Interrailing Around Europe: All You Need To Know

Interrailing is the idea that you hop on a train and make your way through loads of fantastic countries. The amazing thing about Europe is that it has train tracks that cross so many awesome countries. As such, it’s a highly popular way of travelling the continent – or going on a long summer holiday.

Sound like something you’d enjoy? Before you book any train tickets, here are the main things you need to know about interrailing:

They sell interrailing passes

You could plan all your train journeys separately, but that’s a lot of work. Instead, you need to know that they sell interrailing passes. There’s a website where you can buy one, and it basically lets you travel on almost any train in Europe. You can get tickets for one country, or one for multiple countries in Europe. They’re much cheaper and more convenient than planning each journey separately, so check them out.

Your internet connection will probably suck

Travelling for hours on trains and crossing into different territories means your phone signal will be pretty messed up. There’s usually wifi on trains and in public places, but it sucks. So, you’ll likely have a poor internet connection for most of your trip. Luckily, you can buy things these days like a pocket wifi in Europe that lets you connect to a secure mobile connection. You just leave the device in your pocket or bag and connect to it like an internet router. If you think your phone will struggle to get a good signal while you’re interrailing, then this is a good option for you.

You’ll experience cultural shifts

The good thing about interrailing is that you can experience loads of cultures. However, be aware that you’ll see lots of cultural changes. For example, life in somewhere like Italy is different from life in Ukraine or Bulgaria. Each country has little things that it deems polite or rude. Think back to that old HSBC advert with the guy making an ordinary hand gesture in a foreign country. To him, it was a friendly greeting. To the locals, it was a bad gesture! You don’t want to make any similar mistakes. So, it’s worth reading up on different cultures during your train journeys, so you know what to do and how to act respectfully.

Factor accommodation & other travel into your budget

Most people see interrailing as a very cheap travel option. It’s definitely cheaper than other ideas, but you still have expenses. For example, don’t forget that you’ll have to pay for different modes of transport as well as the trains. You may need to get local buses or trams – or even pay for taxis. Not all train stations will be next to the specific places you want to visit, so you have to get there somehow. Likewise, you need places to stay. Sometimes, you can sleep overnight on a train to save money. Other times, you need to pay for hotels. So, factor all of this into your budget.

These are the key things to know about interrailing. If you decide to embark on a railway adventure, then my advice is to see as many countries as possible!