No, you cannot transfer active passes from one device to the other. You cannot make reservations through the app either so everyone should simply add the pass to their own device (if they want to travel on their own).
You can create the initial travel itinerary (the "trip") on one device and import it in other devices (using the share as link functionality, though it only shares the itinerary at that moment - later changes are not shared). Then the others can couple the imported trip to their own pass on their own device.
Only activate your passes shortly before departure, to avoid them activating unintentionally.
Hi Schelte, thanks very much for the helpful reply.
Just to be clear: all 3 of us will be travelling together for part of the trip so I would like to make reservations (via eg the Interrail website) for all 3 of us to make sure we’re sitting together.
If 2 of the passes are then unlinked from my device by Customer Service and transferred to my friends’ devices, will the reservations still be linked to their passes?
Thanks again.
If 2 of the passes are then unlinked from my device by Customer Service and transferred to my friends’ devices, will the reservations still be linked to their passes?
Pass and reservations are separate and only linked by the name printed on it. Only Italian reservations booked via Trenitalia (or Interrail) also mention the pass number, but that will remain the same.
If you would activate all passes on one phone, which not is recommended in this case, you would then need assistance from Customer Support to disconnect the two passes from your phone. You can't disconnect the passes yourself.
Here is some useful information from the experienced travellers in the Community regarding both planning, reservations and activation of pass and travel days.
Planning
The rail planner is normally not up to date, as it only is updated once a month, so to be sure of the time table you better check the timetable and availability on the websites of the national railways. The bigger national railways, like DB (Germany) SBB (Switzerland) and ÖBB (Austria) cover several countries.
Reservations
The advice from the experienced travellers in the community is to use other ways to make reservations than the Interrail/Eurail website. You can look at the guide in the link:
https://community.eurail.com/train-connections-reservations-47/how-to-get-reservations-105
If you, after having looked at the guide, have questions about how to make specific reservation, please give your travel details (departure date, time and route) preferably in a new topic, and you will get advice.
Please note that Interrail/Eurail charges an extra fee of 2 EUR per person and train in addition to the fee for the seat reservation.
Activation of pass
During the activation process you choose the start day of the validity of the pass. Once the validity has started it can't be changed even if you haven't travelled. The advice is therefore to wait with activating the pass and starting the validity until the first day of your travel as you only can deactivate the pass no later than 23.59 CET on the day before the validity starts. If your travel plans change in the last moment you can't deactivate the pass and change the validity.
It can be wise to make a test and activate the pass with a start date well in the future and then deactivate the pass immediately, just to see that everything works.
Activation of travel day
The advice from the experienced travellers in the community is also never to activate a travel day, that is connect a journey to your pass and create the ticket (QR code), until just before boarding the train, otherwise you might loose a travel day if your travel plans change in a late stage You can't delete a travel day in the past. A travel day can only be deleted until 23.59 CET the day before the travel day.
Thanks very much to everyone for all your advice. It’s been really helpful. Now to start travelling!
If 2 of the passes are then unlinked from my device by Customer Service and transferred to my friends’ devices, will the reservations still be linked to their passes?
Unlinking the devices through customer service is something you shouldn't rely upon. Due to the potential of abuse, as far as I know this is only done in exceptional situations. As long as your passes are not active (activated and activation date reached) you can remove them from your phone and move them to another phone.
No reservations can be made through the app. Generating the ticket for the day (the QR-style code) is not a reservation for the listed trains.
