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Interrail worth it? Seat selection is as expensive as a regular ticket

  • June 28, 2025
  • 11 replies
  • 193 views
Vampirazo

I got a Interrail pass today. It was 67EU for Poland. And I have a D-ticket for Germany. I’m planning a trip to Poland, and with this pass, I was like: great, this will be cheap!

The ticket on bahn.de is 32 Euros from Frankfurt an der Oder to Lodz. As I said, the pass was 67EU, so I thought, “Great, I have 35 euros left and then I will be saving money!”

But now, when I’m trying to book my seat it is showing up for 2nd class as an additional 24EU. That feels like a scam supreme.

Am I missing something? Like, why am I paying 67EU for the Interrail pass to save… 8EU on my trip?

Best answer by Al_G

A one country Poland pass is only valid within Poland, it is not valid at Frankfurt-DE.

I have no idea what you looked at to get a €24 reservation.

Passes are not always the cheapest, it depends on all the journeys you wish to take.

Reservations on Internal Polish PKP trains are cheap, less than €1 except for the EIP trains which are approx €10.

For a guide to reservations with passes see here https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm

11 replies

A
Full steam ahead
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  • Al_G
  • Full steam ahead
  • Answer
  • June 28, 2025

A one country Poland pass is only valid within Poland, it is not valid at Frankfurt-DE.

I have no idea what you looked at to get a €24 reservation.

Passes are not always the cheapest, it depends on all the journeys you wish to take.

Reservations on Internal Polish PKP trains are cheap, less than €1 except for the EIP trains which are approx €10.

For a guide to reservations with passes see here https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm

R
Railmaster
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  • rvdborgt
  • Railmaster
  • June 28, 2025

Please mention date and departure time.

€24 sounds like a regular ticket.

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.
Vampirazo
D
Keeps calm and carries on
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  • Danhiel
  • Keeps calm and carries on
  • June 29, 2025

Hello ​@Vampirazo 

You should try on this site:

https://www.bahn.de/buchung/start?KL=2&ET=PASSZUSCHLAG

A “Passzuschlag” costs 9,40 €:

 

The information I provide may contain errors and are not official responses from Eurail/Interrail.
A
Vampirazo
Vampirazo
  • Vampirazo
  • Author
  • Right on track
  • June 29, 2025

A one country Poland pass is only valid within Poland, it is not valid at Frankfurt-DE.

I have no idea what you looked at to get a €24 reservation.

Passes are not always the cheapest, it depends on all the journeys you wish to take.

Reservations on Internal Polish PKP trains are cheap, less than €1 except for the EIP trains which are approx €10.

For a guide to reservations with passes see here https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm

Thanks for your response. I was on the Interrail website. It is the EIP Berlin-Warsaw train that I’m finding a problem with.
See pictures.

 

I just need to get over the border, and I was expecting to maybe take a regional train to get to Rzepin.
 

But I’m just not sure how to use this website effectively, apparently. Should I just try to book my trip from Rzepin to Lodz and get this local train separately? 
 

I guess I’m also asking why this site, that knows I have the interrail pass, would try to book the trip this way? It doesn’t make any sense to me.

I appreciate your tip though. I think if I book things from Rzepin then it is going to be OK. 

Vampirazo
  • Vampirazo
  • Author
  • Right on track
  • June 29, 2025

Please mention date and departure time.

€24 sounds like a regular ticket.

I showed examples in my other answer. That was exactly my problem. 

I think the issue is, I need to cross the border before I can use my Interrail pass. There’s a train that runs from Frankfurt Oder to Rzepin and I think I can hit that train in time. All of this costs me an extra hour or so of my time, so I have to figure out if 25EU is worth the hour… hah. 

Vampirazo
  • Vampirazo
  • Author
  • Right on track
  • June 29, 2025

Hello ​@Vampirazo 

You should try on this site:

https://www.bahn.de/buchung/start?KL=2&ET=PASSZUSCHLAG

A “Passzuschlag” costs 9,40 €:

 

Thanks! I am using the bahn.de site to see other options. But can I use my interrail pass with that site?? I’m so confused by the different options. 

Vampirazo
  • Vampirazo
  • Author
  • Right on track
  • June 29, 2025

I ended up reserving a seat over the border and that seems to work. From Rzepin I can use the Polish pass, so I think I’m good! I appreciate your help, friends!

E
Railly clever
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  • eurocity101
  • Railly clever
  • June 29, 2025

​@Eurail Community Moderator The problem with the overpriced seat reservations for Poland which I reported already some weeks ago still exists. Please fix it as soon as possible because it confuses many users of Interrail passes.

​@Vampirazo From Rzepin you are good to go. Reservations are optional on this train within Poland.

I'm NOT working for Interrail/Eurail.
Vampirazo
D
Keeps calm and carries on
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  • Danhiel
  • Keeps calm and carries on
  • June 29, 2025

​@Vampirazo 

But can I use my interrail pass with that site?? I’m so confused by the different options. 

You can reserve seats for Interrail Passes with any other site, depending of the country of travel. Eurail/Interrail always add a fee of 2 €. 

You can find more information 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.
Angelo
Railmaster
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  • Angelo
  • Railmaster
  • June 29, 2025

is there a local train to pass the border? You could use the local train with the Deutschland Ticket + One Country Poland

Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask in the community! Known languages: Deutsch, Italiano, English.
Vampirazo
  • Vampirazo
  • Author
  • Right on track
  • June 30, 2025

is there a local train to pass the border? You could use the local train with the Deutschland Ticket + One Country Poland

Ther was. But the timing was bad and it added about 90 minutes to my itinerary. I just bought the 7eu upgrade to make it easier on myself with fewer transfers and less waiting. But, to confirm, your idea will work. 

Angelo
A
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