Interrail Questions

[Relativenewbie]

I'm sorry to ask for info that must be available elsewhere, especially given bandwidth constraints, but I'd like some info from people with experience of using European rail transport.

I'm planning an interrail trip with some friends this summer, using the youth 5 days travel in a 10 day period pass for 161 quid, and need some clarification on some things:

1. Are sleeper trains covered by the ticket? If so, do they count as 2 days out of the 5 available for travelling?

2. Are certain classes of train not available for this pass? I assume this to be the case with TGV and similar trains, but what about Railjet in Austria and Intercités in France, and also metro within cities?

3. Is there some sort of overall rail timetable for Europe? There seems to be a fairly good feature for this on raileurope.com but what about the times in a print out guide (I seem to recall Thomas Cook having a guide)

Many thanks in advance to anyone who can tackle any of these problems

 

[reb0118]

1) Please check this but I believe there is a 7pm (19:00 Hrs) rule for sleepers. If you depart on a sleeper after 7pm then you date the box with tomorrows date so only one box is needed in theory.

2) Yes. eg Eurostar

3) Thomas Cook European Timetable. Well worth it. Get a copy as you will have access to times at all times so to speak (no Internet connection worries). It's about £14 - 15 and comes out monthly. Some TC branches may sell it?

Check out www.seat61.com & www.bahn.co.ukhttp://www.bahn.co.uk

Happy travelling!

 

[DavidS]

That rail timetable is fantastic. I'd recommend the Thomas Cook Map for route planning too. Almost all intercity and regional journeys are covered by the pass, but for some trains there's a compulsory reservation fee to pay, and it only gets you a discount (1/2 price I think) on some scenic trains like Glacier Express. Metros generally aren't covered, but they're usually pretty cheap anyway. There are a few "privately owned" rail companies that the pass isn't valid for, but these are few and far between and I believe the European rail timetable or the pass itself has a list of them. Have fun!

(and don't forget the often neglected Balkan Flexipass if you're heading that way - muuuch cheaper than Western Europe!)

 

[33056]

There is no reservation required for Railjet (Austria) and ICE trains within Germany, but reservation is compulsory for ICE Sprinter trains. Have a look at the official InterRail site for details of validity and reservations in various countries.

I would also point out that InterRail is not valid on that many private railways in Switzerland, if you want to do an in-depth bash over there the Swiss Pass would be better.

 

[wintonian]

1) Please check this but I believe there is a 7pm (19:00 Hrs) rule for sleepers. If you depart on a sleeper after 7pm then you date the box with tomorrows date so only one box is needed in theory.
Happy travelling!

It certainly used to be the case a couple of years ago that an overnight journey starting after 19:00 counted as the next day.

and indeed it still is acording to the T&C's:

5. Flexi Pass: Overnight journeys

If a trip on a direct overnight train departs after 19.00h and arrives after 04.00h, it is only necessary to enter the date of arrival in the Travel Calendar boxes on the ticket. This also covers travel between 19.00h and 24.00h on the day of departure, as long as the day of departure and arrival both fall within the overall period of the Pass’s validity. When using an overnight ferry covered by the Pass, either the date of departure or arrival may be entered in the Travel Calendar boxes on the ticket.

 

[blackfive460]

3. Is there some sort of overall rail timetable for Europe? There seems to be a fairly good feature for this on raileurope.com but what about the times in a print out guide (I seem to recall Thomas Cook having a guide)

If any of your party are taking a Windows based notebook or tablet with you then I'd suggest downloading a copy of the DB Offline Journey Planner available here. The download link is on the right. You'll need an internet connection for updates (get one just before you go) and it covers most of Europe.
Also, if you want to save a day or more on your pass when you leave and return to the UK have a look for DB's London Spezial tickets. 49€ single from London to and from most of Germany and you can have up to 48 hours in stopovers on each ticket.