Robsy_b
Traveller
1 comments
Posted 15 years ago
When I first looked at the interrail pass I thought this sounds awesome and pretty cheap but I've looked into to it and im starting to think maybe its not.....
First of all im getting the all access for one month which is costing me about £320.
I thought thats fine but now I am aware that you have to pay for reservations/ fast trains / sleepers etc.
isn't the cost of this pass a bit expensive seeing that we have to pay all the extra costs?
thanks for help and advice that you can provide!
SiDUDe
Traveller
752 comments
Yes and no. It certainly used to be much better value, when there were fewer extra costs. It is a little cheeky how many of the costs are not widely known, although many of them are here
[u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail[/u]
It allows a lot of freedom, where, especially in western europe walk up train and bus fares are very expensive. If travelling only in eastern europe it is particularly bad value though, as tickets are so cheap anyway.
It is good value for very long journeys - I didnt want to fly back from bulgaria (the green hippie in me) and a 5 in 10 ticket is cheaper than all the separate tickets.
Also, most of the time if you are willing you can avoid paying suppliments by taking longer, local trains and changing.
Hope you have a great trip
Simon
steveOooo
Traveller
13 comments
hmmm im actually tempted to just pay as you go - ie
arrive in city A - book a train ride from Country A to Country B
2 days later arrive country B - Book ticket for 2-3days for country C
my plan is to travel from amsterdam-germany-CZ Republic - Sloavakia - Hungary- Croatia - (possible) Austria - Italy - Switzerland - France - Paris - Fly from Paris to Southampton (UK)
Im starting to think it may be cheaper to PAY AS U GO rather than one month 'oh i have to travel as much as possible to get my moneys worth' interrail... what does everyone think?
Peter
Traveller
9332 comments
just have a look at the real fares you have to pay...
for example... (2nd class - one way - no reduction)
Amsterdam to Prague: 135 EUR
Berlin to Vienna: 160 EUR
Paris to Munich: 77 EUR
you will see, just a little tour around the big cities of Europe will cost you a lot of money.
with InterRail you have to pay sometimes supplements, but you can always avoid them by using regional trains (you even see more of the country and will meet much more people!). details to avoid the trains with supplements are here: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation[/u]
about the supplements: they are all listed on the place SiDUDe mentioned.
and about paying supplements for night-trains: you won't get a hotel for free if you travel by plane or by bus ... and InterRail is only a rail ticket - not an all inclusive holiday where you book a hotel and fly to a place, stay there, watching tourist places ... booooring!!! it is adventure, you are free and can do just what you want, jump into a train, join other travellers and so on ... FREEDOM !! :)
and for a hostel in a big city you will normally pay more as for a night train - the supplements are listed on the country topics of the forum ...
okay, if you only travel Eastern Europe by a Global Pass, it sometimes might be cheaper to buy single tickets... and then go back to your home country by plane (not really ecological) ... ;)
just wanted to add this view of me ... and I hope it is a realistic one!
Peter
:)