Interail in Europe

[antwacky]

Im looking for tips and info/ideas from anyone who has anyone travelled on an Interail ticket across Europe? I would love to do this maybe 2022 all being well.

I would love to go for 10 -14 days and visit maybe around Denmark, Germany, Austria, other suggestions welcome.
My energy levels are not great and I will have to plan easy is routes and factor plenty of rest/easy days.

Any help gratefully received

We got an overnight train in Italy....we had pulled down the seats that turn into a large bed and settled down for the night....train set off and ten minutes later a large middle aged Italian man clambered in and told us to shove up! Weirdest night ever (we were young and didn't have the confidence to argue)

@ivykaty44

is a great tip, not only saving on accomodation costs

but it will count as 2 days travelling won't it?not just one day? So not sure thats it saves money if you travel over night on a sleeper train

As pp said use the man in seat 61 as the website is very good and has useful tip

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure it only counts as the day you set off. But it would be worth double checking.

Sleeper trains are great (as long as you can sleep on them), but I think they will all need extra to pay.

Unless you're happy just sleeping in a normal carriage. If you do that, always look out for the German carriages, they were the most comfortable.

Also, make doubly sure that you get on the correct carriage. Many long distance trans-European trains split and change with some carriages going to different destinations. They normally have a sign on the side of each carriage showing it's destination.

If you were thinking of going East from Austria, definitely don't use the Interrail, normal tickets are very cheap.

As a PP stated, use the Bahn.de website for trains, it's easily the most useful for planning.

My daughter and her friends did this.

I’d say the key things were

Book yout accompdation and understand exactly how to get to it from the train station.
Understand transfer times
Understand what transport you’re getting to your accommodations and when it runs, where to get it.
Understand accommodation check in times, particularly if booking air bnb. They got caught out and ended up with no accommodation one night as their ferry from one of the croation islands got in after check in time for th air b n b and were literally stranded.
Make sure you pack only what you can carry
Get a prepaid forex card so you can get money where ever you go if you’re worried about carrying bank cards and credit cards.

Man in seat 61 website is a brilliant resource. I would suggest choosing an itinerary which doesn't mean travelling every day in your circumstances, I've used trains in Germany france and Italy, all were fine

There's a night train from Stockholm to Berlin which looks nice. It calls at Copenhagen on the way departing at a civilised 22.45. Note that it uses Høje Taastrup station, not the main Copenhagen one.

There's also NightJets 456/457 between Berlin and Vienna.

Also NJ 40490/40421 between Vienna and Amsterdam.

(Can you tell I love planning these kind of trips?)

Oh, and open a Starling Bank account. No fees for using your card abroad. You can transfer as much or as little as you like from your main bank account easily (I do it on my phone).

Agree with @rampantivy. If you want easyish trips and rest days dont interrail it, just prebook tickets for the journeys you want and look out for cheap deals. Travel in germany is easy with bahn.de, and they also do great international deals.

I can’t give any recent feedback as it’s been so long since I inter railed but one thing I would say is do less cities and countries than more. When I was younger, a friend and I absolutely blitzed Europe in 2 months - it was a bit like going to an art museum, after a while you stop appreciating what you are seeing as you get over saturated.

I absolutely adore sleeper trains but they are more tiring than you think. Firstly they are noisy and wobbly. Also quite compact and packing and unpacking night things in the space is a bit of an art form. But the biggest factor for tiredness in my opinion is that you often arrive somewhere really quite early in the morning and have to hang around with all your luggage for ages before you can check into accommodation or even get breakfast.

I love them for the romance of them and because I am deeply nerdy. They are also a really really convenient way to cover a lot of miles and it's wonderful to have your own cabin, but it's worth being aware of the downsides too.

This is so inspiring! I'd go interrailing again in a heartbeat.

Last went in 1989: Thomas Cook European rail timetables the size of a doorstop, non-stop rain in Yugoslavia and an overnight stay in a nunnery in Venice. Happy days!

We stayed in a nunnery in Venice too! (this was 1992). And that Thomas Cook European timetable- I could have read it for hours. Definitely planning a trip for the future. My tips are book all the accommodation in advance (we didn't and spent large chunks of the day finding somewhere to sleep), and also checking your departure stations carefully. As in London/Paris, places like Vienna have more than one main station!

Yes - the Thomas Cook timetable & also ‘Let’s Go Europe’! I went in 1990 so just between you @SallyOMalley & @3totheright4totheleft. Back then, impossible to book hostels so when you rolled off the train in the morning, it would be a schlep around the hostels to try and get a bed (and hopefully a shower) & if not a night on the floor in the train station/beach/street. I also remember my Interail pass ‘book’ where you’d just write in your too and from destination - I wish I’d kept mine. Seems very different now with a more limited number of trips you can take and being able to book places in advance - a more planned and grown up experience (and probably a lot more comfortable!). While I loved it, I’m not sure I’d be keen for my DC to do it as we did!

Sorry OP, the last two posts had me feeling nostalgic! Again go for it and enjoy the planning.

We did this a couple of years ago. London to Amsterdam then through Germany to the Dolomites, then Italian Lakes and home via Paris.

I'd say be aware of surcharges and when a reservation is compulsory, and when really not necessary. You often have to have a reserved seat (at extra cost) on a tgv in France but seldom need a reservation in Switzerland, for example.

Airbnb near a station often much cheaper than sleeper trains. We got a late train to Cologne then an Airbnb 10 mins walk from the station and an early train the next day for much less than a bunk on overnight train

Agreed that the Seat61 website is very good

As in London/Paris, places like Vienna have more than one main station!

Oh yes, I nearly got caught like this in Vienna! Make sure you don't have different stations when you've got a change. Unless you've got a few hours, which can be a nice chance to wander around and grab a bite to eat - but be sure you know where the other station is!

Yes, I remember the Thomas Cook timetable well.

I also remember my Interail pass ‘book’ where you’d just write in your too and from destination - I wish I’d kept mine.

Absolutely this! Going all the way from Scandinavia down to Istanbul and just choosing a route on the hop!