Interrailing

[exLtEveDallas]

DD and a couple of friends are interrailing around Europe for a month this summer. I'm hugely excited for her, but also doing that mummy panic thing about her going off on her own without me being in control!

It's her birthday soon and I'd like to get her a few things that she might not think of herself - does anyone have any suggestions for 'must haves', or 'nice to haves' that I could get for her?.

Also any hints and tips that I could pass along. There are 3 of them going and none of them have done it before.

I've already sorted her phone/data so she isn't hit with crazy charges, and she's got a Revolute card on the go. They've booked most of the travel and hostels already, so it's really practical things that I'd appreciate.

Power bank, adaptor, money belt

Oh good call, she won't have an adaptor or a money belt. Think I'll get a phone lanyard too.

I did it a few years ago. Best advice I can give is to plan ahead. So book the next train reservation as soon as she gets into the station of the current place she’s visiting. Also some stations have different booking areas for domestic and international bookings. Same with accommodation, first thing I did when I got to a hotel or hostel was to book the next one. Ended up having to spend hundreds for an expensive hotel one night because a city we were staying in had some kind of festival going on that we didn’t know about and all the cheap places were booked up. Another bit of advice is to learn what station and main/central station are in different languages. For example in Berlin, you have Berlin bahnhoff, and Berlin hauptbhanhoff. Which are in different places. Will stop them jumping off the train a stop or two early. Always negotiate a taxi price before getting in, and showing a picture from Google images of where she wants to go is easier than trying to muddle through in a language she doesn’t speak. As for things to give her, I’d just make sure she has an emergency credit card. It’s nice to get gifts and stuff, but anything that takes up space won’t be appreciated!

Brilliant tips, thank you. Yes, I'm going to make sure she's got emergency cash/credit - she'll probably prefer that over anything I suggest!

Probably overkill as I'm a bit ott but...

Some small practical I always have when travelling items tiny crane embroidery scissors, tiny medical kit, A few Ziplock bags, soap leaves, small packs of hand wipes and tissues, small wet brush brand hair brush, teva sandals, packing cubes, magnetic safe power bank, mini tripod, screen and camera protector, spare phone(!), headphones, tech case, tiny cross body bag, packable rucksack, thin coat with hood

Medical case: paracetamol/ cold and flue /antihistwmine/ hydrocortisone/ strepsils/ Imodium/ plasters/ blister plasters/ heat pack

Ooh first aid kit, yes!
I was going to offer to buy her a decent coat, then remembered it would be summer, so a small pac-a-Mac type thing would probably be better.
thank you :)

DS and a friend did this last summer after A levels...they had an amazing time!

Useful things would be anything that's very light /easy to travel with eg. Large but lightweight rucksack, small quick drying camping towel etc - check out hiking or camping shops for ideas. At the end of the day, everything has to be carried so she'll need it all to weigh as little as possible, and not be too bulky. Oh..and tiny disposable soap sheets are useful not just for washing hands, but for washing underwear etc in the basin at night (she obviously won't be able to take a huge amount of clothing with her).

DS spent 9 months planning his trip with military precision he could have done a lot more studying, but thankfully he still got good marks , and made sure he had all hostels sorted, knew how he'd get from the stations to the accommodation or activity they doing etc. So research ahead of it all is worthwhile, but either way she'll have a great time!

Thank you. I'm really excited for her, it's something she's wanted to do for ages and I'm sure she'll have an amazing time. I'll just be biting my nails the whole time she's away!

Ah I've got a quick dry camping towel, that's a good idea. Knowing her she'll try to take far too many clothes so that will be the first meltdown - she always had the biggest case when we went on holidays!

I went interrailing in the 1980s so my experience is largely irrelevant now. No internet, no mobile phones, travellers cheques, Thomas Cook book of European Timetables, getting lost in Yugoslavia, and going off grid in rural Italy. Oh my poor mother ...

But I do have one piece of advice. My niece is currently travelling in the Far East. She set up a family WhatsApp group where she drops in a photo every couple of days. Keeps all the aunties at bay wondering if she's okay!

Another bit of advice is to learn what station and main/central station are in different languages. For example in Berlin, you have Berlin bahnhoff, and Berlin hauptbhanhoff. Which are in different places. Will stop them jumping off the train a stop or two early.

Also Brussel Zuid, Brussels South & Bruxelles Midi, for example, are all the same station - something to watch out for if they’re in a country with multiple languages.

Me too, I did it four separate times and had the best adventures, I've forgotten most other holidays but remember the sheer freedom of roaming and the unexpected joys of interailing. I booked nothing ahead just had my interail ticket and lonely planet lol. I'm thinking about doing it again and already excited looking at rucksacks online. I would book ahead for accom this time. My older bones couldn't handle sleeping on train floors, station benches etc and times have changed too.

Get a hybrid rucksack that also wheels. It was a lifesaver for me when I went interrailing.

As for practical items, I remember that my towel was always damp as being packed and moving all the time it rarely dried out properly, so a really good thin quick dry towel, one from an outdoor kit shop. A traveller set of knife,fork,spoon that slot together, thin plastic plate., small bottle opener/cork screw. Plasters for blisters. Toiletries are very personal but maybe solid shampoo bar in tin if she'd use it. I'd avoid all those little travel kits like mini manicure kits, you only ever use one or two of the items. Maybe make a little pouch of just the things you would use, e.g, nail clippers, scissors, nail file, pen, plasters, small notebook for example.

If they've booked most of their hostels already, check if any have laundry facilities - she can plan the amount of clothes based on where she can wash them! Also, take laundry detergent capsules in a throwaway takeaway container so she doesn't have to faff with laundry instructions in foreign languages.

We found a pack of baby wipes very useful. Trains and facilities were often not quite the cleanest, so it was handy to be able to wipe them down quickly, or wipe hands on trains without having to find the loos.

Travel clothesline to dry clothes on.

A hammam or Turkish towel is thin and quick drying and also doubles up as a sarong, etc.

Oh wow this is great, thank you all

Hostelling International membership (or YHA membership, or Hostelling Scotland etc).
For the travel plug, get a Euro plug with multiple USB sockets, ideally Anker (and probably get a few Anker cables while you're there), for those occasions where the hostel room only has one socket.
Travel washing line seconded. I have a travel plug which fits in the same case as the travel washing line, as hostel sinks often don't have plugs. But do the research first: put in "laundromat" for some cities they're passing through, and if there's a goodly number then don't bother. It's surprisingly variable whether or not other countries have plenty of laundrettes (e.g., Belgium has loads in every city and small town but Netherlands doesn't). With a few of them travelling together, they can club together and use a laundrette easier than everyone washing and drying clothes separately.
The Post Office do a travel money card which is quite good - it's the modern equivalent of traveller's cheques, but like a gift card. So your daughter can only spend what's on it, but parents can top it up from home.
Sounds brilliant fun, good luck!

I regularly travel around Europe and to be honest it's really easy now, no different to traveling around the U.K., many countries even have announcements in English at major terminals.

I would suggest a very compact meal prep kit, eg a non pointy knife to cut bread (I have a half length bread knife I've had for 25 years) , cheese etc to make some lunch, small plate, fork bowl - travelling for a long time they'll need to be economical with meals. A bum bag can be useful for documentation or a proper money belt though I personally don't use them. A water bottle carrying bag is my favourite bit of travel kit, along with a decent 750ml insulated bottle.

And really encourage quick drying clothes, I carry washing pods in a ziplock bag. If buying a coat, get ones that is waterproof (ish) but packs into its self rather than a separate bag that will be lost no doubt.

Adaptor plug of course

I'm away for 3 weeks this summer travelling but only take 5 days worth of clothing, you make just them count, thin t shirt material dresses are my top tip as you can fit 2 into a space of one stiffer dress.

Great tips on this thread, hope she has a lovely time @exLtEveDallas

Some really great advice here, thank you all so much. I think I'll actually print it all off for her as well. It's actually helping me loads, let alone her! I absolutely love that she is doing this and I want it to go well. Doing this has made me feel better about it as well - honestly, never thought I'd be like this, so nervous for her!

its made me think of my poor mother, having to cope with her 'baby' joining the Army and going away at 18. I didn't give it a second thought - and now I am so sorry I brushed off all her worries. I bet she's laughing her arse off at me right now 😅

Don't get a pack a Mac they are pretty t
Awful. Get a running jacket with hood. Super thin and hood to keep dry. Not waterproof but great in an emergency

Also mini fan and nail clippers and a few zip ties and a couple of pegs. Mini foot file.

Trying to remember what I forget!

Vinted is great. I got Patagonia rucksack and a packable Nike one (Nike stash) cross body bag also good idea (fjall raven dona good one)