News Beat
Interrail launches huge discount on Europe train passes in ‘biggest’ 2025 sale
Train travel is having a moment, and the most iconic way to explore Europe by rail just got a whole lot cheaper.
Interrail, which sells unlimited travel passes, is running a 25% discount on its ‘all-you-can-travel’ range of global passes, covering 32 European nations from Ireland to Turkey.
An entry level pass covering four days of travel in one month is €212 (£186) in second class. An additional day – that is, five days in a month – adds about £24 to the cost, and works out at just £42 per day.
And while unlimited travel does not apply to the UK, you can start a journey to the continent from any British station and get a discounted seat on the Eurostar from London St Pancras International to Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels for €32 (£28) in second class, or €40 (£35) in first.
Backpackers are in for the sweetest deal: a three-month continuous pass in first class costs €971 (£845), which works out as less than £10 per day.
The deal runs until 9am GMT on Wednesday, December 17, and you can start you rail adventure any time within the following 11 months.
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The ‘rail renaissance’
A rail renaissance has seen increasing numbers of holidaymakers swapping planes for trains, driven partly by a desire to travel more sustainably — something that’s now important to a whopping 83% of travellers, according to a recent Booking.com report.
In 2022, around 600,000 Interrail tickets were sold in Europe, almost double the amount sold in 2019.
And this trajectory has only continued, with some 746,000 Interrail Passes being sold in 2024.
Research recently revealed that Brits are more likely to take train travel for leisure purposes, backing up the idea that perhaps the quickest journey isn’t always the best.
On top of the Interrail’s latest sale, under-28s are also entitled to a further discount of 25%, while 60-plus travellers save 10%.
Six years ago Brits almost lost access to this valuable asset after the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) announced that UK train companies would stop accepting Interrail and Eurail passes from 2020.
However, following public outcry, the company renewed discussions and ultimately decided to remain part of both schemes.
Which interrail travel pass is the best fit for you?
There are lots of different kinds of interrail passes out there – but which one should you pick?
The two most popular types of passes: Flexi and Continuous.
Flexi passes allow you to choose a number of days in a period (either one month or two months) which you can travel. So, for example: You could travel to one destination using your pass, stay there for a few days, and then use your pass to carry on to the next stop.
Continuous passes, on the other hand, lets you pick the date you want your pass to start (giving you a few different options for how long you want your trip to be) meaning you can then enjoy continuous unlimited travel for the whole of that period.
New UK train routes in 2026
- Lumo has recently announced a direct route to Glasgow Queen Street — and tickets could be as cheap as £50. The budget-friendly rail company is also rolling out another London to Scotland route in 2026. This time, from Euston to Stirling.
- The Caledonian Sleeper train is launching a new route in 2026, the first of its kind in three decades. The Highlander, one of the two routes from London to Scotland, will add a stop at Birmingham International.
- Wales might be getting its very own ‘Tube’ service. Costing a whopping £1,000,000,000, the project is set to span 170 kilometres (105.6 miles) worth of track, introducing 36 tram-style trains to connect Cardiff with towns in the valleys and wider South Wales area.
- Check out all the new train routes coming to the UK in 2026 and beyond here.
Interrailing in 2026? Don’t skip this underrated Italian city
If you’re thinking about an interrail adventure for 2026, Metro columnist Adam Miller has one city you need to include in your route: Bologna.
One of the lesser-visited Italian cities, compared to the likes of Venice and Rome, Adam found this historic food hub to be a ‘truly special’ place.
Enriched with ancient religious history, he say Bologna is a city you shouldn’t underestimate.
‘Yes, there are beautiful tourist attractions, absolutely worth seeing, but more than anywhere else I’ve been, Bologna has a unique spirit,’ Adam notes.
‘It’s both historic and cosmopolitan. Among its many nicknames, Bologna is often referred to as La Rossa — ‘The Red’ — for the terracotta buildings that have been its quintessential design for centuries.’
Plus, Bologna houses some of the best cuisine in the world. Known by many as ‘La Grassa’ aka ‘The Fat,’ Adam can testify that this city is a pasta-lover’s dream-come-true.
He says: ‘It’s wall-to-wall with the best food I’ve ever eaten, the kind of meals you’d have to book weeks in advance for in London, at half the price.’
For Adam, someone who’s been to Italy more times than he can remember, Bologna definitely made quite the impression.
‘I can’t imagine staying anywhere else in Italy for a city break now, especially when the Italian train service is so cheap and efficient. Florence is close, Venice is only 70 minutes away, and tickets can be as cheap as £13, so it also makes a great detour destination.’
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