Interrail Pass for UK travellers: how it works

An Interrail Pass is a rail pass that lets you take most trains across Europe on the days you choose, instead of buying a ticket for each journey. A UK resident can buy a Global Pass, which covers 33 countries, and use it for one journey out of the UK and one journey back in. Seat reservations cost extra on many trains.

The operator has offered the pass since 1959. There is no fixed route and no fixed destination, so you can plan every leg in advance or decide as you go. On board, you show the pass to the ticket checker.

This guide is written for British passport holders living in the UK. It explains which pass you can buy, how the days are counted, what happens at the start and end of the trip, what the Eurostar changes and what the operator says you will pay on top. It is part of our wider guide to train travel from the UK to Europe.

What a pass includes, and what it does not

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  Your own route: There is no fixed route and no fixed destination, and you show the pass to the ticket checker on board.
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  A planning app: The Rail Planner app is the operator's app for planning the trip.
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  Partner discounts: The operator says it offers benefits and discounts with more than 50 partners across Europe.
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  Refunds and exchanges: A mobile pass that has not been activated can be refunded or exchanged, within the rules covered below.

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  Seat reservations: High-speed trains, night trains and other popular routes may need a paid reservation on top of the pass.
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  Trams, buses and metros: You need a separate ticket for these.
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  Accommodation: You book this separately.
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  Unlimited travel at home: If you live in a country in the network, you get one travel day to leave home and another to return.

A UK resident can buy the Global Pass. The operator states plainly that you cannot order a One Country Pass for the country where you live.

That rule matters for readers searching for a pass to use on British trains. The Great Britain pass in the operator's list is marked as available if you live in Europe, and it cannot be ordered for the country where you live. For rail travel at home beyond your outbound and inbound journeys, you buy standard tickets from the train operator.

The Global Pass is also the pass to look at if you plan to cross the Channel and carry on beyond the first country. A One Country Pass cannot be used to travel to or from the country it covers, so it does not help with the journey out of the UK either.

The operator describes its 5 travel days in 1 month pass as suited to visiting about four to six destinations, and the 7 travel days in 1 month pass as suited to about six to eight. These are its own suggestions, and the right number depends on how often you move on, not on how long you stay away.

A travel day runs from 00:00 to 23:59 local time. Because Europe has more than one time zone, you can gain or lose an hour when you cross a border.

There are two kinds of pass. A continuous pass makes every day in the validity period a travel day. A flexi pass, such as 5 days in 1 month, lets you pick which days you travel, as long as they fall inside the validity period, which starts when you activate your first travel day.

Night trains and ferries

A night train that leaves before 23:59 and arrives the next day uses only one travel day, the day it leaves. If you change trains after midnight, you use a second travel day. You cannot take a night train on the last day of validity, because the pass ends at 23:59 that day.

A night ferry covered by the pass also uses one travel day, the day it leaves, and both the departure and arrival days must fall inside the validity period. If the pass only gives you a discount on a ferry, you do not use a travel day for it. Cross-border night trains need a Global Pass.

Unused days

Unused travel days are not refundable or exchangeable on their own. They are only returned if the whole pass is refundable or exchangeable. The refund section below sets out when that is still possible.

If you live in the UK, your Global Pass includes one journey out of the country and one journey back in. You can use them on any travel day in the validity period. All other travel inside your country of residence is not permitted.

The operator words this rule for residents of the countries in its network, and Great Britain is one of the countries it lists for its passes, so plan around these two journeys. If you need more journeys at home, buy standard tickets from the train company.

The operator says the Eurostar is included in the pass but that you must buy a seat reservation, and it adds that the Eurostar is the only way to reach the United Kingdom from continental Europe by train. It says reservations on this route sell out quickly, often a few months ahead in the high season.

If you book the reservation through the operator, it adds a booking fee of €2 per passenger per train (about £2). If you cannot find a seat for your dates, the operator suggests searching Brussels to London or Lille to London.

On the Continent, the Eurostar and the TGV International can also cost reservation credits instead of money on the Global Plus Pass, which is covered in its own section below.

Seat reservations are not included in a pass. Most high-speed trains and all night trains in Europe need one. Most slower national and regional trains do not, so a route built around those can avoid the cost.

The operator publishes average fees by type of train: €10 (about £8) for a domestic train, €15 (about £13) for an international train and €20 (about £17) for a night train. These are averages, so individual fees differ.

Two notes from the same page are worth keeping in mind. Many German ICE trains need a reservation from 1 June to 1 September, and France, Italy and Spain are the countries where reservations are most often required. For a summer trip through those countries, treat the reservation cost as part of the plan.

In Great Britain, long-distance trains are listed with reservations recommended and mandatory only on certain services, free of charge.

Where to check a specific train

In the operator's reservation tool, select your train and click on see prices to see the fee in 1st or 2nd class. Some night trains, such as the OBB Nightjet, have dynamic prices.

Some reservations are only available on paper and are sent by post, with a €9 shipping fee per order (about £8).

Age bands are counted on the date you choose to start your trip. The youth pass is for ages 12 up to and including 27, the senior pass for ages 60 and over, and the adult pass for everyone in between. The operator gives a 25% discount on the youth pass and 10% on the senior pass, both off standard adult prices.

Up to two children can travel with one adult. When two adults travel together, they can take four children. For each additional child, a separate youth pass must be bought. A child pass must be added to the order before payment, because it cannot be added afterwards.

Children under 4 travel free and do not need a pass. If you want a separate seat for a child under 4, add a free Child Pass to the order.

A non-activated mobile pass is refundable and exchangeable until the last possible activation date, which is 11 months from the date of purchase. The operator's policy sets the amounts.

Promotional passes can be non-refundable and non-exchangeable, so check the payment confirmation before assuming a sale pass can come back. Refunds can take up to 10 business days to appear in the original account.

A mobile pass that has not been activated can still be returned, so settle your first travel day before you activate it, not after.

The operator sells a mobile pass, used on your phone with the Rail Planner app, and a paper pass. The mobile pass is instant, and you can buy it now and start travelling up to 11 months later.

It needs a phone that runs iOS 16.0 or later, or Android 6.0 or later, and an internet connection at least once every three days. If you lose your phone, the operator offers a free replacement pass. With the paper pass, you fill in each date on the day you travel, before you board your first train.

With a mobile pass, the Rail Planner app automatically recognises when a train ride counts as your journey out of, or back into, your country of residence.

The Plus Pass is a newer product that comes with reservation credits. The Global Plus Pass gives 5 or 7 days in 1 month, must be activated within 3 months of purchase, and comes with 3 reservation credits for high-demand trains.

The operator says reservations on high-demand trains, such as the Eurostar and the TGV International, may cost 1 or 2 credits depending on demand. It also says you cannot reserve sleeping accommodation on night trains with it, and that reservations made on other platforms are not part of the product.

It is refundable in full within 7 days of purchase and 90% refundable after that. Read the operator's FAQ and terms before choosing it over the standard Global Pass.

The operator states that UK citizens can still travel Europe with a pass after the UK's vote to leave the EU. The pass is a train product, so entry rules still come from each destination. GOV.UK's travel advice for France, read on 9 November 2026, is a useful example for the Eurostar route.

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  Passport issue date: For Schengen travel, GOV.UK says the date of issue must be less than 10 years before the day you arrive.
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  Passport expiry date: GOV.UK says it must be at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area.
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  Entry rules for each country: The destination's authorities set and enforce them.

Check your passport against both rules before you buy the pass, not after, because a renewal takes time.

On timing, the operator says that if you do not plan to use trains that need reservations, you only need to order a few days before your trip, and a mobile pass is instant. If you do need reservations, it advises booking the pass and the seats in advance.

• Can a UK resident buy an Interrail Pass?

  Yes. A UK resident can buy a Global Pass, which is valid in the countries of the network. The operator states that you cannot order a One Country Pass for the country where you live, so a pass for Great Britain is not an option for residents.

• Can I use my pass on trains in the UK?

  Only for two journeys. A Global Pass includes one journey out of your country of residence and one journey back in, and all other travel there is not permitted. You buy standard tickets for any other British rail travel.

• Is the Eurostar included in the pass?

  The operator says the Eurostar is included but needs a seat reservation. On London to Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam the 2nd class reservation fee was listed at €35 (about £29) on 9 November 2026, with a €2 booking fee (about £2) if you book through the operator.

• What counts as a travel day when I take a night train?

  If the train leaves before 23:59 and arrives the next day, it uses one travel day, the day it leaves. Changing trains after midnight uses a second one. You cannot take a night train on the last day of validity.

• Am I too old for a youth pass at 27 or 28?

  Age is counted on the date you choose to start your trip. You can use a youth pass if you are 12 up to and including 27 on that date. From 28 you need an adult pass, and from 60 a senior pass is available.

• Do children travel free?

  Children under 4 travel free and need no pass. Children aged 4 to 11 travel free with a Child Pass. Up to two children can travel with one adult.

• How long can I wait before using a mobile pass?

  You have up to 11 months from the purchase date to activate a mobile pass. A Plus Pass has a shorter window of 3 months.

• Does the pass cover the Tube, buses or trams?

  No. The operator says trams, buses and metros need a separate ticket. Seat reservations and accommodation are not included either.

• What happens if a pass is promotional?

  Depending on the promotion, a promotional pass may be non-refundable and non-exchangeable. The payment confirmation says whether yours can be returned, so read it before you buy a discounted pass.