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Hesitation of whether a Interrail Pass (7 in 30) is good for me - probably two separate trips ahead in April

  • March 24, 2026
  • 4 replies
  • 39 views

Hi, first time speaking here.

I live in Nottingham, United Kingdom (for now) and my multi-entry Schengen visa (issued by Germany, so I need to enter into Schengen area for the first time from Germany) validates from 31 March 2026. I have already booked a trip with Lufthansa flight tickets 31 March Birmingham - Munich, 7 April Vienna - Munich - Birmingham, and hotel bookings in Munich from 31 March to 4 April, and in Vienna 4 to 7 April. During the week between Munich and Vienna, I am also planning using trains to explore the wider area. Likely to Innsbruck, Salzburg, Linz, and Bratislava. If this was the end of the story, I would not hesitate since Interrail would not be worthwhile only for this.

However since there are 4 weeks of “Easter Break” for me, I am also (secretly) planning to go elsewhere. It would not be immediately after the first trip since I have some important stuff happening between 8 and 15 April. I am considering Prague or Silesia - their industrial history and railway network fascinate me, and there are direct Ryanair (well) flights from EMA airport. But my parents (I am a student so they control the money stuff) always say “Eastern Europe is unpredictably dangerous, dont go!!!” so I don’t know how much possibility I can go there (and I probably cannot hide it since some “Koruna” “Zloty” or “Forint” will appear on their bank accounts). But in this case I might try Norway or Spain instead, I don’t know!

Then it goes to the hesitation point. Is a 7 days within a month Interrail Global pass worthwhile for this?

 

I have already finished a EU trip with Interrail from 17 December 2025 to 5 January 2026. That trip was probably exhausting. Flied to Copenhagen, straight down to Frankfurt, to join a meetup in Wurzburg, and then Nuremberg, and Berlin, and SJ Night to Stockholm, the train had a fault at Bodafors, we were arranged to board off and catch an X2 passing by… on the Christmas Day I inserted a pair of ATR72 to Helsinki day return (!), and then Malmo, Copenhagen again, Aarhus, and had a cold there… and then tried to reduce the extremity, changed some hostel bookings into hotels, to Essen, day trip to Wuppertal and back, then to Luxembourg via Koln and Trier, then Paris, and Finally, Eurostar back to London, and EMR back to Nottingham, bus back to accommodation. I initially thought 10 days in 2 months was not enough, and bought 15 days instead, but turned out that the Eurostar part does not count in that 10 days… So already had an overestimation.

Thanks

4 replies

Schelte
Full steam ahead
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  • Full steam ahead
  • March 24, 2026

A few points:

  • You don't have to enter the Schengen area through the country that emitted your visa. Technically, even when heading to Brussels on Eurostar you enter through France.
  • Eurostar journeys, if using a pass supplement, do require an active travel day and therefore do count in the number of days of a pass. 
  • You can do the math yourself. Big advantage of a pass is that you're quite flexible and can take any train eg within Austria. Train to Bratislava is cheap, but to Innsbruck it might be a challenge to find a cheapish day return at suitable times 

 


Forum|alt.badge.img+10
  • Railmaster
  • March 24, 2026

Indeed, what makes you think Eurostar does not need a travel day?


  • Author
  • Rail rookie
  • March 25, 2026

Indeed, what makes you think Eurostar does not need a travel day?

I remember it counted as a “depart/return from home country” day, but didn’t count as a day as in “15 days within 2 months”. Because in the morning of 5 January, I remember I had used up 9 days, and after returning back to United Kingdom by Eurostar, I checked the Interrail app, and it still showed I had used up 9 days. My memory might be wrong.


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  • Railmaster
  • March 25, 2026

An inbound or outbound journey is always connected to an active travel day. So whether or not you need an in/outbound is not relevant.

In short: Eurostar is just another train, with mandatory reservations, for which you need an active travel day.