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App defaulting to Eurail

  • July 26, 2025
  • 6 replies
  • 94 views
E

I am a real newbie to all of this and struggling to make sense of it all. 

I am in the UK and have an Interrail pass. I downloaded the Rail Planner App and want to reserve seats for  my first journey. It defaults to Eurail and wants payment in Euros, however my website account is in GBP. I am going to travel in Norway so all journeys need a seat reservation.

  1. I do not want the exchange rate fee on top of the extra 2 euros Interrail charge and seat reservation charge. Is there anything I can do?  
  2. Are seat reservations only sent by post if you book via the interrail/eurail app/website?   I think you can get an electronic reservation from Entur - is this correct and then is it better to only book via this platform? 
  3. If I book seat reservations for myself and my husband together are they linked to both our passes?

    Thanks for any help.
     

 

Best answer by rvdborgt

The Interrail website is the last place to book reservations: they're more expensive (€2 booking fee per person and train), there's never any seat choice, some reservations are sent by normal post (with another €9 fee per order), and there's more.

As to paying in another currency: get a payment card with zero or very low exchange fees, like Revolut (in the UK there are several). Interrail have reasonable exchange rates, but e.g. Rail Europe adds 5% in other currencies than euro and on many websites you can't choose the currency at all.

6 replies

E
  • Ellepee
  • Author
  • Rail rookie
  • July 26, 2025

I have changed the region to Interrail in the app’s settings but it doesn't make any difference to the euro’s. 

D
Keeps calm and carries on
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  • Danhiel
  • Keeps calm and carries on
  • July 26, 2025

​@Ellepee 

You can find a Reservations Guide here:

https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm

The information I provide may contain errors and are not official responses from Eurail/Interrail.
R
Railmaster
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  • rvdborgt
  • Railmaster
  • Answer
  • July 26, 2025

The Interrail website is the last place to book reservations: they're more expensive (€2 booking fee per person and train), there's never any seat choice, some reservations are sent by normal post (with another €9 fee per order), and there's more.

As to paying in another currency: get a payment card with zero or very low exchange fees, like Revolut (in the UK there are several). Interrail have reasonable exchange rates, but e.g. Rail Europe adds 5% in other currencies than euro and on many websites you can't choose the currency at all.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
E
  • Ellepee
  • Author
  • Rail rookie
  • July 26, 2025

Thank you both for your responses.
I guess I will make the reservations via Entur and see what happens although you have to use their website and not their app for an Interrail option.
Hopefully once I make the first booking I will understand it better. It certainly is confusing and I am not finding the information provided by interrail very helpful or clear. I’m usually pretty good at these things (for an old person!) but this has made me very anxious.

I know that there aren’t any charges for seat reservations with a first class pass, however, first class was not an option when I purchased the Norway one country pass. There appear to be a lot of sneaky things added that I was not aware of at the beginning!  

 

D
R
Railmaster
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  • rvdborgt
  • Railmaster
  • July 26, 2025

Here's an introduction to Interrail by Seat61:

https://www.seat61.com/how-to-use-an-interrail-pass.htm

Norway doesn't have real first class: the seats are the same, but you get coffee/tea/water for free. And seat reservations are free of charge. I guess that's why they don't have a 1st class pass for Norway.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
ralderton
Railmaster
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  • ralderton
  • Railmaster
  • July 26, 2025

It’s weird. Certainly on the trains I took between Oslo-Bergen, it felt like proper first class. Very different seats from standard (much more legroom), even though they are still 2x2.

But I guess they don’t sell it as first class. I think they sell it as an upgraded version of second class.

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Although the Entur app can’t do reservations, it’s still useful for trip planning and showing your reservations. You can also buy local transport tickets, which saves you having to download a new app.

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