anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments
Posted 14 years ago
So I'm heading away this summer for a month around Europe and having looked at the interrail options I am left feeling annoyed to be honest. I thought europe was supposed to have one of the best rail systems in the world? The options of a 10 in 22 and 5 in 10 etc are just soo unnecessarily complicated. It forces you to do the one thing I want to have a break from; planning and organising. Why can't they just have a one, two, three etc week passes of unlimited travel? Travellers want flexibility. The cost is pretty outrageous also, and there are supplementary costs on top?! A frustating and inept experience to be honest.
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
Hi.
Just read carefully:
1) There are the continuous passes:
- 15 travel days in a row (InterRail Global Pass - 15 days continuous)
- 22 travel days in a row (InterRail Global Pass - 22 days continuous)
- 1 full month (InterRail Global Pass - 1 month continuous)
[u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-global-pass[/u]
2) You are right, there are supplements on some trains, but you can always avoid them using a slower but free connection. Just check the country topics where we listed a lot of options:
[u]https://rail.cc/en/countries[/u]
[u]https://rail.cc/en/search-train-route[/u]
[u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation[/u]
Concerning night trains: if you want a bed, you have to pay for (see as well the country topics) - it is the same for a hostel.
And to be honest:
You can not expect that for EUR 279 (15 days continuous pass) you get completely free travel in high speed trains + night trains between Northern Sweden, southern Spain, the border Turkey-Iraq, Athens and up to Berlin. You are talking about 30 different national rail companies - plus the private special trains ... :)
Maybe there is the image made by advertising: fly for only EUR 10 from London to wherever you want. But this is simply not realistic, especially you are fixed on dates, you have extra supplements, these cheap airlines have their airports miles away from the city centres (railway stations are always in the city centres). With InterRail you have freedom and flexibility.
And like I said: it is possible to travel without supplements! :)
Let's say it like this: it would be perfect if there would be one ticket for 500 EURO travel one month all over Europe, everything included. But it is simply not realistic if you have a look on it by an economical view.
I understand you ... but ........ :)
Peter :)
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi!
Well, IMO the flexi passes are a very good option - most InterRailers stay at different places for some days and usually dont need that much travel days. Together with the 1900-rule for night trains they are a very good offer.
If you want to travel more you can use either the 15, 22 or 1 month continuous passes which also offer quite a lot for the money.
I know that the different supplements can be annoying but that's the way some train companies decided to go - and they apply for all tickets, not for InterRail only! And you will usually find other free options to go as well. I can give you an example from my last trip in February 2010:
I went Paris - Lisboa - Sevilla - Granada and on the way back for a short stay even up to Hamburg on a 10in22 flexi pass (the whole trip lasted only 15 days though).
Actual costs with InterRail: 517€
Compared costs with regular tickets (I checked online prices for exactly the number of days in advance I got my InterRail reservation): 1142€
Flo 8)