Any interailers?

gt568

Hi

Anyone on here into inter-railing?  We are thinking of taken our 13 and 16 year old inter-railing in Europe this summer but we don't know where to begin.....other than maybe fly to Berlin to start with and go to auschwitz....probably 10 days.....spend a day or two at each locat....

Any tips or advice?  is it even realistic for middle aged parents?

JGB1955

Invaluable advice can be found on the 'Man in Seat 61' website, along with a Facebook group called 'Interrailing for the older crowd'.  Enjoy!

amanda1024

I went interrailing for the first time a couple of years ago. Would endorse the man in seat 61 recommendation. Also:
- there are a range of different passes; if you get the europe wide one that includes one journey to and from the country of origin (ie you could get the eurostar to and from Europe rather than flying)
- look out for reservation costs - these can vary a lot.
- sleeper trains can be a lot of fun - and you can often book a whole compartment for a family. Although the reservation cost is higher, you save on a hotel for the night

savagelyric

JGB1955 said:

Invaluable advice can be found on the 'Man in Seat 61' website, along with a Facebook group called 'Interrailing for the older crowd'.  Enjoy!

I came on to recommend the same two!

I went on my first rail holiday last year and booked via Byway Travel (found via Man in Seat 61) so I didn't have to worry about the details plus I had 24/7 support via WhatsApp.

mr_stripey

Thanks for the tips. I'm considering solo interrailing this year as a solo 50 year old and not really sure where to start!

Voyager2002

Good advice has already been given.

If you start in Berlin, you can travel very cheaply to Poland using regional (slower) trains. Within Poland, trains are very affordable, so you could simply buy advance-purchase tickets online and go to Krakow (a worthwhile destination) and from there to Auschwitz.

Jay19903562

I second reccomendations for looking at the Man in Seat 61 . Cant really comment too much about passes or costs etc because I work for a rail operator in the Uk so I get discounted european travel as well .

I know you have said you plan to start in Germany , but if you did want to consider any alternatives I travelled accross Italy last year by train which was trouble free and enjoyable ,I higly reccomend the Rome or Naples to Sicily intercity trains , they actually load the train onto a ferry for the short crossing from the mainland . I think its the last place in Europe that they do that now .

zagubov

Did something like this over 30 years ago. Got a cheap flight to the med then took trains up to Germany (visited Salzburg and Munich which has the Deutches Museum Travelled up the Rhineland, visited Heidelberg.
Found public transport was excellent and easy to get to pensions and hostels to stay overnight.

pavlovs_dog

We too did 2 weeks of touring Italy via train last summer and had a great time. Trains in Europe put our rail network to shame.

You'd be wise to pin down your rough itinerary so that you can price up whether the official inter rail pass is worth it.  We decided against it in the end and paid as we went on the day.

You want to travel as light as you can get away with.  Look for accommodation with laundry facilities or near a laundrette.

martindow

Some countries have very good value regional tickets so depending on your plans Interrail tickets might not be the best option.  Germany has this for instance

https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket

49 Euros for a month of unlimited travel on regional trains and most buses and trams.  You can't use it on high speed trains but it may suit your plans.

Another vote for seat61 !

Rosa_Damascena

OP - I think this is a great way to introduce children to inter-railing, it will build their confidence and also yours that they will be safe an well on future journeys as young adults.

Would I do it myself? Not in a million years!