How does the 7 p.m. Rule Work

How does the 7 p.m. Rule Work

It’s very useful to know about the 7 p.m. rule if you have a flexi pass (e.g. Global Pass - 10 days within 1 month) as it can save you precious travel days. The rule means that you only need to use 1 travel day when travelling on trains that depart after 7 p.m. (19:00) and arrive at their final stop after 4 a.m. (04:00).

Travel with an Interrail Pass can only begin from 00:01 on the first day that your pass is valid. For instance, if your Interrail Pass is valid from 6 August, you cannot use the 7 p.m. rule on the evening of 5 August.

Trains and the 7 p.m. Rule

If you board one or more trains that depart after 7 p.m. (19:00) and arrive at their final stop after 4 a.m. (04:00), then only the day of arrival needs to be entered into the travel calendar, even if you leave the train before 4 a.m.

If you're planning on taking the 18:58 ÖBB Nightjet between Rome and Munich/Vienna, we have some good news. The nice people at ÖBB have decided that the 7 p.m. rule applies to this train, so you can save another travel day!

If you are planning on taking the 6:53 p.m. Night Train from Budapest to Split, there is more good news. The nice people at Hungarian Railways are making an exception to the 7pm rule for the train which departs at 6:53 p.m. from Budaspest-Keleti. This means that the 7pm rule applies to passengers starting their travel in Budaspest-Keleti and can fill in the travel calendar for the day of arrival, for this journey.

The 7 p.m. rule allows you to count only 1 travel day instead of 2 when travelling overnight. This is how it works: if you travel on a train (or multiple trains) that departs after 19:00 (7 p.m.) and arrives at its final stop after 04:00 (4 a.m.), you only need to enter the arrival date in the travel calendar, even if you leave the train before 4 a.m. This way you get 5 hours of travel for free.

Ferries and the 7 p.m. Rule

The 7 p.m. rule applies to all free night ferry crossings, regardless of the departure and arrival times. You choose whether you fill in the departure date or the arrival date in the travel calendar. You do not need to use any travel days for discounted ferry trips, just show your pass to get the discount.