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Interrail Passes

smid

Member
Joined
16 Sep 2013
Messages
15
it's a letter I not a numeral.
I did say 'I' the letter in that post.

And yeah, none of this is matching up with the interrail.eu website, the number on the back doesn't have an I in front of it, and there's no QR code. Starting to think I'd be laughed when trying to use this ticket in real life...
 
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RailUK Forums

LNW-GW Joint

Veteran Member
Joined
22 Feb 2011
Messages
21,168
Location
Mold, Clwyd
As above, I've got a 4 day pass for July, and I have a question for the megaminds here, if they know.
We love Antwerp, Belgium, and are doing a one day over back in the middle of July, so using our in and out of the country days first, leaving 2 days after.
Then we're flying to Germany a few weeks later, and plan to use the other 2 days to go from Frankfurt to Berlin 1st class. We can still do this, right? The in and out of the country days don't end the validity of the remaining days, right? I hope so, and I assume so, but I'm am having a wibble in case it isn't so and I find this out from a german rail conductor who I can't argue with.
As I understand it, your pass is valid for a month from its first use, so your Germany trip a "few weeks later" needs to be within the month of validity.
 

smid

Member
Joined
16 Sep 2013
Messages
15
Realised one of the numbers I have has an E in front of it, tried that, nope. Tried the interrail.eu chatbot and none of the numbers I have worked, nothing on the tickets, order id. I found the login for myinterrail.co.uk hidden away via google (not on their front page weirdly), and it only really had my order details, I think the site claims to be nationalrail.co.uk.

I've got support requests in with myinterail.co.uk (which might be Mon-Fri 9-5), and interrail.eu. I will report back on this weird abberation of usage. I suspect the number I have on the back preceded with an E is the number I want, but isn't working.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

I think I've got it. Terminology and assumptions.

I've had a printed ticket, within a glossy ticket cover envelope it is stapled to. The type of ticket typically issued 20 years ago. The glossy cover, which I assumed was just like that (like it would be with a plane ticket). The numbers are printed on the glossy cover, not the ticket itself.
 

scragend

Member
Joined
27 Feb 2016
Messages
188
Worth pointing out that the pass number that you enter when you book a Eurostar reservation doesn't actually appear on the Eurostar ticket anywhere. There's no connection so as long as you could produce a valid Interrail pass along with your Eurostar passholder ticket if asked (I never have been), to prove your entitlement to the passholder fare, then that would be fine.

I just did a dummy booking on Rail Europe using the pass number (6 digit, alphanumeric) for a mobile pass I've bought which I intend to use in July. Validated.

I tried the same booking but using the number from a pass that expired last month. Not valid.

However... I used the Pass Cover Number generator on the Interrail/Eurail web site to generate a Pass Cover Number from the number of the expired pass. I put this Pass Cover Number into Rail Europe. Validated.

I then used the same generator with a completely fictitious pass number to generate a Pass Cover Number and put this into Rail Europe. Validated!

I then just entered AAAAAA into the generator and used the Pass Cover Number that it gave me on Rail Europe. Validated!


So it appears that Rail Europe can identify an expired/invalid pass number, but not so much with a Pass Cover Number. Either way, once you've managed to buy the passholder fare, Eurostar aren't going to care what number you used to buy it.
 
Last edited:

Andover

Member
Joined
30 Mar 2019
Messages
45
Realised one of the numbers I have has an E in front of it, tried that, nope.
Are you sure you have an Interrail pass, rather than an Eurail one? Assuming you're a UK resident, that would be a serious problem.
 

rvdborgt

Established Member
Joined
24 Feb 2022
Messages
1,876
Location
Leuven
So it appears that Rail Europe can identify an expired/invalid pass number, but not so much with a Pass Cover Number.
Correct, since there's no way of doing the latter. The only thing they can do is match the given paper pass cover number with the known series that have been released. But there's no way of knowing whether a certain PCN has already been used, and if so, on which pass with which validity.
 

smid

Member
Joined
16 Sep 2013
Messages
15
Are you sure you have an Interrail pass, rather than an Eurail one? Assuming you're a UK resident, that would be a serious problem.
Yes, it's sorted now. The number was on the back of the glossy ticket holder, the number on the paper ticket itself wasn't the one.
 

rvdborgt

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24 Feb 2022
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1,876
Location
Leuven
Yes, it's sorted now. The number was on the back of the glossy ticket holder, the number on the paper ticket itself wasn't the one.
It's not without reason that it's called the pass *cover* number :)
 

scragend

Member
Joined
27 Feb 2016
Messages
188
Correct, since there's no way of doing the latter. The only thing they can do is match the given paper pass cover number with the known series that have been released. But there's no way of knowing whether a certain PCN has already been used, and if so, on which pass with which validity.

Makes sense, thanks.
 

Essexman

Established Member
Joined
15 Mar 2011
Messages
1,428
Can anyone tell me how to cancel a Eurostar booking (more than 7 days in advance) made with Interrail pass?
I can't find how to do this on either the Eurostar or Interrail websites?
Thanks
 

JB_B

Established Member
Joined
27 Dec 2013
Messages
1,488
Can anyone tell me how to cancel a Eurostar booking (more than 7 days in advance) made with Interrail pass?
I can't find how to do this on either the Eurostar or Interrail websites?
Thanks

I'm guessing that you've got a six character Eurostar booking reference? When I've needed to cancel an Interrail reservation in the past it was an option under "manage your booking" at https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en ( I don't have current booking to check if that still works. )
 

mad_rich

Member
Joined
12 Feb 2013
Messages
480
Location
Newcastle
Can anyone tell me how to cancel a Eurostar booking (more than 7 days in advance) made with Interrail pass?
I can't find how to do this on either the Eurostar or Interrail websites?
Thanks
Interrail reservations for Eurostar aren't refundable AFAIK. You can change the time and date (but not route) on the Eurostar website, at a cost of €15 or €20 IIRC.
 

scragend

Member
Joined
27 Feb 2016
Messages
188
Interrail reservations for Eurostar aren't refundable AFAIK. You can change the time and date (but not route) on the Eurostar website, at a cost of €15 or €20 IIRC.
That was the case but, since the changes at the beginning of last month, the Interrail web site is now saying (my bold):

  • Eurostar Continental and Eurostar London (purchased on or after 6 May 2025)
    • Refund conditions:
      • Up to 7 days before departure, refundable with a fee (£10/€15 for Eurostar Standard and £15/€20 for Eurostar Plus).
      • Less than 7 days before departure, non-refundable.
    • Exchange conditions:
      • Up to 7 days before departure, exchangeable without a fee.
      • 6 to 0 days before departure, exchangeable with a fee (£10/€15 for Eurostar Standard and £15/€20 for Eurostar Plus).
      • Reservations exchanged between 6 and 0 days before departure are non-refundable.
    • All refund and exchange requests must be submitted via the Eurostar website, including payment of any refund/exchange fees.

https://www.interrail.eu/en/interra...change-and-refund-conditions-for-reservations

@Essexman When did you purchase the reservation?
 

Essexman

Established Member
Joined
15 Mar 2011
Messages
1,428
I'm guessing that you've got a six character Eurostar booking reference? When I've needed to cancel an Interrail reservation in the past it was an option under "manage your booking" at https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en ( I don't have current booking to check if that still works. )

Yes I've got the booking reference but it isn't an option in Manage my Bookings. Only to change the date.
That was the case but, since the changes at the beginning of last month, the Interrail web site is now saying (my bold):



https://www.interrail.eu/en/interra...change-and-refund-conditions-for-reservations

@Essexman When did you purchase the reservation?
Purchased it in January so that would explain it.
 

Ringo2112

Member
Joined
9 Jul 2021
Messages
49
Location
United States
If I have a Eurail pass issued on Dec 13 and must be activated by Nov 13 2025, does that mean I could start my 30 day pass on Nov 12? It doesn't have to end by November 13, correct?
 

Watershed

Veteran Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
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26 Sep 2020
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14,379
Location
UK
If I have a Eurail pass issued on Dec 13 and must be activated by Nov 13 2025, does that mean I could start my 30 day pass on Nov 12? It doesn't have to end by November 13, correct?
Yes, the 'latest activation' date doesn't mean the pass expires by then. It's simply the last day on which you must activate it.
 

rvdborgt

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Joined
24 Feb 2022
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1,876
Location
Leuven
If I have a Eurail pass issued on Dec 13 and must be activated by Nov 13 2025, does that mean I could start my 30 day pass on Nov 12? It doesn't have to end by November 13, correct?
The latest possible start date is then 13/11, and the last day of the validity period would then be 12/12 (30 days indeed in this case).
 

DesDobramento

Member
Joined
13 Jun 2025
Messages
10
Location
Portugal/UK
My Interrail agent has suggested that Eurostar Passholder fares only apply to Global Interrail passholders, ie not to those with a One Country Interrail.
 

signed

Established Member
Joined
13 May 2024
Messages
1,573
Location
Paris, France
They are also valid with the One Country Benelux Pass between Brussels and Amsterdam


  • The One Country Benelux Pass is also valid for selected Eurostar (continental) trains between Brussels and Amsterdam, provided you have an additional mandatory reservation. Residents of Belgium, the Netherlands or Luxembourg cannot use the Pass in their country of residence while using the Benelux Pass. Both countries need to be included in the Pass when travelling by Eurostar.
 

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