10 Important Tips for European Interrailing

Hello there travel addicts,it’s that time of the year when we book our holidays,save, steal and borrow and look for the best trip available for our money. Well look no further than an interrailing trip. Perhaps the cheapest, and most exciting way to see some highlights of what Europe has to offer in a short period of time. It’s the only trip were you can go asleep on a train in scorching Rome and wake up in a train station in freezing Switzerland the next morning in a pair of shorts and sunburnt. With sightseeing and hangover rituals to do in every city, and drunken debauchery to be sought in every bar at night there is something for any youth looking for a memory that counts.

So you have bought your ticket, you’ve packed your bags, you’ve told your loved ones not to ring (because you’ll be too plastered to find the buttons and then even if you do god knows how much the damn thing is going to cost you), so know what else do you need?. What else do you have to know about the trip you’re going to take?. Well technically it is funnier for me just to let you try and work out the tips I’m going to grace you with on your own, but because I’m a nice guy i’ll give you my top ten tips after doing it twice that any youth should know that may make your trip just that little bit cheaper, and that little bit more memorable. Lets get started.

Tip #1—The Less you Bring, the less you carry

It may seem like a stupid tip to start with but believe me when you consider the fact you are going for a month and that a heavy bag can get tediously annoying, the tip starts to make sense. Don’t pack as if you are going for a month. Pack clothes that you think would get you through the week and then simply wash them on your journey. This may seem to some who get tired even at the mention of housework as a pain in the ass but it ain’t that bad. The trick is to book into a hostel with a laundry machine service when you think you are running low on clothes. The first time I went myself and three mates did our washing and sat in the room drinking Vodka until they were dry. Cheaper than paying for a laundromatte in the city. Able to drink while washing. Less straining on the shoulders.

Tip #2— Get Travel Insurance

You may think that this is a needless waste of money but from first hand experience it can save you a fortune in cities you aren’t too sure of. My first time going one of our lads fell off a nine foot rail and ended up in a hospital in Prague with a head injury and short term amnesia. He had a forty-six second memory not a word of a lie for two days. Luckily he had his insurance at the hostel and we weren’t stuck paying. It ain’t worth the risk, and means you can drink and enjoy without worrying. Oh and for those curious readers, yes he did recover in the three days, and yes he was doing a pub crawl drinking in Rome the night after he got out.My hero.

Tip #3— Free internet in Libraries

The most used tool for interrailers without a doubt is the internet. Each time you want to check your email, book accomodation for that night or the next city, or even check train times for tomorrow morning you will find yourself needing an internet connection. Needless to say it could get expensive if you have to do it in each city. My tip would be to ask at your hostel if there are any public libraries nearby with free internet access. For instance when I was staying in amsterdam on a boat there was a library with free access right next door to us that meant we didn’t have to pay a thing.

Tip #4—Get night-trains

Awh the night-trains. If you get sick of daytime travelling on the trains you should give the nighttrains a go. There are a few plus factors to this method of travelling. The first being that it saves you paying a night’s accomodation, saves the money you would have spend in the pub for the next night, and it means you will be in your next city at the start of the next day meaning you get a whole day in the city. My suggestion though is to pay the little extra to get a bed for the night, maybe 20euro, it means you get a sleep and ain’t sitting in an chair for like fifteen hours. Myself and one mate got a bed, the three other guys didn’t the first time we did it. The made sure they got one the next time as a result.

Tip#5—Bring a Credit Card

May seem like a needless tip but believe me if you can’t find a hostel you want it is sometimes easier, and the same price to book into a cheap hotel. Only trouble is that without a credit card you cannot place a booking. Better to bring one just in case, most websites like my favorite www.booking.com only use it for booking purposes, and don’t charge to it.

Tip#6—Do Pub Crawls

No exaggeration, pub crawls were the best thing about interrailing for me. Because you are going to so many different cities, and most cities have them you will find yourself doing different amazing pub crawls every night. The plus factors of pub crawls are many. Firstly if you are in a country were there may be a language barrier then pub crawls will provide certain aspects to help. It will give you as guide that can direct you to the hotspots,get you into the national bars you couldn’t, get you in without queueing, and provide an amazing night in English. The group is always mixed and you can find yourself chatting to people from all over the world so is an incredible laugh. Most will have drink promotions, free shots, and even party games along the way. The cities with the best ones I have found are Berlin, Rome, and Prague. Pay as little as ten euro and have the wildest night of your life.

Tip#7—Don’t change currency in train stations

Unless you have an emergency like needed the currency to take a leak in the station pay toilets and need currency fast, do not change your currency in the stations. I have never been in a train station that offers the lowest currency conversion. Just go out and into the city and you will find that you will stumble across a currency convertor with much better rates.

Tip#8—Check Sights out before going

Although the nights may give the best memories, (if you don’t drink too much to forget them all), you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to explore some of what the city has to offer. Some sights in cities like museums and galleries have special days when at certain times entrance is free to all. If you check beforehand you may save yourself some cash.

Tip#9— Take note of where you are staying

As silly as it may sound it is so easy to get drunk in strange cities at night and end up halfway around the city away from your hostel. Although sometimes taxis are cheap in some cities, there is no point in getting one drunk if you ain’t got any where to send them. The simplest thing to do is take a card from the front desk of your hotel or hostel so you can just hand it to the taxi driver. Be aware though some taxi drivers in cities will try to take you the long route. The way I stopped this is to agree a price roughly before hand. If worse comes to worse just pretend you only have a certain amount. Usually taxis will be happy to get business and will just take you for that price, saving you the rest for tomorrow.

Tip#10— Don’t be afraid to chat to the randomers

Interrailing is all about the random people you meet along the way. You will find yourself chatting to people from all over the world. If you start your night in drinking in your hostel bar you are sure to find some interesting characters who would jump at the chance to join you on your night’s journey. First night I was in Prague we took a strange guy outside our last bar who looked locked and lost back to our hostel with us and threw him into the spare bed that we hadn’t paid for. Funny guy, didn’t even say thanks next morning just shouted ‘Oh shit, it’s waffles for breakfast today i got to run’ and left the room to us laughing. Remember strangers are people you just haven’t had a drink with yet!.

So there you have it travellers. Some tips that may save you a little,or make you trip a bit easier. And hell even if it didn’t I hope you are glad you read it. Who knows I may end up reading your tips in the future. Happy Trails.

Shane Nolan