Have you already done this:

1. Log in on interrail.eu, go to "My Trips and travellers”.
2. Click on "Create a trip” and give it a name.
3. Then click on "Add a traveller” and enter the details.

Does that work? If not, then after which step are you stuck? If there's an error, please post a screenshot.

That is only necessary though if you want to book reservations via Interrail, or check availability of pass holder seats.

How come? I do need to show my pass and my trips and tickets when I’m not with my friend, but I cannot do that as I do not have my pass?

And I’ve done all the steps you mentioned in your first reply before. It does not link to my pass, I cannot see any of the trips my friend has already gotten us (they bought everything for two, added my name and pass so the problem shouldn’t be there). Is this system just this dumb and broken or what is the issue?

Some progress; just to try, I added a trip I wanted (a night train, a must seat reservation) on the Rail Planner, and suddenly I could buy a ticket for that trip with my Account on my computer. However, now I have the e-ticket in my email, but it’s not in my account still. 
And none of that fixes the problem of me not having access to the parts of the trip my friend bought, or the pass itself. Is there no way my friend can move the pass to me?

What remains pretty unclear in your story is IF BOTH passes are already-or not yet-activated, and IF yes, I assume on your friends fone? THis has to be done with the details sent in the confirmation mail after you bought the passes. The general advice on this forum is always to not do that before-as late as possible-many unforeseen things may happen.

You also seem to confuse the pass itself=the ticket, and, only if needed (on VR can even do without) a RES. These RES are fully separate from the pass itself and can be held also as print or on other fones-often they will not even be checked. This probably explains your last hurrah! find.

In THAT case: ONLY customer service can move it from 1 device to another. So you have to contact them-and they only work mo-fr office hrs (Mid-EUR time), no holidays.

But all the best with it and still enjoy these upcoming Holidays, even if its not that far north in Rovaniemi with the Xmas rendeers!

I think there is some confusion on your side. The reservations that you or your friend buy are seperate to your pass and trip on the Rail Planner app, but hopefully someone who can explain better than me will come along (attempting below).

This assumes that you have already linked a pass in the app - this is pretty straightforward to do, just need your name and pass number which hopefully you got from your friend

In the App, you manually search for the journey you plan to do (/already have reservations for) and add them to your trip. You use the little toggle button to add them to your pass. This creates a ‘ticket’. However this has nothing to do with the reservations. Reservations boughts are not on the app - with some reservations, you get a ticket emailed to you. If you are controlled in the train, you will have to show both that ticket AND the ‘ticket’ you manually added on the interrail pass on the app. For other reservations, you do not get a seperate ticket, just a confirmation that you have a seat reserved. I always make sure to have that on hand just in case (email, photo or printed).  

It’s definately a learning curved. I have spent HOURS the first time I used a pass to get my head round all the intricacies! (I actually had to use a paper pass recently due to issues with my phone and it was quite nice ) 

You need to understand that the Interrail account is separate from the app. Nothing you do in the app will be visible in the website and vice versa.

There are many places where you can buy reservations. A reservation will only show up in your Interrail account if you bought it via Interrail. And it will never be visible in the app.

Neither of the passes are yet activated, as per instructions. We followed all the instructions, so either we’re really dumb or the instructions are very unclear and unhelpful.

I know the ticket is separate from the pass and the trip on the app. Does RES mean reservation? If so, you mean they will check my pass, and my ticket but not necessarily if I have a reservation for that trip? How does that make sense if a reservation is needed for that particular train?
Anyway, the one I got in my email (from the latest purchase) I presume is then both the ticket and the reservation (they use both interchangeably), so in that case it doesn’t really matter. Though now that we’re here, what’s the point of having a mostly e-system, to then ask that the reservation needs to be printed out? It says the attachment in the email is the Ticket itself, but in the email it says that the e-ticket/reservation needs to be printed. It’s confusing to offer an app and e-tickets to only say you need to print them. Being such a well established old system, you’d think it would be more streamlined. Like say, having the app and account linked.

I was afraid I need to contact customer service again. I had to do it once before and the person on the phone spoke worse English than me, so it was quite stressful. But I’ll try it next week. Thank you for the answers and happy holidays!

Official Interrail/Eurail doesn't have any support by phone so you must have spoken to some kind of travel agent.

Have you managed to connect your pass to the app on your phone? This is the most important thing as the pass in the app on your phone is where you create the QR code which is your ticket.

This has been a confusing thread to read and I wonder whether back to basics may help.

Each mobile pass can only be placed on a single device, but several passes can be added to the same device if required.

If the pass has been activated it cannot be removed and transferred to another device unless it has not been used and deactivated, except by customer service. This is also the case after the first travel day has started.

There is no automatic link between the website trips and those on the Rail Planner app.

The mobile pass is effectively your own “print a ticket machine”, done by transferring a train from your “Trip” to your pass. This creates a QR code for the whole of that travel day and a text listing of the trains you add to your pass. 

Trains can be added to your TRIP in the app either by transferring from the planner or adding it manually if it isn’t listed. From here you simply toggle the on-screen trip to add it to your travel day in your pass, hence “printing” your own ticket.

This is your ticket for all trains you travel on and is the first thing inspectors check.

Some trains are reservable (both mandatory and optional), but note your pass is simply a ticket to travel on a specific train and never a reservation. 
 

Reservations are always separate from your “Ticket” They are never combined into a single document to travel.

On mandatory reservation trains you need both items - your completed pass for that travel day with the QR code and the train listed in the text, AND proof of your reservation - either printed or as a pdf if supplied.

Reservations are never linked to specific passes, but frequently contain the name of the passenger(s), but that is all. Where a pass is needed for booking (such as Eurostar) again the pass number is only used at booking to ensure you are not trying to get a cheap ticket. 

Some checkpoints (e.g. Eurostar)will allow you to pass just by scanning your reservation bar code, your pass will also be needed for later inspection, sometimes before boarding, sometimes onboard the train.

On trains not requiring but offering optional reservations you simply need to show your completed pass to inspectors, but obviously still need the details to find your seat and, if necessary, settle disputes on board.

Obviously on all trains not offering reservations you simply present the completed pass with QR code and specific train listed.

I apologise if this is patronising but sometimes we can benefit from returning to the beginning in order to clarify our thinking.

Hi @kailovi 

Indeed, I could not understand fully what the issue is. I suggest you getting in touch with customer service or you can send me a private message. I will be happy to help you. 

In the meantime, please read through the very well put message of @Yorkie 

Have a lovely day! 

The issue was pretty much that I assumed that things would be better linked and the whole thing would work more seamlessly. As I accepted that everything will be a bit clunky, and not to expect my account reflect in any way my pass, I think I got the gist of it.
Yorkies explanation was quite thorough, and I’m only wondering, why isn’t there this sort of “for dummies” version on the site, or did I miss it? Clearly explaining all the steps and the lingo would be necessary, since there are parts that use the word “ticket” about the reservation (and vice versa), and also that “printing” apparently isn’t necessary even though it would say so in the reservation/ticket. There’s just a lot of mismatching info and terms used confusingly. As many other’s have asked similar questions to mine (but none of the answer they received helped me at all as it was all the same info I’d already read), I think the FAQ should be updated, or some “for dummies” chapter added to the site. Just a suggestion.

That is certainly true. I've even seen a few pages even with the expression "reservation ticket” (where "reservation” is meant), which is incorrect and confusing.

The idea of a beginners guide in plain English/French/German…… is a good one.

There are several areas where the “Lingo” is confusing, but one of the most confusing seems to be the point in the previous post about reservations and tickets, not helped by the links to the IR reservation service and the requirement to have a pass before reserving a seat.

Another cause of confusion is the Interrail rule on the 2 days use within your country of residence. It is called In/Out days, but with a mobile pass it is simply the optional freedom to extend your pass into your home country .

I accept that the spirit of it is to facilitate your Interrail journey outside your country of residence, but it would be much better to simply call them Home country days (or something less confusing). The text accompanying it then needs to be simplified, not necessarily shortened.