The InterRail Ticket: Where to get it

Where to get your own InterRail ticket?

You can only purchase the ticket in your "resident country": at the ticket office of your local railway company or at travel agencies.

The small print?

It sounds harmless "you have to purchase the ticket in your resident country" - but it's a trap. You have to pay 50% for travel in your resident country. You'd better leave your resident country quickly to get to countries of the zone for which purchased your ticket. The same applies to transit travels through countries not belonging to your zones. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy an additional zone than to pay for a long transit with 50% price "reduction".

There are quite a few exceptions and restrictions concerning some so called "quality trains", e.g.:

• "Eurostar" between France and London through the channel tunnel: Holders of a ticket for zone A and E have to pay extra fees
• The high speed "Thalys" from Cologne to Paris or Brussels: Even if your are a holder of a ticket for zone E you have to pay an extra charge
• If you want to travel with the Spanish high speed train AVE and Talgo 200, the Swedish X 2000 or with the Italian Pendolino - no chance! The interrail ticket is not valid for these special trains

Looking for the positive thing? How to save some money:

Some European museums of railways and transport don't charge admission - or at least offer a price reduction- for holders of the interrail ticket, e.g.:

• Railway museum in Hamar/Norway
• Museum of transports "Järnvegsmuseum" in Gävle/Sweden
• Finnish railway museum of Hyvinkää and Jokioinen
• Railway museum "Jernbanemuseum" in Odense/Denmark
• Tramway museum in Budapest
• Museum of carriages inParadfürdö/Hungary
• Museum of public transport inSzenterndre/Hungary
• French Railway Museum in Mulhouse/Alsace
• Musée Grévin in Paris
• Historial de Touraine in Tours/France
• Musée Grévin de la Provence in Salon-de-Provence/France
• Exposition "Les évocations en cire" in Lourdes
• Musée Grévin in Saint-Jean-de-Luz/French Pyrenees
• Parc France Miniature in Elancourt/France
• Railway Museum in Brussels (north station)
• Railway Museum in Lisbon, Madrid, Athens, Bukarest etc ...

Some European private trains, cog railways and buses offer a price reduction:

• Norway e.g.: Norway Bussexpress, Andoy Trafdikklaa/Nordtrafik and Ofotens Bilruter (50% reduction)
• Denmark e.g.: Hjorring private train and Skagensbanen (SB; 50% reduction)
• Austrian ÖBB: cog railway Schneeberg (10%) and Schafberg (15%)
• approximately fifty Swiss private trains and buses offer 50% reduction
• the Corsican railway and the railway Nizza-Digne (Provence): 50%
• last but not least some tracks of the Catalan railway (50% reduction).

By the way: there is no harm in asking! Our experience was that sometimes the ticket inspector found it much to annoying to look up the price for our special ticket ... and didn't insist on an extra charge.