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WTF, is it really so expensive ?


Hello,
I purchased an Interrail pass a few weeks ago to travel to Italy. However, I am realizing that there are a lot of additional costs. For example, we planned to travel from Brussels to Ljubljana to stay there for two days, then Ljubljana-Florence, Florence-Rome, Rome-Naples, and Naples-Amalfi.

From Brussels to Ljubljana and from Ljubljana to Florence, we are offered night trains that must be booked directly through the ÖBB company. In this case, we are paying a "regular" price, and it seems there is no advantage to using the Interrail pass, if I understand correctly.

Additionally, for every single journey within Italy, we are required to reserve a seat, which costs around 15 euros per person each time (whereas buses are much cheaper than train reservations via the Interrail app, around 5 euros per person).

After doing the math, using the pass ultimately costs me an extra 137 euros.

I wanted to check if I misunderstood something. Are my journeys actually more expensive with the Interrail pass? If, in the end, I am correct, how can I get a refund in this situation? And if so, for how much?

Thank you in advance :)

Best answer by ralderton

Italy, along with France and Spain, are not great countries to use a pass - because of the extra fees for high speed/ long distance trains as you’ve found.

High speed trains in Italy should be €13, if you book them via ÖBB. On sleeper trains, you will need to pay for the accommodation part, but the transport part of the cost is covered by the pass. If you’ve been paying the full price, you might have been looking at the wrong prices for reservations.

Good summary of reservation costs here: https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm

It’s not a guarantee that a pass will save you money.

Have you travelled already or is this for future travel? Some reservations can be cancelled if you haven’t used them, as can the pass.

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ralderton
Railmaster
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  • Railmaster
  • January 12, 2025

Italy, along with France and Spain, are not great countries to use a pass - because of the extra fees for high speed/ long distance trains as you’ve found.

High speed trains in Italy should be €13, if you book them via ÖBB. On sleeper trains, you will need to pay for the accommodation part, but the transport part of the cost is covered by the pass. If you’ve been paying the full price, you might have been looking at the wrong prices for reservations.

Good summary of reservation costs here: https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm

It’s not a guarantee that a pass will save you money.

Have you travelled already or is this for future travel? Some reservations can be cancelled if you haven’t used them, as can the pass.


  • Right on track
  • January 12, 2025

Thanks for your respond :)

It’s a future travel. We didn’t reserve yet. 

 

The problem is that we can’t reserve the accommodation part for the sleeper trains on the eurail app. 


  • Right on track
  • January 12, 2025

And we don’t have any other option for train in italy. Every travel recommendations in the app is 15 euros. 


Angelo
Railmaster
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  • Railmaster
  • January 12, 2025
Memel wrote:

And we don’t have any other option for train in italy. Every travel recommendations in the app is 15 euros. 

No, you have options. You don't need to use the reservation service of Interrail.eu, so you would save 2€/person with 13€ instead of 15€.

On top you don't need to use high speed trains, on the same routes there are also Intercity that cost only 3€, but they need longer.

In Austria and Germany reservations are only optional and not compulsory.


Forum|alt.badge.img+9
  • Railmaster
  • January 12, 2025
Memel wrote:

From Brussels to Ljubljana and from Ljubljana to Florence, we are offered night trains that must be booked directly through the ÖBB company. In this case, we are paying a "regular" price, and it seems there is no advantage to using the Interrail pass, if I understand correctly.

This is not correct. Please mention any night train you're looking at (route, date, departure time), how many persons you're booking for and which exact accommodation. Then we can look into it and see what's happening.


  • Right on track
  • January 12, 2025

Hi, thank’s to everyone for your help. We solve the problem with the eurail team.

 

 


Forum|alt.badge.img+9
  • Railmaster
  • January 12, 2025
Memel wrote:

Hi, thank’s to everyone for your help. We solve the problem with the eurail team.

Do keep in mind that booking reservations via Eurail is most cases more expensive than booking elsewhere.


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