5 Tips You Need To Know Before You Go Interrailing

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Running through a train station trying to read a digital departure board in a foreign language, while carrying a bag bigger than yourself with you, is an experience we believe everyone should have at least once.

We are, of course, talking about interrailing – travelling around Europe by rail and experiencing all aspects of that country from the group rather than flying over it.

If you are lucky enough to be going interrailing either solo or with your friends this summer here are some expert tips for your trip:

1. Pack Light

Trust us when we say we agree with needing 3 outfit changes a day when you’re on holiday. We gotta fuel the instagram posts but when you have to carry those outfits on your back for weeks all of a sudden it is not as important.

A capsule wardrobe is perfect for interrailing, invest in some good basics which you can mix and match.

Long skirts, dresses, a neutral pair of shorts, some basic tops to pair with everything and maybe one or two staple pieces if you want.

Interrailing is a fast paced trip and once you arrive you won’t be thinking about your outfit constantly, promise!

 

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2. Bring a Backpack

We know it’s tempting to bring a suitcase, because you can fit more and you can just wheel it behind you. But one thing about Europe is we love steps here, and our train stations love them even more.

You will look like you are wearing a bag bigger than yourself but when you get to a station and you need to run for a train you will have the last laugh when you reach the wall of steps.

Just remember to look after your bag and get a good backpack with plenty of support.

 

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3. Book your seat reservations

During Covid majority of trains around Europe changed to require booked seats in advance to ensure you can get on the train.

These seat reservations can range from €5-€20+ so make sure to include these in your budget.

If you are going to a country for a few days, you should check with the station themselves as the interrailing website is not always up to date with these reservations and you don’t miss a connection.

 

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4. Double check the routes

While there is obviously easier options on what countries to visit by interrail, and it is easier to stay in central Europe, you would be surprised to learn of what countries the interrail passes cover.

For example did you know you can start your interrail in Norway or Sweden, did you know there is a train from Bern in Switzerland to Barcelona in Spain?

You can visit 33 countries with your pass. Sometimes flying can be very expensive so make sure that bucket list country doesn’t pass you by.

Planning your route in advance can help discover new towns you didn’t realise you were passing or how close some sights or attractions might be to a station you will be passing through.

 

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5. Find the pass that is right for you

Interrail offers many different types of tickets, make sure you get the ticket right for you.

If you are set in what you are doing and know you will only need a certain amount of trains etc, then you can probably opt for the cheaper passes with limited train tickets.

If you’re going for longer and you are covering more ground than perhaps look into getting the monthly passes. The way we look at it is the longer you go for the more can change last minute.

7 days in one month is the best value, but if you’re travelling to multiple countries or large distances which include multiple switches, why not get the monthly unlimited pass. This allows for as many changes you could possibly need.

While it may seem like a lot of money, a train from Rome to Venice for example can cost over €100 for just one way, so paying €500 now for a month of trains will save you both money and stress.

Happy interrailing!

• Inter rail
• summer
• train
• travel