You want to know how you can make the best out of your international train trip across Europe? In this blog post you'll find eight things to keep in mind for an unforgettable and smooth train travelling experience.
Ines Morales Wyden, Zürich (CH)
Hey! :) I am Ines and I travelled almost two months straight by interrail. Through that experience I truly learnt how to interrail and want to share my learnings and tips with you :) If you have any questions drop me a message on ines.moraleswyden@student.unisg.ch
0 – what is interrail?
Interrail is a flat-rate train ticket that allows unlimited use of trains on certain European rail companies over a specified period of time.
As ticket variants there is the Interrail Global Pass for 33 European countries and the Interrail One Country Pass for individual countries or groups of countries. Apart from that, the prices are staggered according to the duration of validity and age groups.
1 – plan ahead!
"An interrail ticket enables you to be extremely flexible and go train-hopping whenever or however you like" – or that's at least what I thought in the beginning. Reality is different. A lot of trains require a seat reservation.
Especially night trains can be fully booked already weeks before your trip, so make sure to plan ahead and book your train reservations well beforehand (2-3 weeks)
The same counts for accommodations. If you travel during the summer, you should plan your stay early enough, especially for weekends (otherwise it gets expensive). Thank me later!
2 – have a light backpack with you
Don't overdo your packing! Try to keep your luggage as slim as possible. Most hostels offer a cheap laundry service. You will be glad as you hop from train to train and may walk through the city to get to your hostel.
A good backpack that is adjusted to your size is recommendable. Also, make sure you have some spot left in your luggage for snacks and some beer or wine on the way and for some souvenirs for your beloved ones.
3 – travel with your best friend
Take your soulmate(s) with you on your journey and try to meet up with friends along the way. Travelling alone is cool, but having somebody with you who know you get along with at all times is even better.
You'll make wonderful memories together that will last and that you will always be able to share!
4 – go to free walking tours
If you arrive at a city, the best thing to do first is joining a free walking tour, where you'll get an overview and cultural insights from locals. Mostly, they will provide you with further information about the city and the best places to eat and chill – also non-touristic ones.
And the best thing of all: you don't need to pay much for it, it's based on tips only!
5 – explore, but don't forget to rest
Make sure that besides visiting many different places and exploring them, that you may also need some rest in between.
Planning some days off at the beach or at any calm place can be very relaxing if you are backpacking from one city to another. You'll get more energy along the way. Highly recommended!
6 – send postcards
Send postcards to your beloved people at home. They will be glad to be part of your journey and hear from you – people are not used to receive postcards anymore :-)
7 – don't be afraid of bad experiences
If you are unsure whether to visit a certain place or not – just go there! Europe is a safe place with incredibly nice and open people.
During my travels, I was positively surprised by all the cities I was to and how wonderful we were treated.
8 - ask your friends for tips
Many people have already travelled Europe. Make use of that and ask your friends where they've been to and what they could recommend.
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