How To See As Many Cities As You Can While Interrailing In Europe
For first timers the prospect of planning an interrailing trip can be pretty daunting, and thinking about creating an itinerary can make it seem a lot less fun than you had maybe expected – but believe us when we say, it really can be a really enjoyable exercise, especially if the goal of your trip is to see as many cities as you can while interrailing in Europe!
How to plan:
When first thinking about how to plan your trip, there are the absolute essential elements that must be defined before you can move on:
– How long is your trip?
Most people spend 4 weeks travelling while interrailing but that is not a hard and fast rule, it depends on your work, study or family commitments, so even as little as 1 week or perhaps you could be away for months!
– When do you want to leave?
What date suits you best, in order to fit in the itinerary you’ve decided on.
– What are your “must-see” destinations?
Are you a foodie, who wants to sample Europes best meals, an art buff that would like to do a gallery tour or even a hard core clubber that wants to sample the nightlife of the big cities – you decide.
– What is your budget?
This will be primarily dictated by accommodation, the budget for staying in hostels will differ greatly from staying in high end hotels or even Air BnB’s. If you are keeping an eye on the pennies, travelling at night is a good option, getting a few hours sleep on the train will cost a lot less than a hotel.
Once you’ve answered these simple questions, you’re off to a good start. Next step is to plan your itinerary – don’t forget that one of the amazing things about interrailing is the flexibility and ability to shuffle your itinerary to suit your needs. So even though you are making a plan it does not need to be set in stone.
How to create an itinerary:
Europe is a pretty big place! So don’t restrict yourself to the main areas that will no doubt spring to mind, such as, Paris, Barcelona, and Berlin, add in some little gems that are often overlooked, these may end up being the highlights of your trip as they are guaranteed to be less busy, less touristy and give you more freedom to explore like a local. Ghent, one of the oldest cities in Belgium is a perfect example. It has the quaintness of Bruges, the bustle of Brussels, but it is most definitely a lot less touristy and a little more edgy and arty, if that is your vibe. Now that you know where you are going, it’s time to book your seats.
How to make seat reservations:
If you are interrailing chances are your journeys trian journeys are not going to be short, hop on, hop off rides. You will be travelling long distances, so make sure to ensure you have a seat reserved, for peace of mind and also to allow yourslef to rest your weary legs. Many of the main line fast trains (TGV for example) require compulsory reservations when travelling with an Interrail Pass. Also it is important to know that these types of train typically have a limit on the number of seats reserved for interrail Pass holders (and these can sell out very quickly), so booking avoids disappointment.
It is generally the norm to travel in the mornings and arrive at your destination around midday, ready for lunch and to check-in to your preferred accommodation, freshen-up and then start to explore – this can occasionally call for an unsociably early start, but it does mean you get a half-day to familiarise yourself with the local transport system and begin the process of investigating all that the local area has to offer. But a little research before hand It also gives you an opportunity to begin identifying where the main tourist sites are (for the first-time visitor) or to head a little off the beaten track to find those hidden gems that every city has.
Planning ahead and doing some research helps determine how long you will spend in an area and provides a general idea of which attractions to see in order to fit as much as possible into the limited amount of time available (usually one or two days). Google Maps can be used to obtain approximate distances and to conveniently access city centre maps online.
Final Thoughts:
Now that we have covered the essentials it is all down to you, hopefully these top tips will help you see as many cities as you can while interrailing in Europe…
- Plan your route efficiently. Try to map out a loop or line that connects multiple cities without backtracking too much. Major rail lines can connect you between many destinations.
- Don’t linger too long in each place. 1-3 nights per smaller city and 3-5 nights for major capitals is often sufficient to see the highlights without rushing excessively.
- Consider night trains when possible. You can travel overland at night while sleeping on the train to maximise daytime sightseeing.
- Be prepared to take shorter side trips from major hub cities. For example, from Munich you could day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle. From Paris to Versailles, etc.
- Focus more on experiencing the vibe and highlights rather than trying to see absolutely everything in one city. Hit the can’t-miss sites and areas.
- Travel light so you can easily navigate trains, metros and walking between accommodations and attractions. Pack minimally.
- Look into getting a rail pass valid for the countries/regions you’ll cover rather than buying tickets individually.
- Be flexible and adjust your plans as needed based on recommendations from locals, your interests, etc.
We don’t want to end yout interrailing adventure too soon, but you can save some time on travel and fit in more cities if you fly to your starting then fly home from your most distant point. It isn’t essential to make it a circular tour. With an Interrail Pass you have countless variations , so you can follow your itinerary as strictly or as loosely as you wish.
