Interrailing

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I'm overthinking and panicking. I've read ManinSeat61 but would really appreciate a sense check please!

I've bought an interrail pass and added it to Rail Planner.

I've put my train journeys onto "My Trip". I've reserved seats where necessary. The reservations are on email rather than being on the app.

I've activated my trip (by adding my passport number to the app).

I've clicked the little button next to the first days travel and it's created a QR code with a list of the trains in My Trip for that day. Is that my ticket for all the trains I'll take that day? Do I just show that and the email seat reservations?

If I change my plans that day do I just need to amend My Trip and press the little button again to generate a new QR code?

What if I've already used the QR code that day?

I've drawn an arrow on the little button I mean on the My Trip page.

Thank you. This is all new to me and I'm out of my depth and really regretting it!

Try Facebook page - Interrail & Eurail travellers. It does seem very complicated but perhaps once people have been on a trip it becomes more straightforward? The old fashioned paper/card version seems far more simple.

I've just looked at that and it's full of people having issues and getting stuck in places and problems with trains in Germany! 🤣 it is not helping my panic! 🤣🤣🤣

Seriously though - thank you for that it might be a good resource if we also get stuck in Germany!

I did it for the first time last week. All sounds fine to me — note that you can’t take a screenshot of the QR code and have it stored on your phone like that. But you can do that with the train reservations. You should also be able to see them (or some of them, think it depends how you book) on the app under ‘more’, then ‘seat reservations’ then ‘see your booked reservations’.

I bought a standard pass then returned it on realising that the first-class one was only slightly more expensive and the first-class seat reservations were quite cheap! But think you can’t do this after activation.

Basically, yes. You've done it all right.

You can change a day's journeys up til the moment you board a train. Want to go to Frankfurt instead of Cologne, or take a later train than you were planning? Just add another journey, toggle the button and the app will generate a fresh QR code with that journey added. Then you can remove the journey that you decided not to take.

Some people will add say 3 different trains at different times to their journey planner, and just click on the one they've decided to take when they're in the station.

Obviously this doesn't apply to trains that you need to book a prior reservation for. You still need to click on them and make sure they're added to your QR code ticket mind you, otherwise you're travelling without a ticket!

By the way, I've now been on I think 6 Interrail trips and I still have to consciously think about how to do the pass activation process- it's not straightforward, is it!

Nearly all of these trips have gone very smoothly, with a minimum of problems and delays- yes, even in Germany! 😆 (Although I've learnt that even though reservations are not mandatory on popular ICE routes in the summer, they are highly advisable if you don't want to spend your journey sitting in the corridor).

We did do a lot of strike- dodging on my first trip with the DC. We had to spend an extra night in Genova because there was a rail strike in France- then they announced a last minute rail strike in Italy and we had to get up at 4.00 to make it to the French border before the strike started at 9.00- that was a long day!

Otherwise, I've hardly experienced any delays- except for the returning Paris- London Eurostar, and that always less than an hour.

Thanks so much for the reassurance!

I keep telling myself that it's Europe and touristy parts at that and I'm hardly doing something unusual. There are nearly always people about to help. It's not the middle of nowhere with no phone signal and no one who speaks English.

Logically I know that if it goes horribly wrong, I can deal with it (maybe after a bit of a cry).

I'm just used to someone else doing everything! 😂 Lesson learned!

Most of the time if it goes horribly wrong with trains in Western Europe it's also their job to sort it out for you. Rebooking a cancelled train for you, sorting out alternative transport at a pinch, paying some degree of compensation, even paying for a hotel in some countries. just don't expect meaningful help in Romania

Interrail can even add an extra day to your pass in the event of things going really tits up. This is where the experts on the Facebook groups come into their own.

Where are you going?