Using an interrail ticket for travel solely within the UK as a UK resident on the out/inbound days

[mangyiscute]

So this winter, I am purchasing a 7 day interrail pass for travel within europe, but during the entire duration of this pass, I am not going to or from the UK. Interrail passes offer you an outbound and inbound journey, which is essentially two days where you are allowed to use trains within your country of residence - these days can be at any time during the trip.

These days are clearly supposed to be used to leave and return to your country, as the official rules state "The outbound journey can be used to travel from any location in the country of residence to the border or an airport or port" and the reverse for the inbound.

However, since a 10 day pass costs only £43 more than a 7 day pass, I was wondering if I could purchase a 10 day pass, do my 7 days of travel and then I would be able to have 2 days of travel within the UK once I get back - the way I see it, there are four interpretations:
1) The pass must be used on the most direct/fastest route from your origin to the border crossing you choose (airport/ferry/eurostar)
2) The pass must be used from your origin to a border crossing, but you are allowed to go on a circuitous route (e.g Reading to Heathrow via Manchester or something like that)
3) The pass can be used for unlimited travel on UK trains for that day, starting and ending anywhere.
4) The pass cannot be used for a journey where you have no intention of leaving/arriving in your country of residence

I would most likely want to use this for a day trip starting at and finishing at either Reading or Oxford - what do people think I would be able to use it for? For example, if it was option 2 then I'd be happy to use it for a day's travel and then buy a heathrow to reading single or something similar to get back.

 

[trei2k]

I urge caution when I see threads like this. Abusing an interrail pass isn't in the spirit of the scheme.

The terms and conditions state:

5.2 Travel in Country of Residence with an Interrail Pass

The Interrail Global Pass has a specific convenient price which assumes that you are traveling abroad to experience Europe. Therefore the product cannot be used extensively in your country of residence since the pricing for such a usage, in some countries, would be higher. In case of extensive misuse, the railways would decide to increase globally the price of the product which would be unfair towards the travellers who really want to experience Europe. In case a ticket inspector observes misuse of this condition, e.g. in case of frequent travels from and to the same destination, he/she can issue a fine and ask for blocking of the Pass to limit further usage.

An Interrail Global Pass may only be used for two specific trips in the country of residence of the traveller (provided this country is an Interrail participating country). These two trips are referred to as the outbound and inbound journey.

• The outbound journey can be used to travel from any location in the country of residence to the border or an airport or port.
• The inbound journey can be used to travel from the border or an airport or port back to any location in the country of residence.

During these trips, the traveller may travel with more than one train, provided the trips are within the same day. Please note that the special rule for travel with an overnight train also applies. In order to make use of these trips, the traveller must indicate the relevant date and journey on the Interrail Pass Cover and on the Travel Calendar on the ticket, in case of a Flexi Pass (see also § 3.2).

One Country Passes are not valid in the country of residence of the Pass holder.

These two UK travel days can be used at any point during the pass, i.e. they don't have to be used at the start and end of the pass. My view is that 2 applies in the list you've provided. There is nothing that says it has to be direct, but I also don't think it gives carte blanche travel on unlimited services.

 

[Feuillesmortes]

I think 4) applies, ie have proof of crossing the border on the same day.

 

[Class800]

If you have a flight, Eurostar or boat ticket and are vaguely heading in the right direction, should be OK. But otherwise, be careful I'd say

 

[NIT100]

I think 4) applies, ie have proof of crossing the border on the same day.

I think 4) is the intended spirit of the Conditions of Use, but 1) is ultimately what is actually stated as the condition. With regard to route I believe any permitted route according to the ATOC routing guide would be acceptable.

There are a very small but possible number of situations where proof of crossing could not be obtained or would not usually be obtained prior to reaching the border/port e.g. Helsingor (Denmark) to Helsingborg (Sweden) ferry.

You are likely to run into difficulties if you record your inbound and outbound journeys as the same day on your Interail pass.

You could of course use the inbound and outbound journeys for a long weekend trip to Dublin, Belfast or France. Although the ferry fare or eurostar reservation fee will not be included with only the interail discount available if applicable, so this is not achieving the value you are looking for.

 

[Watershed]

However, since a 10 day pass costs only £43 more than a 7 day pass, I was wondering if I could purchase a 10 day pass, do my 7 days of travel and then I would be able to have 2 days of travel within the UK once I get back - the way I see it, there are four interpretations:
1) The pass must be used on the most direct/fastest route from your origin to the border crossing you choose (airport/ferry/eurostar)
2) The pass must be used from your origin to a border crossing, but you are allowed to go on a circuitous route (e.g Reading to Heathrow via Manchester or something like that)
3) The pass can be used for unlimited travel on UK trains for that day, starting and ending anywhere.
4) The pass cannot be used for a journey where you have no intention of leaving/arriving in your country of residence

I would have said that interpretation 2 applies.

Interpretation 1 isn't correct because there is no concept of 'permitted routes' for Interrail passes - they are valid on all services of the participating operators (which in Britain means all National Rail operators, including open access operators such as Hull Trains, and London Overground and Elizabeth line services, except Heathrow Express where there seems to be a suggestion they're not valid). And there is nothing in the conditions, either generally or specifically in relation to the 'domestic' journeys, which requires you to take any particular route. This being said, I think you would struggle to justify completely unnecessary double-backs (e.g. Salisbury to Bristol via Penzance!).

Interpretation 3 isn't correct because Interrail condition 5.2, which you have quoted, states that the journey must be "to [or from] the border or an airport or port". The scope of this is perhaps wider than it might appear on first reading; there are ferry ports near many stations (Portsmouth, Southampton, Plymouth etc.), and there are also airports which don't have their own station, or at least not one covered by the Interrail pass (Leeds Bradford, London City, Bristol etc.).

In the latter case I think it would be perfectly reasonable to travel to/from a convenient station in the area (e.g. Bristol Temple Meads for Bristol Airport or Leeds for Leeds Bradford Airport). It also isn't mandatory to enter in advance, in your travel diary, all the trains you intend to take that day. You just have to enter each train before you board it. I'm sure you can see what I'm getting at here!

Interpretation 4 isn't correct because there is nothing in condition 5.2 which conditions the right to make a domestic journey on you making a previous/subsequent international journey. Of course, it might be taken to be implied - but the usual principles of contra proferentem, consumer law etc. would dictate that if such a restriction was intended to exist (in the same way that the domestic validity isn't unlimited - it is only to/from an airport/port/border), it would have to be written into the terms.

In any event, there can be no requirement to produce evidence of your onward/previous travel; again, this is not in the conditions of use, and there could be perfectly legitimate reasons why you can't produce such evidence (already thrown away your boarding pass/reservation, or intend to buy it at the airport/port/border).

Now, the Interrail conditions of use do state that:

the product cannot be used extensively in your country of residence since the pricing for such a usage, in some countries, would be higher

...

In case a ticket inspector observes misuse of this condition, e.g. in case of frequent travels from and to the same destination, he/she can issue a fine and ask for blocking of the Pass to limit further usage.

However, this seems far too vaguely worded to possibly justify any "fine"/withdrawal of the pass. That is a very serious sanction which requires strong justification; effectively they would be alleging that you are in fundamental breach of contract, and thus don't have to provide you with any (or the remainder) of the service you have paid for. There is nothing there which defines "frequent" travels, for instance. This being said, I think it is probably wise not to use this potential 'loophole' too much, since - as the conditions note -

In case of extensive misuse, the railways would decide to increase globally the price of the product which would be unfair towards the travellers who really want to experience Europe.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Staff guidance is that passes should only be withdrawn if the details have been altered.

For other suspected misuse, they're advised to request purchase of a new ticket and complete a travel irregularity report.

 

[TUC]

Where do Northern Ireland residents fit within the Interrail system, given they are separate to GB National Rail?

 

[NIT100]

Where do Northern Ireland residents fit within the Interrail system, given they are separate to GB National Rail?

There is a GB pass, and an Ireland pass that encompasses the Island of Ireland (NI and ROI)

 

[Watershed]

Where do Northern Ireland residents fit within the Interrail system, given they are separate to GB National Rail?

If they use a British passport as their ID, their home country would be recorded as the United Kingdom and therefore the 'home country' provisions would apply in Britain. Rather a harsh outcome in my view!

 

[Class800]

If they use a British passport as their ID, their home country would be recorded as the United Kingdom and therefore the 'home country' provisions would apply in Britain. Rather a harsh outcome in my view!

Many are entitled to an Irish passport and could use that. I have both and am from Northern Irish background

 

[Tetchytyke]

If they use a British passport as their ID, their home country would be recorded as the United Kingdom and therefore the 'home country' provisions would apply in Britain

No, that's not right. Here in the Crown Dependencies we have British passports but our home country is NOT the United Kingdom. It is the country of residence not the country of nationality that counts.

I'm allowed to buy and use an Interrail pass in the UK without restriction because I don't live in the UK, I live in the Isle of Man.

It is important to note that Northern Ireland is part of the UK but is not part of Great Britain.

Interrail specifically refers to Great Britain as the country, and Ireland is listed separately. NIR is listed under Ireland in the operators list. So I'd say Northern Irish are free to use an Interrail pass in Great Britain without restriction; their "home country" restrictions would apply to NIR and IE.

 

[NIT100]

Interrail specifically refers to Great Britain as the country, and Ireland is listed separately.

However, if you try and by a pass online, it will list only the United Kingdom as a Country of Residence, and this is removed from the list if you try and buy a GB pass. Therefore, at least online, residents of NI cannot buy a GB pass.

It is the country of residence not the country of nationality that counts.

Yes, but again when you select your Country of Residence, it says if your Passport/ID differs from your country of residence, then you need proof of residency, and if you cant provide that you should just select your Passport/ID country.

 

[30907]

Back to the OP:
I would agree with 2. Technically 4 is the case, but as has been said, that isn't enforceable if there is evidence of mainland European travel, as the OP intends.

So after returning to the UK, a ticket from (say) Portsmouth or Gatwick (or Hayes and H even better) to Wick would be legitimate even if starting short from Reading.
You would then need a ticket to get home, of course.

With a longer period ticket you could reasonably come home on day 15 and go abroad again on day 16, the app describes the 2 days simply as "out/in", but I think you would risk suspicion and a TIR if you used it thus on days 9/10 of 10, and I can't see how you could legitimately use if for both legs of a day trip.

I would therefore use it only in one direction - though of course you could do that twice, once before your trip (Wick to Newhaven) and once after (Hayes and H to Kyle).

 

[Tetchytyke]

However, if you try and by a pass online, it will list only the United Kingdom as a Country of Residence, and this is removed from the list if you try and buy a GB pass. Therefore, at least online, residents of NI cannot buy a GB pass.

Interesting. UK and GB are often used interchangeably when they shouldn't be, but the country list for the pass does specifically refer to Ireland and Great Britain as separate countries. A GB pass is not valid on NIR.

I wonder what would happen if you chose Ireland as your country of residence, as it would be truthful based on the country list for the pass.

It doesn't affect me, thankfully, as Isle of Man is correctly recognised as a separate country.

Yes, but again when you select your Country of Residence, it says if your Passport/ID differs from your country of residence, then you need proof of residency, and if you cant provide that you should just select your Passport/ID country.

Proof of residency should be relatively easy to show. Again, easier for me as my driving licence is Isle of Man.

4) The pass cannot be used for a journey where you have no intention of leaving/arriving in your country of residence

This would be my interpretation.