This summer holidays teenagers all over the UK will be planning to get away from it all. And more specifically their parents. Here are our top interrailing tips for families whose teens will be travelling round Europe by train this summer. Read on for how to plan your interrail routes, tips on interrail seat reservations and best backpack for interrail. UPDATED 2023
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What is interrailing?
The European interrail pass is a single ticket that allows rail travel on participating European rail networks in up to 33 countries. You can choose a pass from a range of options including set numbers of travel days in any 1 or 2 months or a set period of time up to 3 months. Non-European residents can use a Eurail pass.
Interrail has not been affected by Brexit. But make sure your passport will be valid for at least another six months after the end of your trip.
The free EHIC card (European Health Insurance Card) is being phased out in favour of the new GHIC card (Global Health Insurance Card). The GHIC is also free. If you don’t have an EHIC you’ll need to apply for a GHIC.
The Interrail Trip has become a bit of a landmark of teenage summer life in the UK. It is often the first proper holiday that teens take with friends rather than family. Most interrailers we know set off after their A level exams when they’re 18 years old. Although some do go after the first summer of 6th form or GCSEs.
How does an Interrail Pass work?
An interrail pass allows you to travel by train through 33 European countries on one pass. It is open to anyone who lives in Europe. Under 28s and 60 pluses qualify for a discount.
Interrail offers two kinds of passes: Global and One Country. The second one is self-explanatory, for a multi country trip you need a Global pass.
The price of the interrail pass depends on how many travel days are included in your trip. And also whether or not you want to travel 1st class. Eg. you can buy a pass for 2 months of unlimited travel in which you could travel every single day on one pass, 575 euros approx. But a much cheaper option is a pass which allows you to travel on 10 days within 2 months, 316 euros approx.
So it’s important to plan your route before you buy your pass so you know how many travel days you’ll need. As long as you stick to the number of travel days allowed by your chosen pass, you can be flexible about your plans and routes.
The very important exception to this is on most high speed trains and all overnight trains when you need to buy seat reservations in advance. These reservations are an additional cost and may vary between 10 to 20 euros (at time of writing). Seat reservations are more likely too in France, Italy and Spain.
The interrail site is currently advising that you make these reservations 2 to 3 months in advance. So check the Interrail timetable well in advance of your trip to work out how many of the trains you want to take are affected.
These days – 2023 – there is an option to use a paper-free Interrail Pass that lives in your phone along with a Rail Planner app. NB you need an internet connection to be able to use it whilst travelling.
It sounds a bit complicated but once you’ve worked out your route and booked your pass European train travel is actually very straightforward. And it’s a great way to travel across countries and between cities in comfort – and with some incredible views.
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A teenager’s top interrailing tips
Both my boys have been interrailing. Ed went when he was 18 and I’ve asked him to share his top tips for a fun and (fairly) stress-free trip:
Ed: “For many teens the final summer before gap year, uni or a full-time job features an interrail trip, exploring the most remarkable (and remarkably cheap) cities in Europe. It’s a rite of passage into adulthood and the real world and the very word ‘interrail’ conjures up contradictory emotions of excitement mixed with apprehension.
Unfortunately for parents it evokes very little of that excitement but all of the apprehension as they prepare to release their offspring into the world of party hostels and European dance clubs.
How to plan an interrail trip
“First step, at least six months before you go, is to get your group together and plan your route. Interrail is an amazing opportunity to explore what Europe has to offer. Whether you want to absorb the peaceful vistas of Lake Bled or the frantic nightlife of Budapest it’s important at the outset to decide what’s most attractive to your group. And incidentally this will tell you whether you’re in the right group for you.
I travelled with four good friends. My brother Nick was part of a bigger group of seven. There’s no perfect size but four or five works well. That way there are enough of you to split up to do different things without being too big a group to go around a city all together.
Now plan your route. The earlier you book your interrail passes the more you save. The Interrail website is an easy guide to the obvious routes between cities and countries in Europe. Unless you need to use routes which require seat reservations – more about that above! – you are free to jump on whichever train you want. As long as your travel complies with the particular pass you have bought.
Getting an interrail pass isn’t always the cheapest option. A one month continuous pass is the most expensive and you probably don’t need it. Alternatively you can choose a number of travel days to be taken within a month – our passes were for 10 days within one month. You need to use all those days or it’s not worth the money so the better you plan the more money you’ll save. Check the interrail site for the most update info on ticket options.
You might find it is more cost effective to fly to your first destination rather than going by train from London.
Planning your interrail route in Europe
“Talk to people you know who’ve done it before about their interrail routes. Our group had two older brothers to call on so we asked them what’s good and what’s not and started to work out an interrail route from that.
Traditionally most people start in Amsterdam. We didn’t because we thought we’d probably do that particular city separately another time. Our route began in Berlin as logistically that made the most sense given the other cities we wanted to include. From here we went to Prague, Krakow, Budapest and Split, allowing about three days in each city.
Some people fit in more but we didn’t want to rush as we were already spending some time in Spain and France before we began the interrailing leg of the holiday.
One friend, travelling in a group of three girls, chose: Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Innsbruck, Bologna and Rome.
Nick and his friends did a three week tour: they flew to Prague then took trains to Vienna, Krakow, Budapest, Belgrade, Zagreb, Split, Ljubljana and a flight home from Venice.
When working out interrail routes the interactive map on the interrail website displays journey times between destinations whilst train timetables show frequency of train services.
It helps if you have a couple of highly organised people in your group who like planning! There is a lot of planning and booking in advance to do.
Here’s a book that might help with the planning, that has been updated post Covid 19: The Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget 2022
Expensive Interrail cities
“The glamour of Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, Berlin or beachside Split is alluring. The first three in particular are obvious hubs on the interrail map. But bear in mind that they are all horribly overcrowded in mid summer. And this is reflected in the cost of living when you get there.
We chose to avoid Paris for this reason. Three days in Berlin was much more expensive than the same amount of time in Krakow but we decided the attractions outweighed the expense.
Budget Interrail cities
“Prague, Budapest and Krakow all proved better for our budget. Accommodation, food and drink were delightfully cheap and we found these cities do attract like-minded interrailers. I bumped into a few people I knew from home on the dancefloor of Karlovy Lazne, Prague’s famous 5-floor nightclub. Likewise, Nick came across half a dozen friends in pedaloes on a sunny afternoon on the river.
Of the three Eastern European cities on our route we were least keen on Krakow. It may have one of the largest medieval squares in Europe but I didn’t like the vibe in the city which was very geared to stag parties. Sorry to be blunt but as a group of boys we got bored with fending off invitations to visit strip clubs.
Best interrail cities for culture and attractions
“Do you want to immerse yourself in European culture and explore historic sites? Or are you primarily concerned with finding cheap drinks and lots of nightlife? In our group we tried for a balance between the two and for us Budapest, Prague and Berlin were the highlights of our interrail trip.
Rome is a city packed with culture and history that will engage the whole family. Click here for our guide to visiting Rome with teens
Hostels vs Airbnb
“Have a think about whether you and your group want to stay in hostels or Airbnbs during your travels. They offer very different experiences.
Hostels aren’t always the cheapest option. Famous party places like the Greg & Tom Party Hostel in Krakow and the Grandio Party Hostel in Budapest will cost more than an Airbnb in a similar location in the city.
Party hostel staff are super friendly and know their cities inside and out. It is also an amazing opportunity to meet visitors from all over the world and we had some of the most memorable moments of our travels whilst staying in them. But party hostels can also be a gruelling and tiresome experience!
Airbnbs can often provide affordable accommodation for a group in surprisingly good locations. To get the best spots you do need to book well in advance. We booked Airbnbs in the centre of Krakow and just five minutes from the centre of Prague. The prices were comparable to those of an ordinary youth hostel and cheaper than a party hostel.
Away from the organised chaos of a party hostel, Arbnbs give you the chance to explore a city at your own pace. They might not be as exciting as party hostels but they are more relaxing and more conducive to a good night’s sleep!
Interrail seat reservations
“This might seem obvious but I’m speaking from personal experience here. It’s easily overlooked! A global interrail pass will set you back around 200 euros and because this is a significant sum it’s easy to forget that you often have to spend more money reserving seats on trains.
No one in our group realised this until a week before we were due to depart. It hadn’t been a problem for Nick’s group who had made reservations at the stations. But time’s change and in our case we had to make certain reservations two weeks in advance so that physical tickets could be shipped to us. They need to be signed for too. (NB see updated info on seat reservations above. In 2023 it is advised that reservations be made 2 to 3 months in advance).
As you may imagine this led to a rather stressful build up to our holiday and a courier package, coordinated by various parents, to an address on our route in mid-France.
The most up to date info about interrail reservations is on their website. Click here to find out which train journeys require seat reservations and how you can do this. In some cases you can now reserve seats using an app and e-tickets.
Some trains don’t need seat reservations. For example, on our trip in 2017 the journey from Berlin to Prague took under 4 hours and we didn’t need to reserve seats. However it’s worth considering whether saving money on the seat reservation is worth the risk of several hours on a train that you might have to enjoy on a carriage floor.
Is the Interrail pass worth it?
“A direct overnight train from Budapest to Split takes 13 hours and does require a reservation. But we found we could save some money by taking connecting regional trains via Zagreb and travel without reservations. We chose this route.
However, waiting for our connection in Zagreb in the middle of the night with nothing to do was a low point for us. We got very annoyed with each other. Later still, after 16 continuous hours of trains and station platforms, we were woken up at 4am on the Split train by a group of Spanish pre-teens screaming the lyrics of You Don’t Know Me by Jax Jones. That was also a bit harrowing. So consider what you can put up with.
If you love the freedom of an open ticket to Europe and can sacrifice comfort for the sake of spontaneity then the Interrail pass is for you.
If you’d rather take the safe option and book the most direct routes with compulsory, extra cost, seat reservations then the interrail pass itself might not be the best investment. You might find it is more cost efficient to book and reserve train tickets from the websites of the individual transport companies albeit with a lot more effort on your part.
So it really is key to do your research in plenty of time to be sure you find the routes and prices that suit you best.
Best backpack for interrailing
“Getting the size of your bag right is crucial. Too small and you’ll struggle to pack all your essentials, let alone any souvenirs you pick up on the way. On the other hand too big and you’ll overpack and find yourself burdened for the whole holiday with a huge bag to lug around in the scorching European sun.
For my three week trip I took a tough 70 litre Craghoppers holdall with grab handles and shoulder straps. Amazingly it still looks as good as new. It’s not available now but a similar bag is this Helly Hansen waterproof duffel
Nick chose a Patagonia duffel bag for his trip, also with carry handles and shoulder straps. He managed with a smaller 60 litre size though admits there wasn’t much spare space in it. Several of his friends have Patagonias too. This Patagonia Black Hole duffel is similar at 55 litres.
If you’re going for longer than three weeks or are a particularly hyperactive shopper you may want something a bit bigger but the sizes worked for us and the bags weren’t over heavy. We found them fine for jumping on and off trains or walking from station to hostel.
During our trip I often saw teenagers lugging around big hiking rucksacks. I’ve used them for the Duke of Edinburgh award camping trips but never felt I needed one for interrailing. Their frames add weight, plus you have to take everything out to get to the stuff at the bottom of the bag.
However I don’t mind carrying a heavy bag for short distances. When you choose your bag do check you’ll be comfortable carrying it when it’s fully loaded.
One friend says she wouldn’t have been able to manage the weight of her interrail kit without a proper backpack with hip straps. In this case we’ve heard great reports of the Osprey Farpoint (men’s fit) and Fairview (women’s fit). Click the picture below for more info and to read reviews and buy.
You can read more about the bags we took interrailing and our packing lists here.
What to take interrailing
“Here are five things that you might overlook on an interrail packing list but you really shouldn’t:
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) I never imagined an EHIC would be required on our trip. Suffice to say that it was. I kept mine tucked inside my passport on the grounds that keeping two important items together makes you more careful with them and thus less liable to lose either.
Flexible water bottle Very convenient to pack and carry around with you. I used my Platypus bottle the whole time.
A book I took one book with me and during sleepless train journeys with no wi fi it was very handy to pass the time. This wasn’t the book – it’s here for illustration but looks useful!
Plasters It’s helpful if at least one person in the group has plasters – blister and standard fabric ones.
Lightweight waterproof jacket The weather was very volatile on our trip and days of baking sun would often be followed by torrential rain. It doesn’t need to be a warm jacket – just waterproof.
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Best bankcard for interrailing
“Most UK banks charge extra for withdrawing cash abroad in local currency. The summer I travelled Lloyds Bank was charging a non-sterling transaction fee of 2.99% of the amount of the transaction and a cash fee of £1.50 for each withdrawal. This seems like a bit of a waste of money. Luckily we found some solutions:
Metrobank I opened a Metrobank account on Nick’s advice because that’s what he did for his Interrail trip. Crucially, Metrobank offer free transactions for card users in Europe. I now use Metrobank as my primary current account so it’s a canny policy for them.
Apparently Starling and Monzo which are both mobile-only banks are worth checking out too.
A prepaid currency card This is simple and a few of my friends used them. A Caxton card for instance allows you to load money onto the card from a UK debit card registered to your name and address. You see the exchange rate when you load the card.
Then use it as a contactless, prepaid Mastercard to withdraw cash or make purchases abroad without ATM or transaction fees.
What can go wrong: interrailing tips
“If you’re a parent you’ll be wanting to check your children have any clue of what they’re doing before you let them loose on the international scene. So we’ve drawn up a list of potential dilemmas to discuss in advance of the Interrail trip. Just in case.
- What to do if someone gets lost or separated from the group on an outing
- Or, heaven forbid, on a train connection
- What to do if someone is ill or injured…..
- …and what to do if someone needs a doctor/hospital
- What to do if money/ phone/ passport/ ticket is stolen or lost
- Street scams and how to spot them
- Pickpockets ditto
- Remembering to always check where the exits are in hostels and clubs
- Oh, and before you go scan all your docs: passport, train pass, EHIC, insurance, plane reservations, itinerary etc and email them to yourself and your parents. You know it makes sense.”
AVOID LAST MINUTE PANIC BUYING and make an interrail checklist in good time. Our interrail packing list includes backpacks, accessories, pharmacy essentials and more tips for stress-free travel.
Please note that all information here is for guidance only and based on our personal experiences. Please check the relevant websites for the most up to date information on tickets, reservations, routes, products etc.
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