Interrail Pass > Reviews > Enjoy the freedom

Author's product rating:   

Frequency of trains	Satisfactory
Reliability of trains	Mostly on time
Comfort of trains	Slightly uncomfortable
On-board facilities	Satisfactory

Advantages:	You can choose where you want to be anytime
Disadvantages:	none

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Oh how I wish I were young and fancy free again when I think of my time travelling around Europe.

I am sure things have changed a lot since I went on interrail holidays but those holidays have remained in my memory as if I went last year.

Travelling by train in other countries is an excellent experience as you are close to the people who live and work in these countries. Trains can be a great place to strike up conversations and learn about the country you are travelling through. If you can speak a little of the language of the countries you are passing through it is even better. People are only too keen to tell you about their country and their lives.

I could regale you with my experiences of trains, places and people I encountered during my trips but it is much better if you go yourself and experience these things yourself.

Here is an old timers advice:-

1) In one month you cannot cover the whole of Europe so before you go choose where you want to go.

2) Do some homework on the countries you want to visit what there is to see, where you can sleep, when and where do the trains go.

3) Choose your travelling companion/s well. You do not want to be in the middle of nowhere with someone that you have begun to despise!

4) When you arrive at an unknown place make sure you check the time of the trains out it may be simply awful.

5) Take in the culture you never know if you will go there again and you do not want to miss out on something to be able to talk about.

6) Do not overdo things. Trains are good to sleep on occasionally but you will miss large areas of the countries when you are asleep and you will probably not have a good nights sleep to many of them is bad for you.

7) Go while you can, if you are young and free enough to take a month to travel you could do a lot worse.

8) A light tent can come in useful but campsites can be a long way from towns so be willing to try other accommodation.

Believe it or not not all train services are as good as ours so be prepared for some shocks!