Travelling by train

I am planning to visit Madrid for a single day to see Parque Warner. My plan is to arrive from Leon at Chamartin station in the morning. Change to a Cercanías train to Atocha. Here I will drop of my luggage at my nearby hotel and immediately go back to Atocha Station. Then I will take another Cercanías to Pinto Station, where a bus will take me to Parque Warner.When Parque Warner closes around midnight, I need to go back to my hotel. I will take a bus back to Pinto. Here I will take the last train to Atocha at 23:58.My question is how do I pass the gates at the Cercanías stations. The first train at Chamartin is not a problem. I can use the QR-code at my seat reservation from the connecting train.Can I use the same QR code again at Atocha? Or is it single use? Otherwise I hope I can make the staff open the gate for me.But what about Pinto station at 23:58? My QR-code will no longer be valid. Will there be any staff to help me at this time of the day?Is it possible to get a paper-ticket

My husband and I are traveling from the US. We’ll be going to Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam and Brussels. I was reading the luggage information and wondered if we’ll be able to board with what we have. We will each have a rolling, hard case suitcase (mine is 20inx10inx14in. His is 19inx9inx13in.) and a backpack each. I’m thinking of not bringing my purse to help with space. If it won’t fit in 2nd class, should we bump up to first?

I notice trip planner has sunsetted. Is there a new one? Or is there a link that works?

Hi there. I am a newbie to Interrailing but hoping someone can help. I have a 2nd class Interrail pass for my family and I to travel around Spain this summer. We are wanting to take the sleeper train from Paris down to Barcelona. I am keen to upgrade from a 2nd class to a 1st class sleeper as we are 4 - and with young kids I don’t want to share a cabin with 2 strangers and I’m sure nobody wants to share with us either! Is there a way to upgrade just 1 journey for the sleeper train. I’m happy to pay the extra - I just don’t know if it is even possible with the Interrail pass. Thanks!

Hi guys! Would be interesting to make a collection of experiences with train cancellations, missed connections and being stranded etc and what solutions the companies provided. Ideally also with a year provided because experiences may change over time.  I will start with two recent experience: November 2025 (RENFE, Spain): I missed my AVE from Madrid to Montpellier because of a delay coming from Andalusia. At the help desk in Atocha they wanted to offer me a hotel free of charge and that I could use the same train the next day. But as I had to be at home in Austria the next evening, I asked if I could go to Barcelona and take the AVE to Lyon the next morning. They agreed, gave me a hand written seat reservation for the next AVE to Barcelona and said I should go there to the customer service.In Barcelona the staff was everything but friendly and said it’s two different companies blabla and that they can’t provide hotel. After a lot of waiting and discussing they gave me a reservation fo

Salve, cerco conferma del fatto che non importa quando e in quale ordine viene utilizzato il viaggio di andata (outbound) e di ritorno (inbound) e che possono essere utilizzati in qualsiasi momento durante la validità del mio Pass. Ad esempio, se voglio spezzare il viaggio di andata in due tappe, posso usarli entrambi all’inizio per uscire fuori dal mio paese? Anche perché al ritorno ho già un aereo prenotato per motivi personali, quindi in ogni caso non potrei usare il viaggio di Inbound.Attendo riscontro,Grazie mille

Hi All,New to rail travel!Earlier in the month i arranged a trip. London > France > Italy > Switzerland > London (Via France).It’s for 4 people and includes several reserved seats over a two week period.On the day i “sorted” the trip i added all the details to the app and all the journeys were there.This included a trip from Basel (12:34) > Paris Gare De Lyon (15:38) on the 7th June ahead of getting the Eurostar at at 6pm.I am now trying to add the journeys to the other travelers apps. but we can not find this journey. There are also no other options (except for ones that require multiple changes). Does this journey still exist? this was also a journey that required a reservation and was relatively expensive. Last thing we want is to rely on this train, to find out it doesn’t exist and then we miss our Eurostar journey!Any help much appreciated.

Apologies to anyone who was already aware of this, but I’ve just come across SBB’s luggage forwarding service, and it seems like really good value.The canny use case here is if you have a few days travelling through Switzerland, and don’t need your bag. The basic service is very reasonably priced: 12 CHF for ‘Station to Station’ delivery. It’s relatively slow (drop your bag off on Day 1, pick it up on Day 3), but I think that can work to your advantage when you think of it as luggage storage and transport together.They will also store the bag at the destination station for free for 4 days.https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/reservation-luggage/checking-taking-luggage.htmlThere are also more expensive door to door and Express options, but the basic service is the one I could see myself using.

I have to be in Prague next May 28th for work, and I was thinking of seizing the opportunity to visit Wien in Austria after that, and have my short experience of  train travelling through Europe that I have been dreaming for 20 years and not been able to do so far. I would need some advice as to how to connect Wien and the north of spain to return after wandering about Wien a little bit; thanks

Se perdo una coincidenza del treno comprato col pass interrail, devo pagare un altro biglietto nonostante abbia il pass interrail? 

Se perdo una coincidenza del treno comprato col pass interrail, devo pagare un altro biglietto nonostante abbia il pass interrail? 

Sorry to be a bit dim but unless I can get on my first train in the UK I can’t go anywhere.So, in my trip I have my first journey which is on a Thameslink train to London.Once I have activated my pass, what happens?Will it give me a QR code and I just go to the barrier and scan it? 

Starting from Amsterdam, passing through Heidelberg and Munich, and staying overnight in Salzburg was lovely. Watching the nature from the train from Hallstatt to Vienna was wonderful. We opted for the overnight train from Vienna to Bucharest. Our trip was tiring but also very enjoyable. I especially hope my next destination will be Rome, as I'm curious about its historical atmosphere.

My favorite train ride was the one in sri lanka going from kandy to haputale. Seeing the tea plantations and waterfalls through the open door was just amazing 

My favorite train ride is the one from Ljubjana to Innsbruck. Driving through the alps is just an amazing experience!! 

My dream slow travel route would take me from Frankfurt all the way to Marseille.Starting in Germany and slowly making my way south by train feels like the perfect journey — watching the landscapes change from cityscapes to rolling countryside, and eventually to the Mediterranean coast.For me, traveling by train is not just about reaching a destination, but about everything that happens along the way. I love the idea of meeting new people, sharing stories, exchanging smiles, and connecting with fellow travellers from different cultures. Those unexpected encounters often become the most memorable part of the journey.As the train moves closer to Marseille, the light softens, the air gets warmer, and there's this growing sense of freedom. Arriving there after truly experiencing every moment of the journey would make it even more special.That's what slow travel means to me.

I recently traveled across Scandinavia using the Interrail 5-pass, and it was an unforgettable adventure. We started in Denmark, journeyed up through Sweden and Norway, and then returned to Sweden. The trains were top-notch—comfortable, fast, and stress-free. Unlike car travel, there was no worrying about fuel stops, road fines, or the hassle of driving—just sit back, enjoy the scenery, and let the train do the work. I can't recommend it enough—if you love seamless, scenic travel, Interrail is the way to go!

My favourite train route I’ve taken is the one from Basel to Zermatt! The train had lovely big windows, the view was breathtaking and my sister and I where the only ones in our compartment! (The only negative thing was that the only thing in my budget in Zermatt was a pretzel and some discounted food in the grocery store, but what can you do ;)

Hi. I just learned that ticket for a dog for the train from Gliwice (Poland) to Wien (Austria) cost half a price of a normal human ticket and that is... A lot.Does anybody know if all international trains are like that? We want to go trough (Czech - only transit) Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and back ofc.Wanted to go with our 2 pups but if the fee will be the same in every international train, we will have to leave them behind. I just can't find that info.Please, let me know if you know, I will be VERY thankful.

Ciao

I would like to do the Bernina express once more. I loved the scenery and still correspond with co-travellers I met on the route. Perhaps we could do it again together.