The pan-European InterRail rail pass has become available digitally. For now, this only applies to the Global Pass, which covers the entire continent, and the Italy pass. InterRail allows unlimited travel in seated train cars throughout Europe (or just in one country) for a period of 3 days to 3 months for a few hundred euros, reminds our Travel.ru correspondent.
There are a number of peculiarities when using the electronic InterRail. It can only be used in the official app, and the ticket can only be downloaded to one phone. It cannot be transferred to another phone during the validity period of the pass (but it can be transferred before it is activated for travel). Several passes can be downloaded to one phone, but in this case all passengers must always travel together, so this solution only makes sense for children's passes.
Having a travel card on your phone does not allow you to board a train. You must first enter a “trip” in the app, specifying the departure and destination stations, as well as the departure time (if the train is delayed, you must enter the original scheduled time). For those who use InterRail for frequent short or intra-city trips, entering each of these can be a bit annoying. However, it is expected that in some countries and cities this will allow you to pass through turnstiles without assistance from inspectors.
Adding a trip on your phone does not eliminate the need to purchase a seat reservation in the usual manner at the ticket office or on the carrier's website in cases where it is required (mainly on high-speed and night trains). Passengers also need to ensure that their phone does not run out of battery during the entire trip so that the ticket can be presented to the inspector. This is especially important to keep in mind for long night trips on trains without power outlets.
The electronic InterRail operates on Central European Time, including the start and end of each day of travel. In other words, in the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Finland, Greece, Turkey and parts of Eastern Europe, the day on the electronic pass will not begin and end at midnight local time. In some places this will work to the advantage of tourists, and in others to the disadvantage. As with a paper pass, a trip that begins before midnight and ends after is counted on the day it began (however, transfers are not allowed after midnight).
The electronic InterRail is partially protected from loss or theft. In fact, it can only be lost together with the phone - but after that it can be restored to another phone through the support service (though this will take some unspecified time, perhaps several hours or more).
Let us recall that in 2015 a family version of the travel card was introduced. It allows each adult to take two children under 12 years of age with them free of charge. However, they must be added to the travel card in advance. There are also discounted youth and pensioner versions. It is possible to purchase discount tickets for the high-speed Eurostar, which travels through the Channel Tunnel.
You can buy an electronic InterRail on the official website www.interrail.eu, and regular paper ones at the ticket offices of most European railways. Let us remind you that InterRail allows unlimited travel in second-class seated carriages in a selected country or throughout Europe. For certain trains (usually high-speed and night trains, as well as for reclining berths), additional seat reservations or an additional payment are required. In certain countries (France, Spain), travel with InterRail is complicated by high surcharges charged by local railways for using high-speed trains and the almost complete absence of a reasonable alternative to such trains on many routes.
InterRail periodically offers discounts on 10-15% passes. However, these tickets cannot be returned, so you should only buy them at a discount if you are absolutely sure you will be travelling Europe in the next 11 months. Regular-priced passes can be returned before activation.
Source: travel.ru
