Interrail tips and tricks

In the course of my #CrossBorderRail project I have learned a fair bit about how to use Interrail passes in a bunch of different countries.

While this is far from a complete guide, here are a bunch of tips and tricks I have picked up. All are correct as of May 2025. If some of these stop working in the future I will – within reason – correct them!

Do these tips work for Eurail too?
They might, but as I live in Europe I have never used Eurail – so can’t confirm one way or another. But yes, they should work.

Should I trust the Interrail app?
No, not completely.

What are you on about?
The Interrail app has a whole slew of problems, with passes and timetables. It mostly downloads timetables to the app (which is handy if you don’t have solid internet somewhere), but unless you keep it up to date all the time, that data can be wrong. And – especially for Poland in my experience – even with the app up to date it can still be wrong. Instead trust timetable data 1) from Deutsche Bahn for every country except Poland and Norway, 2) if you cannot find data in the DB search use one of the timetable sites listed below.

But it worked fine for me!
Good. I am happy for you. Maybe you were in a country that doesn’t change its timetables ad-hoc. Or maybe you are on Android rather than iOS – anecdotally it seems to go wrong more often on iOS. And really, in 2022 and 2023 I have been to 27 countries personally using Interrail, and had dozens of online discussions about the problems with the app. “It worked for me” does not cancel out all of that.

My Interrail app keeps crashing or losing my trips – what do I do?
This now seems to be less of a problem in 2025 than it was previously, but I have still never been able to adequately solve these app headaches. Putting your phone in flight mode can sometimes temporarily help. But make sure you keep your mobile pass code handy (it’s a 6-digit PNR code – something like 7H6TGE or 9IZ2WL) so as you can retrieve things if you have to. Also most train managers are now used to the Interrail app causing problems – keep calm and explain. And don’t pay a fine if the app fails you!

Should I even use a digital Interrail pass at all then, and not just revert to paper?
If you buy a pass on paper you have to state your start date for the pass when you buy it. For a digital pass you do not – and that offers you more flexibility. You can order a paper pass online, but it takes a while to get to you, or you go and buy it at a station – also a bit time consuming. So there are pros and cons to each. It is also easy to get a digital pass re-issued to work on a further mobile phone if your main phone is lost or stolen.

Can’t find all the trains in a given country on DB’s site?
DB’s site is still the best route planner, but for no fault of DB’s the data in it for some European countries is full of holes – because rail firms in some countries do not upload data into the UIC Merits system that DB uses. For these countries you need to use separate site(s). Data from some of these countries is steadily being added to the Interrail app as well. This list is likely not complete!
Poland – Portal Pasażera
Sweden – resrobot
Czechia – IDOS
Romania – Mersul Trenurilor
Latvia – Vivi
Lithuania – LTG Link
Estonia – Elron
Greece – Hellenic Train
Serbia – Srbija Voz
Norway – Entur
Spain – a total effing nightmare, but Adif’s app (iOS, Android) is probably the best bet, but will not help you much in the Basque Country – for that try Euskotren (although Interrail isn’t valid on it, but it helps you get to Bilbao)

A new glitch for 2025 is that some trains in Norway seem to be missing from DB’s search, but are on Entur’s site. I am also – at the time of updating this blog post – aware of some data problems with trains in Spain (not showing anywhere, but scheduled to run), Slovenia (there should be trains to Pula in Croatia, but hell knows when) and Bulgaria (trains are listed on DB’s website, but only a few weeks ahead on BDZ’s).

Any countries to avoid on Interrail?
France and Spain. Both have loads of compulsory reservation trains, and reserving seats on these trains – even when there is availability – can often be costly. Getting to many parts of these countries on regional trains instead is somewhere between complex and impossible. If you do nevertheless want to try, the following points will help you do it.

Need seat reservations for any TGV, TGV Lyria or Eurostar train, including to London?
It’s all about booking fees here.

The best bet for reservations in France and anything to its neighbouring countries is Rail Europe – at the time of writing (May 2025) there is no booking fee.

A few people have told me the mobile version of Rail Europe’s site does not show all the options, so if in doubt stick to a regular web browser on a computer. Some French regions are starting to introduce compulsory reservation on TER trains (e.g. Grand Est) – and Rail Europe can sell those.

If for some reason these do not work, you can try using the seat reservation system on the Interrail site. This levies a booking fee of €2 per reservation. And if that fails, SNCB International can also sell these reservations with an extra booking fee added.

What should I do if there are no seat reservations available for the TGV, TGV Lyria or Eurostar I want?
I have never fully understood how the numbers of Interrail seats per train works, and its interaction with how many seats are generally available, but I have had success booking reservations for different parts of the same train – so for example I managed to get Nîmes-Barcelona reservations when Montpellier-Barcelona (shorter, and on the same train!) was sold out. So experiment with longer and shorter trips, or even ticket splits if necessary.

Best way to get reservations for Renfe-run trains in Spain?
This has traditionally been complex outside of Spain, although seat reservations are now partially available on the Interrail website, and from Happyrail. If you are in Germany, Renfe reservations can be sold at Deutsche Bahn ticket offices – although sometimes not all the stations show in DB’s systems. Entering the station code (see here for a list of codes) can sometimes do the trick instead. There are some compulsory reservation regional trains in Spain, but my experience with those is that they are seldom full – so buying the reservation on the day (or even from the train manager on board) is fine for those.  Important: in May 2025 there have been persistent IT issues with Interrail reservations in Spain (thanks Luca Casonato for alerting me!) – another headache to be aware of!

Best way to get reservations for intercity trains in Portugal or Spain?
I am not aware of any way other than to go to a ticket office (in both countries) or ask the train manager (in Portugal). I have sometimes been told that you can only make reservations from the station where you literally are, in other cases I have been told the opposite – and I have made the opposite work as well. Basically: ask nicely and you can normally make it work. Only peak hours expresses sell out more than a couple of days ahead.

Want the cheapest online reservations for Trenitalia trains in Italy?
Obvious! Book them from Austrian railways. Choose “Interrail” as a discount when booking on ÖBB’s site. Rail Europe can do it too – it is a bit more expensive, but you get to choose the seat you want, an option ÖBB doesn’t give you.

What about in Central Europe?
MÁV in Hungary now can sell Interrail reservations and is improving strongly. Use PKP IC for Polish seat reservations, and ČD for Czechia and Slovakia.

Want the cheapest online reservations for DB IC and ICE trains in Germany?
Depends how many trains you are taking. DB has a flat rate of €5,20 for 2nd class reservations, and €6,50 for 1st class reservations – regardless of how many trains you take – providing they connect. However ÖBB has a price of €3 per train. So 1 train? ÖBB. 2 or more? DB. Reserve here on ÖBB’s site.

Want free seat reservations for trains in the UK?
Use the GWR website – even if your train is not operated by GWR. Yes, really.

Are trains in the UK compulsory reservation?
Only night trains in the UK, and Eurostar to the UK, are compulsory reservation. No other trains are, regardless of what the Interrail app might sometimes indicate.

Travelling with a bike on Interrail and want to book the bike reservation in Germany separately from your ticket?
Now possible on Deutsche Bahn’s website – choose “Bicycle” rather than a person from the passenger drop down when searching.

Do you ever need to print any of these reservations?
By now, no you don’t – having a QR code a train manager can scan is sufficient in pretty much all cases. The only time it does make sense is for reservations for night train berths – having the reservation on paper means you can give it to the night train attendant, meaning you’re not the one disturbed if the train crew changes in the middle of the night.

Need a paper pass number for a reservation?
Use this tool to convert your digital pass into the format of a paper pass number – separate tools for Interrail and Eurail.

Need help with a particular issue?
Ask! There are communities of people on Mastodon and Bluesky who regularly help each other around problems like this. We’ll happily help you too. By all means start by asking me, and if I don’t know I will boost your post! You can find me on Mastodon @jon@gruene.social and Bluesky @jonworth.eu

[Update end of May 2025]
A whole bunch of updates right across the post, including a bunch of updates provided by Corentin.