Interrail pass
Ranked 2 of 4 transit passes by recommenders
People recommend it for cheap multi-stop train travel across Europe, especially for students and long trips. Seat reservations and delays are the common caveats.
People recommend it for cheap multi-stop train travel across Europe, especially for students and long trips. Seat reservations and delays are the common caveats.
21 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 15
- criticize it
- 6
- approval share
- 71%
Recommended in 1 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Owned for 20 years
Median of the 4 owners who said how long they have had it.
Each square is one year.
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 15 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 2.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 1 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Cheaper for multi-stop European travel
“Interrail is sometimes cheaper, specially as a student. Otherwise it's usually still cheaper if you want to go to multiple stops”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks” “for people who want to go backpacking for a month or two Interrail still made a lot of sense”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks” “It's actually more affordable via us, as prices are net and we do free refunds.”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks” Good for students and young people
“Interrail is sometimes cheaper, specially as a student. Otherwise it's usually still cheaper if you want to go to multiple stops”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks” “Great program for young people to learn more about other countries”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks” Flexible, freedom to hop trains
“Spares me some of the stress of dealing with interruptions since I can often just hop on the next train.”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks” “it was an incredible experience of self-reliance, patience and just complete freedom”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks” Great experience, highly recommended
“Highly recommended, if you have the opportunity!”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks” “it's a transformative experience”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks” “It was a wonderful experience.”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks” - Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Seat reservations are costly or limited
“they have a quota for passes, so even if the train has space, you might not be able to reserve a seat”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks” “Interrail seat reservations are often more expensive than a new ticket.”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks” Booking fees and poor delay support
“a booking fee on top of the reservation, but little support when those trains were delayed or cancelled”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks” “spent half the time sat on the floor and waiting for delayed trains”
Comment from 13 Nov 2025 in “Britain's railway privatization was an abject failure” Only worth it for multi-country trips
“doesn't match my travel habits”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks” “For single countries though the Interrail not worth it”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Interrail: 6,379Km and 13 Countries over 7 weeks”
Other transit passes people recommend
The three most recommended other transit passes, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suica | 72 | 16 | 82% | 6 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| Interrail passThis page | 15 | 6 | 71% | 1 | 20 yrs4 owners | — |
| Deutschlandticket | 8 | 4 | 67% | 4 | — | — |
| Dutch Railways unlimited off-peak subscription | 5 | 5 | 50% | 1 | — | — |
What people said
All 21 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Interrail seat reservations are often more expensive than a new ticket.”
“the just much nicer experience of high-speed rail”
“Highly recommended, if you have the opportunity!”
“Great program for young people to learn more about other countries”
“it's such an arbitrary rule and has hugely different effects for people from different countries”
“It was a wonderful experience.”
“it was an incredible experience of self-reliance, patience and just complete freedom”
“for people who want to go backpacking for a month or two Interrail still made a lot of sense”
“For single countries though the Interrail not worth it”
“With Interrail, that is doable.”
“a booking fee on top of the reservation, but little support when those trains were delayed or cancelled”
“It's actually more affordable via us, as prices are net and we do free refunds.”
“it's a transformative experience”
“It was amazing and I really think it brings europeans closer together.”
“doesn't match my travel habits”
“Wow that's a fantastic deal.”
“they have a quota for passes, so even if the train has space, you might not be able to reserve a seat”
“Spares me some of the stress of dealing with interruptions since I can often just hop on the next train.”
“Interrail is sometimes cheaper, specially as a student. Otherwise it's usually still cheaper if you want to go to multiple stops”
“Can absolutely recommend it!”
“spent half the time sat on the floor and waiting for delayed trains”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.