When are you planning to do this? Where in Finland you want to end?

Your route would look like this (Rough estimate):

Malaga-Madrid

Madrid-Barcelona

Barcelona-Paris

Paris-Köln

Köln - Hamburg

Hamburg - Copenhagen

Copenhagen- Stockholm (with ferry option to Helsinki via Viking Line or Tallink Silja)

Stockholm-Lulea-Haparanda-Tornio (Fi)

Tornio - Kemi - Helsinki

Estimate that you’ll need at least 7 travel days If you want to do it at a reasonable pace, with a bit of buffer time in case of delays and time to stretch your legs. Cause you probably do not want to only see the interior of a train from Malaga to Finland.

The other overland route via Russia is (obviously) not possible any more.

You probably can get to Talinn too, via Lithuania, and Latvia (recommended to cross theBaltic state borders by bus) but you’ll also need to take a ferry then, albeit a short crossing. But I’m not familiar with that route, it’s probably slower then the route mentioned above. Others can advise you on that.

But basically all of Europe lies between Malaga and Finland, so if you take your time you’re plan do a very nice Interrail trip, which would be a shame to rush through.

Hello,

Thanks for quick answer.

I would be doing two stays on Spain per year, about two months each, so only one-way tickets and maximum two months (60 days) Global Pass time.

Both trips from Finland through Tallin to Spain or through Sweden to Germany to Spain are unfamiliar. The legth of trip doesn’t matter, so some travelling with bus doesn’t matter but I need to search the bus tickets as well since Global Pass doesn’t say anything of those. If making bus travel on top of Global Pass then it will be obviously more pricey but shorter crossing from Finland to Estonia does seem good as well. So both are considered.

You’ll find a lot of inspiration and elaborate explanation on this website: https://www.seat61.com/european-train-travel.htm

It’s a bit UK centred, but if you look up information on the specific country pages of Finland and Spain, you already have a very good idea how to best tackle your planned journey, and what to expect (travel time, comfort, scenic routes,...) :)

Via the 3 baltics cannot do all by train=vonat, and connections very bad.

Mlg-Bcn has 2 direct hi-speed AVE trenes/day. Hamburg-STO now has direct overnite tren by SJ.

What ferry is best will also depends on your home-I think even now not every Finn lives in the HEL-area. I guess a Finn will know much better as we here from else what ferries are best and offer bes value-the classic route, as it was near free or very cheap for passes, were the Viking+Silja Turku-STO lines. I have pretty good memories on these.

Even if you go the long way round NOrth SE you still have to use a Finn bus from Haparanda/ranttaa to Kemi, 1 of the 2 companies seems even to accept the pass.

Another thing is that making the needed RES for this route can be mind-boggling, esp. ESpana is by far the very worst for this-can effectively only do whilst there @ counter. PLus the direct AVE bypassing Mad are generally to be told´ completo´ to you.

BUt you can with some tricks still also use the pass on the small cercanias line going west from Mlg to Torremolinos-Fuengirola=where most beach side areas are.

There are no tricks required to travel on Cercanias with a Global Pass other than adding the train manually, but you may need to find somebody to open the gates if there is no QR code reader.

However in Malaga there are only 2 Cercania routes and the one to Alora has a very limited schedule. Both of these are currently available on a 10 euro 4  month unlimited use pass within the network. (Note Jan - Apr, May - Aug and Sep - Dec. This is also available in all the Spanish regional Cercania networks operated by Renfe.

The 10 euro pass can also be bought and used freely on all the Rodalies de Catalunya in Barcelona, again operated by Renfe, somewhat cheaper than using a flexible travel day. This includes the service to Port Bou.

You are the only person I have read that suggests RENFE ticket inspectors deliberately tell Global pass users that a train is full when it isn’t. Why persevere with these horror stories when there are far more posts from people who have successfully traversed Spain?

Don't bother trying the QR codes; the QR code readers don't read the Interrail passes. They do read your Renfe long distance reservations (which - as all Renfe long distance trains - allow for free travel on cercanías trains in the 4 hours before departure & after arrival). Otherwise you will have to talk to a member of staff to get through the access gates (or use the intercoms if no staff is available).

Unfortunately not: The service from Barcelona to Portbou is a regional service of Rodalies, which means you’ll need a €20 route-bound pass - which is probably not worth it (or you need a €10 pass for the Barcelona area plus a €10 pass for the Girona area). See https://rodalies.gencat.cat/es/detalls/article/Abono-gratuito, only in Spanish or Catalan, unfortunately.

Renfe sells reservations for interrail passholders until the very last seat, so if you’re told they're sold out the train is indeed full. It does happen, and especially in summer the Barcelona-Andalucía direct AVE's are pretty popular.

The reservations guide points you to some alternative places where you can book reservations outside Spain, including Deutsche Bahn. As your trip will nearly unavoidably pass through Germany, you can book these on the phone and collect them from a ticket machine while on your way. I even heard some travel agents offer them digitally, they do charge a fee.

I stand corrected, so you can still use the local R services as listed in the link for 10 euro, but the longer regional services are indeed 20 euro for a free pass for a nominated routine service for up to 4 months.

 

Thank you. I have gotten good info about stops required to go to Malaga and also of the two routes via Sweden/Travemunde and through Estonia.

I see interrailing more difficult than it was before 21st century. There is very much conflicting info and I can’t be sure what trips the Interrail pass don’t include.

I did get info about Helsinki-Travemunde and Malmö-Travemunde ferry prices. Too expensive. Over 300 hundred euros, even with Global Pass. Without it it room for one would have been over 600 euros.

I would like to reduce the air pollution but because of hefty prices by using train and ferry I must choose the plane. Almost every trip from Central or Southern Europe to Finland must be done using some boat or ferry and that always increases the costs but naturally if you have more money it is better option.

I hope the Interrail Global Passes do get better in near future and could include the ferries and buses too in same package, then it would be good and no plane needed. There should be better and cheaper interrail routes to include Scandinavian passengers. The ferry prices are too much.

I could get a €40 ferry with cabin to Helsinki from Stockholm for 2 persons (Viking Lines, using their Estonian site and Interrail discount) a few weeks ago. 

From Stockholm, you can get to Málaga with just trains (many of them unfortunately with compulsory reservation).

If you expected to be able to travel by train quickly from one extreme of Europe to another, I'm sorry to disappoint you.

A plan that I have (admittedly haven’t yet done it) and uses much cheaper ferries (and can use Interrail discount) is:

Helsinki-Tallinn by ferry

Tallinn-Stockholm by overnight ferry 

Stockholm-Copenhagen by train

Copenhagen-Nykobing Falster by train

Nykobing Falster to Gedser by bus (hourly, takes 40 mins)

Gedser to Rostock by ferry (walk on quick ride)

Rostock onwards by train