How To Save Money On An Interrailing Trip
As we have said before, we are going to spend the summer Interrailing in Europe. I did a trip a few years ago when Tilly was 6 years old. Although she doesn’t really remember much about it, I have so many memories of the trip. The past year has been really tough on her and I knew how much the trip helped her before. So as she asked to go to Europe again this year, I knew it would help her to heal again. Having something to look forward to really helped her mental health over the past few months. But as travel costs have spiralled since Covid, we need to save money on an Interrailing trip.
Hopefully, my hints and tips will also help you to plan an interrail trip across Europe.
Buy Your Ticket In A Sale To Save Money On An Interrailing Trip
The discounts for Interrail passes are not great. But a couple of times a year they do a 10% discount. This was when we bought out tickets, and we saved a few hundred pounds on a 2-month Interrail global pass. When you buy it in a sale, you still have 11 months before you need to activate it.
You can also save money on an Interrailing trip by making sure you buy the correct ticket. If you are under 27, you can save money on buying a youth ticket. Also if you are over 60, you can get a senior ticket. Both of these tickets are cheaper than an adult ticket, and in a sale, you still get 10% off these prices
Book Your Tickets Through The Country Train Website – Not Interrail
Although it is so much easier to book your trains through Interrail, they do add a booking fee. In countries where reservations are not compulsory, Interrail still charges a booking fee of about 6 or 8 Euros. Whereas if you book through the country train app or website, you might not need to pay for reservations, especially if you are travelling first class.
I know that everyone needs to make a profit, but when you have already paid for your Interrail pass, you want to avoid as many additional costs as possible. Booking through the country train websites also lets you choose where you sit too sometimes. And if you are travelling overnight, it also gives you more options when it comes to a sleeping cabin or couchette. You can choose whether you have a bottom or top bunk.
Kids Up To 11 Travel Free
This is great if you want to take your kids travelling. Each adult gets to take 2 kids under 11 for free. They will need their own ticket, but you won’t be charged for it. When I first travelled, this was what I did. Tilly was only 6 years old, so we didn’t pay for her. This year she is 13 so she has to have a youth ticket.
Pay To Go First Class On The Trains
Although first class seems extravagant, it can help you to save money. Because you get so many more benefits with a first-class ticket. You get entry to train station lounges, where you get given snacks, newspapers and drinks. Some will even give you a light meal. You can also travel first class on trains where you will be given snacks and drinks when you travel.
An example is buying a 2-month ticket in the 2nd class is £676, whereas the 1st class is £858. You are paying on average £3 a day more for going, 1st class. This depends on whether you will travel every day but most people buying an interrail trip will take at least one trip on a train a day.
Make The Most Of The Added Bonuses That Are Free
You can use these lounges at train stations for free, some have free drinks and snacks as well as newspapers.
- CD Lounges in Chechia
- CP Lounge in Lisbon
- DSB Lounges In Denmark
- MAV-SMART Lounge in Budapest
- OBB Lounges in Austria
- SJ Lounges in Sweden
- Sala Lounges in Spain
- NS Lounges in The Netherlands
Free Scenic Ferry Trips Will Help You Save Money On An Interrail Trip
BLS Interlaken Lake Cruise is the only boat company in Switzerland which is included with Interrail passes. You get to travel on the boat for free, you just show your pass to get tickets when you board. We found this out by accident a few years ago and it was a pleasant surprise! The Interrail pass allows a BLS Interlaken lake Cruise on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun.
Free Local Trains To Save Money On An Interrail Trip
Some local trains are free to travel on with your Interrail pass. You will need to use the Interrail website to look at different country benefits, to see which local trains are free. This will save you a lot of money because you can stay outside of the big cities and travel in on local trains for free.
Free Bus Journeys On Your Trip
Some bus journeys are free on your Interrail pass. This is because there might not be a rail network between some cities.
- Austria, there is a free OBB Bus with connections between Klagenfurt – Wolfsberg – Graz. Reservations will be needed on some of the buses, so please check before you travel.
- Slovenia, you can get a bus between Divača – Škocjan Cave Ljubljana Railway station – Trieste Central Station.
- Sweden gives you a free trip on Tornio – Haparanda – Luleå network. You just show your pass to the driver.
Cheaper Accommodation With An Interrail Pass
You can save 10 or 20% on hostels around Europe which will help you to save some money. Although some hostels might not be suitable for families as they do not have family rooms or they are for those over 18s. You can also get a free German Youth Hostel Association membership. This will help you to get cheaper places to stay in Germany.
Travel Overnight On Trains To Save Hotel/Hostel Costs
In some countries, it can cost as little as £14 to stay in a couchette with 4 or 6 other people. Whereas a hotel in a city can cost 4 or 5 times that amount. You can often choose whether you want to share a couchette with only women if you are a solo female traveller. On some trains, you can also choose to just sleep on a train to save some money. The seats pull out to make a bed if the train isn’t full of passengers.
Hopefully these tips will help you to have an awesome trip on a budget.
