Interrail: The Best Value Rail Pass to Explore Europe by Train
One of my favourite ways to explore Europe by train is with an Interrail Pass, as this rail pass can offer excellent value, especially now that you can buy it at a discount during the Interrail winter sale.
What’s not to like about unlimited train travel in Europe for as little as €7.17* per day?
About Interrail
Interrail is the best-known rail pass in Europe – and still the one that offers the best value. With this pass you get unlimited train travel throughout Europe.
The Global Interrail Pass covers travel across all 33 European countries in the pass network, while the cheaper Interrail One Country Pass allows unlimited travel within a single country of your choice.
There are Interrail passes with a set number of travel days within a given period (for example, 4 days of unlimited train travel in a month), as well as the so-called continuous passes, which are valid for the full duration of the pass (for example, a pass that gives you one entire month of unlimited train travel).
Note that an Interrail Pass can only be bought by residents of Europe, including those from the UK.
If you live outside Europe, you must buy a Eurail Pass, which works exactly the same as an Interrail Pass, costs the same, and offers identical benefits.
Train at the main railway station of Prague. ©AndyBTravels
Buy your Interrail Pass with a discount
Both Eurail and Interrail passes can now be bought with a 25% discount during the current Interrail Sale.
This promotional sale runs until Wednesday 17 December and applies to all Eurail and Interrail Passes, with the exception of the One Country Pass Switzerland.
If you buy your rail pass through the above links to the train booking agency DiscoverByRail, I receive a small commission on each sale, which helps support my work.
Note that you still pay the exact same amount as you would when buying the pass directly from the official Interrail website, so this small commission does not affect the price you pay.
Your mobile pass is delivered instantly upon completing the booking.
When you book your Interrail Pass through DiscoverByRail, any unused and non-activated pass purchased during the sale can be fully refunded within 11 months of the date of purchase, in accordance with the current sale terms and conditions.
The great value of an Interrail Pass
Especially when you buy an Interrail or Eurail Pass with a longer validity, it can offer excellent value for money, particularly if you buy one now during the sale.
For example, a 3-month continuous Interrail Pass for seniors (60+) works out at just €7.17 per day for unlimited train travel throughout Europe.
Youths aged 12 to 27 pay even less, while adult passes (for those aged 28 to 59) are only slightly more expensive.
An Interrail or Eurail Pass for children aged 4 to 11 is free, provided they are accompanied by an adult, making it a very family-friendly way to travel by train around Europe.
My own experiences with Interrail
I’m a veteran of Interrail travel myself, having travelled on well over a hundred Interrails, starting back in 1984!
What I value most is the ability to change plans freely, especially in countries where trains do not require compulsory reservations, such as Germany, Switzerland, and Austria,
It’s not just the value that an Interrail pass offers, but also the great flexibility.
Even if your itinerary is fixed, this flexibility can still be highly valuable.
You can decide on the day whether to take that early morning train at 08:00 or sleep in and catch one or two trains later, stop over if you come across an interesting place during your journey, and reroute freely in case of a disruption, such as a cancelled train, strike, or a misconnection due to delay.
Renfe train at the station of Bilbao. ©AndyBTravels
Conclusion
Using an Interrail or Eurail Pass for your European train travels offers excellent value, especially if you can purchase the pass during a sale with a big discount.
Right now, you can get a 25 percent discount on your Interrail and Eurail Pass, but act quickly, as the sale only lasts until Wednesday 17 December.
*Based on a 3-month continuous Interrail Pass for seniors.
