Help me with a one month interrail trip

[miss direct]

I bought a ticket during the promotion earlier this year, and have to start my trip between mid November and early April next year. I have zero inspiration, other than a vague idea of taking the Eurostar, going on some Swiss train rides through mountains, and visiting some new countries (a tricky feat - Scandinavia and central Europe are the places I haven't been to so much). Any tips, ideas, suggestions?

I'm also torn between travelling slowly and spending time in each place, while also making the most of my unlimited ticket.

 

[SpookyFrank]

I bought a ticket during the promotion earlier this year, and have to start my trip between mid November and early April next year. I have zero inspiration, other than a vague idea of taking the Eurostar, going on some Swiss train rides through mountains, and visiting some new countries (a tricky feat - Scandinavia and central Europe are the places I haven't been to so much). Any tips, ideas, suggestions?

Basel-Bern-Lausanne-Geneva is a lovely train trip. Each of those cities is worth a day or two to wander around.

 

[planetgeli]

Slovenia. Ljubljana. I know this is possible because my gf's sister has just done it. I think they also made Denmark, Sweden and Norway but I might have made the Norway bit up.

Slovenia is lovely.

 

[miss direct]

I'm thinking maybe January as will avoid Christmas crowds. Would be nice to have something to look forward to in January. Wonder if people usually do a loop and end up back in their home country, or just keep going and then either fly back or stay for a while in the final destination. Almost too many options.

 

[planetgeli]

I'm thinking maybe January as will avoid Christmas crowds. Would be nice to have something to look forward to in January. Wonder if people usually do a loop and end up back in their home country, or just keep going and then either fly back or stay for a while in the final destination. Almost too many options.

For the people I mentioned, they were on inter-rail because they've had a liberal middle-class moment of 'let's not fly again' (they're lovely people, really) so are doing a round trip of sorts. As would I, though not for those reasons. I'd hazard a guess most people don't fly back.

 

[Supine]

If it was me I’d choose a first destination and then make the rest up as i went along.

 

[Elpenor]

Spoilt for choice! With it being winter and that I’d not want to waste too much daylight on travelling

 

[Riklet]

have a look at seat61.com for train info and ideas/inspiration. ive spent hours on that site.

Be aware you have to pay a supplement on loads of train journeys around Europe. but there's always a way to minimise this.

 

[[62]]

Don't know where you're based, miss direct, and apologies if I'm telling you stuff you already know, but Eurostar definitely best option with an InterRail as your outward and return UK travel is covered. I do about three or four InterRails every year, and living in Exeter it's practically paid for itself by the time I get to Paddington! The flat €29 on your Eurostar reservation certainly compares well with their standard fares.

I would also recommend Switzerland and Austria for the mountain views. Both countries quite good along with Germany for not requiring many reservations - most trains you'll be able to jump on and flash your pass with no bother. The Transalpin EuroCity train to and from Zurich and Austria is a great way to do the Albergbahn route through Lichtenstein and the mountains on a traditional train. Change at Innsbruck and you could go on to Vienna from Zurich or vice-versa.

Conversely, France, Spain and to some extent Italy are a pain for requiring reservations, the fees for which can add up.

Would also add the warning that German railways are definitely not what they used to be. Expect delays, defective rolling stock and cancellations. It's quite sad really.

 

[[62]]

Czech Republic also nice in the winter. Lots of foresty hills and snow, plus it's a good time to visit Prague when there are less tourists. Cities like Česke Budějovice worth a look too. Still relatively cheap there as well. There's a sleeper from Zurich to Prague.

 

[Gromit]

My personal plan would to be fly (sorry everyone) to Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania. Cheap Wizz Air flight.
Then:
Train to Bucharest.
Sleeper train to Budapest.
From here sleeper train options to Croatia, Switzerland, Germany and more. Personally I like Croatia.
I'd work my way to Denmark.
Then over to Stockholm.
There's ferries from Scandinavia back to the UK.

 

[MsHopper]

I also bought a ticket during the promotion and am half way through my trip at the moment. I wanted to go to Helsinki so I've done home, Brussels, Hamburg, Stockholm, ferry to Helsinki (discounted) ferry to Tallinn (discounted). I'm on to Vilnius next, unfortunately this is on flix bus as there are no international trains, then on to Warsaw, Poznan, Berlin and back to brussels. Enjoying it so far although I'm travelling quite big distances and whizzing through countries I could spend a lot longer in.

I could also have got the ferry from Tallinn back to Stockholm but really wanted to go through the Baltics.
Enjoy

 

[davesgcr]

Warsaw - Berlin daytime is a Polish run service with an astounding dining car (or it did have pre-Covid) -you can have a good journey Berlin - Amsterdam , but changing enroute in Holland for Brussels via Antwerp (Berlin - AMS is again an old school type international train with compartments.

 

[T & P]

Judging by the many YouTube cabin view videos I've watched of the route, you could do a lot worse than Norway on the Bergen & Flam routes...

 

[starfish2000]

Ahhh

I have actually done quite a lot of train journeys around Europe.

I’d do a mix of fast TGV’s and slow plus some sleeper trains.

Eurostar to Paris
Paris to Cologne
Cologne to Budapest
Budapest to Venice
Venice to Rome
Rome to Paris for example.

Or leave Budapest and head for Bulgaria ? Then work back?