How To Plan An Interrail Trip For Beginners

Last Updated on: 11th April 2026, 09:54 pm

An Interrail Trip For Beginners

So you want to go Interrailing? Well, let me start by saying it is becoming more popular with people wanting to travel more sustainably. And in a world of stress that we live in these days, it is good to take some time to travel slowly. But as with all travel, it’s difficult to know where to start. So here is a quick guide on how to plan an Interrail trip for beginners.

What Do You Want To Do On Your Trip?

It is hard to know where to start, so here are a few answers to the questions that you might be asking yourself right now. There is no right or wrong way of organising the trip. You just organise it how you like. Personally, I have an idea of where I want to go. Then I think about what ticket I will need, plan a route and then book accommodation. But when you plan an Interrail trip, you are completely in control of everything you do. If there are certain places you want to visit and certain things you want to do, then organise those first so that you can ‘lock them in’.

What Pass To Buy For The Interrail Trip For Beginners

If you are travelling in more than one country, you will need to look at getting a global pass. This will cover you in any of the 33 countries included in the pass. If you are sticking to one country, then you can just order a ‘one country pass’. However, I have never used a ‘one country pass’ because I like to have the free will to travel all over.

Global Passes For Your Interrail Trip For Beginners

The passes give you the freedom to travel in one of the 33 countries, without needing to purchase another train ticket. However, in some countries, there are rail companies that are not included in the pass. For example, you cannot use the Italo trains in Italy. However, when you download the app to use with your pass, it will inform you if a train is not included.

When you choose which pass you want to go for, you then need to decide if you want to have a pass for continuous travel or one that has a certain number of days of travel in a month. If you have no plan and want the freedom to travel every day, then go for a continuous pass. I personally find this pass easier to work with because you don’t need to activate or toggle the days. But you need to know if it is worth it financially for your trip.

A Continuous Pass

You activate a continuous pass, and it is then valid for the number of days you purchased it for. So if you activate it on a Monday and it is a 15-day continuous pass, it is valid until the Monday, 2 weeks later. You do not need to activate it again, and you need to do all of your travel in those 10 days. These passes are perfect if you are travelling for a couple of months. A continuous global pass price starts at £314 for 15 days.

A Flexi Pass

This pass gives you travel for a certain number of days over a month or two. So you could buy yourself a 4-day flexi pass if you are travelling over a couple of weeks and spending a few days in one place. Then you activate the pass again to travel on to your next destination. These passes are great for people who have a trip planned, and you know how many days of travel you will need. They are ideal if you are on a budget and you know your trip is set in stone. You can even get a flexi pass that will give you 15 days of travel over 2 months. So you can go away for a while, but only travel when you want to.

One Country Pass

These passes are ideal if you just want to stick to one country, and to be honest, some countries like Italy, Germany and Spain are huge, so you could spend your whole trip finding different things to do in just one country. The train networks are great in some countries, but not so much in others. You cannot travel over any borders if you buy a one-country pass. You would need to buy a ticket to get yourself out of the country. The only exception to this is the Benelux pass, which covers the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. One country passes start at £91 for 3 days.

What Countries Can I Visit With My Interrail Pass

There are 33 countries included in the Global Interrail Pass. These countries are

You will want to choose travel through countries that are close to eachother otherwise you will waste too much time travelling. So if you live in the UK and you want to travel to Turkey, you would activate your pass from the UK to use one of your days in your home country and then travel through France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria before arriving in Turkey. You can stop and visit these countries on the way for a few days. It’s no good saying you want to do France, Italy and Romania without visiting the countries in between, and that will take a few days off your trip. You also need to remember that some countries do not have high-speed trains or even a decent train network.

Which Are The Cheapest Countries To Visit?

It depends on what you want to see on your journey. If you want to go to Switzerland, then that is going to one of the most expensive countries. But heading to places like Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, you will get more for your money. Although Romania is getting more expensive than it used to be. Poland is a good place to visit because you can find some great, cheap places to visit. Then you could head to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Most countries also have their cheaper parts to visit, too. Italy is cheaper in the south, but it gets more expensive as you travel north.

Do You Need To Stick To Main Cities?

Absolutely not! Of course, they will have the best train connections. But you really see more of the country if you leave the cities and go off the beaten track. The smaller towns are more likely to be better for different things to see. They will be cheaper for finding somewhere to stay, and you are going to get a completely different experience from staying in a city. Just make sure there is a good train connection to the towns you want to stay in.

Can I Get A Cheaper Pass?

Yes, there are discounts on the pass if you are a youth between the ages of 12 and 27; your pass will be cheaper. Also, if you are 60 and over, there will be a discounted pass. Children under the age of 12 will travel free with a paying adult. You can have 2 free children per paying adult.

Are The Countries All Connected?

No, they are not. Some countries do not have train connections with each other. One good example is crossing from Sweden to Finland. You will need to get off the train in Sweden and then get a bus to a station in Finland. It is no hardship at all. More examples are Serbia to Bulgaria or Bosnia to Croatia. Also, when you get to a border town, your train may need to stop and have the engine changed for one from the country you are entering.

Are Sleeper Trains Safe On An Interrail Trip For Beginners?

Absolutely, we have been using them for years, but you do need common sense. We use sleeper carriages where you share with random people, but we sleep with our bags, which contain the important things we need like cash and passports. We place our big bags or suitcases under the bed. There is a door to lock, so nobody can get in when you are asleep. We have also used sleeper trains, just with sleeping on a normal seat in an open carriage. This isn’t as safe; one of you needs to really stay awake as much as possible. But you can lock your cases and bigger bags to the baggage rack with bicycle locks. If you do this, sleep with your bag containing your personal stuff.

What Happens If I Run Out Of Days

If you run out of days, you need to pay for your journeys. So you really need to budget well with them. If you are getting close to the end of the days on your pass, think about doing smaller, cheaper journeys with cash. Better to save your pass for the expensive trips. You do not want to run out of days and be stranded somewhere.

How Do I Use The App?

The app is easy; you download it and add your digital pass to it. Then, when you are about to take a train journey, you need to activate the day and toggle the tickets for the journey. This is going to be your ticket to travel. If you do not activate the ticket for your journey, you can be fined and thats not a good start to the trip. You use the app to store your trips and work out connections and train times. When you have found your journey, you put the trip into the app and toggle the journey when you are ready. The app looks scary, but you do get used to it.