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question about interrail global pass

  • 17 November 2022
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Hi, I want to take a trip to Austria form the end of December to the start of January. So, I was thinking of taking the interrail 7-day global pass. From the terms and conditions, it is noted that the Interrail Global Pass is valid in your country of residence for one outward journey and one return journey which you can make at any time during your travel days. So I wanted to know if the pass is also valid for travel to several cities in Austria.Thanks in advance for your information.Charlotte SAGNARD
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Best answer by Yorkie 18 November 2022, 20:02

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Userlevel 7
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The only restriction is use within your home country. As stated it can only be used in your home country on 2 days out of the overall allocation.

Use in the rest of Europe is entirely as you please subject to purchase of reservations when required, Austria is mostly non-compulsory reservations.

Userlevel 7
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You can use as many trains on one day to get in or out of your home country. Besides those days, you cannot use the pass in your home country.

Your home country seems to be France? Which means there’s no limit on the pass for you in Austria, or any other European country besides France.

Once out of France you can board as many trains as you want on a valid travel day, basically all across Europe. (Some exceptions exist with some smaller, privatised railways). Watch out for mandatory reservations. It might be wise to reserve non-compulsory reserveable trains in the days before and after the winter holiday period. Those days are traditionally VERY BUSY.

 

Thank you for your answer. 

I have another one… According the the train map, for example the city of Salzburg is not included. If I want to take the train from Vienna to Salzburg, the trip is included in the pass ? 

Thanks in advance. 

Charlotte

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Which train map you’re talking about? Can you screenshot it or provide the link?

 

Every train from Vienna to Salzburg is included, also the private Westbahn-company.

I’m talking about this map… 

Thanks for your help, I think that I will book train soon! 

Userlevel 7
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Oooh, that’s just a very schematic overview of all the railway lines. Only the biggest/most popular cities are on it.

Better use something like https://www.openrailwaymap.org/ or https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/rail-maps--guides-22-c.asp to check where trains can bring you to :)

Thank you so much! I’m gonna check this links! 

Userlevel 7
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There's no such thing as included and excluded cities. Validity is defined via the railways companies and you can go to whatever cities their trains go to.

Hi! I have though about a question during the night… Is the one outward journey and one return journey included in the 7 days if the pass ? It means that I will have 5 full days in Austria ? 

Thanks in advance :) 

Charlotte 

Userlevel 7
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Hi! I have though about a question during the night… Is the one outward journey and one return journey included in the 7 days if the pass ? It means that I will have 5 full days in Austria ?

That depends on how quick you can get to Austria :)

You have 7 travel days in total and on 2 of those, you can also travel in your country of residence.

Ok, perfect! Thank you for all your answers :) 

Userlevel 7
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This will depend on where you live/start in this hexagone served by that SNCF. If that is Mulhouse or Strasbourg-no problem at all, but if that would be like la Rochelle or Dax or Quimper you have to start very early by first train and reach Austria late in the evening-also dependent on where exactly in that country. So that day you also travel via Germany-or Swiss-or perhaps even ITaly. All included.

In fact in theory it should also still be possible to buy an old-style paper pass at a counter of a big gare somewhere in that hexagone. And they can do all the RES then in FR right away. And perhaps even give a few info on travel out of this hexagone.

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It may make it easier to understand the so called in/out days by considering it as:

A Global pass allows you to travel on almost all trains in Europe outside your country of residence for  the nominated number of travel days.

On 2 of those days you can optionally, and at any time during the validity of your pass, treat your country of residence as an included country. Although intended to support your Interrail experience by assisting your journeys in and out of your COR there is no requirement to use them to cross the border either way. 

There is no obligation to use these COR days so if , like me, you live near an airport but 300km from the border, you could get a low cost flight outside your COR and then start your rail journeys, maybe for a one way journey (Flight out train home). Nor is there an obligation to use once out and once back. We did 2 one ways with a 10 days in 2 month pass.

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