Inter railing with kids

[BettyStogs]

DH has suggested going inter railing next August with the DCs, who will be 12 and 10 at the time (so just missing out on 1 free child.place, should have thought of it sooner!)
I'm keen, but don't know what we'd be letting ourselves in for. Has anyone done this? Looking at 2 weeks, but not sure what a realistic itinerary would be.

[Overrunwithlego]

Oh yes we went in 2018 with an 11 and 8 year old. We flew to Croatia for a few days and then made our way back from there, via Budapest, Prague, Berlin and Amsterdam. Two weeks in total. We did a couple of overnight trains, where we booked sleeper cabins, and reserved seats on all the trains as well. You pay a little more for the Eurostar as well.

We loved it and found it quite easy. One thing I would say is we did book accommodation (family / quad rooms in hostels) some time in advance using a hostel app (Hostelworld) and I think in one place we used an air bnb. I guess because everyone can book so easily now, it seems that last minute beds are a bit harder to come by - but also, when I went interrailing at 22 we just rocked up at a hostel for a dorm bed each night, and spent at least one night sleeping in a train station when there were no beds available. You can’t necessarily do that with kids! So it felt a little less spontaneous in that sense.

You do have to factor eating out most of the time- its a bit difficult to cart leftover food with you if you are moving every couple of days.

[Overrunwithlego]

Oh and I forget, the man in seat 61 is your friend here - great resource: https://www.seat61.com/

[Paq]

It's an amazing family holiday. Two nights in most places is enough. However, I would NOT go in August - far too hot and busy. We went during the Easter hols and it was perfect. You don't want to be schlepping kids around major cities with back packs in 40 degree heat.

[BettyStogs]

Thanks for lthe advice, the seat 61 website looks really useful. Unfortunately DH can't usually get time off work over Easter so will have to be summer hols if we're doing 2 weeks. Maybe we'll avoid going too far south! I like the idea of flying out and making our way back, we're in Cornwall so would lose a whole day just getting to France if we set off from here. Lots of research to do!

[MissAmbrosia]

We flew to Prague, then train to Bratislava, Budapest, Vienna, Tirol and Munich over 3 weeks, then train back to Brussels. It was great fun.

[Made4Sunshine]

I'm researching for this summer currently and it looks like interail is more expensive for the trips we'll do. Planning flying to Rome , train to Florence, Milan, Paris, Brussels , Berlin and Amsterdam then fly to UK.
I have one under and one over 12 but in some countries under 14.are free so its cheaper to buy on Trainline and book seats. With interail you still need to pay to reserve seats and some trips are very pricey.

[TizerorFizz]

I do wonder what the attraction is of seeing very little of these amazing cities? Why sit on a train when you could actually enjoy what the cities have to offer? That’s a huge amount by the way. All of them are worth 3 full days (or more) at least. Do your Dc really want to sit for hours on a train? Day after day? Mine would not. They were, however, interested in palaces, art, museums, history and culture plus food! So they really got to see and enjoy where we went at a more leisurely pace. Nothing wrong with using a city as a base and exploring.

[teabycandlelight]

Try Switzerland in the summer…stunning scenery. Trains always on time. Will be slightly cooler in mountain areas ( but still hot)

Its expensive, but the trains are reasonable

[RedToothBrush]

@TizerorFizz

I do wonder what the attraction is of seeing very little of these amazing cities? Why sit on a train when you could actually enjoy what the cities have to offer? That’s a huge amount by the way. All of them are worth 3 full days (or more) at least. Do your Dc really want to sit for hours on a train? Day after day? Mine would not. They were, however, interested in palaces, art, museums, history and culture plus food! So they really got to see and enjoy where we went at a more leisurely pace. Nothing wrong with using a city as a base and exploring.

Wow your miserable.

Look at what a previous poster said: Budapest, Prague, Berlin and Amsterdam. Two weeks in total.

Tbh, most cities I've been to I've always been 'done' after two or three days. It's somewhere exceptional I want to do four days.

DH and I have done buses and trains before travelling across Europe and really want to do it with DS in the next couple of years.

We don't do 'slow' holidays. We get bored. We cram twice as much in compared with normal people generally anyway.

[Nat6999]

Ds & his partner interailing at the moment, 8 nights in Berlin, travelled to Copenhagen today, Stockholm on Thursday, overnight to Berlin, then Prague, then Vienna, Munich, Venice, St Moritz, Geneva, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, then Eurostar home.

They flew to Berlin & are away for just under a month, part of their trip is the Glacier Express which I would imagine children would love. Other than the 8 nights in Berlin, they are staying in Budget accommodation, including food they have budgeted €75 a day not including accommodation or travel. Ds is a transport geek & this is his dream trip.

[inverness123]

This can be true in some countries - France and Italy are the worst. The Man in Seat 61 has a great map of Europe with countries coloured in red, orange and green depending on whether you need to supplement the pass. Most countries are green (no need to pay anything if you have a pass) but some do require significant supplements and advance bookings. Though even in France you can travel without supplements if you want, you just have to take regional trains which is much slower and harder to plan.

DD and I travelled to Turkey with interail passes when she was 11. It was fab.

[Made4Sunshine]

My children are really up for it. They love trains. We have been through India and Sri Lanka by train and both were incredible experiences.

[Overrunwithlego]

@TizerorFizz

I do wonder what the attraction is of seeing very little of these amazing cities? Why sit on a train when you could actually enjoy what the cities have to offer? That’s a huge amount by the way. All of them are worth 3 full days (or more) at least. Do your Dc really want to sit for hours on a train? Day after day? Mine would not. They were, however, interested in palaces, art, museums, history and culture plus food! So they really got to see and enjoy where we went at a more leisurely pace. Nothing wrong with using a city as a base and exploring.

I guess it depends on you and your kids. We did two overnight trains which the loved - one we were in a couchette which was an “experience” and one in a proper sleeper cabin which was like a hotel - key card to get in, order taken for breakfast and delivered an hour before arrival. You arrive in the centre of a city rather than an airport that might be an hour away.

We had one six hour day on a train between Prague and Berlin - by that time they were happy to sit and play on their screens for a bit and just chill. And then the final train ride back from Amsterdam - but that took less time in total than flying.

I think we had three nights in each place - and with younger kids I think that is wise. And that was plenty to get a feel for the cities and do a range of activities. In Berlin for example we did a spy museum, the reichstag, chocolate making at the Ritter shop, checkpoint Charlie, and Berlin zoo. It’s a great way to do ‘tasters’ - Berlin I would definitely like to go back and explore some more. Prague not so much - 2 full days there was plenty.

[RedToothBrush]

Overnight trains are fun for kids. Why wouldn't you? It means you avoid travel which is otherwise stressful.

[TizerorFizz]

Nothing wrong with overnight trains. We have done a couple in India. What I wax talking about was the idea that a great city is boring and only worth two days. Most people seem to rush on by and do not appreciate the city. It’s travelling but it’s not savouring or experiencing what the city has to offer. Most adults don’t get bored in 2 days. Travelling by train in Europe is great but it seems sad that that’s the only reason for going. Ticking city boxes off.

[RedToothBrush]

@TizerorFizz

Nothing wrong with overnight trains. We have done a couple in India. What I wax talking about was the idea that a great city is boring and only worth two days. Most people seem to rush on by and do not appreciate the city. It’s travelling but it’s not savouring or experiencing what the city has to offer. Most adults don’t get bored in 2 days. Travelling by train in Europe is great but it seems sad that that’s the only reason for going. Ticking city boxes off.

It depends on where you go. There are definitely European Cities that DH and I would struggle to do more than 3 days in because we'd get bored. This is because we do everything that other people would do in a week in that time because we just don't stop. We can't help it.

[CornishAdventures]

Interrailing is on my wish list, are under 12’s free? There seems to be more and more night trains popping up which is a fab adventure for kids. We’re Cornwall based too and hadn’t thought of flying one way, good idea

[Overrunwithlego]

Yes. Up to two children under 12 can travel free for each adult pass.

[Havanananana]

Interesting article here >

‘The trip of a lifetime’: How I travelled Europe for a month with a family of five for just €645 (msn.com)

[3sthemagicnumber]

We did a 10 day interrail trip with our teens - we went to Brussels, Berlin, Prague and Vienna. It was great!

One thing which doesn't seem to be widely publicised, but is great value for money for Cornwall-based interrailers, is that you can use your pass to travel across the UK at the start/end of your trip. So our first day we travelled from Truro to London and then got the Eurostar to Brussels. Given how expensive the train to London is from Cornwall, it's a bargain!

Eurostar tickets are £30 with your interrail pass, but there's a limited number of seats and they book up fairly quickly.

[Made4Sunshine]

I am all booked !
We have 7 cities to visit over 3 weeks starting in July. I think we'll do a few side trips as well.
Not covered with interail passes but we're doing an overnight with European Sleeper which has just been launched.

[Made4Sunshine]

https://www.europeansleeper.eu/en

100% recommend looking for accommodation well in advance. Some cities, I am looking at you, Amsterdam, are outrageously expensive. I have gone for a mix of hotels and private rooms in Meinnger hostel hotels.
Now to work out how to minimise packing !

[Elpheba]

We did 10 days at Easter with a 4 and 6 year old, we concentrated on Germany, flew in to the top and out from the bottom. Stayed in 5 places, so 2 nights in each place and made sure to book an Airbnb with laundry facilities in the middle. It was really amazing and although I’d been nervous the kids were great. I think you’ll have an amazing time!

[JooLoo]

Is it possible to know if seats booked up before you buy the inter rail pass? I’m wanting to travel on the Eurostar at beginning and end of October half term but need to know if available before I buy the pass.

[Kitcaterpillar]

@TizerorFizz

Nothing wrong with overnight trains. We have done a couple in India. What I wax talking about was the idea that a great city is boring and only worth two days. Most people seem to rush on by and do not appreciate the city. It’s travelling but it’s not savouring or experiencing what the city has to offer. Most adults don’t get bored in 2 days. Travelling by train in Europe is great but it seems sad that that’s the only reason for going. Ticking city boxes off.

It's unclear what you feel you're adding to the OPs perfectly reasonable question.