{"id":7781,"date":"2026-10-19T07:15:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T05:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/europe-by-train-interrail"},"modified":"2026-10-19T07:15:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T05:15:10","slug":"europe-by-train-interrail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/en\/europe-by-train-interrail","title":{"rendered":"Europe by train: the 2026 Interrail guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.sayna-article .quick,.sayna-article .tip{background:#f4f7fb;border-left:4px solid #467AFF;border-radius:8px;padding:14px 18px;margin:20px 0}.sayna-article .tip{background:#fff7ef;border-left-color:#ff7900}.sayna-article .h{font-weight:700;font-size:1.05em;margin-bottom:6px;color:#0a0a0b}.sayna-article table{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;margin:18px 0}.sayna-article th{background:#eef1f7;text-align:left;padding:10px 12px;font-weight:700;border-bottom:2px solid #dfe3ec}.sayna-article td{padding:10px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f7}.sayna-article .faq details{border-bottom:1px solid #e5e8ee;padding:4px 0}.sayna-article .faq summary{font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;padding:9px 0}.sayna-article .cta-box{background:#fff5ec;border:1px solid #ffd8b0;border-radius:12px;padding:22px;text-align:center;margin:26px 0}.sayna-article .cta-box a{display:inline-block;background:#ff7900;color:#fff;padding:12px 26px;border-radius:8px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:700;margin-top:8px}<\/style>\n<div class=\"sayna-article\">\n<div class=\"quick\">\n<div class=\"h\">\u26a1 In brief<\/div>\n<p>To <strong>travel Europe by train<\/strong> in 2026, one product now covers it: the <strong>Interrail pass<\/strong> (the old Eurail name folded into it on 10 September). The Global Pass starts at \u20ac283 for 4 travel days. The real trap is the <strong>compulsory reservations<\/strong> in France, Italy and Spain, payable on top. And because a single trip often crosses several countries, <strong>one eSIM for the whole continent<\/strong> saves you swapping cards at every border.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\"><span class=\"h\">Stay connected on arrival<\/span> Set up your <a href=\"https:\/\/travel.orange.com\/en\/buy-a-sim\/offers\/europe\">eSIM for Europe<\/a> before you go: 100% online activation, no physical SIM to swap.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<nav aria-label=\"Contents\" class=\"toc\">\n<div class=\"h\">Contents<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#change\">Interrail or Eurail: what changes in 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#pass\">Which pass to pick for your trip<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#reservations\">Compulsory reservations, the real trap<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#routes\">Three multi-country routes that work<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mistakes\">The mistakes that spoil an Interrail trip<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#connection\">Keeping pass, tickets and apps offline-ready<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<p>Crossing Europe by train means linking Paris, Zurich, Milan and Vienna on one ticket, watching the landscape roll past and stepping off in the heart of each city, with no airport and no boarding queue. The Interrail pass is still the best way into all of that.<\/p>\n<p>Between the prices, the hidden reservations and the trains that show up full, a trip can get complicated fast. Here is what actually matters when you plan a route, sorted by what counts.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"change\">Interrail or Eurail: what changes in 2026<\/h2>\n<p>For years, two names covered the same product: <strong>Interrail<\/strong> for European residents, <strong>Eurail<\/strong> for travellers from elsewhere. Since <strong>10 September 2026<\/strong>, only one remains. The pass is called Interrail everywhere in the world, and it sells whatever your country of residence.<\/p>\n<p>In your pocket, nothing really changes: the same coverage, roughly thirty countries, the same trains. If you land on an old guide talking about a Eurail Global Pass, read Interrail Global Pass, it is the exact same ticket. Any Eurail pass bought before the switch stays valid.<\/p>\n<p>The pass comes in two shapes. The <strong>Global Pass<\/strong> opens the entire European network, ideal for a multi-country route. The <strong>One Country Pass<\/strong> is limited to a single country, handy if you want to explore Italy or Germany in depth.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"pass\">Which pass to pick for your trip<\/h2>\n<p>The Global Pass is sold in &#8220;travel days&#8221; to use over a set period. One travel day is 24 hours, during which you take as many trains as you like. Here are the 2026 fares in adult second class.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Option<\/th>\n<th>Adult 2nd class price<\/th>\n<th>Best for<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>4 days \/ 1 month<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 \u20ac283<\/td>\n<td>A long weekend, 3 to 4 cities<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>7 days \/ 1 month<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 \u20ac381<\/td>\n<td>Two weeks at an easy pace<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>10 days \/ 2 months<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 \u20ac447<\/td>\n<td>The grand tour, unhurried<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>15 days \/ 2 months<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 \u20ac553<\/td>\n<td>A full summer, many countries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>First class costs about 30 percent more. Under-28s get a Youth fare at roughly 25 percent off, and travellers aged 60 and over get a Senior fare at roughly 10 percent off. My advice: do not overestimate your pace. Few travellers ride a train every single day, and a &#8220;counted days&#8221; pass spread over two months often works out cheaper than an unlimited one you never fully use.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"reservations\">Compulsory reservations, the real trap<\/h2>\n<p>Here is what many people learn too late: the pass is not always enough. High-speed trains and the night trains of several countries require a <strong>paid seat reservation<\/strong>, on top of the pass itself.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Country<\/th>\n<th>Trains affected<\/th>\n<th>Reservation cost<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>France<\/td>\n<td>TGV, TGV Lyria, Intercit\u00e9s de Nuit<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac10 to \u20ac30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Italy<\/td>\n<td>Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Italo<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac10 to \u20ac13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Spain<\/td>\n<td>AVE, Alvia, Avant<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac10 to \u20ac23<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Germany, Switzerland, Austria<\/td>\n<td>Regional and most main lines<\/td>\n<td>Often \u20ac0 (hop on)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The practical lesson: build your route around the &#8220;hop on&#8221; countries when you can. Germany and Switzerland can be crossed almost without booking, which keeps things flexible. By contrast, a traveller who wants France, Italy and Spain by high-speed train has to add several reservations to the budget, and book early: the pass-holder seat quotas sell out fast in high season.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"routes\">Three multi-country routes that work<\/h2>\n<p>A good Interrail route avoids long dry days of pure travel and alternates big cities with scenery. Three safe bets, depending on how much time you have.<\/p>\n<h3>The capitals loop (7 to 10 days)<\/h3>\n<p>Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Vienna. A smooth run of six capitals across five countries, with frequent trains and few compulsory reservations in the north. It is the ideal first-timer route.<\/p>\n<h3>The alpine arc (5 to 7 days)<\/h3>\n<p>Zurich, Lucerne, the Gotthard, Milan, then northern Italy. You cross Switzerland and Italy on spectacular lines, some of which deserve a guide of their own (see our scenic train journeys).<\/p>\n<h3>The Scandinavian loop (10 to 15 days)<\/h3>\n<p>Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Bergen. Longer distances, night trains that save you time, and the Bergen line among the finest in Europe. Budget more for meals than in the south.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mistakes\">The mistakes that spoil an Interrail trip<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Leaving main-line reservations to the last minute.<\/strong> In July and August, the pass quotas on a Paris to Barcelona TGV or a Rome to Florence Frecciarossa fill up weeks ahead.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Forgetting to activate the travel day in the app.<\/strong> Every journey must be logged in the mobile pass before you board. A conductor can charge a full-fare ticket if the day is not validated.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Underrating night trains.<\/strong> They save a hotel night and a travel day, but they also need a reservation. Our dedicated guide breaks down the night trains of Europe.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Assuming the pass covers everything.<\/strong> Metros, city buses and some private lines stay payable separately.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"h\">\ud83d\udca1 Before you go<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Install the <strong>Rail Planner<\/strong> app: it works offline and holds your pass, your travel days and the timetables.<\/li>\n<li>Book the high-speed trains of France, Italy and Spain as soon as your dates are fixed.<\/li>\n<li>Favour Germany, Switzerland and Austria for the &#8220;no reservation&#8221; segments.<\/li>\n<li>Keep an offline copy of every reservation: a QR code you cannot open in a station with no wifi costs you in stress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"connection\">Keeping pass, tickets and apps offline-ready<\/h2>\n<p>A train trip across Europe means a lot of stations, tight connections and last-minute timetable changes. It all runs through your phone: the pass in Rail Planner, the reservations, the city maps, the translation at the ticket window.<\/p>\n<p>The snag is that a multi-country route runs across several networks. Station wifi is patchy, and swapping a SIM card at every border makes no sense when you pass through five countries in a week.<\/p>\n<p>This is where a <a class=\"cta-inline\" href=\"https:\/\/travel.orange.com\/en\/buy-a-sim\/offers\/europe\">eSIM for Europe<\/a> earns its place: one eSIM follows you across the whole continent, with nothing to change at the border. You activate it before you leave and you are connected from the first platform.<\/p>\n<p>One point many people miss: EU roaming does not cover everything. The <strong>United Kingdom<\/strong>, <strong>Switzerland<\/strong>, the Balkans and Turkey sit outside the &#8220;roaming included&#8221; zone. A traveller based in the EU who crosses Switzerland by train can be billed at the full international rate. A travel eSIM covering the whole continent settles that in one move.<\/p>\n<p>With Orange, the service used by <strong>more than 300 million customers<\/strong>, you get <strong>200+ destinations<\/strong> covered, round-the-clock human support <strong>24\/7<\/strong> and <strong>100 percent refunded<\/strong> if you never use your eSIM.<\/p>\n<div class=\"cta-box\">\n<p>Ready to cross Europe without ever losing the thread?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/travel.orange.com\/en\/buy-a-sim\/offers\/europe\">Discover the Orange Travel Europe eSIM<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<section aria-label=\"Frequently asked questions\" class=\"faq\">\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>What is the difference between Interrail and Eurail in 2026?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Since 10 September 2026 the pass carries a single name, Interrail, sold everywhere in the world. The old Eurail name, reserved for travellers living outside Europe, has gone. The product and the coverage stay the same.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>Do you need extra reservations with an Interrail pass?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Yes for high-speed and night trains in several countries. In France, Italy and Spain a paid reservation is added, from \u20ac10 to \u20ac30. Regional trains and most German or Swiss lines can be boarded without one.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>How much does an Interrail Global Pass cost in 2026?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">In adult second class, about \u20ac283 for 4 days within 1 month, \u20ac381 for 7 days, \u20ac447 for 10 days within 2 months and \u20ac553 for 15 days within 2 months. Roughly 25 percent off for under-28s, 10 percent for travellers aged 60 and over.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>Does the pass cover the UK and Switzerland?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Yes, both are part of the Interrail network. For your phone, though, they sit outside EU roaming: your EU plan does not work there without extra charges. A travel eSIM covering the whole continent avoids the bill at the border.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details open=\"\">\n<summary>How do you keep tickets accessible without wifi?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"a\">Download your tickets and pass into Rail Planner before you leave, and activate a travel eSIM to stay connected in every country. You keep timetables, reservations and travel documents even in a station with no wifi.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":7780,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"Europe by train: the 2026 Interrail guide | Orange Travel","_seopress_titles_desc":"Travel Europe by train with an Interrail pass in 2026: which pass to pick, compulsory reservations, multi-country routes and the mistakes to avoid.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/en\/europe-by-train-interrail","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-turism","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"lang":"en","translations":{"en":7781,"fr":7779,"es":7783},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7781"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7781\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7785,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7781\/revisions\/7785"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.travel.orange.com\/ot-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}