InterRail
InterRail called a train ticket for the first or second class at a flat rate, with the unlimited train journeys can be used in certain European railway companies over a certain period. Required reservations and surcharges for some trains are not included in the ticket and must be paid before the start of the journey. The pass also grants bonuses for certain companies (eg for ferry operators and rail museums).
As tickets variants there is the " InterRail Global Pass " for 30 European countries and the " InterRail One Country Pass " for individual countries. The prices are regulated, among other age groups.
Validity
The residents of the following countries can purchase a ticket:
- Croatia
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Macedonia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Austria
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- San Marino
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Turkey
- Czechia
- Ukraine
- Hungary
- Vatican
- United Kingdom (including Gibraltar)
- Belarus
- Cyprus
For residents of other countries, the Eurail ticket is provided.
InterRail Global Pass
The InterRail Global Pass is valid for several European railway companies in 32 European countries:
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Denmark
- Germany
- Finland
- France
- Greece
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Italy
- Croatia
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Austria
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Turkey
- Czechia
- Hungary
However, the Global Pass is not valid in your own country of residence. It is available in five variants time:
- 5 days of your choice within 10 days
- 10 days of your choice within 22 days
- 15 days consecutively
- 22 days consecutively
- 1 months
InterRail One Country Pass
The InterRail One Country Pass is valid for 3, 4, 6 or 8 days of your choice within a month and within a country. ( Exception: the Benelux countries of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands are combined into a Benelux pass. ) One One Country Pass can not be purchased for one's own country of residence. Prices vary from country to country and are in the following categories ( in descending level ) divided:
- Level 1 - Germany, France and Great Britain, Italy Plus
- Level 2 - Norway, Sweden, Austria and Spain
- Level 3 - BeNeLux, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Greece and Switzerland plus
- Level 4 - Greece, Croatia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Czech Republic and Hungary
- Level 5 - Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey and the Republic of Macedonia
Prices
All prices are quoted in euros and are valid in all participating countries. The prices are organized into four rate groups:
- Children ( 4-11 years): half of the full price
- Adolescents (12 to 25): super-reduced full price
- Adults (26 to 59): Full Price
- Senior Citizens (60 ): low discounted full price
Earlier cost the InterRail ticket for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary due to the generally lower price levels less. With the adoption of a relevant European law, the prices are the same since April 1, 2007 in all countries.
A one-month Global Pass in 2nd class costs 435, - € for youth and 658, - Euro for adults (as of May 2013). The prices for the various One Country Passes are based on the price level of each country and by the size of the available rail network. How does a country pass ( eight days Adults, 2nd class) for countries in the highest category 329, - EUR and for the lowest 132, - Euro (as of May 2013).
For some types of trains, especially for high -speed trains such as the ICE Sprinter and TGV a surcharge or a reservation is (but is often included in the cost) required and should be paid before departure. The relevant conditions in the various countries are different.
For journeys within their own country of residence holders of an InterRail tickets get a discount of up to country from country. In Germany, a reduction of 25 % granted in almost all other countries as well as Austria and Switzerland of 50 % of the regular fare. In addition, there is a certain criteria calculated and different levels of discount for journeys by Euro Star between Britain and the continent. Further reductions can be taken with an InterRail ticket on certain ferries to complete.
Participating railway companies
On InterRail offer the most important railway companies of most European countries participate. Not involved by all European countries, the railway companies of Albania, the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, as well as significant natural sense the countries without rail network (Andorra, Iceland, San Marino, Vatican and Cyprus). Railway lines in Northern Ireland are British in the price of InterRail card for the Republic of Ireland included.
History
InterRail was on 1 March 1972 by several European railway companies of the countries Belgium, Germany, Denmark, East Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Yugoslavia, Luxembourg, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Hungary and the United Kingdom on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the UIC introduced. They wanted to offer young people up to 21 years at low cost as part of the emerging backpacking, meet Europe. Four years later, the age limit from 21 to 23 and in 1979 was raised to 26 years.
In 1985, the InterRail ticket was upgraded with the offer " InterRail Ferry ". Well you could use ferries certain companies at a discount as another means of transport. After the collapse of communism and the fall of the Iron Curtain since 1991 involved other Central and Eastern European countries to InterRail, so that the journey through 28 states was possible.
1994, all participating countries were divided into seven zones:
- A - Ireland and the United Kingdom
- B - Finland, Norway and Sweden
- C - Denmark, Germany, Austria and Switzerland
- D - Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary
- E - Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands
- F - Morocco, Portugal and Spain
- G - Greece, Italy, Slovenia and Turkey, and the vessel traffic between Italy and Greece (Ancona / Bari - Corfu / Igoumenitsa / Patras )
The ticket was available for either 15 days for a zone or for one month for either two, three or all zones. Four years later, the zone D was divided into two zones:
- D - Croatia, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary
- H - Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Macedonia and Romania
After the political separation of Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina had joined after 2005 InterRail, the zones D and H saw last as follows:
- D - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary
- H - Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia
In 1998, the InterRail offer was extended to persons over 25 years.
On 1 April 2007, the division was disbanded in zones, since there is only the Global Pass offer and the One Country Pass, which replaced the Euro Domino ticket. This measure was explained by the argument of a low demand. In fact, however, this led to a massive increase in the price of the offer. The countries of Morocco and Russia are no longer involved in the company since the redesign.
More Rail Passes
Similar to the Inter -rail concept, there are in Europe - next to the EurRail ticket for residents of non-European states - other country-specific deals on network cards.
- Balkan Flexi Pass (Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro)
- Benelux Tour Rail ( Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg )
- BritRail ( United Kingdom )
- PolRail (Poland )
- ScanRail (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden) - no longer available since 2008
- Swiss Pass ( Switzerland )