Interrail Global Pass home country outbound / inbound journeys

[Martin222002]

I've been looking at ideas for doing my first Interrail Global Pass. I'm aware that you can use a Global Pass for your outbound and inbound journeys, but I'm also under the impression this includes your travel on Eurostar out of and into London. I am also under the impression that your journey from and back in the UK can involve multiple trains. So for me this would be Chesterfield to London St Pancras and then London St Pancras to Brussels-Midi and then the reverse on my return. Is this the case, and if so how does it work when using the Interrail app?

Secondly to this, when looking at my initial first day itinerary idea for Chesterfield to Munich, the Interrail journey planner is suggesting an earlier train to what the likes on the DB and SBB journey planners I had first been using. In my case the Interrail planner suggest getting the 07:13 from Chesterfield arriving at St Pancras at 09:09 to connect with the 11:04 St Pancras to Brussels-Midi. Whereas both the DB and SBB planners give the 07:46 from Chesterfield arriving at St Pancras at 09:39 and still connecting with the 11:04 to Brussels-Midi. So which is right, and would going with the 07:46 affect the app with my UK journeys?

Any replies to either of these is much appreciated.

 

[Nunners]

I've been looking at ideas for doing my first Interrail Global Pass. I'm aware that you can use a Global Pass for your outbound and inbound journeys, but I'm also under the impression this includes your travel on Eurostar out of and into London. I am also under the impression that your journey from and back in the UK can involve multiple trains. So for me this would be Chesterfield to London St Pancras and then London St Pancras to Brussels-Midi and then the reverse on my return. Is this the case, and if so how does it work when using the Interrail app?

Secondly to this, when looking at my initial first day itinerary idea for Chesterfield to Munich, the Interrail journey planner is suggesting an earlier train to what the likes on the DB and SBB journey planners I had first been using. In my case the Interrail planner suggest getting the 07:13 from Chesterfield arriving at St Pancras at 09:09 to connect with the 11:04 St Pancras to Brussels-Midi. Whereas both the DB and SBB planners give the 07:46 from Chesterfield arriving at St Pancras at 09:39 and still connecting with the 11:04 to Brussels-Midi. So which is right, and would going with the 07:46 affect the app with my UK journeys?

Any replies to either of these is much appreciated.

You essentially get 2 'home' days, so if you leave or arrive Chesterfield and do the Eurostar journey on the same day you will be fine.

As for the second point, I think there are different minimum connection times in different places but I'd go for the earlier one to be safe. However, I never go through security at St Pancras more than 1 hour before departure - security is really quick and it's a crowded departure lounge

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Your global pass covers Chesterfield-St Pancras and St Pancras-Brussels, but you have to pay for a passholder reservation on Eurostar which is €30 each way (€38 first class).
The recommended check-in time at St Pancras is 75 minutes, although the minimum is 30 minutes.
The best guidance is on the seat61 site:

EUROSTAR TRAINS EXPLAINED | London to Paris from £78 rtn

Guide to Eurostar high-speed trains from London to Paris via the Channel Tunnel. Buy Eurostar train tickets from London to Paris from £52 one-way, £78 return. Eurostar train times & fares, Eurostar check-in procedure, tips for the best Eurostar seats, Eurostar seating plan, taking bikes or...

www.seat61.com

The site also has a comprehensive guide to travel with an Interrail pass, including buying passholder reservations.
Bookings and reservations on Eurostar currently run to July 19.

I'm planning exactly the same type of journey as you, starting from North Wales and aiming for the 1104 to Brussels.
My train gets to Euston at 0935 and I'm expecting to make the 1104 Eurostar connection at St Pancras.

 

[Martin222002]

Cheers for the replies.

You essentially get 2 'home' days, so if you leave or arrive Chesterfield and do the Eurostar journey on the same day you will be fine.

As for the second point, I think there are different minimum connection times in different places but I'd go for the earlier one to be safe. However, I never go through security at St Pancras more than 1 hour before departure - security is really quick and it's a crowded departure lounge

That was my assumption from what I'd read, so thank you for confirming that.

Having used Eurostar before I know what you mean about crowding in the departure lounge. I have aimed to be at St Pancras and ready to go through security an hour before, but once I've been their I've judged based on the queues when exactly to go through to save on the wait in the departure lounge.

Your global pass covers Chesterfield-St Pancras and St Pancras-Brussels, but you have to pay for a passholder reservation on Eurostar which is €30 each way (€38 first class).
The recommended check-in time at St Pancras is 75 minutes, although the minimum is 30 minutes.
The best guidance is on the seat61 site:

EUROSTAR TRAINS EXPLAINED | London to Paris from £78 rtn

Guide to Eurostar high-speed trains from London to Paris via the Channel Tunnel. Buy Eurostar train tickets from London to Paris from £52 one-way, £78 return. Eurostar train times & fares, Eurostar check-in procedure, tips for the best Eurostar seats, Eurostar seating plan, taking bikes or...

www.seat61.com

The site also has a comprehensive guide to travel with an Interrail pass, including buying passholder reservations.
Bookings and reservations on Eurostar currently run to July 19.

I'm planning exactly the same type of journey as you, starting from North Wales and aiming for the 1104 to Brussels.
My train gets to Euston at 0935 and I'm expecting to make the 1104 Eurostar connection at St Pancras.

The Seat61 site was my first port of call regarding this, but thank you for the link. Believe that the reservation cost for Eurostar has now gone up though to €32 for standard and €40 for first (aka plus), so not cheap but still a saving over buying separately. I can only guess that the Interrail planner uses 90 minutes as a guide given it states "Eurostar: Arrive early at the station for border and bag checks, allowing 45-90 minutes" for the Eurostar trip in the planner, and the 09:39 arrival time falls under that. Though only by 5 minutes, and still 10 minutes ahead of the 75 minute check in time Eurostar give for St Pancras.

 

[Flying Snail]

The Seat61 site was my first port of call regarding this, but thank you for the link. Believe that the reservation cost for Eurostar has now gone up though to €32 for standard and €40 for first (aka plus), so not cheap but still a saving over buying separately. I can only guess that the Interrail planner uses 90 minutes as a guide given it states "Eurostar: Arrive early at the station for border and bag checks, allowing 45-90 minutes" for the Eurostar trip in the planner, and the 09:39 arrival time falls under that. Though only by 5 minutes, and still 10 minutes ahead of the 75 minute check in time Eurostar give for St Pancras.

Book on www.raileurope.com and it is €30/€38. The Interrail booking site adds a booking fee, using other sites for seat reservations where possible is usually cheaper.

 

[Martin222002]

Book on www.raileurope.com and it is €30/€38. The Interrail booking site adds a booking fee, using other sites for seat reservations where possible is usually cheaper.

Thank you for that!

 

[MrJeeves]

As an FYI, no UK gatelines are capable of reading Interrail Pass barcodes, so you'll need to present the mobile pass to a member of gateline staff to be let through manually.

 

[Watershed]

As an FYI, no UK gatelines are capable of reading Interrail Pass barcodes, so you'll need to present the mobile pass to a member of gateline staff to be let through manually.

Some are capable, but the vast majority don't seem to be configured correctly to read or accept them.

I have encountered the same gatelines variously accepting and rejecting passes for no apparent reason. It's a bit of a mystery to be honest!

 

[MrJeeves]

Some are capable, but the vast majority don't seem to be configured correctly to read or accept them.

I have encountered the same gatelines variously accepting and rejecting passes for no apparent reason. It's a bit of a mystery to be honest!

I'd be interested to know which ones! I've never had a Cubic gateline accept it (which always rejects it for "passback") and S&B gatelines simply state it's an invalid barcode, at least at Newcastle where I last tried it.

 

[Mike395]

I'd be interested to know which ones! I've never had a Cubic gateline accept it (which always rejects it for "passback") and S&B gatelines simply state it's an invalid barcode, at least at Newcastle where I last tried it.

Ipswich and Liverpool Street are the two I've had it work at. I've never had success outside of GA-managed gatelines.

 

[Nunners]

I'd be interested to know which ones! I've never had a Cubic gateline accept it (which always rejects it for "passback") and S&B gatelines simply state it's an invalid barcode, at least at Newcastle where I last tried it.

I've had it work at Waterloo before, although that is a bit hit and miss.