Interrail Route Ideas for 1 Month in Europe

Traveling Europe by train is one of the best ways to see the continent. An interrail ticket allows you to purchase one ticket to use to travel on hundreds of different trains around Europe. The tickets come in various forms, ranging from travel on 4 days within one month or unlimited travel for 15-90 days. This article shares one month interrail route ideas to help get you started in your planning.

When I was a student, I bought a month-long interrail ticket and explored Europe for the summer. We began in Paris and went to 15 different cities including Paris, Rome, Vienna, Berlin, Budapest and Amsterdam. You can read all about my route here.

Below you can find 5 interrail route ideas that last roughly one month. Each take different routes to explore Europe. All the routes include maps, train durations, reservation information and recommendations – plus which interrail pass is best for that route.

If you’re new to interrailing, make sure you read our article on everything you need to know before you go interrailling!

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Capital to Capital 6-Week Interrail Route

This interrail route is a great way to explore Europe’s capital cities across 5 and half weeks. Technically this itinerary takes you to one non-capital city – Venice – to break up a long journey and why wouldn’t you want to visit Venice!

Ticket to Buy: For this 12 stop route, buy the 15 days within 2 months or the 10 days within 2 months. With the latter, you will need to cut out a couple of stops or buy your own train ticket for these. The trains from Ljubljana to Lake Bled and Zagreb are fairly cheap. It might work out better to buy the 10 travel day pass and buy those trains separately.

This interrail route includes:

Highlights of the Capital to Capital Route

There are so many highlights of this route as it will take you to some of the greatest cities in Europe! Here are some of my top travel recommendations for visiting Europe’s capital cities:

• Visit ruin bars and thermal baths in Budapest.
• In Copenhagen, visit Christiania – also known as the Green Light District – to see a completely different side of the city.
• Take a walking tour in Paris to hear more about the rich history of the city and see iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame in another light.
• The Coloseum in Rome is a must but don’t skip out on the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill for more ancient ruins.
• Visit the Old Town Square in Prague (by the Astronomical Clock) at night so see some amazing street performers.

Top Tip: You can save lots of money on museums and attractions in Amsterdam, Paris, Rome and Vienna with a GoCity Pass which you can buy online.

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Baltic Circle 4-Week Interrail Route

This route has a real mix of some of the most expensive cities in Europe (Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki), plus some of the cheapest places like Poland and Latvia. Circling the Baltic sea offers a fantastic mix of Scandinavian and Baltic countries.

Ticket to Buy: The best value interrail or eurail ticket to buy for this route is the 7 days within 1 month pass. You will have pay extra for one bus journey that isn’t included, this is between Warsaw and Riga and can easily be booked online via busbud. Plus a ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki although you will get a discount with your interrail pass.

This interrail route includes:

Highlights of the Baltic Circle Route

This route explores a variety of places from stylish Scandinavian cities to old Polish towns to the brutalist Berlin. Each offering a unique experience. Here are some of my top travel tips and recommendations for interrailing around the Baltic:

• In Stockholm, keep an eye out for the fantastic murals decorating the metro stations.
• Take a walking tour in Gdansk to discover the city’s interesting past – did you know it used be a free city state? And the traditional colourful houses on the main street may not be as old as you think!
• Sauna is a must in Finland! I’d recommend visiting Loyly in Helsinki, but make sure you book in advance.
• As well as exploring Tallinn’s old town, take a trip to Balti Jaama Turg market in the newer part of town too.
• In Copenhagen, visit Christiania – also known as the Green Light District – to see a completely different side of the city.

Top Tip: You can save lots of money on museums and attractions in Stockholm with a GoCity Pass which you can buy online.

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France, Spain & Portugal 5-Week Interrail Route

This route explores some of the finest cities in France, Spain and Portugal. Enjoy extended stays in Paris, Barcelona, Lisbon and Albufeira where you can take things a little slower or pack even more in as each place has a lot to offer.

Ticket to buy: For this route, purchase the 10 days within 1 month pass. This isn’t going to be a cheap itinerary as reservations are rife in Western Europe. Expect to pay around €99 for reservations on this trip but you will benefit from speedy trains! Some of the fees can be avoided by taking much slower trains.

This interrail route includes:

Highlights of the France, Spain and Portugal Route

There are lots of sights and sun to be soaked up on this route. Here are some recommendations across the three countries that this interrail route explores:

• Take a walking tour in Paris to hear more about the rich history of the city and see iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame in another light.
• Look out for the Palais Gallien – hidden Roman ruins in the heart of Bordeaux.
• When visiting Barcelona, take a trip out to Park Guell to see some Gaudi’s finest work.
• Considering hiring a car in Albufeira to explore more of the Algarve coast. If you like hiking, walk the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail for some stunning coastal views!

Top Tip: You can save lots of money on museums and attractions in Paris and Barcelona with a GoCity Pass which you can buy online.

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In & Around Germany 4-Week Interrail Route

Germany borders more countries than any other nation in Europe. The route skirts in and out of Germany’s border, dipping into its neighbours as well as exploring some of its best cities. This itinerary packs a lot into jus 4.5 weeks. You could easily adjust it if you want to take things slower. Either stretch out your trip to 6 weeks or longer for more nights in each city. Alternatively, you can skip some of the stops to give yourself longer in each destination. Bear in mind, this will increase the length of your train journeys.

Ticket to buy: For this itinerary, you will want to buy the 15 days within 2 months pass. Even if you stretch it out a little, this will last you for up to 8 weeks.

This interrail route includes:

Highlights of the In and Around Germany Route

From this trip you can expect to see lots of classic Europe architecture, colourful houses and unique rooflines. You will also get to experience an abundance of heavy but delicious foods. Here are some of my travel recommendations for the countries surrounding Germany:

• In Belgium, try Belgian fries! They’re delicious, and are the original French fries. You can often find them in Amsterdam too.
• Visit the Old Town Square in Prague (by the Astronomical Clock) at night so see some amazing street performers.
• Budapest’s ruin bars are a super unique experience. One of the most well-known and biggest is Szimplakert, I’d highly recommend after a dip in the thermal baths.

Top Tip: You can save lots of money on museums and attractions in Amsterdam and Vienna with a GoCity Pass which you can buy online.

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Italy 4-Week Interrail Route

This 4 week interrail route explores the best that Italy has to offer. As well as staying in some beautiful cities, the route also builds in day trips to Lake Como, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. Plus you can walk over the Vatican City whilst in Rome, so technically this route can take you to two countries.

Ticket to buy: As this route only involves travel in Italy, a single country pass is the best value. The best ticket is the Italy Pass for 6 travel days within 1 month. You might notice that there appears to be 7 days of travel planned – just don’t count the day trip to Lake Como in your interrail pass. Not all of these trains are included and they are super cheap anyway so it isn’t worth the extra cost to upgrade the ticket.

This interrail route includes:

Highlights of the Italy Inspiration Route

There are so many highlights to see in Italy. Here are some of my top Italy travel tips to make the most of interrailing around the country:

• Take a super cheap gondola ride in Venice by getting the Traghetto from one side of the canal to the other.
• In Como, take the funicular train and walk up to the lighthouse at the top of the hill for the best views over Lake Como.
• During your stay in Sorrento, take a bus to Amalfi and Positano to explore the stunning towns around the Amalfi Coast.

Top Tip: You can save lots of money on museums and attractions in Rome with a GoCity Pass which you can buy online.

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My 6-Week Interrail Route

This route includes visiting 15 cities in 39 days. The best pass to buy for this route is the 15 days within 2 months pass.

This was actually the itinerary I followed for my interrailing adventure in 2014. I’ve written a full blog post going into lots of detail on this plan.

More Interrail Travel Tips

Travelling by train is one of the best ways to explore Europe. If you’re still not sold or need a little more inspiration, take a look at some of my other blog posts on Interrailing and travel in Europe.

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