Interrail with 7 year old boy

[francisk]

Hi
Has anyone travelled Europe with an interail ticket? If so, any recommended destinations and activities to appeal to a 7 year old boy?
Thanks x

Yes I have done it 3 years in a row now. The first year my youngest DS was 6. I have two older children too. First of all interrail is much more expensive now than when I travelled around as a teen or perhaps it just feels so expensive as its much cheaper to fly now.

What would appeal to a 7 year old? I think it depends on the child. My children have always been dragged around by us and are very used to travelling. We have never taken them to theme park type places, so they just don't expect it. The only difference for me travelling with children is that I am less ambitious in terms of how many places I need to see, take more breaks and buy a lot more ice creams!!

We usually fly home as the way home can be long and I still haven't worked out how to do a circular route.

I think the lack of activity and constantly moving luggge around cities and train stations wouldn't appeal to a child. Ok if your child reads books all day I guess! This is more of a student activity and I cannot see what a child would get out of it. Mine were always taken to museums, art galleries, palaces, famous sights, fabulous countryside and gardens. What we did not do was spend all the time travelling, except in game parks where the viewing was exciting! I think thelittlebooktroll probably has children that read!!! We shelved some of our ambitions for holidays when our children were young. We tried to have holidays so they could get enjoyment too. We never went to a theme park either, but we did try and given them a chance to be children.

The constantly moving and being able to choose where to go next is exactly what can appeal to a child. We travel with fairly light backpacks and don't do long journeys at a time.

Places my children have loved are Carcassone, travelling over the Pyrenees, Andorra, Venice and Pompeii. This year we are off to Romania chosen by DS2 who is Dracula obsessed and I have heard there are amazing beaches there. Just working out the route first.

I took DCs when my youngest was 9 and we visited Paris, Munich, Bucharest, Budapest and Thessaloniki and then took a boat to an island where I'd rented a studio with a pool for a week. Then boat back to Piraeus, bus to Athens and flew home. They loved it, especially the sleepers.

Look at www.seat61.com for ideas.