In the first of a series of stopovers marking the rail pass’s 50th birthday, our writer heads to the Alsatian capital, where France seamlessly meets Germany
Talk about ageing well. The Interrail pass celebrates its 50th birthday this year, and its founding principle of sustainable travel and deeper connection, through joined-up train travel across Europe, couldn’t feel more in tune with the times. It also remains excellent value – while people still think of “interrailing” as a student activity, the passes have been available to anyone, regardless of age, since 1998.
For Brits like me, mourning their EU passports, it’s a surprise and a delight to discover that we are still welcome to participate in the scheme. Not only are Interrail passes still available post-Brexit, they even cover the Channel crossing from London on Eurostar on payment of a reservation fee. It’s for this reason that I decided to celebrate Interrail’s half-century with a grand tour for the 21st century.
