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BeNeLux Pass if you're living in Belgium or the Netherlands

  • 23 February 2023
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If I understood the conditions correctly the Benelux Pass is valid in all three countries only if you’re not living in one of them. On other sites (e. g. https://www.acprail.com/rail-passes/interrail/interrail-benelux) it even says that you cannot buy it at all if you’re a resident of either of the tree countries. Has this been changed recently?

 

Anyway, if you’re a resident of NL, BE or L you are still paying the same as anyone else but are only getting travel in the two other countries. Is that correct?

 

Considering that public transit is free in Luxemburg anyway, that does not seem to be very much of a bargain, anymore. If you are a BE or NL resident you are essentially only getting travel in the respective other country since in L it is free, anyway (unless you’re using a 1st class pass, of course).

 

Am I getting something wrong here?

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Best answer by Schelte 23 February 2023, 13:41

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Anyway, if you’re a resident of NL, BE or L you are still paying the same as anyone else but are only getting travel in the two other countries. Is that correct?

 Correct: "Please note that the Interrail Benelux Pass is valid in 3 countries. So if you're a Dutch resident, you can use this pass for travel in Belgium and Luxembourg."

Considering that public transit is free in Luxemburg anyway, that does not seem to be very much of a bargain, anymore. If you are a BE or NL resident you are essentially only getting travel in the respective other country since in L it is free, anyway (unless you’re using a 1st class pass, of course).

 

Public transport in Luxembourg is free, but it does cover the international trains from Arlon and Liège into Luxembourg. The one from Athus is free to use. 

If you want to explore Belgium and Luxembourg as a Dutch resident, I would opt for a SNCB Multi pass and buy tickets for the cross-border bits into Luxembourg.

As a Belgian resident it's useless to explore both The Netherlands and Luxembourg, better check for Dutch tickets from NS. 

As a resident of Luxembourg, you can use the pass nearly as someone who does not reside in the Benelux. I'm not sure if you need to buy tickets to the first station across the border - maybe the Luxembourgish sections of those journeys are also free and the Belgian sections are covered by your pass - but that's not much.

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As a resident of Luxembourg, you can use the pass nearly as someone who does not reside in the Benelux. I'm not sure if you need to buy tickets to the first station across the border - maybe the Luxembourgish sections of those journeys are also free and the Belgian sections are covered by your pass - but that's not much.

2nd class is completely free in Luxembourg, from the border tariff point. This is taken into account when you buy a ticket. E.g. Arlon (or Gouvy) to anywhere in Luxembourg is always €2.60, which is the Belgian part of the journey. For Athus, the border tariff point is in the station itself, so that's why it's free from there.

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