Morrisette
Traveller
0 comments
Posted 5 years ago
Hi, thank you for this site! It is very useful!
I have a question on how to use the outbound journey with interrail. Can this be used to travel to London St Pancras as a departure port? Our situation is that we are travelling to Belgium on Eurostar (we have interrail supplement reservations for this). It\'s our first trip abroad with our little boy so are now thinking that *home station* to Bruges in one day is too long a journey for him so would like to travel to St Pancras the day before. Can we use the outward journey for this? The rules are not clear as you can travel to e.g. a ferry port or airport as \'the border\', but can you use it to travel to the station or do you have to actually board the Eurostar?
Wouter
Traveller
102 comments
Hi and welcome!
From what I\'ve understand here is that you:
1. Travel on day 1 towards St. Pancras
2. Travel on day 2 towards Belgium on Eurostar with an reservation + Interrail.
3. You live within the UK.
Outbound travel needs to be done within 1 day. When you travel within 1 day from UK towards Belgium is that solved. S.t Pancras isn\'t a border station in this situation, for train travelling is that the Channel tunnel. So since you are combining your interrail travel day and a reservation, the first part is considered travelling with the UK.
You can definitely can use one outbound day as an UK - S.t Pancras, but the next day using Interrail \'again\' within the UK shouldn\'t be possible.
As of the rules, They do say you need to travel to a port/airfield but in the end, I\'ve met nobody that cared or asked since you travel with a valid document.
That\'s it for me know. Maybe someone has more ideas. Have a good trip!
Wouter.
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
Hi.
I would explain it the same way like Wouter did.
But there is one thing... in the past I know that it was possible to travel with an "Interrail One Country pass" by Eurostar to London. Which means, that St Pancras was more or less the border.
I would send an email to Eurostar directly an ask: "Is it possible to travel with an Interrail Global Pass from London to Paris as UK citizen. Without making use of the rule outbound/inbound for Interrail?"
Other option (depends on your destination) is to make use of the ferry Harwich to the Netherlands - possible overnight: [ux]https://rail.cc/blog/rail-sail-london-amsterdam-train-ferry/[/uxI\'m also travelled the past months with our little baby boy - and I know too long travels are not the babies best friend. ;)
Pete :)
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi!
Interesting question; I would also recommend to contact Eurostar directly.
Normally, the outbound journey has to be completed by midnight (eg you have to leave the country by then) however the situation with Eurostarand Interrail is (and always has been) quite special so you might "get away" with your plan to stay overnight in London. Of course, you would then have to use two travel days.
Eurostar doesnt accept One Country Passes anymore (only Global Passes) so that is not really helping you but anyways I would try and contact Eurostar. :)
Flo