Routes & destinations

Is there a direct train to go from Milan to Lucerne?

Hello all,I like to share some inspiration for anyone who is planning to visit The Netherlands.Today the city Apeldoorn.Located in the province of Gelderland, it has a main station and beautiful nature all around.Apeldoorn has a nice city center on walking distance from the station, filled with shops and cultural places.  CODA Museum CODA Museum in Apeldoorn is the place for changing exhibitions with modern, visual art, contemporary fashion and artist jewellery by (inter)national designers and artists and art from and on paper.CODA - From mainstation, take bus 21 Apenheul (4 minutes) to busstop “Bibliotheek” or walk 16 minutes.   Apenheul (Monkey zoo) Apenheul is a nice, big park with diffenrent kind of monkeys and a lot of fun for kids.Zoo - From mainstation, take bus 21 Apenheul (21 minutes) to busstop “Apenheul”    Berg&Bos (Park and forest) Landscaped park created in 1934, with cascades, an ornamental lake & a resident herd of wild boar. The connected forest is ideal for lo

In my fascination for non-standard border crossings, I have prepared another post on border-crossings: a 4th border crossing between the Netherlands and Belgium. As you can see from Apple's impeccably clear railway map, there are only 3 border crossings with passenger trains operating on them between the two countries: two in the very West (one high-speed, the other traditional), both leading to Antwerp, and one in the very Southeast between Maastricht and Liège. These are very far apart and hardly an alternative to each other.  There could be all sorts of reasons why you want to avoid them:off the throdden path avoiding expensive tickets/reservations on the high-speed line, especially when last-minute or with time-flexibility  avoiding line closures due to engineering works or (busy) replacement buses you have to get to Eindhoven Airport from Belgium but the Dutch trains are on strike … (fill in for yourself)As the railway map already suggests, there is a fourth crossing somewhere in

We’re planning a trip from UK to reach the Arctic circle via Eurostar to Brussels then cologne and onto Copenhagen.then sleeper from Stockholm to Narvik.back down through Norway !anything we should look out for ?

We are both teachers and plan to take our 2 children (10 and 11) interrailing next summer. We want to start by going eurostar from London to Paris. The countries we’d like to explore are Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy. Don’t want to travel by train more than 6-8 hours each journey, ideally.We’d love really scenic train journeys, not too bothered about big cities. Looking for reasonably cheap but private accommodation. Would like a mix of scenery: lakes, mountains, villages, coast. We have up to 6 weeks to spend on the trip.Any suggestions of unmissable places, journeys or experiences very much appreciated!

Hello! I am traveling from Innsbruck to Vienna next Sunday and plan to travel via Semmering bahn. I'm wondering what would be the best route and which train would be the best option for enjoying the scenery on the Semmering bahn? Local or faster train? Any thoughts?

Is no plan the best plan?In June 1987, myself and two good friends finished our end of school exams and headed off for a month on the rails with nothing but interrail passes, passports, a small amount of money in many different currencies and a large amount of enthusiasm.We only had the very barest outline of a plan. We would start in Dublin. We would go to a Greek island called Spetses. Since we all lived in Dublin and very much hoped to be starting university in September we were always going to finish up back in Ireland.We also brought with us the single most important book to bring on an interrail – the Thomas Cook European Timetable. This little red piece of excellence was invaluable when it came to planning as it showed all the trains and connections you could ever need. It was printed monthly at the time and could be bought at bigger mainline stations or serious travel agents in most big cities. Those of us on a budget would ask for a copy of last months timetable since the deta

Grand Train Tour Switzerland Come with me to fulfill the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland.This little red "passport” gives you the opportunity to collect 9 awesome stamps of 9 great cities.A detailed map shows you great train routes to take and lets you experience all of Switzerland.Every page shows some details of what the city has to offer and also comes with some coupons.Info Grand Train Tour Day 1 Destination: Arnhem – ZürichTravelpass: Interrail Early in the morning, I arrive at Arnhem central station (Netherlands) and I'm taking my first train, the ICE to Frankfurt. In Frankfurt I take my next train towards Basel.In Basel I had some time to spare, so I headed into town for a little break.After my coffee and sweet treat, I headed back to the station and took the train to Zürich.In the main hall of Zürich station, you'll find all you need, shops, groceries, clothing and many more.There is a bank where you can exchange your currency into Swiss Franks (SBB Reisezentrum, ground floor).

On the Eurail website there is a list of 25 scenic train routes to try in 2025. I like the sound of number 9 Mainz to Cologne. On searching the trains there are numerous trains departing Mainz and going to various places but stopping in Cologne.Could someone advise which train or trains are the best for this journey

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, i

Hi y‘all :)  I don’t even know how to start telling about the adventure me and my boyfriend have had during our Interrail trip. First of all, not everything went perfectly well. However, all I could say is that these inconveniences made our trip even more memorable. We started from the South of Germany and headed to Copenhagen which we considered the most liveable out of the three main cities in Scandinavia we’ve seen. Everybody was out on the streets or sitting in the harbour having a good drink during the day and the evening. It was even more enjoyable since we experienced all of the city by bike like almost all the people in Copenhagen do. And it saved us a lot of money for transportation too ;)The next days we‘ve spend in Stockholm which is an adorable city too. There we’ve had the best cardamon buns and even saw the whole royal family during the opening of the parliament. But not everything went good there as we‘ve got a very spontaneous message concerning our nighttrain to our ne

A Coastal Escape: Exploring Northern Spain from Bilbao to LekeitioNorthern Spain is a hidden gem—lush, coastal, and full of charm. On this short but unforgettable journey, we explore the Basque Country, starting in Bilbao and winding our way through picturesque seaside towns like Gorliz, Donostia, Zarautz, Getaria, and Lekeitio. Each stop offers something unique: stunning landscapes, rich culture, and some of the best food in all of Spain.Bilbao: Art, Architecture, and Basque SoulOur trip begins in Bilbao, a city that perfectly blends tradition and modernity. Once an industrial center, Bilbao is now a cultural powerhouse. The Guggenheim Museum, with its shimmering titanium curves, is an essential stop—not just for the art inside, but the architecture itself. After a walk along the Nervión River, we head into the Casco Viejo (Old Town) for pintxos, the Basque version of tapas. Each bite is small but packed with flavor.Gorliz: Beachside Calm Just Outside the CityAbout 30 minutes from Bil

Traveling by train through France is like gliding through a living postcard, and that’s exactly how I felt as I journeyed across the country from north to south, stopping in three remarkable cities—Paris, Dijon, and Marseille—each offering its own rhythm, flavor, and charm.First Stop: Paris, the Timeless PostcardI began my journey in Paris, a city that never fails to enchant. Even though I had visited before, there’s always something new to discover among its cobbled streets and grand boulevards. I sipped coffee near the Canal Saint-Martin and got wonderfully lost in the halls of the Louvre. Watching the sun set from the Eiffel Tower, with the Seine glowing below, reminded me why this city draws dreamers from around the world.From Gare de Lyon, I boarded a TGV train headed for Dijon. As the urban sprawl faded into open fields and vineyards, I felt the adventure truly begin.Dijon: The Flavor of BurgundyDijon was a delightful surprise. While it's world-famous for its mustard, I quickly l

Hi everyone,My family of five from Japan (2 adults and 3 children) will be traveling around Europe this December using a Eurail Pass.Since we want to keep our budget as low as possible, we’re trying to make the most out of the Eurail Pass.We had a wonderful trip last year using the Eurail Pass, and thanks to some great advice from this community, we enjoyed an amazing scenic route on the Bernina Railway from Italy to Switzerland.It would be great if you could share similar advice with us! Here’s our planned itinerary with transportation:Budapest (2 nights) → Slovakia (stay 1 night)   travel by FlixBus Slovakia → Vienna (1 night)         by FlixBus Vienna → Prague (2 nights)    using Eurail Pass (Day 1) Prague → Berlin (2 nights)    using Eurail Pass (Day 2) Berlin → One night in an undecided city (Koblenz? Cologne? Frankfurt?)    using Eurail Pass (Day 3) Undecided city → Bacharach (1 night)    travel by local train Bacharach → Brussels → London     using Eurail Pass (Day 4)We want to

Hello,my name is Stephanie and I have been to Europe twice (2023 and 2025). In August 2023 I traveled with eurail and went to London, Paris, Switzerland, and Spain. It was my first time ever traveling out of the country. I was pregnant with my first born and I was super excited and nervous because I knew I couldn’t eat/drink the things I would have wanted to try, but it was an unforgettable experience because I did my baby announcement video in Paris. Traveling through eurail was the best experience, I traveled 1st class and it was such a breeze. The trains were so clean so smooth and unproblematic. In Aug 2025 I traveled to London, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. My stay was for 3 weeks and I enjoyed every bit of it…. I did not want to leave!! I got to travel with my 1 year old and he did absolutely amazing! I love seeing him experience the world. London ‘23 & ‘25: you were truly breathtaking, all the history you hold is mesmerizing and intriguing. I will go back every time I go to

I am traveling with my family (2a, 2c) for two weeks in Jan 2026 and wish to travel exclusively by trains, Austria to France via Italy and Switzerland. However, for the last few months when I search the online timetables, the Eurail site returns with a message saying the timetable is not yet available. My concern is that is less then 6 months from now, and I wish to book accommodation based on the trains we catch, and the dates. How far in advance are timetables released? And if they are not released until closer to the month, how do I plan the itinerary without it? Thank you. 

hey y’all! i’m currently planning my first eurail trip for next may (i love planning things way far in advance), and i would love some advice on which stops to skip and which stops to definitely not miss! i love to explore nature and hike, and would love to visit smaller towns, but you’ll see that there are of course a few of the Really Big Stops in there. i’d hate to go to europe and not go to at least a few of the big stops. and of course i know that, honestly, none of these are small towns, they’re all pretty touristy, but they’re a tiny, tiny bit less touristy than some of the Big Giant Cities. my working list so far, in order, isbremen cologne heppenheim lauterbrunnen (+ interlaken) liechtenstein innsbruck ljubljana salzburg munich prague berlini’m planning on buying the 10 stops in 2 months eurail pass, but only spending about… 27 days total? i’ve only got a month total to travel. trying to whittle it down to 9 stops instead of 11. also trying to stay in that general area of coun

Hello everybody,I am coming back from Norway to Italy. I took the ferry from Kristansand (Norway) to Hirtshal (Denmark).From there I decided to go down straight to Hamburg.I would like to report that the app is giving misleading connections.The route Hirtshals → Hamburg always show at least 5 changes and mininum 11 hours of travel (up to 14hours):   Actually, there are much easier options:After reaching Aalborg (1 train from Hirtshals), from there you can take a train straight to Kolding, and from there, another one to Hamburg.So, Hirtshal → Aalborg → Kolding → Hamburg3 changes for a total travel time of 8 hours (more or less, stops included).A big issue it is to do the reservation from Kolding and Hamburg, the ticket machines of DSB (danish train company) does not recognise the Hamburg station.Well, I am gonna resolve it some way, maybe paying a surcharge and doing it through the app.I hope it helps who is doing the same itinerary,Have a nice day!Marco 

Hi, I have a 6 day single country Spain interail ticket and I am planning to check out northern spain.  I am flying into Barcelona, then a long train journey to Madrid, and after that id like to head north, ending up in Bilbao where i will be getting my flight home.   Does anyone have any suggestions of routes, places to visit/avoid  tips for traveling?   in fact any advice at all.  FYI i am a 50 yr old gay guy traveling alone. not done an interail trip before. 

Just spoke to someone who went by train to Domodossola, Italy and found the trains not operating and the station deserted. How can I establish whether they’re operational again?

Could you please let me know if there is a train route available from Östersund to Gällivare? The route is shown on the Interrail map for 2025, but the planner doesn't show any connections. How can I check if trains are actually running there? Does anyone know?

Hello (from the UK), I’m about to have a gap year and I am looking at getting a 3 month Global Pass (undecided on 2nd/1st class) and looking at doing as much as I can in as many destinations on as many train services (incl. couchettes) as feasible, does anyone have experience with visiting every country on the pass?