is the cheapest option because you pay no booking fee, just the reservation fee.

Go to Austrian Railways www.oebb.at and set up an enquiry for the Italian journey you want, for example from Milan to Zurich or Geneva.

Where it says 1 x adult, click change.

Now click Add discount and run a search for Interrail or Eurail.  Select Interrail / Eurail - Globalpass and confirm.

Now run the enquiry, clicking the Find services button then the One-way tickets and day tickets link.

You should see €11/€13 passholder reservations the direct EC trains.

If it says Ticket not available, you may have used the Reservation only no ticket link to run the enquiry, you must use the One-way tickets and day tickets link.

Go ahead and buy!  You print out your reservation.  Do let me know if this method stops working.

Option 2, you can also make passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service, the reservation is e-ticketed and emailed to you in minutes.

Milan or Varenna to Tirano, St Moritz, Chur & Zurich via the amazingly scenic Bernina route:  No reservation is needed on the two-hourly Italian regional trains from Milan Centrale to Tirano, just hop on and show your pass.  No reservation needed on the hourly Swiss local trains from Tirano to St Moritz or on the connecting Swiss trains to Chur & Zurich.  Only if you choose to use the special Tirano-Chur Bernina Express panoramic tourist train is a seat reservation compulsory, this can be made online as shown here.

Using a pass to Paris, Nice & France

To Paris by Milan-Turin-Paris TGV

A passholder reservation fee must be paid, a hefty €31 in 2nd class, €45 in 1st class.  You can make passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service, the reservation is e-ticketed and emailed to you in minutes.

Passholder places are quota-controlled, so can run out even if the train has plenty of seats left.  If booking well in advance it may be cheaper to buy a normal ticket, as these start at just €29 2nd class, €46 in 1st class including reservation if you pre-book at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

To Paris or Lyon by Milan-Turin-Lyon-Paris Frecciarossa

Passes aren't currently valid on Trenitalia's Milan-Paris Frecciarossas, because when in France they are run by Trenitalia France which is not a signatory to the Interrail & Eurail schemes, even though it is a subsidiary of Trenitalia.  But advance-purchase fares for the Frecciarossa can be cheaper than the TGV passholder fee, so check normal prices using www.italiarail.com, www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

To Monaco, Nice & Cannes via Ventimiglia

The direct Milan-Genoa-Nice Thello trains were discontinued in July 2021, but you can still travel between Italy & Nice using Italian domestic trains to Ventimiglia on the French border, then French domestic TER local trains from Ventimiglia to Monte Carlo, Nice & Cannes, see the Nice to Italy by train page.  Normal reservation arrangements & fees apply to Trenitalia's Intercity & Frecciabianca trains from Milan & Genoa to Ventimiglia, see the Italy national trains section below.  No reservation is needed for the French TER trains from Ventimiglia to Nice, nor if you use an Italian regional train from Genoa to Ventimiglia. 

Using a pass to Austria & Germany

Venice, Bologna, Verona to Innsbruck & Munich by EuroCity train (the Brenner route):  There is a passholder surcharge for travel on these Brenner Pass EuroCity trains, €10 in 2nd class or €15 in 1st class, a reserved seat is optional for an extra €3 or so per seat.  You can either board the train without a reservation, sit in any empty unreserved seat and pay the surcharge on board when the conductor comes round, or make a seat reservation & pay the surcharge online at the Austrian Railways website by adding an Interrail/Eurail discount exactly as for Nightjet sleeper trains as explained here.

Venice to Villach & Vienna by railjet train:  There is a passholder surcharge for travel on these Venice-Vienna railjet trains, €10 in 2nd class or €15 in 1st class, a reserved seat is optional for an extra €3 per seat.  You can either board the train without a reservation, sit in any empty unreserved seat and pay the surcharge on board when the conductor comes round, or make a seat reservation & pay the surcharge online at the Austrian Railways website by adding an Interrail/Eurail discount exactly as for Nightjet sleeper trains as explained hereSee the railjet & scenery photos & information on the Vienna to Venice page.

Milan to Frankfurt by direct EuroCity train:  Reservation compulsory for journeys from Italy, a passholder reservation is €11 in 2nd class, €13 in 1st class for passholders.  You can make passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service, the reservation is e-ticketed and emailed to you in minutes.

Trieste to Vienna by EuroCity train (via Slovenia):  There is a small passholder surcharge for travel on the part within Italy, €2.60.  Make an optional seat reservation & pay the surcharge online at the Austrian Railways website by adding an Interrail/Eurail discount exactly as for Nightjet sleeper trains as explained here.

Nightjet sleeper trains:  Rome, Florence, Milan or Venice to Munich, Salzburg or Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train.  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €54, bed in 2-berth sleeper €74, bed in single-berth sleeper €124, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €94, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €144.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Using a pass on the ferries to Greece

Eurail & Interrail passes give 'free passage' on Blue Star & Superfast (Attica Group) Bari-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Patras, Ancona-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Patras.

You still have to pay port taxes (€7), fuel surcharge (€20 from Bari, €40 from Ancona) & high season supplement, €15 in June or September, €25 in July & August.

2nd class passes give a free 'deck passage' which means a place on the ferry but with no specific seat or berth.  You can use the seating in the lounge and there's space under cover on deck to use a sleeping-bag if you have one, many backpackers do this.  1st class passes give free passage with an aircraft-style reclining seat.

You can pay extra for a cabin, this starts at €140+ per cabin for a private room with shower & toilet for up to 4 people.  There's no discount on the cabin.

Book the ferry online at www.superfast.com, adding a reclining seat or cabin if you like.  Pre-booking is recommended in summer as the route gets busy.

Important tip:  To book the ferry with Interrail/Eurail discount, select passenger type Adult (26-59) for all passengers with a railpass, regardless of their actual age, then in the Discount box select Eurail or Interrail global pass.  You must select Adult because if you select passenger types Child, Juvenile (under 26) or Senior, the Interrail & Eurail pass options don't appear (and price-wise it doesn't matter as the basic fare is €0 anyway).  You will then find that this prevents you from entering the correct birth year for children, youths or seniors, so just enter the right date with the wrong year and complete the booking.  Then email the Superfast Help Desk (their email address is at the bottom of the booking pages) with the correct date(s) of birth.  This is the booking advice provided by Superfast Help Desk themselves.

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Latvia

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on all trains run by Latvian railways, www.pv.lv.

Other pass benefits

Special fares on Tallink-Silja Line ferries Stockholm-Riga.

Help with train times

For trains within Latvia, see www.pv.lv.

See international train & ferry times & routes from Riga.

Using a pass on national trains

Reservations aren't needed, just hop on and show your pass.  But prices are incredibly cheap, don't buy a pass for Latvia before checking normal train fares.

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Lithuania

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on LG = Lithuanian Railways, ltglink.lt.

Help with train times

See international train times & routes from Vilnius

Using a pass on national trains

Reservations aren't needed, just hop on and show your pass.  But prices are incredibly cheap, don't buy a pass for Lithuania before checking normal train fares.

Using a pass on international trains

Not valid on trains to Belarus or Russia.

Good for the train from Kaunas to Bialystok in Poland.

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Luxembourg

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on CFL = Luxembourg State Railways, www.cfl.lu

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by CFL and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run by CFL & the partner railways in those countries, including for example the French Railways TGVs to Paris, the regular Intercity trains to Brussels, regional trains to Strasbourg.

Other pass benefits

A Eurail or Interrail pass gives free travel on buses run by CFL.

Help with train times

See international train times & routes from Luxembourg

Using a pass on national trains

Reservation is neither necessary nor possible on Luxembourg domestic trains, just hop on and sit in any empty seat.

Using a pass on international trains

To Brussels or Amsterdam by intercity or regional trains:  Reservation neither necessary nor possible, hop on, sit in any empty seat and show your pass when asked.

To Paris by TGV:  A passholder reservation fee applies, €10 in either class.

To Trier & Germany by regional train:  Reservation neither necessary nor possible, hop on, sit in any empty seat and show your pass when asked.

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Montenegro

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on all trains run by ZCG (Railways of Montenegro, www.zcg-prevoz.me). 

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by ZCG and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from Serbia run by ZCG & partner SZ (Serbian Railways).

Using a pass on national & international trains

A small supplement must be paid on domestic express trains including the international trains to & from Belgrade, but not on purely local trains.

Bar or Podgorica to Belgrade by sleeper train:  Couchette supplement €6 in a 6-berth or €14 in a 4-berth.  Sleeper supplement €15 for a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €20 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, €40 for a single-bed sleeper, all bookable with 2nd class pass.

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Netherlands

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on NS = Nederlandse Spoorwegen = Dutch national railways, www.ns.nl.

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by NS and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run by NS & its partner railways, including Thalys to Brussels & Paris, the hourly InterCity trains to Brussels run in conjunction with SNCB (Belgian Railways), and the DB (German Railways) trains to Germany.

A pass gives free travel on the following private local train operators who now run trains on lines that were part of the NS network:  Arriva (Blauwnet), Connexxion (Breng), Keolis (Blauwnet), Qbuzz (R-Net) and (on cross-border routes to/from Germany) DB Regio & Keolis Deutschland (EuroBahn).

Passes do not cover the RET metro between Hoek van Holland, Schiedam & Rotterdam, so buy a normal metro ticket for around €4.

Tip:  Making European seat reservations at stations when in the Netherlands.  NS International (Dutch Railways international sales division) charge a fee for making seat reservations at their staffed sales centres at Amsterdam Centraal, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Arnhem etc., in addition to the cost of the reservation:  €1.50 per reservation to Belgium or Germany, a whopping €7.50 for reservations to or within all other countries.  So make reservations online if you can, or wait until you can get to a ticket office in Germany to make future reservations for other European routes.

Help with train times

For train times within the Netherlands use www.ns.nl.

See international train times & routes from Amsterdam

Using a pass on Dutch trains

Using a railpass within the Netherlands is easy, as reservation is not necessary or even possible on Dutch domestic trains.  You can simply hop on any train, find an empty seat and show your pass when asked.  That goes for the German InterCity & ICE trains too.

If you have a Eurail or Interrail pass, there is a small €2.70 supplement to pay to make Dutch domestic journeys on the Intercity Direct (ICD) trains between Amsterdam or Schiphol & Rotterdam via the high-speed line.  You can pay this at the station (it's sold by ticket machines or the ticket office) or online at Dutch Railways website www.ns.nl.

You can avoid this fee if you use slower trains via the original (non-high-speed) line through Den Haag.

You should avoid making Dutch domestic journeys such as Amsterdam to Rotterdam on the international high-speed Thalys trains, as a reservation is required and a hefty fee payable by passholders.  Simply use the alternative Dutch InterCity trains instead!

Using a pass on trains to Austria

By Nightjet sleeper train, Amsterdam to Vienna:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €74, bed in 2-berth sleeper €94, bed in single-berth sleeper €144, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €114, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €154.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types, as from 2017.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Using a pass on trains to Brussels & Belgium

(1)  Using Thalys trains Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp-Brussels:  A passholder reservation fee is charged for the high-speed Thalys trains, €20 in either class.  Passholder places are limited by a quota which can sell out even if the train isn't full - so book sooner rather than later!  You can make Thalys passholder reservations online at either b-europe.com as explained here or using the official Eurail/Interrail reservations service.  You can avoid the need to pay for a reservation by using the slower InterCity trains instead.

(2)  Using the slower hourly InterCity trains Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp-Brussels:  No fee!  Nothing to pay, no reservation needed (or even possible) if you use the slower hourly InterCity trains from Amsterdam & Rotterdam to Antwerp & Brussels, although these take just 3 hours rather than 2 hours.  Just get on, sit in any empty seat and show your pass when asked.  You can check times at www.b-europe.com (Tip:  Select Direct trains only and look for trains marked IC).

Incidentally, there is definitely no need to pay the Dutch €2.70 high-speed Intercity Direct supplement when making an international journey from Amsterdam to Belgium on these IC Direct  trains, whatever the Railplanner app may say.  The €2.70 supplement definitely only applies when making a Dutch domestic journey such as from Amsterdam to Rotterdam or Breda.

Using a pass on trains to Paris & France

A passholder reservation fee applies to the high-speed Thalys trains, €30 in both classes.  Passholder places on Thalys are limited by a quota which can sell out even if the train isn't full - so book sooner rather than later!  You can make Thalys passholder reservations online at either b-europe.com as explained here or using the official Eurail/Interrail reservations service.

Using a pass on trains to Berlin, Cologne & Germany

Amsterdam to Osnabruck, Hanover & Berlin on Intercity (IC) trains:  Reservation optional, you can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  If you want to reserve seat, you can make a normal seat reservation for a few euros using the German Railways website, as explained here.

Amsterdam to Duisburg, Dusseldorf, Cologne & Frankfurt on ICE trains:  Reservation is usually optional, you can normally just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  If you want to reserve seat, you can make a normal seat reservation for a few euros using the German Railways website, as explained hereImportant:  From 17 June to 18 August 2023 reservation is compulsory for cross-border journeys on these Amsterdam-Cologne-Frankfurt ICE trains.  Try making a reservation using the German Railways website, as explained here.  However, it seems they have disabled the ability to make reservation-only bookings on these ICEs during this period.  If so, phone NS Customer Support to make your reservation, on +31 30 23 000 23.

Amsterdam to Munich by Nightjet sleeper train:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €74, bed in 2-berth sleeper €94, bed in single-berth sleeper €144, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €114, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €154.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types, as from 2017.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Amsterdam or Rotterdam to Berlin by European Sleeper overnight train:  Not covered by Interrail or Eurail, but this could change, watch this space...

Using a pass on trains to Switzerland

By Nightjet sleeper train, Amsterdam to Basel or Zurich:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €74, bed in 2-berth sleeper €94, bed in single-berth sleeper €144, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €114, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €154.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types, as from 2017.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

By ICE:  Seat reservation is normally optional on the ICE train from Amsterdam to Basel.  You can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  If you want to reserve seat, you can make a normal seat reservation for a few euros using the German Railways website, as explained here.  However, from 17 June to 18 August 2023 reservation is compulsory for cross-border journeys on these ICE trains, make a reservation using the German Railways website, as explained here.

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North Macedonia

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on MK = Macedonian Railways mzt.mk

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by MK and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from Greece & Serbia run by MK, OSE (Greece) and SZ (Serbia).

At the time I write this all trains linking Greece, Skopje & Serbia are cancelled.

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Norway

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on mainline trains operated by the 3 national operators www.vy.no, go-aheadnordic.no & www.sj.no.

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from Sweden run by Vy or SJ (Swedish railways).

Other pass benefits

50% discount on many regional bus services

30% discount on the Flεm Railway.

Help with train times

For train times within Norway use www.vy.no or www.entur.no.

See international train times & routes from Oslo

Using a pass on Norwegian trains

Reservation is now compulsory on Norwegian long-distance trains with all 3 operators. 

2nd class passholders must pay NOK 50 (around €5) per reservation on each train.  They can upgrade to Komfort (1st) class for 200-300 NOK, the upgrade cost varies between operators.  You can make reservations either:

- at a station in Norway with staffed ticket counter (Oslo Sentral, Oslo Airport, Stavanger, Bergen and Trondheim);

- on trains run by Vy, by using the chat function at bottom right on the Vy website, www.vy.no.  This is easy, they email you a payment link.

- by phone to Vy on +47 61 27 90 88 or +47 61 05 19 10 (no booking fee, the reservation is emailed to you);

- with an added booking fee at www.acprail.com.

1st class passholders can get seat reservations free of charge for travel in Komfort (1st) class using one of these methods:

- at a station in Norway with staffed ticket counter (Oslo Sentral, Oslo Airport, Stavanger, Bergen and Trondheim)

- by phone to Vy on +47 61 27 90 88 or +47 61 05 19 10  (no booking fee, the reservation is emailed to you);

- for any Norwegian train, using the chat function on www.entur.no.  The reservation is emailed to you.

- on trains run by Vy, by using the chat function at bottom right on the Vy website, www.vy.no.  The reservation is emailed to you.

Sleeper trains within Norway:  Around NOK 1000 (€97) for a private sleeper with 1 or 2 beds, per compartment.  Book early, sleepers are in high demand.

Using a pass on international trains

Oslo to Stockholm by Intercity train:  Reservation compulsory, €6.60 in 2nd class, €16 in 1st class.  You can make passholder reservations online at the Swedish Railways site www.sj.se following the instructions below.  You can also make passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service,

Oslo to Gothenburg by Norwegian train:  Reservation optional, €5.40 if you want a reserved seat.  If you have a 1st class pass you can get a reserved seat in NSB Komfort (= 1st class) for free if you make the reservation an any Norwegian station.

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Poland

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on PKP InterCity = Polish Railways long distance division, www.intercity.pl.

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by PKP InterCity and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run by PKP InterCity & its partner railways in those countries.

Passes also give unlimited travel on:

PKP Przewozy Regionalne = Polish Railways regional trains, rozklad-pkp.pl/bin/query.exe/en.

Koleje Dolnośląskie = some local trains around Wroclaw in lower Silesia.

Szybka Kolej Miejska (SKM) = some regional trains around Gdynia.

 

Interrail passes are not valid on:

Kulturzug regional train Berlin-Wroclaw.

Koleje Mazowieckie = some local trains around Warsaw.

Koleje Śląskie = some local trains in Silesia.

Koleje Wielkopolskie = some local trains around Poznan.

Arriva = a few privatised regional trains around Bydgoszcz/Torun/Gdansk.

The international trains to Ukraine, Belarus, Russia.

Russian international sleeper trains passing through Poland towards Berlin & Paris.

Help with train times

For train times within Poland use www.intercity.pl.

See international train times & routes from Warsaw

See international train times & routes from Krakow

Using a pass on Polish trains

No reservation is necessary or possible for local or regional trains, just get on and show your pass.

EIP (Express InterCity Premium) trains, operated by fast pendolino trains:  Reservation compulsory, €10 supplement + free reservation if made at a station in Poland, €10 supplement + €0.25 reservation if made online, or €10 supplement + €3.50 reservation if made outside Poland.

Express InterCity (EIC), InterCity (IC), Twoje Linie Kolejowe (TLK) & most EuroCity (EC) trains:  Reservation compulsory*, free if made at a station in Poland, €0.25 if made online, €3.50 if made at a station outside Poland.

* In fact, some IC & TLK trains are not reservation compulsory, but it's hard to identify these.  As a seat reservation is recommended in any case and only €0.25 booked online or free at the station, it's best to treat all PKP Intercity trains as compulsory reservation.  However, if you want to see if a particular train can in fact be used without a reservation, go to portalpasazera.pl/en, run an enquiry, find the train in question, click Connection details, then click the 'i' symbol below the departure station to bring up train facilities.  In the list of facilities it will either say obligatory reservation or seat booking.  If it says seat booking reservation is optional, not compulsory.

Sleeper trains within Poland:  Couchette in 6-berth compartment €14, couchette in 4-berth compartment €16, bed in 3-bed sleeper €18.50, bed in 2-bed sleeper €37, single-bed sleeper €70, all fine with 2nd class pass.  Cannot be booked online, only at stations.

How to make seat reservations online for Polish trains

You can reserve seats online for trains wholly within Poland using the PKP Intercity website intercity.pl, following the instructions here

Booking opens 30 days ahead, you can't book before then!  It cannot reserve couchettes or sleepers, or reserve seats on international trains, but it will usually happily make passholder reservations for Polish domestic journeys.

Made online, a seat reservation costs 1 zloty (€0.25) on a EIC, IC or TLK train or 43 zlotys (€10) on an EIP train, with no booking fee.  On an EIP train, you can choose your seat from a seat map if you reserve this way.

To reserve couchettes or sleepers on Polish night trains, go to the station or contact reliable booking agency www.polrail.com.

Using a pass to Berlin & Germany

Warsaw, Poznan, Gdynia or Gdansk to Berlin by Warsaw-Berlin EuroCity train:  Reservation compulsory, fee €4 in either class.

You can make passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service, but in this case the reservation cannot be e-ticketed, it has to be sent to you at extra cost, so it's €4 + €2 booking fee + €9 postage fee.  You can also try asking www.polrail.com to book it for you with ticket collection in Warsaw or Krakow.  Or simply book at the station, there are usually places available.

Using a pass to Vienna & Austria

Warsaw or Krakow to Vienna by EuroCity train:  Reservation is compulsory, seat reservation fee €3.  This is just a normal seat reservation like any other passenger with a pre-existing ticket would make, you can make a reservation online at the ΦBB website for €3, see the instructions here.

Warsaw or Krakow to Vienna by EuroNight sleeper train:  €29 for a couchette in 6-berth, €39 for a couchette in 4-berth, €44 for a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €59 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, €119 for a bed in a single-bed sleeper, €79 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper with shower & toilet, €139 for a bed in a single-bed sleeper with shower & toilet (all fine with 2nd class pass).  You can make a reservation online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions here.

Using a pass to Prague, Bratislava or Budapest

Warsaw or Krakow to Prague, Bratislava or Budapest by EuroCity train:  Reservation required, €3.50.  This cannot be done online, make it at the station, there are almost always places available.

Warsaw or Krakow to Bratislava or Budapest by EuroNight sleeper train:  €17 for a couchette in a 6-bunk couchette, €32 for a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €44 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, €83 in a single-bed sleeper, €55 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper with shower & toilet, €93 in a single-bed sleeper with shower & toilet, all bookable with a 2nd class pass.  This cannot be booked online, ask www.polrail.com to do it for you with ticket collection in Warsaw or Krakow, or use the Eurail/Interrail reservations service (a hard copy ticket must be posted to you at extra cost).

Warsaw or Krakow to Prague by EuroNight sleeper train:  €13.40 per person in 6-bunk couchette, €?? in 4-bunk couchette, bed in 3-bed sleeper €20, bed in  2-bed sleeper €30, bed in single-bed sleeper €70, bed in 2-bed sleeper with shower & toilet €??, bed in single-bed sleeper with shower & toilet €80.

Passholder reservations for the Warsaw/Krakow to Prague sleeper train can be made online at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz, with no added booking fee.  Before running the enquiry, click where it says 1 x Adult 26-64 No discount card then click on No discount card , click Interrail and Eurail Pass then select the one you have.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Krakow to Prague by Leo Express, see timetable here: 2nd class passes entitle you to free travel in economy class, 1st class passes in standard plus or business class.  Reservation is required, but it's free of charge, you can make passholder reservations in person at their Prague or Ostrava offices or online at leoexpress.com following the advice here.  Upgrade to Premium class is not possible.

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Portugal

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on CP = Portuguese national railways, www.cp.pt

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by CP and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from Spain and the French border run by CP & its partner Renfe (Spanish railways).

Help with train times

For train times within Portugal see www.cp.pt.

See international train times & routes from Lisbon

See international train times & routes from Porto

See international train times & routes from Faro & the Algarve

Using a pass on Portuguese trains

No supplement to pay on local or InterRegional trains.

InterCity trains, for example Lisbon - Faro:  Reservation required, €5.

Alfa Pendular fast tilting trains, for example Lisbon - Porto:  Reservation required, €5.

Reservations for Portuguese trains can't be made from outside Portugal, so just make them at any main station when you get there, there are almost always places available.

Using a pass on international trains

Lisbon to Madrid See here for Lisbon-Madrid timetable & journey details, then see here for reservation requirements & how to book.

Porto-Vigo by express regional train:  You must ask for a seat reservation at the station before boarding, free of charge.

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Romania

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on CFR = Romanian National Railways, www.cfrcalatori.ro

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by CFR and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries jointly run by CFR & the national railways in those countries.

Help with train times

See international train times & routes from Bucharest

Using a pass on Romanian trains

InterCity (IC) & InterRegio (IR) trains:  Seat reservation compulsory, fee around €1.  This is just a normal seat reservation, as for any ticket holder.

Using a pass on international trains

Reservation is compulsory on all international trains from Romania.

Bucharest or Brasov to Budapest on daytime train:

Reservation optional, if you want a reserved seat it costs €3, a normal seat reservation as for any ticket holder.  Reservations cannot be made online, make this at the international ticket office in Bucharest.

Bucharest or Brasov to Budapest by sleeper train:

Reservation required, couchette in 6-bunk compartment €13.40, couchette in 4-bunk couchette €20, berth in 3-berth sleeper €28, berth in 2-berth sleeper €42.  Bed in single-bed sleeper (requires 1st class pass) €98.

You can make Bucharest-Budapest passholder reservations for sleepers or couchette using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service, but in this case the reservation cannot be e-ticketed, it has to be posted to you at extra cost.

However, you can make a Bucharest-Budapest sleeper or couchette reservation on the Dacia Express (but not other trains) online at the ΦBB (Austrian Railways) website following the instructions for using oebb.at below and can print out the reservation.

Bucharest, Brasov or Sighisoara to Vienna by sleeper train Dacia Express:

Reservation required, couchette in 6-bunk compartment €13.40, couchette in 4-bunk couchette €20, berth in 3-berth sleeper €28, berth in 2-berth sleeper €42.  Bed in single-bed sleeper (requires 1st class pass) €98.

You can make passholder reservations for sleepers & couchettes on the Dacia Express at the ΦBB (Austrian Railways) website following the instructions for using oebb.at below and can print out the reservation.

Bucharest to Istanbul by sleeper train (runs direct in summer only): 

€14 supplement for a couchette in 4-berth compartment.

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Serbia

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on ZS = Serbian Railways, www.serbianrailways.com

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by ZS and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run jointly by ZS & the national railways in those countries.

Help with train times

See international train times & routes from Belgrade

Using a pass on Serbian trains

Reservation optional on express trains, for €0.90.

Using a pass on national trains

Reservation is optional on the Belgrade-Budapest & Belgrade-Zagreb-Ljubljana trains, you can just get on and show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat you can do this at the station for a few euros, this is just a normal seat reservation as for any ticket holder.

Belgrade to Budapest by sleeper train:  Couchette supplement €8 in a 6-berth or €10 in a 4-berth.

Belgrade to Podgorica or Bar by sleeper train:  Couchette supplement €6 in a 6-berth or €14 in a 4-berth.  Sleeper supplement €15 for a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €20 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, €40 for a single-bed sleeper, all bookable with 2nd class pass.

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Slovakia

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on ZSSK = Slovak Railways, www.zssk.sk

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by ZSSK and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run jointly by ZSSK & the national railways in those countries.

Passes now good for Regiojet trains (www.regiojet.com) for a small reservation fee.

Help with train times

See international train times & routes from Bratislava

Using a pass on Slovakian trains

Seat reservation is compulsory on all InterCity & EuroCity trains, the cost varies between €1-€10 in 2nd class or €7-€16 in 1st class depending on distance.  It's just a normal seat reservation, as for any other ticket holder.

You can make seat reservations on the Slovakian Railways website predaj.zssk.sk/search:  Run an enquiry and find the train you want.  Click on the shopping trolley icon then Purchase the ticket.  Then click on No Discount, select International ticket/Rail Pass from the list and click Continue.  Click Seat ticket to see the reservation options, pick one and make the reservation.  At the next stage you'll usually get to choose an exact seat from a seat map.  You get a barcode to print or show on your phone.

Using a pass on international trains

Seat reservation is compulsory on all InterCity and EuroCity trains, fee €3.  This is just a normal seat reservation, as for any ticket holder.  Book at the station, there are almost always places even on the day.

Seat reservation is compulsory on SuperCity tilting trains from Kosice & Poprad Tatry to Ostrava & Prague, €7, a normal seat reservation as for any ticket holder.

Bratislava or elsewhere in Slovakia to Prague by Regiojet train (www.regiojet.com).  Reservation required, €1.3 in Low Cost, €2 in Standard, €2.8 in Relax or (with a 1st class pass) €1.3 in Business.  Regiojet passholder reservations can be made online at www.regiojet.com: Use the journey planner as if buying a normal ticket.  When prices appear, look for the Only seat reservations toggle and use it.  Select the train you want, then under Type of ticket purchased select Interrail & Eurail.  You print out your reservation or can show it in the Regiojet app.  Or book at the Regiojet ticket window at Bratislava Hlavna.

Bratislava to Krakow or Warsaw by EuroNight sleeper train:  €17 for a couchette in a 6-bunk couchette, €32 for a bed in a 3-berth sleeper, €44 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, €83 in a single-bed sleeper, €55 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper with shower & toilet, €93 in a single-bed sleeper with shower & toilet, all bookable with a 2nd class pass.  This cannot be booked online, book at the station or use the Eurail/Interrail reservations service (a hard copy ticket must be posted to you at extra cost).

Bratislava to Berlin by EuroNight sleeper train:  Couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-bed sleeper €54, in 2-bed €74, in single-bed €114, all can be used with 2nd class pass.  Passholder reservations for sleepers or couchettes can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

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Slovenia

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on SZ = Slovenian railways, potniski.sz.si.

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by SZ and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run by SZ & the national railways in those countries.

Help with train times

See international train times & routes from Ljubljana

Using a pass on Slovenian trains

Seat reservation is compulsory on all ICS trains, costing between €2-€4 depending on distance.

Using a pass on international trains

Ljubljana to Innsbruck or Munich by EuroCity train:  Reservation optional, you can just get on and show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat you can make a normal seat reservation for around €4.50 at the German Railways website as shown here.  It's just an ordinary seat reservation, so you use the Seat only - no ticket link to run the enquiry.

Ljubljana to Vienna by EuroCity train:  Reservation optional, you can just get on and show your pass when asked.  If you want a reserved seat you can make a normal seat reservation for around €3 at the Austrian Railways website as shown here.  It's just an ordinary seat reservation, so you use the Seat only - no ticket link to run the enquiry.

Ljubljana to Budapest by train:  Reservation optional, you can just get on and show your pass when asked.

Ljubljana to Zagreb & Belgrade:  Reservation optional, you can just get on and show your pass when asked.

Ljubljana or Lesce-Bled to Zurich by sleeper train:  Couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-bed sleeper €54, in 2-bed €74, in single-bed €114.  Passholder reservations for sleepers or couchettes can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

Ljubljana or Lesce-Bled to Zagreb:  Reservation optional.  You can reserve a seat for €3 at least on some departures, using the Austrian ΦBB website, as shown here.  It's just an ordinary seat reservation, so you use the Seat only - no ticket link to run the enquiry.

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Spain

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on Renfe = Spanish national railways, www.renfe.com

That includes all domestic high-speed, long-distance, medium-distance, regional and suburban (cercanias/rodalies) trains run by Renfe and (if you've a global pass) international trains to/from France & Portugal run by Renfe, SNCF (France) and CP (Portugal).

Passes also cover FEVE, which runs the narrow-gauge local trains in northern Spain around Bilbao, Gijσn, Leσn & Santander, as it's now part of Renfe, www.renfe.com/es/en/suburban/cercanias-feve (please let me know if that link stops working).

What's not covered

Interrail & Eurail passes do not cover Euskotren (www.euskotren.eus) which runs narrow gauge trains Hendaye-Irun-San Sebastian-Bilbao.

Interrail & Eurail passes do not cover lo-cost Avlo trains or lo-cost Ouigo trains, even though these are subsidiaries of Renfe & SNCF respectively.  They also don't cover privately-owned Iryo high-speed trains which compete with Renfe on Barcelona-Madrid.

There is no longer any pass discount on Trasmediterranea ferries to Ibiza or Majorca, or to Morocco.  However, normal fare tickets for these ferries can be booked using the Direct Ferries website.

Help with train times

For train times within Spain use www.renfe.com or www.raileurope.com.

See international train times & routes from Barcelona

See international train times & routes from San Sebastian

See international train times & routes from Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, Granada, Seville, Malaga

Using a pass on Spanish trains

Just about every Spanish long-distance train requires a reservation and fee of €4-€13, sometimes more, and even most shorter distance regional trains require a seat reservation.  It's safest to assume that the only trains in Spain which don't require any fee or seat reservation are suburban trains (cercanias) around the big cities, which also includes the Barcelona-Latour de Carol & Barcelona-Portbou-Cerbθre routes.

How to make Spanish passholder reservations: 

Reservations cannot be made at Renfe.com nor using the Interrail/Eurail reservations service.  Spain is a bit of a railpass black hole!  You can of course make reservations in person at a Spanish station when you get to Spain.

To make Spanish passholder reservations in advance, email andy@railtravelcentre.com, the same rail expert that runs www.discoverbyrail.com.  He can arrange passholder reservations in Spain.  Note that reservations cannot be e-ticketed, they are hard-copy and will only to be posted to UK addresses or can be collected from ticket machines in Germany (as the reservations are sourced via the DB system).  His normal handling fee is £17.50, but he'll reduce this to £15 if you quote 'seat61' in your email.  One handling fee is charged 'per booking', where a booking can be more than one passenger reserved on more than one train.  Remember to tell him if your pass is 1st or 2nd class.

How much do reservations cost?

AVE high speed trains (e.g. Madrid to Seville, Cordoba, Cadiz, Malaga, Barcelona & Barcelona to Malaga/Cordoba/Seville): 

€10 in 2nd class (estandar class, elige fare), €13 in 1st class (confort class, elige fare) or  €23.50 in 1st class (confort class, premium fare) with lounge access, drinks & meal included.

EuroMed (Barcelona-Valencia-Alicante),

€6.50 in 2nd class (estandar class, elige fare), €10 in 1st class (confort class, elige fare) or  €23.50 in 1st class (confort class, premium fare) with lounge access, drinks & meal on weekdays included.

Alvia (e.g. Madrid-Cadiz, San Sebastian-Barcelona, Bilbao-Barcelona, Madrid-Vigo) & Intercity (e.g. Madrid-Algeciras, Madrid-Badajoz):

€6.50 fee in 2nd class (estandar class, elige fare) or €10 in 1st class (confort class, elige fare).

Alaris (Madrid-Valencia)

€6.50 in 2nd class, €23.50 in 1st class.

Avant high-speed trains for short distances:  €4 per seat.

MD (Media Distancia) & TRD trains:  Even many shorter-distance regional trains in Spain require a seat reservation:  €4 per seat.

Using a pass on trains to France

Barcelona to Paris by TGV:  Reservation required, €35 in 1st or 2nd class.

You can make passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service, it's now e-ticketed, the reservation is emailed to you and can be printed or shown on your phone.

How to avoid these expensive reservation fees: 

Option 1, Barcelona to Latour de Carol to Toulouse:  There are no fees to pay or reservations required on the local suburban trains from Barcelona through the Pyrenees to Latour de Carol and on the TER regional trains from Latour de Carol to Toulouse, see here for details.

Option 2, Barcelona - Cerbθre- Perpignan:  Take a Spanish regional train from Barcelona to Cerbθre then a French TER regional train from Cerbθre to Perpignan, no reservation necessary for either train.  Then take a TGV from Perpignan to Paris or wherever, €10 reservation fee booked in advance or €20 fee when the €10 fees sell out, easily bookable online without any booking fee as shown here.  The easiest way to find times is to use the Barcelona area regional trains website rodalies.gencat.cat/en/horaris to look up trains from Barcelona to Cerbθre.  Then use www.bahn.de to look up trains from Cerbθre to Paris/Lyon/Montpellier/Avignon/wherever.

Option 3, via San Sebastian at the northern end of the Pyrenees:  Take a Spanish train from Madrid, Barcelona or wherever to San Sebastian at the northern end of the Pyrenees, reservation fee €10, make this at the station, there's no quota so only sells out at the busiest times.  You can check times at www.raileurope.com.  Then take the little Euskotren metro from San Sebastian Amara station to Hendaye, which is not covered by Interrail or Eurail, but the fare is only €2.50 or so, buy at the station, it runs every 30 minutes and takes 37 minutes.  Then take a TGV from Hendaye to Bordeaux or Paris, €10 fee in advance or €20 fee when the €10 fees sell out, easily bookable online as shown here.  You'll also find fee-free TER trains from Hendaye to Biarritz and Bordeaux.

Using a pass on trains to Portugal

Madrid to Lisbon by day trains:  See here for Madrid-Lisbon timetable & journey details, and see here for reservation requirements & how to book.

Vigo to Porto by express regional train:  You must ask for a seat reservation at the station before boarding, free of charge.

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Sweden

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on SJ = Swedish national railways www.sj.se, which runs most Swedish mainline trains. 

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by SJ and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from Denmark & Norway run by SJ & its partner railways in those countries.

Passes also give unlimited travel on:

Φresundstεg = operator of local trains linking Copenhagen, Malmo, Gothenburg.

Arlanda Express airport rail link.

Inlandsbanen private local railway up the inner spine of Sweden.

Snδlltεget = private operator running Malmo-Stockholm & Malmo-Berlin, www.snalltaget.se.

Local operators Arriva, Krφsatεg, Norrtεg, Skεnetrafiken, Vδrmlandstrafik, Vδsttrafik, Mδlartεg.

Tallink-Silja Line ferries Stockholm-Turku (for train to Helsinki). Cabin berths extra.

Free travel on Net Matkat bus service Kemi/Tornio-Haparanda (across the top from Sweden into Finland).

Passes do not cover private operator MTRX running Stockholm-Gothenburg trains in competition with SJ, mtrx.travel.

Other pass benefits

50% discount on Viking Line ferries Stockholm-Helsinki and Stockholm-Turku.

30% discount on Stena Line ferries (including Gothenburg-Frederikshavn in Denmark).

Special fares on Tallink-Silja Line ferries Stockholm-Riga, Stockholm-Tallinn.

Help with train times

For train times within Sweden use www.sj.se.

See international train times & routes from Stockholm

Using a pass on Swedish trains

X2000 tilting trains, for example, Stockholm-Gothenburg or Stockholm-Malmφ:  Reservation compulsory, fee €7 in 2nd class or €17 in 1st class (includes a light meal in 1st class).  You can make seat reservations online at www.acprail.com (small fee payable, but no credit card rejection problems), or you can make them with no fee at www.sj.se following the instructions below, although sj.se sometimes struggles with overseas credit cards and it's a little non-intuitive.

Seat reservation on Intercity or regional trains:  35 SEK in either class.

Sleeper trains within Sweden:  Seat €3, couchette in 6-bunk compartment €20, bed in 3-bed sleeper with washbasin €40, bed in 2-bed sleeper with toilet & shower €50, single-bed sleeper with toilet & shower €75.

Snδlltεget (private competitor to SJ) Malmo-Stockholm:  Reservation required, €5 in 2nd class, €15 in 1st class.

Using a pass on international trains

Stockholm to Copenhagen by X2000:  Reservation compulsory, €6.60 in 2nd class, €16 in 1st class.

You can make Stockholm-Copenhagen passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service, the reservation is e-ticketed and emailed to you in minutes.  You can also make them with no added booking fee at www.sj.se following the instructions below.

Stockholm to Oslo by Intercity train:  Reservation compulsory, €6.60 in 2nd class, €16 in 1st class.

You can make Stockholm-Oslo passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service, the reservation is e-ticketed and emailed to you in minutes.  You can also make them with no added booking fee at www.sj.se following the instructions below.

Gothenburg to Oslo:  Reservation optional.  You can just get on and sit in any empty unreserved seat.

Gothenburg & Malmo to Copenhagen by regular Φresund train:  Reservation neither necessary nor possible, just get on, sit anywhere you like and show your pass when asked.

Stockholm or Malmo to Hamburg or Berlin by Snδlltεget night train (runs daily except Saturdays April-November):  Reservation required, €19 in a seat, €39 with couchette.  You can make the reservation online at www.snalltaget.se simply by entering the code INTERRAIL in the box marked Promotion code (if you have one).

Stockholm to Hamburg by SJ EuroNight sleeper train (daily all year):  Reservation required.  You can book passholder places in couchettes or sleepers at the Swedish Railways website www.sj.se by adding an Interrail/Eurail discount to each passenger.

Sweden to Germany by day trains changing at Copenhagen:  See the Germany to Denmark & Denmark to Sweden sections.

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Switzerland

What's covered?

Eurail & Interrail passes give unlimited travel on Swiss Federal Railways (SBB, www.sbb.ch) which runs most inter-city trains and many regional ones. 

That includes all domestic trains run by SBB and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from neighbouring countries run jointly by SBB & other national railways.

Tip:  If you are also visiting Paris or Italy, it's often cheaper to combine a one-country Swiss pass with a cheap advance-purchase ticket between Paris & Switzerland or Switzerland & Italy, rather than buying a global pass and paying reservation fees for the international trains.  So do the maths!

The Glacier Express route from Zermatt to St Moritz is part run by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) and part by the Rhδtische Bahn (RhB) both now covered by Eurail & Interrail passes.  How to make an online reservation for the Glacier Express if you have a railpass.

The Bernina Express route Chur-St Moritz-Tirano is entirely run by RhB, so covered by Eurail & Interrail.  How to make an online reservation for the Bernina Express if you have a railpass.

The Golden Pass route Montreux - Interlaken - Lucerne is also fully covered by Interrail & Eurail passes, as is the Mont Blanc Express between Martigny, Chamonix-Mont Blanc & St Gervais in France as it's run by TMR & SNCF.

Interrail & Eurail passes give free travel on these private railways:

AB Appenzeller Bahnen (25% discount on Ligerz - Tessenberg, free on all other routes)

ASM Aare Seeland Mobil

BLS Bern-Lφtschberg-Simplon (which runs the main Bern-Interlaken-Brig line)

CJ Chemins de fer du Jura

FART Ferrovie Autolinee Regionall Ticinesi

FB Forchbahn

LEB Lausanne - Echallens - Bercher

MBC Biθre - Apples - Morges

MGB Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn - new from 2017!

MOB Montreux Oberland Bernois

MVR Transports Montreux - Vevey - Riviera

NStCM Chemin de Fer Nyon - St-Cergue - Morez

RA RegionAlps Martigny - Orsiθres / Le Chΰble

RBS Regionalverkehr Bern Solothurn

RhB Rhδtische Bahn (Disentis-Chur-St Moritz-Tirano)

SOB Sudostbahn

SOB-bt Bodensee Toggenburg Bahn

SSIF Societa Subalpina di Imprese Ferroviarie

THURBO Mittelthrugau Bahn

TMR Martigny - Chβtelard (- Chamonix Mont Blanc)

TPC Transports publics du Chablais
TPF Transports publics Fribourgeois

TRAVYS SA

TRN Transports rιgionaux Neuchβtelois

Voralpen Express

WB Waldenburgerbahn
WSB Wynental & Suhrentalbahn

ZB Centralbahn

Interrail holders get 25% or 50% discount on these other private train & bus services:

BB Kehrsiten - Bόrgenstock

BET Bergbahnen Engelberg to Titlis

BOB Berner Oberland Bahnen (including Interlaken to Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Mόrren, Wengen)

JB Jungfraubahn - see the train up the Jungfrau page.
LAF Luftseilbahn Adliswil - Felsenegg
PB Pilatusbahn (Alpnachstad-Pilatus Kulm/Kriens-Frδkmόntegg-Pil. Kulm)
RB Rigi-Bahn
SMF-lsm Stφckalp - Melchsee - Frutt
SMtS St-Imier - Mont-Soleil
SthB Stanserhornbahn
SZU Sihltal - Zόrich - Uetliberg

Swiss railways offering free travel & those only giving a discount, at a glance

The easiest way to understand is to see this map of Switzerland's rail network.  Solid red line = free travel with a Eurail or Interrail pass.  Dotted red line = Discount on regular fares give to passholders.  Grey lines (if within Switzerland) = no free travel or discount.  Common mistake:  The dashed red lines are tunnels, not to be confused with the dotted red lines!

Help with train times

Check train times in Switzerland at www.sbb.ch - their journey planner covers all operators, not just SBB.

See international train times & routes from Switzerland

Using a pass on Swiss trains

Using a Eurail or Interrail pass in Switzerland is easy, as seat reservations are not required for any journey wholly within Switzerland, you just hop on, sit in any empty seat and show your pass when asked.  This even goes for international TGV-Lyria and ICE trains on the Swiss domestic part of their journey, where they form part of the regular-interval Swiss domestic train service.

There are only a handful of exceptions, you must pay to make a seat reservation for certain narrow-gauge panoramic trains aimed at tourists, including the famous Glacier Express between Zermatt & St Moritz, the Bernina Express between Chur, St Moritz & Tirano, the Gotthard Panoramic Express, and the Golden Pass Panoramic trains between Montreux & Zweisimmen. 

How to make an online reservation for the Glacier Express if you have a railpass

How to make an online reservation for the Bernina Express if you have a railpass.

Using a pass to Paris & France

Switzerland to Paris by TGV-Lyria high-speed trains:  A passholder reservation fee is charged, €29 in 2nd class, €39 in 1st class from Zurich, Basel, Geneva or Lausanne to Paris.  Passholder places shouldn't run out as they're taken from the full-fare quota.  These new rates apply from 1 July 2023.

You can make TGV-Lyria passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service, the reservation is emailed to you in minutes.

However, if you can book 2-3 months ahead, regular advance-purchase tickets start at €29 booked at www.thetrainline.com and can be cheaper.

How to avoid paying the TGV-Lyria fees:  If you're happy paying the TGV-Lyria reservation fee, fine.  But if not, you can travel from Switzerland to Paris avoiding TGV-Lyria by taking a TER regional train from Basel SBB to Mulhouse then another TER regional train from Mulhouse to Paris, no reservation necessary for either train.  You can find times using www.bahn.de, simply click Types of transport and de-select high-speed train.  Similarly, you can take a TER regional train from Geneva to Lyon (no reservation required & no fees) then use one of several TER Lyon-Paris trains (no reservation required, no fees, but they take 5h rather than 2h by TGV).  You can find Geneva-Lyon & Lyon-Paris TER times using www.bahn.de, click Types of transport and de-select high-speed train.

Geneva to Lyon, Basel to Mulhouse & Strasbourg by TER regional train:  No reservation necessary or possible, hop on, find any empty seat & show your pass when asked.

Using a pass to Amsterdam & the Netherlands

By Nightjet sleeper train, Zurich & Basel to Amsterdam:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €74, bed in 2-berth sleeper €94, bed in single-berth sleeper €144, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €114, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €154.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types, as from 2017.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the ΦBB website, see the instructions below.

By ICE:  Seat reservation is normally optional on the ICE train from Basel to Amsterdam.  You can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  If you want to reserve seat, you can make a normal seat reservation for a few euros using the German Railways website, as explained here.  However, from 17 June to 18 August 2023 reservation is compulsory for cross-border journeys from Germany to the Netherlands on ICE trains, make a reservation using the German Railways website, as explained here.

Using a pass to Italy

Zurich, Basel, Bern, Luzern, Lugano, Geneva to Milan by direct EuroCity train:  A passholder reservation fee must be paid, €11 in 2nd class, €13 in 1st class.

Option 1, strange as it may seem, you can make passholder reservations for these Switzerland-Italy EuroCity trains at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at.

This is the cheapest option because you pay no booking fee, just the reservation fee.  It works for Italian high-speed & InterCity trains, but not for sleepers or couchettes on night trains.

Go to Austrian Railways www.oebb.at and set up an enquiry for the Italian journey you want, for example from Rome to Florence.

Where it says 1 x adult, click change.

Now click Add discount and run a search for Interrail or Eurail.  Select Interrail / Eurail - Globalpass and confirm.

Now run the enquiry, clicking the Find services button then the One-way tickets and day tickets link.

You should see €10 passholder reservations on high-speed trains and €3 reservations on Intercity trains. 

If it says Ticket not available, you may have used the Reservation only no ticket link to run the enquiry, you must use the One-way tickets and day tickets link.

Go ahead and buy!  You print out your reservation.  Do let me know if this method stops working.

Option 2, you can also make passholder reservations online using the Eurail/Interrail reservations service, the reservation is e-ticketed and emailed to you in minutes.

Zurich, Chur & St Moritz to Varenna & Milan via the scenic Bernina route:  No reservation is needed on the regular hourly Swiss local trains to Tirano, just hop on and show your pass.  No reservation needed on the two-hourly Italian regional train from Tirano to Milan.  Only if you choose to use the Chur-Tirano Bernina Express panoramic train is a seat reservation compulsory, you can make this online as shown here.

Using a pass to Austria

Zurich to Innsbruck, Salzburg & Vienna by daytime railjet train:  Reservation is optional, you can hop on any train and simply show your pass.  If you want a reserved seat you can make a normal seat reservation for €3 at the Austrian Railways website as explained here.  This is a good idea as it's a long journey, especially at busy times such as Friday or Sunday afternoons.  This is a lovely ride through the scenic Arlberg Pass, see the information on the Arlberg Railway page.

Zurich to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train:  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €54, bed in 2-berth sleeper €74, bed in single-berth sleeper €114, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €94, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €134.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types, this is new from 2017.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the Austrian Railways website as explained here.

Using a pass to Germany

By daytime train:  Various InterCity, ICE & EuroCity trains link Germany with Switzerland.  Reservation is optional on all these trains, so you can just hop on, sit in any empty unreserved seat & show your pass when asked.  If you want to reserve a seat for a few euros fee, use the German Railways website as explained here.

By Nightjet sleeper train from Zurich or Basel to Berlin or Hamburg (per person):  Seat €14, couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-berth sleeper €54, bed in 2-berth sleeper €74, bed in single-berth sleeper €124, berth in 2-berth deluxe sleeper €94, berth in single-berth deluxe sleeper €144.  Only a 2nd class ticket or pass is now needed for all Nightjet accommodation types.  Passholder reservations for nightjet sleeper trains can be made online at the Austrian Railways website as explained here.

Using a pass to Prague

Zurich to Prague by EuroNight sleeper train (both routes):  With 2nd class pass, bed in 3-berth sleeper €45, bed in 2-berth sleeper €58, bed in single-berth sleeper €110.  With 1st class pass, bed in 3-berth deluxe sleeper with shower & toilet €45, bed in 2-berth deluxe sleeper with shower & toilet €58, bed in single-bed deluxe sleeper with shower & toilet €110.

Passholder reservations for the sleeper trains from Zurich or Basel to Prague can be made online at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz, with no added booking fee.  Before running the enquiry, click where it says 1 x Adult 26-64 No discount card then click on No discount card , click Interrail and Eurail Pass then select the one you have.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Zurich to Prague by daytime trains with a change at Munich or Linz:  None of the daytime trains Zurich-Linz, Linz-Prague or Zurich-Munich, Munich-Prague require reservations, you can just hop on and show your pass when asked.  Seat reservations are optional, normal seat reservations from Linz or Munich to Prague can be made at the Czech Railways website as shown here.  Normal seat reservations from Zurich to Munich can be made at the German Railways website as shown here, or from Zurich to Linz at the Austrian Railways website as explained here.

Using a pass to Hungary

Zurich to Budapest by railjet train:  Reservation optional.  If you want a reserved seat, you can make a normal seat reservation for €3 at the Austrian Railways website as explained here.

Zurich to Budapest by sleeper train:  Couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-bed sleeper €54, in 2-bed €74, in single-bed €114.  Passholder reservations for sleepers or couchettes can be made online at the Austrian Railways website as explained here.

Using a pass to Slovenia & Croatia

Zurich to Ljubljana & Zagreb by sleeper train:  Couchette in 6-berth €34, couchette in 4-berth €44, bed in 3-bed sleeper €54, in 2-bed €74, in single-bed €114.  Passholder reservations for sleepers or couchettes can be made online at the Austrian Railways website as explained here.

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Turkey

What's covered?

Interrail & Eurail passes give unlimited travel on TCDD = Turkish Railways www.tcdd.gov.tr.

That includes all domestic local & mainline trains run by TCDD in both European & Asian Turkey and (if you've a global pass) international trains to or from Bulgaria & Romania run jointly by TCDD & its partner railways BDZ (Bulgaria) and CFR (Romania).

Help with train times

See international train times & routes from Istanbul

See train times for key domestic routes within Turkey.

Using a pass on Turkish trains

Reservations are required for all long distance & high-speed trains within Turkey, but reservations are free unless you want a sleeper, for which a charge is made.  Reservations cannot be made online or from outside Turkey, just make a free reservation at any main station when you get to Turkey.

Using a pass on international trains

Istanbul to Sofia by sleeper train:  €10 supplement for a couchette in 4-berth compartment or €15 supplement for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.  If you have a 1st class pass, a single-bed sleeper all to yourself costs €35.  Cannot be booked online.

Istanbul to Bucharest by sleeper train (summer only):  €14 supplement for a couchette in 4-berth compartment.

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How to make reservations

Some train operator websites allow reservation-only bookings for passholders, many don't.  And even if they do, it works for some routes not others.  Here's a list of those that do.

Interrail/Eurail reservations service

Once you have bought a Eurail or Interrail pass so have a valid pass number, you can make passholder reservations for many trains using the InterRail/Eurail reservations service, including Eurostar, TGVs in France, couchette trains in France, Thalys, TGV-Lyria, Paris-Milan TGVs, and daytime & overnight trains in Italy.

How to make reservations on Eurostar, London - Paris/Brussels/Amsterdam

How to make reservations at the French Railways website

How to make Thalys reservations at the Belgian Railways website

How to make reservations at the Trenitalia website

How to make reservations at the German Railways (DB) website

How to make reservations at the Austrian Railways (ΦBB) website

To make passholder reservations on Nightjet sleepers, Nightjet partner sleepers or EuroCity/railjet trains between Munich/Austria & Italy.

To make seat reservations on daytime trains between Austria & Switzerland, Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania.

How to make reservations at the Czech Railways (CD) website

How to make reservations at the Polish Railways (PKP Intercity) website

How to make reservations at the Danish Railways (DSB) website

How to make reservations at the Swedish Railways (SJ) website

How to make reservations at the Leo Express website


Tips for booking your hotels

Find hotels at Booking.comMy favourite hotel search site: www.booking.com

www.booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally prefer booking my hotels all in one place here.  You can usually book with free cancellation - this allows you to confirm your accommodation at no risk before train booking opens.  It also means you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary, and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when putting a trip together.  I never book hotels non-refundably.  I have also come to trust their review scores - you won't be disappointed with anything over 8.0.

Tip:  It can pay to compare prices across multiple hotel sites:  HotelsCombined.com is a price comparison site which compares hotel prices on Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, Accor, Agoda and many others.  Though if there's not much in it, I prefer keeping all my bookings together in one place at www.booking.com.

Other hotels sites worth trying

Backpacker hostels

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Travel insurance & VPN

 

Staysure travel insurance

 

Columbus Direct logo

Always take out travel insurance

You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer.  It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit.  These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself.  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.

UK flag  www.staysure.co.uk offers enhanced Covid-19 protection and gets 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot.

UK flag  www.columbusdirect.com is also a well-know brand.

US flag  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

 

Maya.net logo

Get an eSIM with mobile data package for Europe

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for Europe and stay connected.  Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility listMaya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.

 

Curve card

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this.  The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.  And you can get a Curve card for free.

How it works:  1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader.  The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than getting a card out).  I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.

 

Express VPN

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  VPNs & why you need one explained

When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure.  A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi.  It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply.  See VPNs & why you need one explainedExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription.  I get a small commission to help support this site.

 

Anker Powerrbank

Always carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged.  I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet.  Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from Buy from Amazon.com.

Touring cities & museums?  Use hill walking shoes!

One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa.  They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities.  My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!


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