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Inbound/outbound, booking everything beforehand?

Giada
  • Giada
  • Rail rookie
  • 2 replies

Hi traveling geeks,

 

I live in The Netherlands, and plan to buy a 3-month pass for my summer tour in Europe, but I don’t really understand the terms on the website. So I’d like to make an example to make the question more visible:
Let’s say I want to travel from Amsterdam to Turkey. If I book on the App:
 

Outbound:
From: Amsterdam, July 1st
To: Ankara, August 1st

Inbound: 
From: Ankara, August 2nd
To: Amsterdam, August 31st

Because it’s really far, there are many possible routes. Does it mean that I can basically travel in any countries on the way as long as I make it in Ankara on August 1st? Do I need to book every single connection beforehand or can I just hop on the trains which doesn’t need reservation?

Assuming the following 2 scenarios:
1. I want to travel again in September. Is my 3-month pass still valid? Can I book another Outbound/Inbound trip?
2. Let’s say there is an emergency when I arrive in Vienna and I had to fly back to Amsterdam. Then I want to resume this trip. Do I have to fly back exactly to Vienna in order to make the pass still valid?

Thank you very much!

Best answer by AnnaB

You have two traveldays where you can travel in your country of residence. These outbound and inbound traveldays shall take you out of your country and back home again. If you for some reason need to travel for more days in your country of residence you will have to buy separate tickets for those trips.

In all other 32 countries you can travel as much as you like with all trains/ferries that are included in the pass.

You only need to make a reservation if you will use a train that requires a reservation. Otherwise you just create the trip in your pass and jump on the train.

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    Railly clever
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    • AnnaB
    • Railly clever
    • 6009 replies
    • Answer
    • May 9, 2022

    You have two traveldays where you can travel in your country of residence. These outbound and inbound traveldays shall take you out of your country and back home again. If you for some reason need to travel for more days in your country of residence you will have to buy separate tickets for those trips.

    In all other 32 countries you can travel as much as you like with all trains/ferries that are included in the pass.

    You only need to make a reservation if you will use a train that requires a reservation. Otherwise you just create the trip in your pass and jump on the train.

    Please note that I don't work for Interrail/Eurail and that I don't reply to personal messages.
    Giada
    • Giada
    • Author
    • Rail rookie
    • 2 replies
    • May 9, 2022
    AnnaB wrote:

    You have two traveldays where you can travel in your country of residence. These outbound and inbound traveldays shall take you out of your country and back home again. If you for some reason need to travel for more days in your country of residence you will have to buy separate tickets for those trips.

    In all other 32 countries you can travel as much as you like with all trains/ferries that are included in the pass.

    You only need to make a reservation if you will use a train that requires a reservation. Otherwise you just create the trip in your pass and jump on the train.

    Hi Anna,

     

    Thank you for your answer. Does it mean, I can simply book an outbound ticket to the boarder (Let’s say Cologne Germany), then I’m free to explore all Europe? When I feel like to come back, I just need to book an inbound ticket from wherever I will be to Amsterdam?

    M
    Railmaster
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    • MartinM
    • Railmaster
    • 932 replies
    • May 9, 2022

    Hey,

    you have only one out- and one inbound journey to the Netherlands. Outside the Netherlands you can make as many trips as you want during those 3 months. 
    If you go back to the Netherlands more then one time you will need to buy a ticket from the border (but German railways doesn’t sell it anymore, so in that case from the last station in Germany or Belgium) to your destination in the Netherlands.

    About your scenarios:

    1. It is still valid, but you will need extra tickets to enter the Netherlands as written above
    2. You can continue your trip from wherever you want. Doesn’t have to be Vienna.
    Giada
    • Giada
    • Author
    • Rail rookie
    • 2 replies
    • May 9, 2022
    MartinM wrote:

    Hey,

    you have only one out- and one inbound journey to the Netherlands. Outside the Netherlands you can make as many trips as you want during those 3 months. 
    If you go back to the Netherlands more then one time you will need to buy a ticket from the border (but German railways doesn’t sell it anymore, so in that case from the last station in Germany or Belgium) to your destination in the Netherlands.

    About your scenarios:

    1. It is still valid, but you will need extra tickets to enter the Netherlands as written above
    2. You can continue your trip from wherever you want. Doesn’t have to be Vienna.

    Thank you Martin! I bought the pass and look forward to the summer 🤗

    M
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      MartinM
    M
    Full steam ahead
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    • mcadv
    • Full steam ahead
    • 3893 replies
    • May 10, 2022

    IF you plan to do many shorter time trips (I did some 8 last autumn on a 2-monthpass) then its likely best to check-you are big enough to do that yourself- what NS offers in ride-at-will tickets, like weekendvrij or the like. Then its all covered. It will be extremely hard to buy tickets ONLY for the NL part till border and always incur a 7,50 ´service´ fee so till 1st stop over is cheaper.

    IF you happen to be stud with OV-stud, then you could even use that for border trips.

    BTW-as you mention going to TR; trains on the Balkans are very, very sparse and the overnight=only possibel train Sofia-IST (Halkali!!) runs only summertime. The routing via old Yugoslavija is cut off-you can go via Romania. IN TR the TCDD also has suspended most of its ´yolcu´ trenlerinde-it seems only the few hi-speed run for now.

    M
    Railmaster
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    • MartinM
    • Railmaster
    • 932 replies
    • May 10, 2022
    mcadv wrote:

    BTW-as you mention going to TR; trains on the Balkans are very, very sparse and the overnight=only possibel train Sofia-IST (Halkali!!) runs only summertime. The routing via old Yugoslavija is cut off-you can go via Romania. IN TR the TCDD also has suspended most of its ´yolcu´ trenlerinde-it seems only the few hi-speed run for now.

     

    Could you please stop posting wrong information on this forum?
    The Sofia-Istanbul restarted in April this year after the corona break, but it is running all year (if corona is not against it again in winter). The Bucharest-Istanbul direct coach is a summer season only offer (but with changing trains you can do that route also all year round).

    Also the information about traveling in Turkey is completely WRONG. Almost all trains are running normal (with the usual delays). Only 2-3 trains don’t run due to construction works or because the government doesn’t want to run them. 

    R
    1 person likes this
    • R
      rvdborgt

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