(closed) Win a Trip to Relive Your Eurail/Interrail Adventure! 🚆✨

Dear Eurail and fellow travelers, 

I am Shriti Suvarna, currently living in Germany and I am originally from Mumbai in India.  

My love and first introduction to the world of Europe train travel and Eurail was in the Bollywood blockbuster movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. The love story began with the train travel where the heroine was going to miss the train, and the hero leans out and helps her in. The dream of travelling through Europe by train began from then on and I think I might have manifested it when i moved to Germany just as the lockdown lifted in 2021. 

My Instagram account and my nick name is – Shrits on Wheels and i couldn't have been happier and more grateful to the Eurail passes for providing the Wheels to the Shrits. From 2022 to 2025, the wheels became the wind beneath my wings and took me to places, brought dreams into reality, enabled my parents to travel too from India with me on senior pass and I have recommended Eurail passes with itineraries to countless friends and colleagues.  

Here is my attempt to encapsulate the many memories, kilometers, adventures that Eurail journeys have taken me on... 

SWITZERLAND 

My first trip was to Switzerland, as being a true Bollywood junkie, it is number one destination for most Indians. I travelled first time in 2022 and so many times after that and have shared with my friends too the most popular locations with special focus on Bollywood. The first trip was very special as I had a recent ligament tear injury and i was recovering and didn’t want my wheels to stop and went to Zurich and Interlaken with crutches. The physical experience was seamless as Switzerland stations have very good mobility access. My heart was pounding as i took the panoramic train from Luzerne to Interlaken as the train made its way in and out of the Alps. After the first visit I discovered the panoramic train from Interlaken to Montreux which is also equally stunning. From Montreux one can take a train ride to Geneva and take a boat ride on Lake Geneva with a discount thanks to the Eurail pass. You will discover many boat rides along the scenic lakes, the cable car to Mt. Titlis or Jungfrau with also a discount due to the pass. From Montreux back to Interlaken, i have also taken the vintage train called Belle Epoque back and it was just lovely.  

In Switzerland, other destinations that I have travelled i addition to Zurich, Interlaken, Geneva, Montreux and truly enjoyed with Eurail have been: Bern, Mt. Titlis, Lucerne, Lugano, Oberalpass, Chur, Zermatt, Gruyere, St. Gallen, Grindelwald, Winterthur. I also went to tiny and pretty little country of Lichtenstein with Swiss rail going up to the destination of Vaud and then a bus takes you to Lichtenstein. 

ITALY 

From my little town in Germany, I also went to Italy all the way by train. With one break in Bern, I took the train to Milan and then a train direct to Rome. Exploring the ancient   city with its Colosseum, Trevi fountain, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Vatican City were splendid. I took the train then to Venice and with a last halt in Pisa before returning to Germany. Aah Shrits on Wheels soul was so happy. Trains to the big cities can be reached with Eurail pass however seat reservations on Trenitalia are mandatory. 

On my second trip to Italy, i visited Genoa and made beautiful day trips to Cinque Terre and Monaco. These trains do not need prior reservations. 

BELGIUM 

I visited Belgium a couple of times with Eurail pass and each time i could not get enough of the waffles 😊! The main highlights were the waffles, The tiny pissing boy in Brussels, the main square, Bruges and the most beautiful station of Antwerp. If you are a train and station buff like me, do not miss beautiful station of Antwerp and the very cool port town. 

NETHERLANDS 

Going to Netherlands during Tulip time while wearing a poncho is an experience by itself. I still dream of the Keukenhof gardens and Amsterdam, Den Helder, Hague, Delft, Rotterdam, Utrecht are my favorite cities and i often think of them and when i get to visit again.  

LUXEMBOURG 

Such a cool and modern city and such a great mix of cultures and languages of its neighboring countries. It is very easy to get there from Germany either from Saarbrucken or from Trier.  

FRANCE 

France from Germany with the TGV is so accessible (seat reservations recommended months in advance). Je taime France every time and everyplace i go so much. I especially love the South of France – Marseille, Cannes and Nice. All accessible with regional trains and easy to hop on and off. Buying soaps in Marseille or binging on the sea food or walking down the streets is a treat for your senses. 

Visiting Paris during the Olympics is an experience i will never ever forget. How the whole world was in the city of love and for the love of sports is one of my favorite memories of travelling in Europe. 

AUSTRIA 

The hills do come alive and so does Mozart’s music in Salzburg. From Munich, i took the train to Salzburg and then went to beautiful Vienna. From Vienna, i took the direct train to Berlin which was an amazing journey to Germany. 

PRAGUE AND POLAND 

I went to Prague from Weinheim in Germany. I first took a regional train to Frankfurt. Then an overnight train from Frankfurt to Leipzig with a change in Dresden and had brunch in the stunning city of Prague. The whole journey took around 10 hours. I especially loved the train travel as the train crosses Dresden via Bad Schandau to reach Czech Republic. The train journey goes along the River Elbe and the stunning sights of Lower Saxony. I was in Prague only for a night and wrapped in all i could but honestly this trip was truly all about the journey.  

From Prague, I took the direct train to Krakow. I loved Poland and the many stories it had to tell. From beautiful Krakow to modern Warsaw. The food, the fashion and the people were stunning. Journey to Auschwitz leaves you gutted and reminds of the journey that people have been forced to take and never returned to their homes or their loved ones. We only can hope for a world of peace. 

DENMARK AND STOCKHOLM 

Getting to Denmark from Germany is easier than i had imagined. From Weinheim I took the direct train to Hamburg and changed out there to Flensburg and then a train to Kolding. I have never been so up North and from Kolding i made my fist stop to Billund for Legoland. I explored Denmark and the many adventures of this stunning country in Skagen, Aarhus, Skandinavisk Dyre park. The scandavian wildlife in the park is my favorite memory and sometimes i look at the videos and wonder how they all are doing. Copenhagen as a city is everything that a modern city should be and look like. From Copenhagen, I took the train up to Stockholm. While Stockholm is a lovely city, getting there from Copenhagen and watching the Swedish countryside roll by is what happiness from the happiest countries is all about.  

GERMANY 

Hamburg, Berlin, Black Forest, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Baden Baden, Heidelberg, Bonn, Leipzig, Dresden, Mannheim, Weinheim are some of the cities in Germany that i visited with the train. Some places just stunning, some have stories to tell, some standing tall after the aftermath of World War II and as i discovered these cities and towns i realized the most important journey one makes is that of the soul.  

CHRISTMAS MARKETS 

One of my greatest joys of train travel is the journeys it takes me to the Christmas markets. The smell of Glühwein, Christmas cheer, food and banter amongst friends and i imagine the journeys people made in the early Christmas markets in the 12th century. I reserve days at the end of the year to embark with a Eurail pass to discover the marvelous Christmas markets. The neighboring towns and villages all have a display of Christmas markets and some of the ones i have travelled to lands far and near have been to and loved are: Cologne, Frankfurt, Essen, Strasbourg, Heidelberg, Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Zurich, Montreux, Marseille, Bern. 

UNITED KINGDOM 

Travelling to United Kingdom was my big trip of 2025. It was the first time that i had taken 3 weeks of vacation. My parents were joining from India as it was their dream to visit London, and I wanted to make this dream of theirs a reality. 

I travelled to London with the Eurail pass and i told the whole world about it. I took the train from Weinheim to Frankfurt. Then Frankfurt to Brussels and stayed in Brussels for a night. From Brussels you can take the Eurostar to London. I was so excited by this journey that i could not get sleep at night as it was the first time the train and wheels will take me underwater. With the magical Eurail pass you can activate a day and make seat reservations in advance on the Eurostar. The day activation plus seat reservation of 32€ took me under the English Channel and straight to London Pancras station. I felt exhilarated with this journey. Exploring London was a dream come true for us a family and it reunited us so we could spend time together in another country. We went to Brighton, Oxford, Greenwich, Liverpool, Manchester all by train. We said hello to the Royal family and spent lovely memories along the Thames.  

I also used my Eurail pass to travel to Glasgow and Edinburgh, and the lowlands and highlands completely captivated me. I got to spend Father's Day with my dad in Scotland over a glass of whisky and after so many years and it will always be so special for me. From Glasgow we went to North Wales to Llandudno junction. If i ever go back to UK, it would be to visit North Wales. I loved the stunning landscape of the sea with the mountains sprinkled with the Welsch sheep. From Wales we went to Liverpool, and it was my mom's dream to relive the Beatles era. My mom turned into a groupie and i watched her eyes lit up when she took pictures with her favorite Beatles stars. We returned to Kings Cross station and came back to Germany on the Eurostar. This time my parents got to experience it, and they shared with family and friends back in India when we all had breakfast in Eurostar. We are truly a family who loves being on Wheels. 

Thanks to Eurail for making dreams into reality, for the many countries, rails, memories, stories, kilometers and wheels that you cover.  Thank you for this competition so I could put my many words and stories together and feel the nostalgia, feel the movement of the trains as I write this and wait eagerly to plan for my next adventure. 

Thank you,

Shrits on Wheels. 

Here is my video on YouTube with an attempt to capture the above:

The Wheels behind the Shrits, made possible only by Eurail!

Netherlands

Switzerland

In 2020, the year I turned 18, I had the incredible chance to win an Interrail Pass through DiscoverEU. It was the first time I travelled without my parents, a true rite of passage, and I shared it with my girlfriend, which made the experience even more unforgettable.

The timing made it even more special. That year was of course defined by Covid. After months of lockdowns and restrictions, stepping onto a train felt like stepping back into the world. Every border we crossed felt almost surreal, like we were reclaiming a freedom that had been taken away. I still remember the sensation of sitting by the window, mask in hand, watching the landscape roll by: it wasn’t just travel, it was breathing again.

We started close to home in Liège, then continued on to Köln. There, we added a little chapter to our love story by placing a lock on the famous bridge, surrounded by thousands of others. It felt symbolic: in the middle of such an uncertain time, we were able to leave something permanent behind. From there, the journey kept surprising us. In the Vosges mountains, we found quiet beauty and endless green landscapes. I’ll never forget the scorching heat in Lyon, more than 40°C, as we wandered through the old town, searching for shade and cold drinks, yet somehow that intensity made the city feel even more alive. Marseille brought us the sea, new flavors, and a different rhythm of life. Finally, we reached Frankfurt, with its modern skyline that contrasted so sharply with the other places we had visited.

Food was a big part of the trip too. Every city had its specialties, and we made it a point to try something different each time: from hearty German dishes to French pâtisseries and Mediterranean flavors in Marseille. It was like travelling through Europe with our taste buds as much as with our train tickets.

Of course, everything didn’t go as planned: we had booked trains to continue to Nice and Milan, but a Covid outbreak forced us to cancel the last part and to go to Frankfurt instead. At the time it was frustrating, but looking back, it’s one of those moments that taught us something. Travel isn’t only about what goes right, it’s also about learning to adapt, about finding joy even when plans change. And maybe that’s why the trip has stayed with me so strongly: because it wasn’t just about destinations, it was about the experience of being free, young, and on the move again.

Now, five years later, those memories are still vivid. I often catch myself telling friends or family about little details: the train rides at sunset, the laughter when we got lost in Lyon, or that lock in Köln which is probably still there today. What makes me smile the most is that this trip was really a beginning. It shaped how I see travel: not as a checklist of places, but as a way to grow, to connect, and to carry stories with you for life. 

raveling by train across borders without even noticing when one country ended and another began made me feel truly European. It helped me understand what brings us together: the shared culture, the diversity of languages, the food, the history, and above all, the freedom to move and connect.

If I got the chance to relive this adventure with my girlfriend, it would feel like closing a circle. Back then we were two 18-year-olds taking our first steps into the world; today we would retrace European train tracks with new perspectives, and maybe finally make it to Milan this time.

I went on my interrail trip in 2022. I was 18 years old, I had just finished high school and I knew that what I wanted as a gift for my 18th birthday was a chance to go outside and see a little bit of the world. So in august, my boyfriend and I went on this amazing adventure just the two of us. It was the first time for the both of us to see big, beautiful cities that we always dreamed of. Our first destination was Vienna. We did a 12- hour trip from Naples and we couldn’t get any sleep that night, so something we will never forget is certainly seeing the sunset in a totally different landscape, from a train. I remember that i was amazed by how many things I could see by spending time travelling: I could literally see how much and where the landscape changed from a country to another -something that from a plane you’d miss. 

We grew up so much during our Interrail trip, especially because of the challenges we got to face: once, in Berlin, our train departed too early (something we didn’t really expect!) and the only chance we had to make it to Bruxelles was to get on another train, several hours later, which because of some problems left us in Cologne. We had to do many researches in order to find which train stopped in Bruxelles, and we arrived late at night, but we made it and we managed to stay calm! 

Moreover, we had to manage ourselves for the first time alone, outside our house, in foreign countries, with little money. So we were satisfied even with a sandwich bought from a small local shop, because what really mattered to us was being there, getting to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle and Berlin in the summer. It was a life lesson because today we know how to make some little sacrifices so that something better comes.

That is the same reason why we decided to make a stop in Amsterdam from Bruxelles before going to Paris: we could not afford to spend more days there, but we really wanted to see it even just for some hours, so we stopped there for a day and got to visit the Van Gogh museum as well as Amsterdam’s canals!

In Bruxelles we had some troubles with the hostel, but we managed it, and after that, I personally got to see the city I dreamed of since I was a little girl: Paris. It was exactly as i pictured it, even more beautiful than I could imagine, and we both agree that Paris was our favourite part of the trip: we got emotional when we saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle for the first time!

We tried to see as many things as we could in each city (in total, we got to see Vienna, Berlin, Bruxelles, Amsterdam and Paris) but we both agree that there is still so much left to see and we cannot wait to get the chance to experience it all over again!

Please watch this 21sec video before reading !! Interrail Video 🌅

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I love the train.

I love how time feels different once you’re on one, unlike any other mode of transport.

I love how I always pack a book, a crochet project, and download a movie, but end up just staring out the window, trying to count all the wind turbines I can spot (the ones between Vienna and Budapest were absolutely wild!).

I love the people you meet on trains, and how easy it is to talk to them. Everyone has a different story and a different route than yours (especially in summer, when most are interrailers), but somehow, you end up sharing part of your journey and bonding over how stressful it was to book your seat because you couldn’t understand the ticket agent .

I love seeing families travel together, and how kids get to experience interrailing so young. It makes me both hopeful and a little jealous.

I love the feeling that maybe… I really love traveling?

I remember 3y ago when I was 21, doing an interrail trip with my best friend from Budapest to Split. The train from Split was leaving at 3 PM: it was a heatwave, we had food poisoning the day before, and there was no water on the old train with no AC.

I love how, in that moment, a beautiful sense of solidarity formed among the passengers. Those who had water shared with those who didn’t. It really brought us together, and then the Croatian border customs gave us free water. When we arrived in Zagreb to catch our train to Split, we thought the toughest part of the trip was behind us.

But we quickly realized the hardest part was yet to come. What we learned is that some countries aren’t as digitalized (I’m from Moldova, I should’ve known!) and to book a seat, it was mission impossible. So when we boarded the 8-hour train to Split, we spent the first hour standing because it was packed and there were no seats available.  Then, we just sat on the floor in the gangway between two cars, right in front of the out-of-order toilets :) 

I love how my friend and I ended up spending the whole rest of the night playing cards with some German guys heading to the same destination. I think we spent the entire time laughing and getting to know each other (maybe it was the sleep deprivation making us a bit manic?). We ended up spending part of our trip in Split together and stayed in touch!

I loved that part of my interrail trip. It brought me closer to my friend, and I still tell this story to everyone who asks me about interrailing (and I even have friends that went interrailing after I told them that this existed!!).

I think that out of the 3 week holiday interraling through 6 countries, my favorite part was this one because it was unique and unforgettable.

Proof? I did another one to explore Germany! Then, I loved it so much that I moved to Munich for six months after seeing its potential during a two-day visit. (During my first interrail, I saw the potential of Prague and did my Erasmus there as well!) I won’t hesitate to go on another Interrail and re-experience the joy I once had. 

Honestly, I love how interrailing has shaped me. I don’t think I can even put into words how valuable it’s been, and how much it’s built my character. I wish it was better known and that more people would do it.

Here are some pictures from my two interrails through Germany (I had a whole separate interrail ticket for the country), CZ, Hungary, Groatia, Montenegro, Romania. 

Thanks a lot for reading me, 

Catalina. 

In November 2023, I was brutally and unceremoniously laid off my first job. The weeks that followed felt very sore and depressing, until I received a newsletter with the subject « Winter Sale: 10% off Interrail Passes! 🚂 ». No need to overthink it, I booked my unlimited 2-months Interrail Global Pass, solo, with two goals in mind: a) to feed myself on new and beautiful sights and things ; b) to do cumbersome chores - like applying to jobs - but outside my own apartment and city, especially in beautiful libraries across Europe.

On top of completing my main quest, there are many and wholesome moments I have stored in the hard drive that one calls memory, but let me share with you just a couple that I particularly cherish.

1. While in Bregenz, I decided to go on a small and easy hike up to Pfänder. On my way up, I pass the small village of Fluh, with only one street (also soberly named Fluh). As I stopped in front of the sign marketing the concert the next day of a local orchestra, an elderly lady started talking to me and commenting on the upcoming concert. I answered that sadly, I wouldn’t be able to attend since I was leaving before. However, my complete lack of understanding German (and her lack of understanding English or French) didn’t deter her. After I had politely took leave of her and kept on walking, she came up to me again a few hundred meters away as I was taking a pause on a bench. She proceeded to start a very vivid and never-ending conversation of which I understood nothing, except the word « friseur », as she pointed her beautifully trimmed bichon frise, then pointing my curly hair. She was also very insistant on my mom and dad. A couple of hikers went by, and translated the main portion that explained everything: she was very concerned that a teenager was all by herself on a trip and in this hike, without her parents... This very sweet lady even offered to take me to her daughter’s house so she could drive me down back to downtown Bregenz. On the rest of the hike, despite my non-existant German, I picked up this sentence as it was repeated many times in different hikers’ mouths « Sie ist klein ». When I finally had internet service, I was able to translate: « She is small ».
   
   I was 26 years-old.
    
2. I have a very fond memory of the night train from Budapest to Berlin. It was my first time taking a night train, I had no idea how it worked and what were the specific customs of such travels (which now seems like a second nature given all the night trains I have taken since, and me always giving tips to the first-timers). I ended up sharing my compartment with Sergei, owner of three different phones. Sergei is Ukrainian, and started asking me questions and making long sentences, However, my complete lack of understanding Ukrainian (and his lack of understanding English or French) didn’t deter him. As the electrical outlets were not working, I shared with him my power bank to sustain the battery of the phones that served to alternately use immediate translation tools, or to show me funny snapchats videos saved on one of the three phones. He shared with me how he had been on the road for a week, traveling by train or bus from Ukraine to go to Germany, and from there wait for his wife and daughter to join him, and eventually take a plane to Calgary, as they had just obtained the brand new visa for Canada he showed me with satisfaction. Sergei did « this and that » as a job description, but we mostly gave into conversations about philosophy and the way to pursue the existence, including a very infuriating anecdote of a very eminent Philosophy professor in his college years who stole an idea of his to put it a book without giving him any credit. Even before any battery died, the train went through several black spots, abruptly interrupting our technology-powered conversations. That is when the magic happened: we still talked in our respective languages, with sometimes me adding some Arabic - because, what the hell, we don’t have any common linguistic grounds anyway - and yet we still somehow understood each other. As the sun was barely going up in Germany’s countryside, I can say without a doubt that without a technological bridge, he completely agreed when I commented in French, that the pointed single-story black houses gave a mixture of austere and serene atmosphere.
   
   I now regularly see with delight new family pictures of Sergei, his beautiful wife and their kid, in his instagram stories. I am confident he now knows more English, and that we will one day be able to pursue our marvellous conversations.

Even though I went by myself, I took this opportunity to visit friends living across Europe and discover the city through their eyes, and to spend a marvellous 27th birthday with my cousin across The Netherlands.

Side quest: very early on, I realised I had starting going to cities starting with a « B ». This became a thing, and from there on picked two « B » cities, and flipped a coin to decide where would be my next stop! At some point, I opted for a hotel in Baden instead of Zürich, just to add one to the growing list (the final count if 11 « B » cities out of 27 visited).

If I have the opportunity to have this experience again with someone, I would do it with my mother. First, because she is very similar to the sweet old lady with her dog in her concerns and fears of her daughter being alone out there. And second, because she is very similar to the sweet old lady with her dog: afraid of what’s happening out there, and therefore oblivious to the rare kind of beauty that is found in the unknown. If I can guide her into that, especially as my father, and also hers, passed away a few months ago, it would be a great privilege.

It was the beginning of the hot summer of 2012 in Argentina, when my buddy Edu and I launched on this 3 months adventure through Europe. It was our first time there and the first time we travelled together. It all started when we applied for a volunteer job in Thesaloniki, Greece. The NGO was dedicated to promote art workshops on the suburbs of the city. It offered us a place to stay for a month and a half, and the Aristotelis University would cover our lunches. That left us most of our savings to travel the other month and a half we had left from our visas.

A friend of mine, who had just returned from a trip around Europe, told me about the Eurail Pass and how easy it was to travel from country to country with it. So we got our tickets and we were on our way. 

On our 3 months journey, the Eurail took us from Athens to Paris (except the route from Thesaloniki to Sofia we did by bus). 

So, after a month and half in Greece we started our journey, which would take us to the freezing winter of eastern Europe: Sofia, Bucharest and Budapest were the firsts cities we visited after Greece. We were couchsurfing and thanks to that, we met amazing people. Our host in Sofia, took us to a bar on a barn with no electricity, so the whole place was lit by candles and bottles of beer were on big buckets full of ice. 

After a couple of days we took a train to Bucharest and we share a cabin with a soccer team’s coach, who was carrying a newspaper with his photo on it. He presented it as proof. I gladly accepted it, pretending to read bulgarian. 

A strange phenomenon takes place after a couple of hours in a small cabin trying to talk to someone who doesn’t speak your language. You start to feel that you can understand each other. The body plays a bigger role than words, and the eyes, chico. 

But this theory was completely tested out in our longest train trip, from Bucharest to Budapest. A night train with a dinning car and cabins with bunk beds. Mine was the lower bed. But this was not the impression for the gigantic romanian assign to the higher bed. With just two incomprehensible words he made clear he was going to swich beds with me. Seemed pretty fair. 

This was hours before we would actually go to bed. First we needed to make some more fluent conversation at the dinning car. Naturally it was packed. We went for the narrow spot at the end of the bar and ordered a couple of beers. There was a mixture of characters, but the center of the scene was held by group of guys wearing the same jacket with the romanian flag on it. All of them surprisingly tall. “Basketball team” I thought. Wrong. They were part of the waterpolo national team heading to a tournament on Budapest. 

After a while, everybody went to bed, except for us, the waterpolo team and Constantin, a river ship captain. I offer to change my national soccer team jacket with one of the guys, but he said it was going to be weird to show up to an european tournament with a south american uniform. 

Still wearing my jacket, I went to bed, leaving my passport under my pillow, because we were crossing a border police control during night.

I climbed to my recently assigned bed and slept for a while, when a lantern pointed to my face woke me up. I had no time to fully wake up, when I notice the officer asking for my passport had the prettiest green eyes I’ve ever seen. We made perpendicular eye contact for two seconds. She checked my passport with some kind of surprise, smiled and left. I secretly thanked my romanian cabin mate, and went back to sleep.

 

After beautiful Budapest, we went to Viena, Bratislava and Prague, were it snowed for four straight days. We didn’t mind, it never snows in our hometown, so the novelty of it made it awesome. 

Then came Berlin, Amsterdam and finally Paris. The end of winter was close and the weather would be more suitable for long walks. We kept meeting new people, loving every new corner turn and creating new stories that are still fresh in my mind. (I’m smiling right now). 

Thanks Europe. You are in my heart. 

Traveling by train has been my favorite mode of transportation as long as I can remember.  My very first memory (I was three years old) was on a long distance train trip with my Dad. I still remember us sharing cookies with the other passengers who sat near us. That was one of the earliest starts for me for making connections with other people whom I previously had not known. 

Fast forward almost two decades. I take a break year from college and move to Germany.  Now I really learn how exciting, fun and enjoyable train travel can be. While living there, almost every single time I traveled from one city to another, I was traveling my train. And that is when I decided train travel was the best way to travel. One of the main reasons being that I loved being able to travel and enjoy the scenery at the same time. 

Fast forward again.  I return to Europe as a professional photographer. Europe had already long felt like my second home. Particularly Germany and Italy. As a professional photographer who loves architectural photography, I choose to shoot almost all of my subject matter in Europe.  I mean, why not?  Europe is an obvious choice for a supreme location.  

Over these years, I’ve purchased many Eurail passes. Just in the last three years, I’ve purchased seven of them.  From these seven most recent Eurail pass trips, these memories come first to mind.

For the longest time, I had wanted to stay overnight in a castle.  Preferably along the Rhine River in Germany.  And so for a milestone birthday, I treated myself to just that. 

The next Eurail Pass trip took me to, among other places, Berlin.  I attended a German Language learning school for two weeks there.  Besides improving my German language skills, one of the top highlights was meeting people from around the world and making new friends.  And I got to explore more of Berlin than I had previously been able to.

More friends, more food!

My next Eurail Pass adventure took me to France for a two week artist residency.  The time was spent in a historic chateaux in a very small French village (just 50 people!) in the Champagne region. And, yes, more great times, more new friends.  And of course great food.  And I had to include Paris on this trip, because:  why not?

Just some of the best food!

The next Eurail Pass trip took me not only to Germany again (do you sense a theme here?😀), but also to my other very favorite European country: Italy.  I’ve spent a lot of time in Bologna, Italy over the years.  This was mainly when I owned and operated by own travel agency and was invited for many years to travel industry events in Italy.  And almost always, being in Bologna was included in those travels.  And I really fell in love with Bologna when I stayed there for a week while studying Italian at an Italian Language school (do you sense one more theme? 😀 )  I stayed in a typical Italian apartment with two other students.  It felt like living in Italy, rather than being a typical traveler - even if it was just for a week. 

This trip was a return to Bologna after not being there for a few years. And although it had been some time since I had last visited, it felt like coming home.  I didn’t have to consult a map to know where I wanted to go.  And I enjoyed so much that Bologna offers:  the food, the architecture, the wonderful people. 

Next up on this trip was Lake Como, a destination I had long wanted to visit, and I finally did.  It was wonderful, just like I thought it would be.  And even better, I got to see a friend I had made from the being at the German language school in Berlin the year before

From October 29 to November 5, 2023, I experienced an unforgettable adventure in Germany thanks to an Interrail pass. In just eight days, I traveled 3,480 km and took 14 trains, discovering the country from bustling cities to stunning landscapes.

My journey began in Munich, where I strolled through autumn-colored parks and explored the local culinary specialties. Next, Berlin captivated me: every neighborhood told a piece of history, and I took the opportunity to discover the city’s unique flavors. In Hamburg, I was amazed by the vast port and the canals’ atmosphere, while enjoying the local cuisine. Cologne offered a majestic encounter with its cathedral and walks along the Rhine, accompanied by new culinary discoveries. Finally, Frankfurt impressed me with its contrast between modernity and historic neighborhoods, giving me another chance to savor regional dishes.

This trip was transformative in many ways. For the first time, I stayed in youth hostels, which allowed me to meet travelers from all over the world. The conversations, anecdotes, and shared laughter made each stop even more memorable. I spent over 40 hours on trains, but each journey was a unique experience, with breathtaking landscapes, complete freedom, and time for reflection on travel and life.

If I had the chance to go again, I would share this experience with my best friend. Traveling together would allow us to live and share every emotion, every culinary and cultural discovery, and create memories we would cherish forever. This time, we would plan a grand tour of European capitals, taking more time to savor each city. We are both photographers and videasts, I’m sure we could bring back great photos and videos.

This adventure gave me confidence, taught me how to better organize my travels, and confirmed that Europe is amazing to explore by train. Every moment remains etched in my memory, and i’m waiting for a new one !

 Fata trip 2020 - 7 countries in 13 days

My favorite adventure was when I traveled through part of Western Europe with my Interrail pass.

I left Hungary with a friend and on the first day in Austria we visited the city of Vienna. That evening we continued by train to Prague, Czech Republic. It was very exciting because the train was late and we almost missed our booked accommodation, but everything turned out great. We spent two beautiful days in Prague and then continued our journey to Berlin by train, which seemed like a very quick travel. Berlin was fascinating, but we could only stay for one night because our journey continued to Amsterdam. One of the most incredible experiences I had was “discovering” Amsterdam. Everyone was very friendly and kind. I went running in parks several mornings. After three days we boarded a train and arrived in Brussels. Unfortunately we didn't spend much time there, but we visited the main sights. We continued on to Paris that same day. Paris was heaven for me, I was completely captivated by the city. Every street was artistic! One afternoon I even sat down to paint at the Eiffel Tower. After 4 wonderful days, our journey continued to Bern, Switzerland. Bern seemed like a city of peace to me. It was nice to rest a bit and taste the fondue. After one evening we traveled to Munich. In the Olympic Park, I felt like I had just won the travel competition. On the 13th day, we headed home to Hungary, full of rich experiences that will remain in my memory forever.

I don't even know how we had so much energy to travel.

I am happy that I was able to experience tis wonderful journey.

Videos available via the link. Copy precisely: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IcmdHzGzXNHufzKhsMJubeRlpBE_bkfh?usp=sharing

Hi, I am Rostik, a railway explorer from Ukraine.

Since childhood I have been in love with railways, and as I grew up that passion became not just a hobby but a lifestyle I share with my audience. After starting my MA studies in Europe I became more active within the European railway network. The chance to travel without borders felt like the perfect adventure. I bought an Interrail Pass and set off with friends who work for Swiss Railways to explore Italy and Switzerland.

We began with a night train from Milan to Taranto. I was impressed by how modern Italian rolling stock has become. When we arrived in the south of Italy our first challenge was breakfast, since many Italians start the day with only an espresso and a croissant. I still laugh at that moment because it shows how diverse and interesting we are. Later we took a train from Taranto to Reggio Calabria on a line operated by hybrid trains built by Hitachi. After that we traveled all the way back through Italy to Milan. Then my friends surprised me with an invitation to Switzerland, so my trip was extended for another week.

Switzerland is a unique country for rail. Punctuality, connectivity, standardization, and a sense of prestige make SBB and the local operators outstanding. Beyond riding the Bernina Express and exploring many local lines, I visited the miniature park Swiss Vapeur Parc and took a charming ride across its lovely landscape on miniature trains.

This journey was special for me. It let me explore new countries by rail and also grow as a railway professional. As a student of transport management, I see every trip as a chance to meet fellow enthusiasts and colleagues across Europe. They shared how railway systems work and the specifics of fleet operations. As a content creator I try to show my trips from a different angle, including from the driver’s cab, and to capture how my friends handle their duties. In Switzerland and Italy I also had the chance to collaborate with BLS and with Trenitalia. They let me ride along for a shift with a train driver, and I created a series of videos about this experience.

All in all, Interrail opened not only new countries to me but also new steps in my professional growth. I am excited to share this experience again with my friends and to produce thematic video reports from popular tourist routes, showing how they function from both the passenger perspective and the workers’ perspective. I believe the diverse European railway community will enjoy it, and if I am given the chance I will put all my effort into delivering it at a high professional level.

From České Budějovice to Athens: An Unforgettable Interrail Adventure

Hello!

We are three friends who bought Interrail passes this summer and decided to travel through Eastern Europe. Why Eastern Europe? Because we thought it would be an unforgettable adventure – and it truly was!

We started our journey in České Budějovice, and our first train took us to Vienna, where we explored the entire historic city center with our backpacks on. After that, we boarded a night train to Bucharest. We enjoyed the overnight ride, but sleep? Not so much – the train honked at every level crossing, and the doors shook all night long. But hey, that’s all part of the experience!

In Bucharest, we took a guided city tour with a local girl. The city is incredibly diverse. From there, we headed to Brașov – a beautiful historical town – and took a bus trip to Bran Castle (yes, the one linked to Dracula!).

Brașov is truly a magical place, but we had to leave and continue on to Peleș Castle, and then back to Bucharest by night train. If there was one nice thing about Romanian trains, it was the local train app that told us when and where trains were running. The trains themselves, though… definitely had some history behind them.

But we had no idea what was coming next. Around midnight, we boarded a train to Craiova – and met some unexpected company: two cockroaches, whom we named Emil and Emil. In Craiova, at 5 a.m., a kind older man bought us some cocoa, and after two hours of waiting, we caught our next train to Vidin, already in Bulgaria.

The journey into Bulgaria was… fast – we traveled at the impressive speed of 18 km/h. In Vidin, we visited the local fortress and enjoyed the markets celebrating their national holiday. Then we set off for Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. A tiny train ride (only 5 minutes) awaited us – luckily, since there was a loud bang and the train suddenly slowed down. But it was beautifully decorated with graffiti by local street artists.

Sofia was wonderful – a mix of different cultures. We were especially captivated by the local gallery, which was absolutely stunning. And of course, we couldn’t resist the archaeological museum either.

From Sofia, we took a train to Thessaloniki. We were a bit nervous due to the bad reviews of the local bus transport, but we survived the trip in one piece – so I’d say it went well! Finally, the sea was waiting for us in Thessaloniki, and we enjoyed some well-deserved rest. Still, we took lovely walks along the coast and visited historical sites.

From Thessaloniki, we took a direct train to Athens. The views along the way were absolutely breathtaking. In Athens, the most intense part of our trip began – as art students, we had to visit every museum and gallery we could find, and of course the Acropolis and all the preserved monuments of ancient Greece.

I have to say – apart from one lost towel and a pair of ripped pants – we didn’t really suffer any major losses. After 15 days of eating nothing but pasta with tomato sauce and cheese, though… I’m really looking forward to a different kind of meal at home!

It was incredible to watch the landscape change from the train window, and how the culture shifted from place to place – yet in some ways stayed similar.

Why will I never forget this trip? Because Athens was my lifelong dream – and we got there by train. It was exhausting, but we met so many people, visited so many galleries and museums…

I’m so grateful I got to experience this with my two amazing friends.

Who would I take next time? My dog – and all my friends – because this is something you just have to experience for yourself. Stories don’t do it justice.

That feeling when you’re not sure if you’ll make your connection…

That moment when you try to ask the lady at the Bulgarian ticket counter where the train leaves from, but she doesn’t speak a word of English, and there are no signs anywhere…

That deep longing for a shower and a washing machine after a full day on a train with broken air conditioning…

Those are the best memories.

Summer 2023: History and Passion  in Motion
In summer 2023, Vicky and I journeyed across Europe by train to celebrate our anniversary of unison, the trip was planned via eurail app and allowed us to generate an itinerary weaving together landscapes, architecture, and ancestry into a living tapestry of memory. Our travels weren’t just about reaching destinations — they were about tracing lines of ancestry, standing in places our ancestors once walked, and letting the rhythm of rail travel guide us through stories both personal and historical.

Each stop offered a new vista: alpine valleys, medieval skylines, riverside promenades. But it was the architectural layers — Romanesque chapels, Baroque facades, Art Nouveau flourishes — that truly spoke to us. These weren’t just buildings; they were time capsules, echoing the lives and migrations that shaped our own. In towns where family names resurfaced or local lore mirrored our own heritage, we found connection. Sometimes it was a surname etched into a memorial, other times a conversation with a locals who shared their stories..

Travelling by train gave us the freedom to move slowly, reflect deeply, and document meaningfully. It was a way to honor the past while creating something new — a shared archive of experience, stitched together by rail lines and quiet revelations.

Hi, my name is Bente and after 45 years, I finally went on a Eurail trip again. 

I started my solo trip in Skive Denmark and after 3 weeks arrived in Istanbul and then it ended abruptly by falling down the stairs and breaking my ankle in several places. But I digress, let's start at the beginning. 

I left Denmark on April 18th, took a couple of trains and then a train bus to Hamburg. Stayed at the Generator Hostel across the street in a very nice dorm room and boarded my train the next morning bound for Radolfzell on the Bodensee. The day started out gray but soon turned nice. I didn't have a seat reservation, so had to move a few times, but the attendant was very helpful with each move. Lunch in the dining car, expensive but ok.

Picked up by friends in Radolfzell and spent Easter with them including an amazing brunch and dinner out at a old-style German restaurant. It was fabulous. 

Next stop, Lucerne, what a beautiful city and the view was outstanding. 

From Lucerne to Chur where I stayed in a hostel with too many stairs, however a young man from Persia (he didn't say Iran) came to my rescue and carried my carry-on upstairs to the 4th floor.

After Chur I went on the Bernina Line to St. Moritz. As the weather looked very foggy I didn't spend the extra euros for the Bernina train or the Glazier Express and in fact you don't need to as the regular train has an observation car. The weather cleared enough to see the amazing Alps. In St. Moritz it was snowing, so the jacket came in handy. Then on to Tirano and Italian lunch in a Chinese restaurant, funny. Eventually, I arrived in Milano and once again was picked up by friends. 

We explored Bergamo one day and had some awesome food. Another day we went to Vigevano and had an awful lunch, but both places are full of history and the architecture is incredible. On the way back to Milano, we stopped at a little village and had coffee and homemade cake under the wisteria. Don't tell anyone I had cappuccino in the afternoon, it's a no no. Visited the markets along the canals in Milano, you could buy anything and everything, very fun and colourful. 

Spent a day in Verona looking for Juliettes's balcony, but it was under renovations, so I mostly talked to random people and walked around. 

I had made a reservation for a hostel in Venice, however it wasn't quite Venice, but Venice Mestre. In retrospect, I should probably have continued to stay there as it was a very nice dorm room and only a 10 minute train ride into Venice proper. There is a visitor tax for visiting Venice but if you have lodging, you don't pay it and Venice Mestre is included in that. The next few nights I spent at the Generator Hostel on the Grand Canal, it was very nice but not anymore convenient than Venice Mestre. The water busses are almost €10 per hour, so be sure to buy a multiple pass at the main station. I enjoyed Venice but even though it was late April, it was overrun by tourists, I felt terrible for the residents. San Marco Piazza is spectacular and the entertainment was enjoyable but without GPS you are likely to get lost in the little streets as they look alike and sell the same stuff. Went out to Murano and saw a glass demonstration and then Burano for the lace and colourful buildings, it was super hot, I'm happy I remembered to bring water. 

After Venice I headed to Lake Bled in Slovenia, had lunch in Trieste on the way. Funny story, we were watching a movie the other day, where there was a big meeting of world leaders and something happens. I said, where is Trieste?  Hello, I was just there, even have pictures from there. Ah, the gray braincells are shrinking.  I didn't actually stay at Lake Bled as I had been using Hostelworld as my go to accommodations, but in Lesce as it looked close to the station. It certainly was and it's a good choice, because that hostel offers a free shuttle every day to the lake, just remember to book before. They also offer a cheap breakfast and have very nice staff. I did see there was a hostel by the lake, but it would be a long walk orange bus to get there. Lake Bled looked just like the fairytale I imagined, I walked around it about 6 1/2 km,  but I didn't climb up to the castle, that's beyond my ability now. Lovely pike dinner before I returned to the hostel. 

Tried to get a berth on the train to Vienna, but it was all booked, however lots of seats, so I still was able to lie down. Vienna is a beautiful city with amazing architecture, I spent the day walking around and once again speak to random people (don't do that in Copenhagen). I later took the train to Budapest, but as I couldn't find a nice hostel, I decided to take a 2 hour train ride to Revfülüp on lake Balaton. I was in dire need of a shampoo. This turned out to be a great choice, beautiful lake and area and the hostel and it's host were great. I'm always happy when someone offers to carry my carry-on up and down the stairs. Met some super nice young people from around the world and locals there for a beer. When I headed back to Budapest, one of the Dutch girls was there too. We said goodbye in Budapest and I headed for the opera house, one of the sites I always love to visit, it was magnificent. After some gulash I headed back to the station, secured a berth for the trip to Bucharest. That evening, to my surprise was the Dutch girl and we were in the same compartment, what are the odds. 

Bucharest is another interesting city, I got a bit lost and ended up in some church or monastery, but again with the help of the GPS, I found my way to another great hostel. Big thunderstorm, but the outside have many covered areas, so no problem. It surprised me how much Romanian sounds and looks like Italian, but later I realized that it has the same root.

By this time I'm trying to figure out how to get to Istanbul and that brought me to Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The old  town is located up in the hills, so although it looked easy on the map, it may be a good idea to Google it first. You start walking up the highway and across the bridge into the "new" town. You then continue around in a semi circle and walk up and up and up on copplestone. My poor suitcase, definitely would have been better with a backpack, but I can carry one anymore, so I just had to do it. I was very pleased when it started to rain, because frankly, I was slowly melting. Eventually I made it almost at the top and found some nice people although I think I was the only female. Next day got my laundry done there, walked around little ways down and had a nice lunch. Back at the hostel, I was enjoying sitting outside and reading when a huge lightning bolt and simultaneous thunderclap struck, I nearly had an accident and the young Vietnamese guy sitting across from me, dropped his teacup. Needless to say, we rushed inside and listened to the rain pounding down. It was almost time for me to leave, but the host said I couldn't walk down in that weather. I had no Bulgarien money and the taxi didn't take euros, but after some back and forth with the other guests, I exchanged some Romanian money for Bulgarien and some turkish lira. The taxi was super cheap (wish I had know that) and fast, so I had lots of time at the station. Suddenly the ticket lady said, your train is here, hurry. I looked at my tablet and thought I still had an hour, no no no she said, hurry.  She held the train and I made it. The problem was my tablet hadn't changed time like my phone, sometimes very blonde or white, duh!

Next stop Istanbul, I was starting to get very excited, with a train change in Dimitrovgrad and hopefully a berth. Dimitrovgrad came but I couldn't buy a berth there,it's almost midnight and I'm starving. Only nasty snacks in the machine but at least I got some water. I managed to get on the train without a reservation as the conductor was a sweet man. It took some doing with assorted currencies, but I got a whole compartment to myself with a comfy bed. Then the Bulgarien police came on board and checked and then after we crossed the border we were all taking off the train with our belongings. They were scanned, we were scanned and then we waited for at least an hour along with 3 friendly cats. Eventually we went back on board, but we must have waited another hour before the train moved. Oh well, I was sleeping. Morning came bright and sunny, we passed the Sea of Marmara and came to a stop in Halkali Istanbul Türkiye. 

I took a couple of metro trains to Şişhane a had my first simit. I got a bit lost between the 2 metro trains, but after walking by the same guard 3 times, he took pity on me and got me on my way. At Şişhane I headed for the Galata Tower and although I had GPS, I still got lost multiple times. Eventually, I got to the right street but kept walking past the hostel, a couple of guys sitting on the corner, noticed my colour changing from pink to red and offered to help. Turned out they were working at the hostel, so once again I was rescued and one of the guys Hasan became my savior for the next 10 days. That afternoon and evening I wondered around the area by Galata Tower, had turkish coffee (kahve), checked out the shops and had a lovely dinner at a rooftop restaurant, of course I also checked out the local dogs and cats. My son had arranged a young lady from his office to show me around the next day (his company is owned by a turkish company). Morning came and I rushed down the stairs to rush no more. Please note, never rush in Istanbul, the traffic is so congested, that everyone is always late 🙄. 

Next stop, the local hospital with the lovely Irem. Now this in itself is an experience like no other, chaos is the order of the day and don't move the cats, they are part of the establishment, they come and go as they please. Well, my ankle was broken in multiple places, so they slapped on a cast and told me it would be a week. I was given painkillers and blood thinners and sent home. The hostel people and Irem moved me to the first floor and I lived in that bed for 9 days, good thing it had a bathroom. Hasan served me tea and coffee and of course water plus 3 meals a day for the next 9 days, I paid for my lodging but I wasn't charged for anything else. They took me to the hospital a second time (same result) and gave me a better cast, this is when I knew I would either need a private hospital or fly to Denmark, flying home was out of the question with a 14 hour flight with unset bones. So Hasan got me to the airport early early on a Sunday morning and I flew to Denmark where my family picked me up. Then Friday morning, 2 weeks after the accident, they put me back together with plates and screws and on July 1st I walked again. I flew back to Vancouver Island on July 23rd and I'm walking, almost without a limp now. 

And so ended my eurail trip 2025. I want to thank eurail for their help and understanding and refunding of my trip, I know they didn't have to, I surely appreciate it. I will go back and finish my trip, either 2026 or 2027

This summer, I traveled through five countries in five days with Eurail, crossing London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, and Paris. It was truly the adventure of a lifetime—packed with local food, early mornings, late nights, bonding with my travel companions, endless sightseeing, cultural immersion, and thousands upon thousands of steps walked.

My cousins and I live oceans apart, so we rarely see each other—let alone know each other well. But this trip made up for lost time, compressing years of bonding into just a few unforgettable days.

Decades ago, long before any of us were born, our parents did a trip to Belgium that became infamous in family lore for its chaos and mishaps. Little did we know we’d be following in their footsteps—with our own wild and eventful experience in Belgium, right on day one of our “hot girl European summer.” It felt like a full-circle moment: the next generation setting out on their own wacky Belgian adventure, returning with stories that are sure to be retold for years.

While our parents dealt with a car breakdown, our aunt fainting in the middle of the night, and an unfortunate public bathroom incident, we had our own share of bizarre moments—like being told a stranger’s story about spending 7 years in prison for armed robbery (he got out early for good behavior), taking a “shortcut” that ended up being a steep climb up the side of a hill, hearing a vivacious song involving cowbells on a train, and being randomly approached again by another odd fellow only to be reassured by a friendly local and welcomed to Brussels.

Of course, we also indulged in plenty of chocolate, Belgian fries, frituur, Liège and Brussels waffles with speculoos during our 24 hours there.

The next day we arrived bright and early in Amsterdam and enjoyed some hot chocolate in Zaanse Schans while admiring the windmills and later the Amsterdam canals. Later that evening, we accidentally wandered through the Red Light District in search of good kapsalon and tried traditional Dutch foods like kibbeling, poffertjes, stamppot, stroopwafels, and hagelslag. 

On day three of our whirlwind adventure, we arrived in Cologne and climbed the 533 steps of the Cologne Cathedral, crossed the Hohenzollern bridge at midnight to admire the glowing cathedral from across the water, and visited the Farina Museum, the birthplace of the original Eau de Cologne. We also had an unforgettable schnitzel and flammkuchen for dinner.

This trip didn’t just reconnect me with family I barely knew—it gave me the chance to meet friends in London and Paris whom I had only known online until now. Eurail made it all possible. 

In Paris, my cousins and I went our separate ways and began my solo portion of the trip. It was there I had a classically romantic evening sitting by La Seine with the backdrop of the sparkling Eiffel Tower as night fell, eating eclairs with my friend. With another friend, who was hosting my stay, we went to Barbes for a taste of North African culture and I had my long awaited merguez and frites sandwich and a French brick taco—both with lots of algerienne sauce. I also took a croissant-making class, visited the Catacombs, Palais Garnier, the Louvre, the Guimet Museum, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Arab World Institute (for the Cleopatra exhibit), the Grand Mosque of Paris (including its hammam), and of course, enjoyed as many French classics as I possibly could, including cordon bleu, steak and frites, and a ton of croissants (the croissant I made in my class was THE best but Maison D’Isabel came in second place). And yet, there’s still so much more I want to see—and eat.

My trip came to an end upon my return to London where I did a self-guided tour of as many bakeries as I could visit before my Hercules show on the West End. Later, I went to visit one more friend at Oxford University where I sat below the tree JRR Tolkien sat while writing Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit and followed the path he and his friend CS Lewis (author of the Narnia series) walked while brainstorming their projects. 

To preserve these memories, I created an 8-part narrated video series of the trip—for myself and for friends and family who couldn’t come along. And I’m already dreaming of my next Eurail journey. Anywhere in Greece, and cities Vienna, Prague, Budapest, and Bratislava are high on my list right now—and I’d love to make that trip a reality. My brother, who couldn’t join us this time (and was sorely missed), deserves to have his own version of this incredible experience. Hopefully next time, he’ll be right there with us. 

There’s just so much more to be said of my magical journey but I’ll leave all of that a mystery ;) 

Reliving My Interrail Adventure

As I write, Radio 3 is playing in the background. The programme is ‘Train Tracks’, an all-day celebration of the 200th anniversary of the world’s first passenger train from Stockton to Darlington, featuring lots of music to do with trains and their magic. Since I was a girl, I have been enthralled by trains and stations, so I could have spent the day just listening and reflecting on the different emotions that railways stir in me. But then I noticed this competition, and I wanted to share a smidgen of the feelings from my interrail experience, even though it happened two years ago and I won’t have time to sort through my hundreds of photos and videos before the deadline, so the only way you will see where I went is if I insert the map of my journey. I think I’ll do that!

Insert map

I’m 74 years old now, 72 when I took my two-month interrail journey. I have what you might call a complicated life, so even finding a time to leave, having bought my 50%-off pass the year before, was complicated. I finally left Newhaven 10 days before my pass expired, no time to do any real planning in advance, having had to deal with death and dementia and caring responsibilities, not to mention my own infirmities, before I could begin thinking about my trip. You might have thought that going on this journey on my own was insanity, but in fact it was the best way I could think of staying sane and getting some space for myself. And it worked.

The highlights of my trip were not the famous tourist attractions, though I enjoyed wandering the streets of Vienna, Budapest and more. But I live in London, a city of unending delights, but also of considerable bustle and traffic, so discovering less frequented tourist destinations, as well as unexpected corners of other big cities, was tremendous fun, including on my first night abroad. After a long journey from Dieppe, I arrived in Paris and went in search of food. I found a small kebab shop, almost empty, apart from the cook and three lively teenagers enjoying their meal. They were eager to practice their English, so they embarked on fascinating descriptions of their lives, including that this was their favourite place to break their Ramadan fast. At the end of a jolly hour, they insisted on paying for my meal.

Another unexpected delight was in Zagreb, which was otherwise disappointing - definitely not helped by it raining heavily all the time I was there, or my introduction to the city being a taxi driver trying to charge me 47 euros for a journey which should have been no more than 10. However, on my second day there, I stumbled across

the Museum of Broken Relationships – almost everybody I met said it was one of their favourite places. I don't think I’d have gone looking for it, but I was thrilled to find it, especially as it had started raining again. I told the woman on reception about the artefact from my one serious break up – a photocopy of my breakup letter, returned to me with detailed annotations by my ex, explaining why I was totally mistaken. He also circulated copies of this work to a dozen of our mutual acquaintances. She begged me to send it in.

Insert photo of Museum – a selfie of me in ‘Freestanding mirror’, one of the museum exhibits, in which I am standing next to ‘Plastic Godzilla adorned with beaded necklaces’, another of the exhibits.

According to my stats log, in my two months I travelled 6155 km, sat on 35 trains, visited 24 places and nine countries. Of those nine, my favourite was Slovenia, which I had barely heard of beforehand. I ended up spending a week there, first in a secluded hostel by the stunning Lake Bohinj, and then in Ljubljana, the capital, which was lively yet relaxed, and not too big. My original plan (subsequently abandoned, as I realised I didn’t have time to do it all) was to take the train round Romania and Bulgaria, last visited when I hitched across Europe with my best friend in 1972. This time I had to figure out how to take the train from Western Europe to East, and I decided the best route was from Venice round the northern tip of the Adriatic, passing briefly through Slovenia on my way to Croatia, a country more on my radar, as they were making a conscious effort to encourage tourism.

When I checked trains from Venice, the recommended route had me leaving at 9:00 a.m. and going via Trieste to arrive in Bohinj at 5:00 p.m. After consulting my trusty paper railway map (remember those!) I worked out that I could leave Venice at the much more civilised hour of noon, with less changes, and still arrive in Bohinj at 5:00 p.m. I needed to take the train to a small place called Gorizia in Italy, then get a local bus across town and over the border into an even smaller place called Nova Gorica in Slovenia, a fact not mentioned on any timetable. I had an hour and a half to make this journey, but I was slightly unnerved by there being no transport in sight when I arrived at Gorizia, and then, when the right bus came, I was the only passenger.

Insert photos of Novo Gorica station

It worked out fine, but it may not have. When I arrived at Nova Gorica station it was totally deserted, except for an elderly couple who I asked to help me untangle the mysteries of the timetable – they really didn't speak English, although the woman said she did. Miraculously they were going to the same tiny station as me, so they were able to act as intermediaries with the ticket inspector and make sure I got off at the right stop and on and off the bus without losing my luggage. I'm not sure I would have coped otherwise.

Insert photos of Lake Bohinj and Savica Waterfall

While staying by Lake Bohinj, I decided to visit a nearby beauty spot, Savica Waterfall. I was told it was 500 steps up, and the only way back was down the 500 steps again. I decided I was equal to a physical challenge, especially as I had to climb endless steps in all the big cities - it was as if disability access is an unknown concept to most of them. I decided that if I didn't make it to the top, I would enjoy the scenery as far as I got and would be pleased with myself whatever happened. In the end, I managed 306 steps in somewhat over an hour, as opposed to the 20 minutes they said it would take to reach the top. Another physical challenge I conquered that day was stuffing my raincoat back into its own pocket - I knew that being good at geometry at school had to be useful for something!

Insert photos of raincoat stuffing

Most of the visitors going up and down the steps were from other ex-Soviet countries, if not Slovenia itself, but when I sat down on a bench to have my snack, a couple came along and I asked them if they spoke English. They said yes, so we got chatting and it turned out they were Turkish people who live in Haringey, and the woman used to live in Hackney. It was an unexpected pleasure to speak without effort to people who were almost neighbours at home.

From Bohinj, the bus which stopped right outside my hostel went all the way to Ljubljana. Not only was it extremely cheap, €8.30, it meant I didn't have to heave my heavy luggage up and down the mountainous steps to get on and off trains – the worst aspect of my interrail experience, though it did teach me to be very brazen in asking for assistance. People warned me that trains in Eastern Europe are often less reliable than buses, and this was true in Slovenia, though they are now modernising the system – hence having to get off the train and onto a bus halfway along, as they were doing works in a tunnel – of which there are many. But nothing could detract from the stupendous mountain scenery which the singletrack line passed through most of the way from the Italian border to Bohinj.

I was so proud of what I achieved on my trip, though when I got back I felt like I never wanted to go anywhere else ever again. Of course, that feeling gradually wore off, and now I feel ready to take another journey, but not on my own this time. I would like to go with my friend who is a little younger than me, and has also had her share of health difficulties and caring responsibilities. It would be so good to take a relaxing trip together, sit back and have a good laugh, and maybe organise for somebody else to take care of our luggage.

Reliving My Interrail Adventure

As I write, Radio 3 is playing in the background. The programme is ‘Train Tracks’, an all-day celebration of the 200th anniversary of the world’s first passenger train from Stockton to Darlington, featuring lots of music to do with trains and their magic. Since I was a girl, I have been enthralled by trains and stations, so I could have spent the day just listening and reflecting on the different emotions that railways stir in me. But then I noticed this competition, and I wanted to share a smidgen of the feelings from my interrail experience, even though it happened two years ago and I won’t have time to sort through my hundreds of photos and videos before the deadline, so the only way you will see where I went is if I insert the map of my journey. I think I’ll do that!

Insert map

I’m 74 years old now, 72 when I took my two-month interrail journey. I have what you might call a complicated life, so even finding a time to leave, having bought my 50%-off pass the year before, was complicated. I finally left Newhaven 10 days before my pass expired, no time to do any real planning in advance, having had to deal with death and dementia and caring responsibilities, not to mention my own infirmities, before I could begin thinking about my trip. You might have thought that going on this journey on my own was insanity, but in fact it was the best way I could think of staying sane and getting some space for myself. And it worked.

The highlights of my trip were not the famous tourist attractions, though I enjoyed wandering the streets of Vienna, Budapest and more. But I live in London, a city of unending delights, but also of considerable bustle and traffic, so discovering less frequented tourist destinations, as well as unexpected corners of other big cities, was tremendous fun, including on my first night abroad. After a long journey from Dieppe, I arrived in Paris and went in search of food. I found a small kebab shop, almost empty, apart from the cook and three lively teenagers enjoying their meal. They were eager to practice their English, so they embarked on fascinating descriptions of their lives, including that this was their favourite place to break their Ramadan fast. At the end of a jolly hour, they insisted on paying for my meal.

Another unexpected delight was in Zagreb, which was otherwise disappointing - definitely not helped by it raining heavily all the time I was there, or my introduction to the city being a taxi driver trying to charge me 47 euros for a journey which should have been no more than 10. However, on my second day there, I stumbled across

the Museum of Broken Relationships – almost everybody I met said it was one of their favourite places. I don't think I’d have gone looking for it, but I was thrilled to find it, especially as it had started raining again. I told the woman on reception about the artefact from my one serious break up – a photocopy of my breakup letter, returned to me with detailed annotations by my ex, explaining why I was totally mistaken. He also circulated copies of this work to a dozen of our mutual acquaintances. She begged me to send it in.

Insert photo of Museum – a selfie of me in ‘Freestanding mirror’, one of the museum exhibits, in which I am standing next to ‘Plastic Godzilla adorned with beaded necklaces’, another of the exhibits.

According to my stats log, in my two months I travelled 6155 km, sat on 35 trains, visited 24 places and nine countries. Of those nine, my favourite was Slovenia, which I had barely heard of beforehand. I ended up spending a week there, first in a secluded hostel by the stunning Lake Bohinj, and then in Ljubljana, the capital, which was lively yet relaxed, and not too big. My original plan (subsequently abandoned, as I realised I didn’t have time to do it all) was to take the train round Romania and Bulgaria, last visited when I hitched across Europe with my best friend in 1972. This time I had to figure out how to take the train from Western Europe to East, and I decided the best route was from Venice round the northern tip of the Adriatic, passing briefly through Slovenia on my way to Croatia, a country more on my radar, as they were making a conscious effort to encourage tourism.

When I checked trains from Venice, the recommended route had me leaving at 9:00 a.m. and going via Trieste to arrive in Bohinj at 5:00 p.m. After consulting my trusty paper railway map (remember those!) I worked out that I could leave Venice at the much more civilised hour of noon, with less changes, and still arrive in Bohinj at 5:00 p.m. I needed to take the train to a small place called Gorizia in Italy, then get a local bus across town and over the border into an even smaller place called Nova Gorica in Slovenia, a fact not mentioned on any timetable. I had an hour and a half to make this journey, but I was slightly unnerved by there being no transport in sight when I arrived at Gorizia, and then, when the right bus came, I was the only passenger.

Insert photos of Novo Gorica station

It worked out fine, but it may not have. When I arrived at Nova Gorica station it was totally deserted, except for an elderly couple who I asked to help me untangle the mysteries of the timetable – they really didn't speak English, although the woman said she did. Miraculously they were going to the same tiny station as me, so they were able to act as intermediaries with the ticket inspector and make sure I got off at the right stop and on and off the bus without losing my luggage. I'm not sure I would have coped otherwise.

Insert photos of Lake Bohinj and Savica Waterfall

While staying by Lake Bohinj, I decided to visit a nearby beauty spot, Savica Waterfall. I was told it was 500 steps up, and the only way back was down the 500 steps again. I decided I was equal to a physical challenge, especially as I had to climb endless steps in all the big cities - it was as if disability access is an unknown concept to most of them. I decided that if I didn't make it to the top, I would enjoy the scenery as far as I got and would be pleased with myself whatever happened. In the end, I managed 306 steps in somewhat over an hour, as opposed to the 20 minutes they said it would take to reach the top. Another physical challenge I conquered that day was stuffing my raincoat back into its own pocket - I knew that being good at geometry at school had to be useful for something!

Insert photos of raincoat stuffing

Most of the visitors going up and down the steps were from other ex-Soviet countries, if not Slovenia itself, but when I sat down on a bench to have my snack, a couple came along and I asked them if they spoke English. They said yes, so we got chatting and it turned out they were Turkish people who live in Haringey, and the woman used to live in Hackney. It was an unexpected pleasure to speak without effort to people who were almost neighbours at home.

From Bohinj, the bus which stopped right outside my hostel went all the way to Ljubljana. Not only was it extremely cheap, €8.30, it meant I didn't have to heave my heavy luggage up and down the mountainous steps to get on and off trains – the worst aspect of my interrail experience, though it did teach me to be very brazen in asking for assistance. People warned me that trains in Eastern Europe are often less reliable than buses, and this was true in Slovenia, though they are now modernising the system – hence having to get off the train and onto a bus halfway along, as they were doing works in a tunnel – of which there are many. But nothing could detract from the stupendous mountain scenery which the singletrack line passed through most of the way from the Italian border to Bohinj.

I was so proud of what I achieved on my trip, though when I got back I felt like I never wanted to go anywhere else ever again. Of course, that feeling gradually wore off, and now I feel ready to take another journey, but not on my own this time. I would like to go with my friend who is a little younger than me, and has also had her share of health difficulties and caring responsibilities. It would be so good to take a relaxing trip together, sit back and have a good laugh, and maybe organise for somebody else to take care of our luggage.

The trip was full of highs (friends, beautiful places) but also with its lows (drug dealers, hikes that pushed me to my limits). Definitely an experience I learned a lot from, and one that I won’t be forgetting. 

I went for my first Interrail trip (which was also a solo trip) in the end of May this year. The plan was marinating in my mind for quite some time, when the right opportunity appeared, I grabbed it!

For some context: I’d (finally) graduated from my bachelor’s program beginning of the year, and by May I’d found a job where I’d be starting from July, so this trip seemed like the best way forward because it felt like an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the end of one stage of my life, and brace for the next by taking a much-needed break!

This is how my trip looked like: Netherlands-Munich-St.Gallen-Milan/Carugo-Netherlands for a total of about 2 weeks. Some highlights from each part include:

Switzerland: Went on a beautiful hike around Seealpsee! So well-marked and set up, it almost felt like climbing stairs (it goes without saying, but don’t take nature for granted and always be careful!). There were also these caves and a church around the top, as well as a cable car to take me down (which I was super glad for because it started raining quite hard by then), which was overall a unique experience because I had never seen them before!

When coming back, I got to meet my roommates back at my hostel: a musical Kiwi who came to travel around Europe (mostly the UK and Switzerland) for a couple of months, an American-Indian who loves learning languages, and a German-Spanish drug dealer. The drug dealer had made it quite difficult for me to get sleep because he would apparently never sleep and keep making noise at night, and overall just very unhinged which made me quite scared to the point where I slept with a knife under my pillow and would stay out of my room as much as possible over the days I stayed there…

Italy: Here I would stop by in Milan to check it out for a bit before heading to Carugo where I stayed with a friend of mine from university. Another friend of ours joins, and over the next few days, we’d hike, catch up, and camp in the mountains. Something to note is that this is my first proper hike, and my friends definitely didn’t let me off easy as I needed to take a few days rest to recover physically! But I don’t regret it one bit, as I couldn’t have done it without them

--

If I were to win this contest, I’d love to take my father because he would really enjoy this sort of trip, and we could spend some quality time together

The rest of my photos

Growing up both my husband and I were lucky to have parents that took us holidaying all over Europe. Not package holidays, but the venture up the Eiger or ski down a mountain from Italy to France kind of holidays. It was something we very much planned to pass onto our four children, but somehow covid, caring for a loved one with dementia and grief got in the way and before we knew it 6 years had passed without us leaving Scotland.

2024 was going to be the year that changed all that and boy did it ever. We are very conscious of our carbon footprint and especially with there being six of us we wanted to prove you can have the best adventure and with minimal impact. Also when comparing it to the dull package holiday that none of us wanted to go on we set ourselves also a task that we could go on a 17 day adventure and see as many different sights for the same price as looking at the same pool in Spain for a week!

Half the fun had already happened before the trip commenced with all the planning. I downloaded an app to keep a track on costs and itinerary. Bought maps and books and was on all the social media groups for tips and what not to do’s.

In April 24 we took 2 weeks to cram in 6 countries and saw mountains and snow in Montreux to having our toes tucked in the sand on the beach of Monterosso al Mare. I watched Europe through the window of a train, but through the eyes of my 4 children and knew that this was the start of a new love affair.

We started in Switzerland and after a beautiful Youth Hostel in Montreux we passed through Brig, had a pizza in Milan for dinner and by the evening we arrived for my sons to squeal at the oranges growing on the trees in La Spezia.

We spent time in La Cinque Terre, before heading down through Pisa and Florence to stop in Rome. Lake Garda was a firm favourite with everyone and time spent driving a boat through the canals and a day trip to Venice.

For me the highlight of the journey was the train from Verona to Innsbruck. I was in awe at the beauty and the tears were rolling down my eyes as we travelled through the Dolomites and close to many of the resorts my Dad had taught me to ski in when I was a young child.

We got the Nightjet from Innsbruck up to Amsterdam and my sons thought this was like time travel to see how far we had travelled while they were tucked up fast asleep.

By the time we had our last day in Brussels and I watched my youngest son (7) dance in the streets with a street performer, I saw just how far we’d come. He got his wish of real pizza in Italy for his birthday but he also spoke in each language of the country we were in and given that he was only a year old the last time he was out of the UK, he sure made up for lost time.

As soon as we got back we were planning the next one and since then have completed another 3 trips by Interrail and to be honest don’t plan to do any other holiday in Europe now. If there was a job selling them or commission talking about them then I would probably be able to retire already. I don’t know how many times I have extoled the virtues of having a pass over a plane, got the map out and told someone to download the app or sent them a link to trains because yes of course I can show you how to quickly get from Scotland to Rome on the train so you can go to the six nations rugby and have an adventure on the way.

I would share this trip with my husband and my four children. Due to the ages of our youngest and the fact my eldest daughter has a disabled rail card we have been able to prove several times now what an easy and affordable way it is for a family to travel. I really don’t think I would be underestimating things when I say what an impact that first trip had on opening up our minds and horizons. It’s such a sense of achievement and now we have the bug for more, and more.

Next year in 2026 I am 50 and we are all super excited at the thought of trying to plan a bigger and longer trip now we know what to expect and how we can travel more ground at once. I already have ideas and the itinerary buzzing around my head and I would love to be able to show everyone how I can take my whole family all over Europe on a train for the price of a flights and hotel package holiday.

Lois, Mike, Jasmine, Ruby, Max & Isaac 🚂

Reel of our family of 6 and one year of trains 

During the summer of 2024, with Eurail tickets in our hands, my family and I embarked on a journey that changed our lives.

My wife, son and two daughters traveled by train through 8 countries in 21 days. In our dream-come-true journey, the highlight was my wife meeting her Italian ancestors in person for the first time.

Arriving by train at a town in Puglia, my wife and her Italian ancestors were beaming and crying tears of joy at the moment they connected in person.

The kindness and affection our Italian relatives displayed was incredible to experience. We felt so welcomed and loved.

Bridging the gap of time between the visit to Puglia and meeting the other side of her Italian relatives for the first time who lived in Turin, my wife and I took a train journey across Italy to spend several times on the Amalfi Coast. The mesmerizing views of the coast from both land and sea opened our eyes to the amazing world that we are blessed to live in.

Taking the high-speed train from Naples to Turin was a relaxing way to see the rolling hills and beauty of Italy.

Arriving at the train station in Turin, we were greeted by a new set of Italian relatives who greeted us with open arms, and took us into their home to serve delicious homemade Italian delicacies.

After spending a weekend taking us through the beautiful city of Turin, which used to be the capital of Italy, our time with the Italian relatives came to an end, but our journey was just beginning.

After leaving Turin, we journeyed to Switzerland by train. During the next two weeks, we traveled by train and stayed at a different location each day. From Switzerland to France to Belgium to Netherlands to Scotland, Wales and our final destination of England.

As a result of reconnecting my wife with her Italian relatives, we now have family members we never knew we had before. Those connections we made will last several lifetimes both now and into the future.

Others can follow in similar footsteps to our own by connecting with our families from overseas. Grazie Eurail for making it possible to travel with the flexibility and cost savings that train passes offer.

This is really weird, I sent off my article with some of my photos just before midnight and it has not appeared in the stream. However, I sent off a few photos just after midnight, on the off chance that they might still get through, and they went through immediately. What this reminds me of is when I tried to book my 50% off InterRail pass in 2022 – the system got completely overloaded so Eurail extended they deadline for several hours into the next day so that everybody could buy their passes – what a general kerfuffle that was, but worth it in the end. So now I am going to try and paste in my article and attach my photos and see if it works this time!

Reliving My Interrail Adventure

As I write, Radio 3 is playing in the background. The programme is ‘Train Tracks’, an all-day celebration of the 200th anniversary of the world’s first passenger train from Stockton to Darlington, featuring lots of music to do with trains and their magic. Since I was a girl, I have been enthralled by trains and stations, so I could have spent the day just listening and reflecting on the different emotions that railways stir in me. But then I noticed this competition, and I wanted to share a smidgen of the feelings from my interrail experience, even though it happened two years ago and I won’t have time to sort through my hundreds of photos and videos before the deadline, so the only way you will see where I went is if I insert the map of my journey. I think I’ll do that!

Insert map/s

I’m 74 years old now, 72 when I took my two-month interrail journey. I have what you might call a complicated life, so even finding a time to leave, having bought my 50%-off pass the year before, was complicated. I finally left Newhaven 10 days before my pass expired, no time to do any real planning in advance, having had to deal with death and dementia and caring responsibilities, not to mention my own infirmities, before I could begin thinking about my trip. You might have thought that going on this journey on my own was insanity, but in fact it was the best way I could think of staying sane and getting some space for myself. And it worked.

The highlights of my trip were not the famous tourist attractions, though I enjoyed wandering the streets of Vienna, Budapest and more. But I live in London, a city of unending delights, but also of considerable bustle and traffic, so discovering less frequented tourist destinations, as well as unexpected corners of other big cities, was tremendous fun, including on my first night abroad. After a long journey from Dieppe, I arrived in Paris and went in search of food. I found a small kebab shop, almost empty, apart from the cook and three lively teenagers enjoying their meal. They were eager to practice their English, so they embarked on fascinating descriptions of their lives, including that this was their favourite place to break their Ramadan fast. At the end of a jolly hour, they insisted on paying for my meal.

Another unexpected delight was in Zagreb, which was otherwise disappointing - definitely not helped by it raining heavily all the time I was there, or my introduction to the city being a taxi driver trying to charge me 47 euros for a journey which should have been no more than 10. However, on my second day there, I stumbled across

the Museum of Broken Relationships – almost everybody I met said it was one of their favourite places. I don't think I’d have gone looking for it, but I was thrilled to find it, especially as it had started raining again. I told the woman on reception about the artefact from my one serious break up – a photocopy of my breakup letter, returned to me with detailed annotations by my ex, explaining why I was totally mistaken. He also circulated copies of this work to a dozen of our mutual acquaintances. She begged me to send it in.

Insert photo of Museum – a selfie of me in ‘Freestanding mirror’, one of the museum exhibits, in which I am standing next to ‘Plastic Godzilla adorned with beaded necklaces’, another of the exhibits.

According to my stats log, in my two months I travelled 6155 km, sat on 35 trains, visited 24 places and nine countries. Of those nine, my favourite was Slovenia, which I had barely heard of beforehand. I ended up spending a week there, first in a secluded hostel by the stunning Lake Bohinj, and then in Ljubljana, the capital, which was lively yet relaxed, and not too big. My original plan (subsequently abandoned, as I realised I didn’t have time to do it all) was to take the train round Romania and Bulgaria, last visited when I hitched across Europe with my best friend in 1972. This time I had to figure out how to take the train from Western Europe to East, and I decided the best route was from Venice round the northern tip of the Adriatic, passing briefly through Slovenia on my way to Croatia, a country more on my radar, as they were making a conscious effort to encourage tourism.

When I checked trains from Venice, the recommended route had me leaving at 9:00 a.m. and going via Trieste to arrive in Bohinj at 5:00 p.m. After consulting my trusty paper railway map (remember those!) I worked out that I could leave Venice at the much more civilised hour of noon, with less changes, and still arrive in Bohinj at 5:00 p.m. I needed to take the train to a small place called Gorizia in Italy, then get a local bus across town and over the border into an even smaller place called Nova Gorica in Slovenia, a fact not mentioned on any timetable. I had an hour and a half to make this journey, but I was slightly unnerved by there being no transport in sight when I arrived at Gorizia, and then, when the right bus came, I was the only passenger.

Insert photos of Novo Gorica station

It worked out fine, but it may not have. When I arrived at Nova Gorica station it was totally deserted, except for an elderly couple who I asked to help me untangle the mysteries of the timetable – they really didn't speak English, although the woman said she did. Miraculously they were going to the same tiny station as me, so they were able to act as intermediaries with the ticket inspector and make sure I got off at the right stop and on and off the bus without losing my luggage. I'm not sure I would have coped otherwise.

Insert photos of Lake Bohinj and Savica Waterfall

While staying by Lake Bohinj, I decided to visit a nearby beauty spot, Savica Waterfall. I was told it was 500 steps up, and the only way back was down the 500 steps again. I decided I was equal to a physical challenge, especially as I had to climb endless steps in all the big cities - it was as if disability access is an unknown concept to most of them. I decided that if I didn't make it to the top, I would enjoy the scenery as far as I got and would be pleased with myself whatever happened. In the end, I managed 306 steps in somewhat over an hour, as opposed to the 20 minutes they said it would take to reach the top. Another physical challenge I conquered that day was stuffing my raincoat back into its own pocket - I knew that being good at geometry at school had to be useful for something!

Insert photos of raincoat stuffing

Most of the visitors going up and down the steps were from other ex-Soviet countries, if not Slovenia itself, but when I sat down on a bench to have my snack, a couple came along and I asked them if they spoke English. They said yes, so we got chatting and it turned out they were Turkish people who live in Haringey, and the woman used to live in Hackney. It was an unexpected pleasure to speak without effort to people who were almost neighbours at home.

From Bohinj, the bus which stopped right outside my hostel went all the way to Ljubljana. Not only was it extremely cheap, €8.30, it meant I didn't have to heave my heavy luggage up and down the mountainous steps to get on and off trains – the worst aspect of my interrail experience, though it did teach me to be very brazen in asking for assistance. People warned me that trains in Eastern Europe are often less reliable than buses, and this was true in Slovenia, though they are now modernising the system – hence having to get off the train and onto a bus halfway along, as they were doing works in a tunnel – of which there are many. But nothing could detract from the stupendous mountain scenery which the singletrack line passed through most of the way from the Italian border to Bohinj.

I was so proud of what I achieved on my trip, though when I got back I felt like I never wanted to go anywhere else ever again. Of course, that feeling gradually wore off, and now I feel ready to take another journey, but not on my own this time. I would like to go with my friend who is a little younger than me, and has also had her share of health difficulties and caring responsibilities. It would be so good to take a relaxing trip together, sit back and have a good laugh, and maybe organise for somebody else to take care of our luggage.

In my many trips to Europe, I have always traveled by train.  My most precious memories are the three times I have visited the European Christmas markets.  The first market visited was Strasbourg, France.  The decorations, the lights, the music, the cold weather, all added to the magic of the markets - and there were many!  Strasbourg’s markets are scattered all around the city center.  One of my favorite markets had a booth selling freshly shucked oysters and glasses of champagne.  How civilized!  Salzburg is a special spot for Christmas markets.  Tucked into Old Town, I shopped each stall, picking up decorations for my Christmas tree.  But oh!  The lights of Vienna were breathtaking.  As you walk the streets, you are stunned as each corner you turn, another spectacular light display appears.  

It was my dream to take my older sister to the Christmas markets to have her share this experience.  In 2022, we purchased our Eurail passes and set out for a 10 day adventure through Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Austria.  Traveling with her, seeing her face light up like a child, as she experienced the beauty and magic of the markets was, for me, so rewarding.  It was a very cold winter in 2022, and we had a dusting of snow where we traveled. But bundled up like Eskimos, we managed to have a very memorable time.  Riding the trains between our destinations was our down time.  Time to relax, enjoy the scenery, have a glass of wine, take pictures and just be together.  Here are some pictures of our trip.

Bon Voyage to you all!

Leipzig Train Station

This summer, our family of five took our annual European adventure to a new level, backpacking by train through Switzerland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, and England. It was our first time starting in one country and ending in another, and the journey was unforgettable.

We traveled entirely by rail, and the Eurail pass made it incredibly easy to book tickets, manage changes, and even secure economical Eurostar seats. With three kids (ages 7, 9, and 11), train travel was not only practical, it was part of the fun. They loved comparing the different trains across countries and soaking in the views along the way.

What we love most about these trips is the opportunity to make lasting memories together and the education our children gain from experiencing new cultures, languages, and landscapes. Europe continues to be a place where we grow as a family, and we look forward to continuing this tradition for years to come.

 Charles & Family

This winter, I set off on a Eurail adventure that I will never forget. Over the course of a month, I traveled through Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, and Hungary—all by train. What made it truly special was not just the breathtaking scenery or the seamless train journeys, but the personal milestone I’ll carry with me forever: I got engaged during this trip.
Traveling by train made the journey feel alive. Instead of rushing through airports, I was able to sit by the window and watch Europe unfold—snow-dusted villages in Germany, storybook castles in the Czech Republic, endless rolling countryside in Hungary, and the sparkling Adriatic coastline of Croatia. Each ride felt like part of the adventure, not just a way to get from one place to another.
Some highlights stand out vividly in my memory:
Germany – Standing in awe at the Neuschwanstein Castle and exploring Munich’s rich culture.
Netherlands – Wandering the canals of Amsterdam and embracing the cozy winter atmosphere.
Poland & Czech Republic – Walking through Krakow’s historic old town and marveling at the fairytale charm of Prague.
Croatia – Exploring Split and Dubrovnik, where the sea meets ancient stone walls.
Italy – Living a dream in Venice and Rome, where history and romance go hand in hand.
Slovenia – Discovering Ljubljana and the magical Postojna Caves.
Hungary – Ending the journey in Budapest, where the city lights sparkled across the Danube.
But the most unforgettable moment was deeply personal—my partner proposed to me on this journey. To say "yes" while traveling through some of Europe’s most magical destinations made this trip truly transformative. Every train ride became more than a journey; it became a celebration of love, adventure, and shared dreams.
This experience is one I want to share with others, especially with my fiancé, as we dream of future journeys together. Traveling Europe by train showed us not only the beauty of the continent but also the joy of slowing down, connecting, and truly experiencing each place we visited.
My Eurail trip wasn’t just about seeing new countries—it was about creating memories that will last a lifetime. And because of Eurail, my love story now includes the magic of train rides through Europe.