interrailing questions

will369

Hi,

I have quite a few interrailing questions.

Would appreciate any help you can give.

1) I want to use my iphone 6 when I am in Europe. I want to be able to browse the web etc when I am not in a wifi spot. I am on EE network and it’s a contract phone. Apparently the network ‘3’ offer a service where you can use your phone in Europe?

2) Is it best to book all your hostels in advance? Or just turn up and hope they have a spare room?

3) Is there a card you can take to store all your money on? Saving you carrying cash on you. I bank with Barclays. Does the post office offer this service?

4) I live in Exeter, Devon. My 1st country is going to will be Amsterdam. I take it would be best to fly there? I plan to leave on the 1st June….when should I book my flight?

5) When travelling, is it best to leave the country in the morning, afternoon, or evening to move onto the next country? I am not the sort of person who can fall asleep on a train for a few hours lol.

6) What essential medical items shall I take? So far I have on my list, pain killers, sun cream, after sun & plasters.

7) Shall I take my Nikon D3300, or purchase a compact camera? Will it be a pain carrying round a DSLR all day? I am not worried about losing it. It’s more the fact of the weight / hassle of carrying it around.

8) When you are sight seeing for the day, I take it I would leave my bag in the hostel? Do most of them provide lockers? What do you carry round with you in the day? Phone, money, camera, bottle of water?

9) If you have been interrailing before, how much money did you spend in the time you went? I am planning on taking £1200 which is 1500 euros, I am going for 30 days, that’s 50 Euros a day.

10) If you have been interrailing before, what would you do different if you went again?

11) Is it easy to meet people? I am going on my own. One night I might fancy hitting the town, wouldn’t want to be a loner.

12) If you have been interrailing before, name me 5 things you did you would 100% recommend to someone to also do.

13) What sort of clothing / footwear did you take? My dad is saying for me to take, decent walking boots and walking clothing etc. To me, none of that stuff is stylish. I like to look good lol. What I am saying is, will I be ok with general trainers for the day? General t-shirts and shorts?


Thank you so much J

richardw

7) iphone 6 has a camera.

Voyager2002

2). The whole point of Inter-rail is the flexibility, so it makes no sense at all booking hostels in advance. Just turn up: if your chosen hostel is full they will suggest somewhere else...

3). Read what this forum says: there are many options.

4). I lived in Exeter until recently... There are many ways to get to Amsterdam. Flybe is expensive if you take more than hand-luggage; you could fly from Bristol and use another, much cheaper, airline... Perhaps the nicest way to get there is from London, with a combined rail and boat ticket, and that is very good value for money. The cheapest way is to get a bus (Eurolines) all the way from London. The most stylish way is by Eurostar to Brussels, and then you can extend your ticket to Amsterdam for just ten pounds.

Oh: Amsterdam is a city within a country (Netherlands) which has a great deal to offer outside its capital...

7). Yes, travelling with an SLR and a set of lenses is a pain, but if you are a keen photographer there is no way round it. Rather than buying a compact, consider going without a camera and just using your eyes and memory. Your call.

11). Yes, if you stay in hostels and use the (shared) kitchens it is very easy to meet people.

12). You have to follow your interests: go to places that connect with you.

13). Forget about looking stylish, and just take things that are comfortable and easy to wash and dry.

Carfal

I' sure you will have thought of most of these, but here are some tips:-

Plan a rough route on a map, so you don't go back on yourself. Take the map so you know where you are in relation to other places.
Plan in some rest days where you're not travelling.

Take old clothes, especially underwear, and ditch them as they get dirty. Then you're only carrying clean things and your bag gets lighter as you go. There may be a huge variation in weather, so plan accordingly. Don't take or buy anything which you would be devastated to lose or break. Think about security of money and documents (and yourself) all the time.

Take your youth hostel and e111 cards. Carry water.

Rather than considering leaving times, think about arrival times. Don't plan to arrive after dark. As you exit the station in major cities, avoid 'helpful' people hanging around looking for disorientated travellers with offers of hostels and taxis. Get your bed for the night organised before you go sightseeing.

Consider staying outside of the the major cities. E.g. We stayed in Utrecht rather than Amsterdam - less than an hour from Amsterdam and much quieter, cheaper and felt safer.

Remember thatEuropean trains are often split and recombined at major interchanges. Each carriage will be labelled with its destination. If a carriage is full and you walk through to the next carriage you may not end up where you intended.



Enjoy yourself. It'so a wonderful experience.