Activating and Using your Mobile Interrail pass

If you have had the rather fabulous idea of exploring Europe using Interrail you can opt to travel with;

• a paper pass = a physical ticket, with a note pad on which you write the journeys you take; OR
• a mobile pass = you download it to your handset through the Interrail rail planner app, then within the app you activate your pass for use and add journeys to it from the rail planner - look up a journey and opt to add it to a day of travel.

Opting For a Mobile Pass

Something to be aware of pre purchase is that an Interrail Mobile pass is only compatible with;

• Android devices with operating systems 6.0 and after, with 6.0 being used in most Android hand sets after 2015.
• iPhones compatible with operating systems iOS 16 and later - which in effect means a mobile pass with work on iPhone 8 and subsequent iPhone handsets.

Ensure your pass is available

So something to keep front of mind if you opt for the mobile pass is that your phone must be charged and available on every journey you take - you will need to show your pass to the on train conductor and / or tap it on a ticket gate at the end of a journey.

Hence if you opt for the pass, a mobile battery pack / charging device becomes an essential item of your travel kit.

Also you will have taken travel plug / socket adaptor on your trip so that you can charge your electronic devices in your hotels / accommodation, but if you will taking a lengthy day trip, take an adaptor with you.
Or when you are taking a long-trip between destinations, put an adaptor in your hand luggage.

The majority of the trains you will be taking on your trip will have sockets or other charging pads, but don't do what I have done more than once, namely pulling the plug out of the socket and leaving the adaptor behind.

Being Offline

Not every European train has Wi-Fi availability and it can be a bother to log-in to the Wi-Fi networks that can be a available at major stations.
This isn't a problem because the Rail Planner App, which in effect houses the pass, works without Wi-Fi connectivity.
Hence when your hand set is offline, you will be able to show your pass to the train conductor and use the planner to add journeys to the pass (see below).
Though what can't be done when you're offline is purchasing reservations in the Rail Planner app.

Activating a Mobile Pass

Between purchase and travel you need to set up the pass, so that it can be used on your trip - steps need to be proactively taken and crucial to this process is the pass number / code.

One of the quirky aspects of using Interrail is that multiple 'names' can be given to the same thing.
Each mobile pass has a unique 6 digit identifier which can be a mix of numbers and letters, or solely letters.
This identifier can be referred to as a code - 'enter your code here, or as a number 'enter your number here' etc .  

These codes / numbers will either be included on a post-purchase email, or will handily be visible and therefore always available, in an 'order history' - which is the case if you purchase a pass on Conductor Sam.

In the Rail Planner app the steps to activation are available by clicking the 'My Pass' tab and then clicking Add My Pass, to access the screen shown below.

What has been highlighted above is - if you didn't purchase a pass directly from Interrail, there are other sources of the 'Pass Number'; so matching it to your confirmation email isn't an explicit instruction.

Something to note is that the 6 digit pass number / code used to be distinct from an 8 digit activation code.
If you have downloaded the Interrail app for a prior trip and previously used an 8 digit activation code to activate a pass, the app will reject a 6 digit pass number / code, when you attempt to enter it in the Pass number box.

So you may find yourself replicating my recent scenario, when I became totally confused as to why my 6 digit pass number was being rejected.
The fix is to either look out for a prompt to update your Rail Planner app, or to delete it from your handset and then re-download the app.

The next stage is to give your upcoming trip a name..

...this has multiple functions, but from a user perspective it will help you find your trip within the app.
Note that despite 'connecting' the trip to a pass, it won't be activated, because the next and final steps...

... are;

• entering the final 3 characters of your passport / ID, so have it to hand when you are activating your pass(es).
• entering the start date of your trip.

When to activate a pass

As stated on the Interrail website 'Non-activated mobile Passes are refundable and exchangeable until the last possible activation date (11 months from the date of purchase)'.

So I tend to activate a mobile pass the day before I'll be setting off, just prior to packing my passport, because I'll need it to hand as part of the activation process.

You don't need to activate your pass before you plan a trip, either in the Rail planner app or by using Conductor Sam - which (ahem) can be more accurate.

You can also purchase any seat reservations on the trains you will be taking before you activate a pass.
To make the bookings of the reservations on any service you'll need a pass number, but you'll have access to this as soon as you purchase a pass, it isn't dependent on pass activation.

In fact it can be a good idea to:

1. Check whether an Interrail pass will suit your trip - the Sam planner can enable ticket or pass value for money comparison.
2. Look up the key aspects of using an Interrail pass, particularly how seat / bed reservations on the trains work, when travelling with a pass.
3. If you'll be taking popular routes / trains on which there's a possibility that reservations can sell out; such as Eurostars, Nightjets, high speed trains from / to Paris etc, ideally purchase a pass around 3 months ahead of the trip.
4. Book the reservations for these popular trains post-pass purchase. For peace of mind you can use the Rail Planner app to identify the trains that you'll want to take have required reservations and then book them as soon as possible. If your plans change, most reservations have the same refund rules as tickets.
5. Activate the pass when you're certain to be making the trip, which is why I leave it until the day prior to travel.

Yes an activated pass can be de-activated if an issue causes a last minute change of pre-trip plans, but it's a faff that can be avoided.

An activated pass

When you have taken the steps outlined above, you will see the equivalent of...

...
(1) The end of your validity period, aka the final day you travel with a pass, will automatically appear here in line with the type of pass you have purchased.

(2) Your trip, that you gave a name to, can be accessed from here - but using this My Trip functionality isn't essential.

(3) On a pass with a set number of travel days, you can keep track of them here.
You might want to take rail trip on a day without using a pass, because it's a short day trip to the nearest other town or city - if so keep that in mind.
It can be easy to get into a rhythm of 'I'm taking a train, so I'll add it to the pass' - when that wasn't your original intention.
So keep track of your days of use - you don't want to be stuck with no days available, before you'll be a taking a long and therefore expensive, homeward trip.

(4) You'll be allowed a journey from your home country at the start of a trip + a trip back home at the finish.

(5) You can begin the process towards adding a first journey by clicking on Day 1.

(6) What this text alludes to is that there is more than one method of adding / including journeys on your pass.

Adding Journeys to Your Mobile Pass

Adding journeys is now an essential to having a mobile pass that's ready for use, solely activating isn't enough.

However, Interrail provides options for how to do this, so multiple scenarios are covered.
Though in effect the two core methods are:

• Add journeys to your trip using the planning tool, which is the core of the Interrail app + then add the appropriate journey(s) to a day of travel; Or
• Add a travel day + then add journeys to it.

The first option can be logical for the trains you have to take, those you have looked up in advance because you wanted to plan how to travel between locations.
Trains you reserved soon after you purchased your pass, can be looked up in the planner and 'saved'.

Though I always default to the second option, I select the day/date I'll be using the pass and then add journeys to it, so this is the user journey described below.

The pick a Travel Day, then add a Journey(s) method

Click* on My Pass, and then on the Travel Day 1 button and you will see the above.
You must add at least one journey to a travel day for your mobile pass to be usable, hence this step.

What's pointed out is:
1 - I confess, I was taking screenshots while using my most recent pass and I didn't take any notice of this 'error logging' functionality.
So I looked it up on the Interrail website and found nothing? So it could be useful, but it's clearly not essential

2 - You may be taking more than one train on your travel day, so use the orange button once they have all been added.

*= I tend to add my first travel day + a journey as soon as I have activated my pass; So as shown on point 5, two images above, the Day 1 button will be visible after the activation steps have been completed.

(1) You will then be taken to the rail journey planner.

(2) As you enter your from and to locations, station options will appear, so for accurate results, try to select the specific stations you will be departing from and arriving it.
If you're not sure of the name of the main station in a city centre you can ask Sam.

(3) As can be seen the default is that you will be departing now and therefore want to take the next available train, but if you click here you can also access a date / time calendar.

(4) What's easy to miss is that you can make it easier to find your optimum train(s) along a route by using a 'Filter'.

As can be seen there are multiple useful features:

• Target the trains on which reservations are not mandatory for Interrail users - It can be a very good idea to use this filter and then remove it, so that you can see how much faster / easier the journey will be, if you were to opt to pay the reservation fee. You can the planner in this way as soon as you have purchased the pass - it will help you see the reservations you do want to book and secure ahead of the trip.
• Interrail passes aren't quite valid on every European train, so you can this tool to make sure you're only presented with the trains / journeys on which the pass will be valid.
• 'High-Speed' in effect means fast express trains, so use this to find the fastest options more easily.
• If you can't see any options when selecting 'Direct trains' - or the timings of what you are shown don't suit, search again without selecting it.

Choosing a Train / Departure

The results will then see will look similar regardless of the route looked up, but the info can vary.

1 - This is journey by a direct Eurostar train from London to Brussels, but despite that, a quirk of the planner is that it can default to showing that a change of trains is required when taking a Eurostar from and to London.

2 - The planner will tell you the reservation status of each journey option - if they're required it's a good idea to book them as soon as you know the date on which you'll be taking this journey.
Most reservations can be exchanged / transferred to a different departure if you have a subsequent change of plans.

3 - In effect 'Limited Seats' is telling you to book those required reservations ASAP, it's a warning that the places on this train for Interrail pass users can become fully booked if demand is high for travel by this specific departure.

Something to be aware of is that the planner isn't 100% accurate.
It can be possible to book reservations for a departure that the app can't then find.
In this scenario the reservation will trump the app, it won't be possible to have made a booking for a phantom train.

If need be add a train / departure you can see on the planner, to a travel day, so that your pass is then valid for that travel day.
It won't particularly matter - you can use the reservation to open ticket barrier if need be; and you can show the reservation and the pass to the conductor.

You can board a specific train on which reservations are required if you have a reservation for that train and a pass valid for that travel day.
What you can't do is use your reservation on the alternative train, you may have had to select in the planner.

Different trip = different info

1 - You can use this tool to jump in and out of the planner whenever you need to, it isn't solely available when you're adding journeys or travel days to a pass.

2 - As per the note above, use the specific stations you will be travelling from and to; in Germany, hbf = the main city centre station.

3 - You can opt to use the filters to hone in on a specific train / journey that will particularly suit you.

4 - A handy shortcut if you want to avoid travelling on trains with required reservations

5 -This symbol = connection required on this journey option

6 - The number of connections required

7 - The seat reservation info can vary per departure, optional = you can choose to reserve if that would be your preference, but you don't have to.
However, opt for no and seats may not be available when you board.

8 - No connection symbol = a direct train

9 - No reservation info = seat reservations are not available on this train

You can check the specific details for each journey option by clicking on the departure times...

As will be seen above;

1 - You can access additional information about the journey, which more often than not, is worth paying attention to.
In this example, Interrail is providing access to good to know info around how to board a Eurostar train from London.
It's not tricky to find complaints posted online with a topic of 'I turned up at St Pancras station to board a Eurostar train with my pass and was furious that reservations weren't available on the next x departures' - yet in the Rail Planner App, Interrail provides the info to avoid this scenario

2 - This is the path to adding a specific train to your Trip / Plan.

Being ready to travel 

So you have activated your pass and both planned and selected your first journey, but a couple of simple steps still need to be taken prior to travelling with your Interrail mobile pass.

When you Save / Add a journey to your trip / plan...

... you will see the on / off button, an example of which has been circled above.

You can slide this to switch it on, as per the example below.

Having switched it on (it will be yellow / gold), you will see...

The reason for the 'Do you also want to...' question is that if you have a pass with a set / limited number of travel days, you have the option of adding journeys to your trip / plan on the days when it won't pay off to use the pass, so you'll be buying tickets instead.

Though if you do want to use the pass on the journey that you have just switched on, the yellow 'Add to Pass' button is the obvious next step.

You will then see...

...a friendly check note / warning around the need to be sure that you will be travelling on this day.

Because travel days can't be altered or refunded after midnight on the day before you will be travelling  it's best not to put your full trip on the pass before you set off.
It can be tempting to have a mindset of 'it'll be easier if I add all my journeys and travel days, as soon as I have activated the pass and booked my reservations.
Then when I'm on the trip all I'll have to do is show the pass to the train conductor - plus I won't need to be worried about being online'.

If you lock in your trip, particularly your travel days, weeks or months ahead, you can then cancel and re-add your travel days when you are on the trip, but it's a faff that can be avoided
Though more importantly you risk not be able to react to last minute changes to the usual train schedules such as weather events, strikes by railway workers etc.

I tend to get in the habit of planning my journeys no later the day before travel, but then I turn them on and add them to the travel day when I'm at the station and have confirmed that I can take the intended journey.
You can take the above steps when your mobile handset is offline.

At stations without ticket barriers (including Austria, Germany and Switzerland) I take this 'use travel day step', as soon as I have actually boarded the train.

Being good to go

You'll be using your mobile Interrail pass, instead of booking tickets - Hence stressing on the general guide to using Interrail, what the difference is.

Yet when using the Interrail mobile pass, you'll be ready to travel when you have 'a ticket' that you can show to a conductor on the train and / or open a ticket gate.

In an attempt to avoid confusion (ahem) I have used terms above such as 'showing your pass to the conductor', but what you will actually be doing is showing a 'day ticket'.
Though as can be seen below, the mobile Interrail pass doesn't refer to 'day tickets'.

1 - I have used added a journey to generate a ticket / day ticket for this day.
However, I can also use the 'ticket' for other trains I will be taking on this day - the 'ticket' is per day and not per train.

What the conductor on the train will want to be shown is your day ticket (+ the seat reservation on trains / journeys on which seat reservations are required / mandatory).

In my experience, once you have generated a 'day ticket' which you can show, if you will be then be taking other trains on which reservations are not required, you don't absolutely have to take the steps to add the other journeys.

The conductor won't typically scroll down, (see the note below) to check which other journeys have been added to the 'travel day.
A notable exception is Switzerland, on most Swiss trains I have taken in recent years, the conductor will check, particularly for journeys on the independent mountain railways.
So when travelling in Switzerland do make the effort to add every journey to a travel day.

2 - Access the 'day ticket' which you can show to the ticket conductor (see the notes below) or tap on a ticket gate (not at metro stations)

3 - As explained above, if you have set up a travel day, you can cancel it before midnight on the previous day.

During the journey

When it's time to show 'the ticket' to the conductor on the train...

1 - Click on 'My Pass' to open the window shown above

2 - Click on 'View Ticket / View tickets - if you have added passes for more than one person to your mobile handset, this is a short-cut to showing the 'day tickets' for all of the travellers stored on your device

3 - As can be seen two passes were on the one mobile handset for this trip.
Note that if you have opted to do this, you will need to repeat the steps outlined above - activation, adding journeys, using travel day and generating a ticket etc, for the other pass holders.

4 - It's a tad odd that this is shown on this screen after your trip has started, as it's then too late to refund a pass.

5 - Something to note is that mobile passes you have previously used, will also be shown on this screen.

The 'ticket' you show to the conductor will be a barcode and they will scan it on their device.
The journeys you have added to that travel day will be listed below the bar code.
If you have made a reservation then that will likely be a barcode too.

On trains on which you have reserved because reservations are required, the conductor will also want to scan that too, so have it ready to show.

Plus you may also be asked to show your passport / ID and this can be asked for even if you are on a national train, or won't be travelling out of the country on this travel day - so keep it in your hand luggage on every journey for which you'll be using a pass.

At face value the above steps may seem awkward, but once you are on the trip, you will fall into a rhythm.
What I tend to do is plan my next travel day, the evening before, or if have a choice of day trips in mind, I'll leave it until the morning.
Then I add them to the travel day when I get to the station, or if I don't have to go through a ticket gate, I'll take that step when I'm on the train.
Once you're used to the method, it takes no more than a few minutes per journey and is of course a lot of fun!