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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Interrailling with 8 and 10 year old no DH?

36 replies

mogernator · 08/07/2023 18:19

Anyone done it? I'm thinking of doing it next summer. Currently thinking...London - Bruges 2 days - Stuttgart 1 day - Switzerland 5 days - Venice 2 days - Croatia - 5 days - Slovenia 5 days - Austria 5 days - Frankfurt 1 day - Amsterdam 3 days - London

Too much? Too little? Missed anywhere good on this route? Doable with kids?! My DH may come out for a week-10 days.

OP posts:
DamaskRosie · 08/07/2023 18:22

Sounds like an amazing trip- I'd do it like a shot! Haven't done inter-railing but have done city breaks on my own with kids that age and we've had a ball.

Freetodowhatiwant · 08/07/2023 18:30

Sounds like an amazing trip! I have two the same age and travel regularly on my own with them. The only thing I would struggled with with that would be the carrying of the bags because although mine will take then for a while I eventually end up carrying at least the little ones. It wouldn’t stop me from going though.

Fivemoreminutes1 · 08/07/2023 18:57

In that order? You’ve got some massive distances there. For example, Bruges to Stuttgart by train is 6 hours minimum. And when you say ‘1 day’, do you mean 1 full day so two nights?

mogernator · 08/07/2023 20:58

@Fivemoreminutes1 the route definitely needs more thought, and exactly this. I could deal with 6 hours. With kids maybe not....I couldn't find a website that allowed you to plan out train connections very well unless I'm missing something! We could be away the whole summer holiday so a bit of wriggle room to break up the longer journeys more for sure.

OP posts:
mogernator · 08/07/2023 20:59

Nice to hear this isn't a completely stupid idea! I really like the idea of trains as well as there is a bit more freedom to get out of seat and no driving stress.

OP posts:
mogernator · 08/07/2023 21:00

If anyone has done a summer interrailing with kids I'd love to know your route. All I know is my son wants to go to Switzerland and I quite fancy Croatia or Slovenia.

OP posts:
CornishTiger · 08/07/2023 21:02

I’ve been considering this too. My DH would never go. Just wondering about costs of accommodation though.

Found website earlier on a recommendation on here.

https://www.seat61.com/index-mobile.htm

The Man in Seat 61 - the train travel site

The mobile home page of the Man in Seat 61, the guide to train travel in the UK, Europe & worldwide.

https://www.seat61.com/index-mobile.htm

mogernator · 08/07/2023 21:15

I'm also unclear about costs. Kids go free on the interrail which looks amazing value compared to individual tickets but then you have to pay reservation costs oon top. Plus, yes, accomm...all a bit confusing. Would have to be fairly budget for 5 or so weeks.

OP posts:
CornishTiger · 08/07/2023 21:20

My children would count as youths sadly!

pinguins · 08/07/2023 21:35

I've done Interrail (pre-kids) and I have kids, so I might be able to offer some advice/info.

First, The Man In Seat 61 website is excellent for route planning and guides to rail routes.

Second, longer train rides are more doable on the continent because of the train designs, they're built more for comfort. Especially Switzerland/Austria, they tend to have trains with compartments which means you've got more space to wriggle. Honestly I would 100% recommend Switzerland on trains. You will spend the whole travel time in Switzerland just looking out of the window at the incredible views.

The Italian trains were a bit run down compared to other European countries but largely on time.

If you take lots for your children to do on the trains you'll be able to go for longer journeys per day. I'd recommend doing 1 travel day for up to 6 hours, then taking 2-3 days of not travelling and just exploring a location (even the locations that no one goes on holiday to can be really interesting).
I'd also recommend not relying on devices as plugs can be tricky on some routes (as can phone signal), but take books/paper-based/mini-board-games for the trains.

Screenshot any contact details for hotels, train timetables, map routes etc so you don't need an internet connection just in case it drops at an awkward moment.

Another thing to bear in mind is whatever luggage you take, you'll have to carry it from the train to your hotel and back again, and if you're doing some exploring you'll have to carry it around town, too. I took a backpack but if I did it again I'd take a wheeled carry on case. I strongly recommend you travel as light as possible and definitely keep it to one bag each (plus your handbag) and be sure each of you can pull or carry your own bag because the hardest thing about Interrail is dragging your bags around.

You also need to get your ticket validated to use some routes and reserve a seat before you get on the train. I fell foul of this in Italy and had to pay a €47 fine instead of the €8 it would have been to reserve properly. It's always worth double checking at the station, especially if you have a long journey ahead of you, but most trains I caught were just hop on/off.

On the topic of packing, take one outfit that will keep you warm, one that will keep you cool, one you can swim in, and the rest something in between as most trains and hotels are air conditioned. It can get very cold at altitude even in the height of summer and it can get unbearably hot as you get further south.

If you find yourself in a town and short of accommodation, most Tourist Information centres in Europe can find you a room for the night. I didn't pre-book anything but probably could have saved a lot of money if I had.

The only place I couldn't find a room for the night was Paris which I recommend you avoid. If I could do Interrail again I'd go straight to Brussels then down through Germany, Switzerland, Milan, and across to Venice then on into Eastern Europe. I did most of that route but I wasted loads of time in France due to Paris and I really didn't rate it.

Also grab some nice snacks for each travel day from the local Eurospar or other supermarket, as most trains do drinks but not all trains have a great selection of food. I think the meal I hated most was "currywurst" in Germany. It was the only thing on the menu and it was utterly dismal.

Good luck if you decide to do this adventure!

pinguins · 08/07/2023 21:37

Sorry that should have read, and if you're doing some exploring on a travel day, you'll have to carry it around town, too.

pinguins · 08/07/2023 21:44

Also if you're worried about budget, why not get one of the shorter Interrail passes? They're more affordable and would still be a fantastic adventure. Just be sure to leave enough travel days at the end of the pass to get home (and one extra in case you miss a connection). You can also potentially save money using sleeper trains on travel days.

PizzaPastaWine · 08/07/2023 21:45

I've not inter railed but have island hopped in Croatia with DC. We had a great time but the feedback from them was that it was just a bit too much travelling when we were there. I think by that it was the travel, finding accommodation, checking in, getting sorted, then doing it again a few days later IYSWIM.

Not to put you off - we had a fantastic time but there were certainly times of elevated stress and boredom.

TheMildManneredMilitant · 08/07/2023 21:45

In theory should be fab and I really want to do similar - but that's a lot of destinations. Which means a lot of packing/unpacking/travelling/entertaining/finding meals everyone will eat etc. Only you will know if you think your kids will cope with that.
In general though I'm totally for European city breaks by train. So many options and what a great adventure for you all.

cosmosforall · 08/07/2023 22:04

Well I would not but o my because my DD has just come back from three weeks and it was so expensive! The amount of trains that didnot turn up up or even exist was bonkers. And the. The cost of seat reservations.

But I may be a bit wounded at the moment about it as a concept!

Mumski45 · 08/07/2023 22:20

Not quite as long as your trip and my 2 DS are teens but we are doing something similar over 11 days. Berlin-Prague-Vienna- Salzburg-Innsbruck-Lake Garda.

We did 6 cities in Spain last year.

I love it and the boys have learnt a lot. We like doing e-bike tours as you get to see more of the City in a relatively short amount of time.

Trains in Spain were fab, well organised and on time. Only issue was broken air conditioning on one journey but we ended up with a full refund for that journey which we claimed when we got home.
I would do a min of 2 nights in each place if you can otherwise it can feel like you are travelling every day.

noclouds · 08/07/2023 22:50

I have children of similar ages and we usually do a city break followed by a beach break and to be honest they really are not very good excited about the city break part in the summer. It's too much for all of us to do sightseeing in the heat of summer (and I love the heat). I would break it up with some longer breaks just to enjoy a beach or pools

WWYDIYWMRN · 08/07/2023 22:57

I've gone interrailing recently and would not bother with a pass again but buy the tickets separately. However, as kids are free it may well be worth it for what you have in mind

Made4Sunshine · 09/07/2023 18:38

I'm doing Rome- Florence- Milan- Paris- Brussels- Berlin , Amsterdam and then UK., 3 weeks total .Flying into Rome in 2 weeks with my two sons. I've reserved the trains for the main routes and we are doing a night train from Brussels to Berlin with a private compartment. We also plan to do day trips to Brugge, Antwerp and Lake Como. I managed to book all the accommodation last Saturday. Nothing too fancy but rooms that sleep 3 with an ensuite. It was more expensive than I thought, particularly Florence and Amsterdam. I guess staying outside the cities would be cheaper

crackofdoom · 09/07/2023 23:07

Yes, I went at Easter with my 2 DC aged 7 and 13. Cornwall- London- Brussels- Innsbruck (yes, we crossed the entirety of Germany in one 9 hour day!!)- Venice- Rome- Genoa- Nice- Paris- London- Cornwall.

It was great, but it was pretty hard work! We were playing whack- a- mole with strikes popping up all over the place the whole time. Nevertheless, we would definitely do it again.

Have you checked your route in Croatia and Slovenia, because I don't think either country has a very extensive rail network?

Amsterdam is, of course, great- but by God accommodation is pricey! I wanted to go but had to rule it out in the end and go to Brussels instead.

Book your Eurostar passholder reservations as far in advance as possible- they can and do sell out. Night sleeper trains are an exciting option, but not necessarily cheaper when there are 3 of you! Reservations for these usually sell out pretty fast, too.

It turned out that long long days spent on the train were not a problem at all for my DC- because I allowed them unlimited time on their devices! 😆 And I found them very peaceful too, after all the rushing around.

We took a rucksack each, and normally carried our own, except when we were rushing or had a long walk, when I carried DC2's as well as mine. Major stations often have luggage storage (which can sometimes be eye wateringly expensive, looking at you Venice 🙄), or there are apps telling you which nearby places do ad hoc storage.

crackofdoom · 09/07/2023 23:21

Switzerland is supposed to be one of the countries where you will get best value out of your Interrail pass (another one is the UK), because Swiss train fares are normally so expensive. Although you do then have to find accommodation and food at Swiss prices...😬

I'm surprised at the PP who said they couldn't find accommodation in Paris! I've always found France a doddle for accommodation, it's the land of the budget chain hotel.

There's a Facebook page called Interrail and Eurrail Travellers which is very very helpful. Just don't go asking the 15,000th question about reservations that day, you'll make the admins sad 😆

crackofdoom · 09/07/2023 23:50

What about making your way from Austria to Germany via Czechia, Poland, and then onto Berlin then Amsterdam, and leaving Croatia and Slovenia for a non- train holiday? Eastern Europe could soothe your Amsterdam and Switzerland- battered budget.

Farmy · 10/07/2023 09:43

My only thought is that in summer it will be blimmim hot. My kids get grumpy in the heat unless there’s promise of swimming somehow. So if you’re not building that in perhaps Easter would be better or October if you happen to be at a school with 2 weeks off for half term.

BTW public pools in Switzerland should be good value and are often in beautiful settings. And Swiss hostels will get v booked up.

You could also look at the likes of eurocamp for accommodation too.

have fun!

crackofdoom · 10/07/2023 10:50

Yes, this is why I chose to go over Easter.....which was unseasonably cold this year! 🤦‍♀️ I've just been revisiting the photos of the DC muffled up in coats and woolly hats in Italy! 😆

Thereisnoname · 10/07/2023 22:41

We're doing this leaving next week, 2 dc 8 and 10 but both me and dp are going. We're going for nearly 4 weeks but had to reduce the number of places from initial plan as it would have been 1 night and moving on which we didn't think would work with kids.
Were doing london-france-Switzerland ( 4 nights)- Venice enice- rimini- naples-rome-pisa-monaco- lake annecy- lyon- london. Most are 2 or 3 night stops.
We've tried to mix sightseeing (not sure kids will love it in the heat) with beach/swimming days.
We've also booked all accommodation ( went for nearest to the station in most places) and reservations on most of the trains, so won't be a spontaneous trip like I did when younger but didn't want the stress of finding accommodation, space on trains etc with kids in tow.
Will try and remember to update when we return, hopefully it'll be a positive report.