Interrailing advice

[GreatTEscape]

DS will be interrailing with friends this summer. It’s the first time he’s travelled abroad without us.

I must admit my only worry is how he’ll mange money and several currencies. Can anyone please share their experience and what worked well?
i’ve looked into a Wise account, this appears to have good reviews. I am also planning on sending him a credit card for emergencies however I don’t want to pay huge foreign currency exchange fees. We bank with HBCS.

I also need to organise his insurance, can anyone recommend a good provider for this type of travel?

Thank you!

Think dds mostly use Monzo account for traveling. Check if his SIM will incur extra charges abroad or get an E SIM. Any reputable insurance - could get an annual one if he has other trips planned. Hostels get really booked up in Europe and are relatively expensive so book ahead. Make sure to use the ticket right - my dd's friend forgot to click that he was using one of his journeys and got fined on the train.

My children used both Monzo and Revolut depending on who they were travelling with - if they all use the same bill splitting is really simple.

Thank you very much, so it seems that opening a Monzo account is the way to go!

any other advice about what too look out for?

thank you

He'll need a padlock if staying in hostels - one with a narrow "thread" is better. For interrail - did he book Eurostar crossings already? Some trains in France have compulsory reservations - and some in Germany over the summer. If crossing the Brenner route - e.g. between Germany and Italy and Austria - you need to buy a supplement for the train - about 13 euros - though reservations are optional. My daughter has a Revolut card and uses that for changing to different currencies.

Thank you for mentioning the padlock! Will put that on his shopping list.

He’s booked the inter rail card. We’ve opened the monzo account. I’ve asked him to look at YouTube for channels with recommendations. He seems to need a little push to get things done, a bit frustrating!

As a PP said, a padlock definitely will be useful. I'd have a money belt that goes under clothes for his passport, but pop the passport in a small plastic bag to stop it from getting sweaty and damp don't ask how I know that. Decent rucksack as he'll carry it for longer than he thinks he will. Pack of playing cards as a good way to pass time or strike up conversations with other travellers on trains or in hostels. One of those super thin towels as they're so much smaller and dry quickly, camping shops sell them. Take photos of passport and travel insurance documents in case either are stolen and make sure details are kept at home too and get him to learn by heart a phone number for a sensible adult in the UK akso don't ask why I know this is a good idea. We took a pen knife to cut bread and spread butter etc for picnics but that's probably illegal now so maybe some bamboo/ wooden knives. And wet wipes for hands as he'll probably have more picnics as it's a cheaper way to eat.
Having said all the above now we have the internet things are very different from the days or rocking up in a city and phoning hostels to find a bed for the night with the alternative being getting on a night train if there was nowhere to stay. I loved inter rail and it's left me with a lifelong appreciation of hotels that are clean and have an ensuite bathroom 🙂

Pretty much this, check that the trains are bookable/available. My daughter went to years ago and some trains had compulsory booking and they posted her paper tickets 😮