Interrail Pass > Reviews > The only way to travel

Author's product rating:   

Frequency of trains
Reliability of trains
Comfort of trains
On-board facilities

Advantages:	You can go anywhere you like for a month
Disadvantages:	The comparison with BR makes you tearful

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

If you're on a tight budget but have the time available to travel then inter-rail is by far the best way to see Europe. The pass entitles the holder to free travel on all the railways throughout Europe for a month and cheaper passes are also available where travel is limited to a specific 'zone' and/or length of time. Due to the weakness of the Euro a 31 day all-zone pass is cheaper than ever and won't set you back more than £250. For those of you who can actually plan your trip ahead then the 1 or 2 zone option is better value still. The biggest draw backs of the pass are the fact that 'supplements may apply' but thankfully never very much and mainly for fast or over-night routes (a convenient way to save money on accommodation is to travel by night.) The other problem is in planning. Although you're entitled to free travel you're not guaranteed a seat and most services on the continent don't operate a 'turn-up-and-travel' service. Booking tickets with your pass does save the trauma of finding only full trains and being stuck in a city you really wanted to leave (have you ever been to Zurich on a Tuesday?). Me and my mate did the whole shabang as it were visiting Paris, Madrid, Valencia, Salou, Barcelona, Nice, Monaco, Rome, Vienna, Prague, Zurich (ahem), Geneva then London and home and the whole thing cost less than a grand each for the month. Bargain-tastic and a great way to spend a summer.