Interrailing in Europe: Exhausting but worth it

I spent part of the summer on a two-week train journey across Europe, spanning eight countries. Here are five highlights of my trip and three things to take into consideration if you want to plan a similar trip.

Exploring new cities

This is a self-explanatory but important advantage of interrailing. The idea of a classic ‘lads’ drinking holiday, or lying on a beach for several days does not particularly appeal to me. Instead, the joy of arriving in a different city every few days with new things to explore was refreshing and invigorating. The distinctive charms of each place staved off boredom and created constant highlights to look forward to. This, at times, created a lot of walking, which was often worth it for the new sights my brother and I could take in.

Ticking off rogue new countries

There is a particular satisfaction that comes from saying you have been to a country which is lesser-visited. This trip gave me the opportunity to visit three countries I was otherwise unlikely to do so, namely Romania, Slovakia, and Liechtenstein. Travelling through these countries was a unique chance to experience tourism without the overcrowding. Brasov, Bucharest, and Bratislava were all as pleasant on the eye as many more popular attractions in Europe, without the cramped streets and strong desire to find some peace and quiet. Liechtenstein was similarly off the beaten track.

Cross-country scenery

Some of the most stunning sights of the trip came on the move as opposed to on foot. We had the chance to take in and traverse through the vaulting majesty of the Alps on a 6-hour bus journey from Milan to Liechtenstein. Later in the same day, a train through Switzerland from Zurich to Geneva provided beautiful mountain scenery when departing Zurich, and a jaw-dropping view of Lake Geneva upon arrival. The old chestnut about emphasis on the journey rather than the destination, was at times like these very appropriate.

The Danube

Cities on the Danube were a personal highlight of this trip. Budapest was everything you could want from a city. It boasted incredible views over the river from Buda Castle and the Parliament building. As well as monuments of historical importance, such as “the shoes on the Danube Bank” memorial and Heroes’ Square, along with the very pleasant Margaret Island sitting between Buda and Pest. Bratislava was an equally enjoyable, if shorter experience. It fused the chalk buildings of its Old Town with an impressive view of the river from Bratislava Castle to make for a very pleasant city.

It boasted incredible views over the river from Buda Castle and the Parliament building. As well as monuments of historical importance such as “the shoes on the Danube Bank” memorial and Heroes’ Square

San Siro

As a big football fan, the opportunity to go to one of Europe’s most famous stadiums was one I was delighted to tick off my bucket list, by taking in Inter Milan’s first home game of the new season which they won 2-0. I had high expectations of raucous Italian atmospheres and the San Siro delivered. The arena was packed out from half an hour before kick-off with fans chanting and joining in with the anthems. This noise continued from the Ultras’ section throughout the game. Ascending and descending the iconic spiral staircase to the top of the stadium was another highlight. It felt like it would never end as you became increasingly dizzy and those on the ground below disappeared further into the distance.

Although a great experience, there were aspects that made me grow weary, and long for the comfort of home. Here are three things I did not enjoy:

Overnight trains

This was a part of the adventure which felt like a key experience but one I am keen not to repeat again. I took two overnight trains, both lasting roughly twelve hours. The first, from Brasov to Budapest, was an eye-opener. Six of us were crammed into an uncomfortable, unventilated room. The couchette-style beds were a very tight squeeze for someone with long legs. The long walk to where we were staying, with our backpacks, after a 12-hour journey and very little sleep, was also exhausting. On a positive note, the second time round felt far more comfortable, and waking up in a different country to which you had left was a novel experience.

On a positive note, the second time round felt far more comfortable, and waking up in a different country to which you had left was a novel experience

Dwindling clothes supplies

There was a limit to how many clothes could fit in a backpack along with everything else needed for two weeks of travel. Halfway through the trip, the clothes supply had been more or less exhausted. My ‘stuff and hope’ method of packing as opposed to some neat folding, meant clothes quickly became creased. Walking around the fashionable centres of Vienna, Milan, and Paris with creased, tired outfits were not my best moments.

Soaring costs in Paris and Geneva

Due to the order in which we had organised this trip, costs picked up significantly towards the end which hammered our depleted budgets. We knew we had to savour the relative cheapness of Central and Eastern Europe at the start of the trip before hitting the more expensive Western cities. Nonetheless, it was still a shock to the system, not helped perhaps by the fact that enthusiasm for the trip was waning, to go from paying four euros for two pints in Budapest to 24 euros in Paris.

Conclusion

Despite these negatives, the positives far outweighed them, making for an enjoyable and fulfilling adventure. It is an experience I would recommend to anyone, and is a marked and exciting change from more traditional holidays.