Ensure that you meet the prerequisites. Only European citizens or residents who have lived in a European country for at least six months may purchase an InterRail pass. You may be asked to produce your European passport or residency card for verification.
Go to the InterRail website and choose whether you prefer a Global Pass or a One Country Pass. The Global Pass allows for travel in 30 European countries, while the One Country Pass only allows for travel in one of 27 European countries. The pass is not valid in your own country of residence.
Choose the number of travel days and the train class that best meets your budget and travel needs. Each pass is valid for a certain number of travel days -- for example, 15 uninterrupted travel days, four travel days in the same month or 10 travel days in 22 days. First- and second-class passes are available as well as discounted youth and senior passes.
Buy the InterRail pass online. Select the number of passes you wish to purchase, your country of residence, where the passes should be shipped to, what type of shipping you prefer and when you plan to leave on your trip. Note that passes may be purchased no earlier than three months before your travel date. You also will need to provide your billing and shipping information; credit cards and PayPal are accepted.
Choose when and where you wish to travel. Consult the train timetables on the InterRail website.
Make a reservation as needed. Longer journeys, overnight trains and high-speed trains will require an advance reservation, while reservations are not normally required for shorter and slower routes. To be sure, check the timetables to see if a reservation is required for your planned route. Reservations are made through the railway companies themselves; however, you may book a reservation at a major train station in your country of residence as well as with the customer service centers of a European railway company like Austrian Railways (Austria) or Renfe (Spain), who will send the tickets to your home. You will be charged a small reservation fee for international-journey trains and some domestic trains.
Go to the departure train station of your first scheduled trip. You should arrive at the station at least one hour prior to your departure time with your InterRail pass, your European passport or residency card, and your train ticket if you made an advance reservation.
Prepare to board the train. Check the station's departure board to find out your train's number and which track your train will be leaving from if this information is not written on your ticket. Wait at the correct platform and then board the train at the appointed time. Mind that you enter a first- or second-class car according to your pass purchase.
