How to explore a continent with nothing but a train ticket and a curious heart.
Imagine this: one digital pass on your phone, and the freedom to travel across more than 30 countries—at your own pace, on your own terms, without airport lines, baggage fees, or rigid itineraries. Just you, a train window, and Europe flowing by like a living painting.
This is Interrail.
Today, the Interrail Pass is entirely digital and unlocks a vast network of train connections across Europe. It means you can wake up in Belgrade, have coffee in Budapest, lunch in Vienna, and enjoy a concert in Prague—all without booking a single flight.
Interrail has been around for more than 50 years. It began in 1972 as a youth initiative for travelers under 21, designed to promote cross-cultural connection and understanding across a newly unified postwar Europe. Over the decades, the pass grew, matured, and opened its doors to all age groups. In 2025, Interrail celebrates its 53rd year—and it’s still one of the most liberating and romantic ways to discover the continent.
There’s a common misconception that Interrail is only for students or backpackers. That couldn’t be further from the truth. While it certainly has a youthful spirit, Interrail today is open to everyone, and the pricing reflects that. Travelers aged 12 to 27 enjoy reduced rates with the Youth Pass. Seniors over 60 receive a 10% discount with the Senior Pass. Children up to 11 years old can travel for free when accompanied by an adult. So if you have the soul of an explorer, age is irrelevant.
For younger dreamers, there’s something even more exciting. Every year, through a program called DiscoverEU, the European Union offers thousands of free Interrail passes to 18-year-olds across Europe. All you have to do is apply during your eligible year. If selected, you’re given a one-month pass to travel across Europe—completely free. Youths from Serbia can also apply, making this an extraordinary opportunity to celebrate adulthood with a journey, not just a party.
Using the pass is wonderfully simple. You buy it online, choose how many travel days you want (within a fixed period, like one month), and then activate it in the official app when you’re ready. The Rail Planner app shows train schedules, alerts you if reservations are needed, and keeps track of your travel days. It’s your map, your planner, and your travel diary, all in one.
Some trains—especially high-speed or overnight routes—do require a reservation and an additional fee. But there are also countless regional trains that require no extra cost, and they often offer a more authentic view of the country you’re in. If you’re not in a rush, Europe opens itself up to you in its most intimate, story-rich form. From vineyards and lakes to medieval towns and hidden valleys, the view from a slow-moving train is sometimes better than the destination itself.
What makes Interrail truly special is the spontaneity it allows. Maybe you plan to sleep in Zurich, but a conversation on the train leads you to Basel instead. Or you meet a local artist in Milan and suddenly find yourself heading toward the Ligurian coast. Interrail is less about planning and more about allowing yourself to drift—with intention.
Travelers who’ve used Interrail often speak of it with emotion. Of sleeping on trains. Of losing and finding themselves in the stations of small towns. Of splitting croissants with strangers. Of waking up as the sun rises over the rooftops of Amsterdam. One traveler joked that their seat on the Paris–Barcelona line became a more reliable companion than their best friend. Another swore the best breakfast they ever had was a warm pastry and cold yogurt eaten alone on the platform in Ljubljana, with the Julian Alps in the background.
Beyond the anecdotes, Interrail is a reminder that travel doesn’t have to be stressful. That a map doesn’t need to be a fixed plan. That borders are made to be crossed gently. It’s an invitation to write your own story, not just document someone else’s for Instagram.
So if your feet are itching, your suitcase is halfway packed, and that quiet ache for change is humming under your skin—it may be time to hop on a train and let Europe happen to you. Whether you’re 18 or 68, Interrail is waiting.
One pass. All of Europe. No borders. No limits. Just stories waiting to be written.
