Two questions

A Eurail pass or a Interrail pass? (I assume Interrail)

A mobile pass or a paper pass? (I assume a Paperpass)

For Interrail Paperpasses you have to select a specific startdate due the booking (you can´t change it later only if you cancel the old pass and get then a new pass)

If you are not sure when you will start get a mobile pass or get your Paper Pass at a Ticket office next to you Interrail passes can be bought at many ticket offices for direct traveling (Interrail passes from Ticket offices can´t be bought with the plus insurance like on Interrail.eu)

Hi, yes it is indeed a interrail paper pass.

Okay, so I absolutly have to choose the first day of my trip when i buy the pass ? So, it means that this day I choose will be the first day I travel ? Or does it just mean that it is the start of the month during which I can travel (which would enable me to choose later) ?

You talked about ticke offices, what are them ? Does it mean I can buy my interrail pass directly at a physical counter with someone somewhere ? If yes, where can I find the map of thoose tocket offices ? And if I do take it there, you said ti means I can’t add the lost of the pass insurnce ?

finally, what are the advantages of the mobile pass ?because I fear to be too dependant on my phone if I get this one.

Anyway, thank you so much for all your answers

The start date is the time from when you can travel and the month counts you can start when you like within the Pass Validity time :)

Most Railticket offices from SNCF,DB and many other National Railcompanies ontop even some travelagency sell them The service at these offices depends on the staff. Some Agents are well informed about Interrail others sell the pass for the first time and ask you questions (that they should know :D)

Correct if you buy a pass at a Ticket Office there you can´t add the lost insurance for the pass. (For me it was never a problem as i have a travel insurance for such cases)

Mobile Pass advantage is that you can buy it and activate it when you like even last minute.

As iam more a paper pass friends i still recommend it
Paper Pass you have something in your hands and after your trip you have something as souvenir of your trip.

With Paperpass it´s easier to use Nighttrains as you won´t be woken up if the conductor change at the border (Usually you give on Nighttrains your ticket the Steward that keeps the tickets and show them to the several conductors through the night.)

Not all conductors have a QR Code Scanner and it takes then  time to validate your pass. In the starting phase there was a problem that the mobile pass showed the correct Travelday but with scanning the QR Code the system showed a different day.  I would wait with useing the mobile pass.

Hi,

Well thank you so much for that detailed reponses. I will indeed go to a ticket office and ask them mor einformation before I buy the pass online I guess, because I want that lost insurance.

And yes, as you say, I indeed feared I would be too dependant on my phone if taking the mobile pass, eve more since I will take the Berlin Night express.

Finally, have you done it yourself ? The fact of buying a ticket with a date and then starting your trip an other day. Based ojn what you said, I unertood it is therefore possible ti buy for exmaple a ticket with a strat date at 1st august but then take my first train only the 5th ?

thank you so much

That is no problem at all. The only requirement is that you use the pass within the period of validity.

Okay, well thank you then, because it is not clearly explained on the interrail website !

@enora  the Berlin Nightexpress is no problem with a mobile pass as Snälltoget is repsonsible all the way for the tickets. :)

Nighttrains that maybe have problems with Mobilepasses in my experience as here the conductors (ticket responsibility) change at every border

Zürich - Prague,Budapest,Zagreb
Berlin - Budapest,Prezmysl
Prague - Warsaw,Budapest,Slovakia
Zagreb,Rijeka,Budapest - Munich
Split - Budapest,Vienna,Bratislava

bymself i had these struggles with friends on the Berlin - Budapest and Wien - Berlin Nighttrains but this was at the start of the mobilepasses and it will take some time that the Conductors  know about the offer and how to handle them.