Times have been tough as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the travel sector has taken a huge hit as a consequence. Fortunately, hope is on the rise; with vaccination and booster rates going up too. It really seems as though summer could be the ideal time to get back into traveling and explore what is out there, have an adventure! Sure you could do the standard “pick a destination, then fly to it”, but doesn’t that just seem a little underwhelming? What if I told you that you could visit several countries all using the same pass? Without any planes? Peaked your interest, have I! Well this is where inter-railing comes in. For a reasonable fee you can purchase different variations of a rail pass, meaning you can travel on any train and swiftly move from country to country in Europe. A great example would be the popular “7 days within 1 month” for €226, allowing you to use 7 trains to move country to country within a 28 day period. Want to learn more? Keep reading.
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Travel In Style
When you’re on a plane, do you ever really know that you’re on a plane? Half the time the windows will be closed, the sky will be cloudy; you could literally be in a simulation with a green screen and not know any better. Even if it’s clear, the clouds get a little boring after a while. Train travel is far superior, in our humble opinions. Not only do you get to enjoy the sights as you travel through a country, but you also have way more freedom than you would on a plane. Why be boxed in between two people in a small space when you are genuinely encouraged to walk around on these trains! These aren’t the regular trains that take you from stop to stop within a city, these ones have restaurants, cafes and seats with significant leg space. Play card games with your friends, watch a film with the knowledge that you can just relax and await your arrival at your destination in style.
Overnight Sleep-Trains
Some trains might even have this option. Do you want to save some pennies, a night in a hotel room and arrive in time to seize the day? Then the overnight sleep-train might be for you. Why should you waste a day traveling when you could literally be unconscious and get some well-needed rest, while being productive and arriving straight at your destination? Often the beds can be quite comfortable too. Cabins usually hold two persons, so as long as you have an even group; this should work quite well. Watch the sights, have a sleepover quite like no other. Usually food is also included in this kind of package too.
Cultural Delicacies
Depending on where the train is coming from, and its destination, often the train will have the cultural delicacies of the origin country. For example, a train leaving Dusseldorf (Germany) for a 12 hour journey will certainly have some German delights. I remember when I took one myself, I couldn’t help but treat myself to a Currywurst; simply delightful. Naturally this will change depending on your departing country; we wonder what an Italian train will be like? Surely there will be some good cuisine on there…
Which Countries Can I Visit?
Fortunately, there are a wealth of countries that you can visit! Here is the list: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey. Some list, hey! There really is a route for everybody. Some popular trains involve the Paris to Amsterdam, which takes 3 hours and 20 mins, Paris to Barcelona, which takes 6 hours and 15 mins and even Paris to Rome; taking 11 hours and 15 mins. This last one might be worth booking an overnight train. Isn’t it amazing how you can go to sleep having just seen the Eiffel tower and you can wake up and go straight to the Colosseum? Rail travel is the future of traveling. It is quick, it is certainly alternative and can be rather fun! Get your buddies and give it a try!
Buy your passes and start planning at https://www.interrail.eu/en/interrail-passes/global-pass.