Years ago now in the summer between my second and third years of university I set off on a backpacking adventure for 5 weeks in Europe. My boyfriend and I got a one month interrail pass meaning we could hope on almost any train in Europe within a one month period. We extended the trip to 5 weeks in total by having a few days either side in start and end destinations (Paris and Amsterdam). We had a fantastic time and I would highly recommend interrailing to anyone wanting to see more of Europe! If you’re looking for some inspiration, here is our route.
My Interrail Route
Interrail Route Calendar
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Fly to Paris | Paris | Paris | Paris | AM train Paris > Mulhouse (5hrs) | ||
| AM train Mulhouse > Lausanne (3hrs) PM train Lausanne > Florence (6 hrs) | Florence | PM train Florence > Rome (2hrs) | Rome | Rome | PM train Rome > Venice (4hrs) | Venice |
| Venice | Venice | AM train Venice > Vienna (8hrs) | Veinna | PM train Vienna > Bratislava (2hrs) | Bratislava | PM train Bratislava > Budapest (3hrs) |
| Budapest | Budapest | Budapest | AM train Budapest > Prague (8hrs) | Prague | Prague | Prague |
| AM train Prague > Berlin (5hrs) | PM train Berlin > Copenhagen (7hrs) | Copenhagen | Copenhagen | All day train Copenhagen > Bruges (14 hrs) | Bruges | Bruges |
| AM train Bruges > Brussels (1hr) PM train Brussels > Amsterdam (3hrs) | Amsterdam | Amsterdam | Amsterdam | Amsterdam | Fly home |
Looking back now, I’m shocked how long some of these journeys were! I really do not remember spending 8 hours + on trains on some days, so I wouldn’t let long train journeys put you off!
France
Our adventure started in Paris, a must-visit for anyone exploring Europe for the first time! Paris is a beautiful city just to wander around and there’s certainly no shortage of tourist attractions! I’d recommend beginning your stay with a walking tour to get a feel for the city and learn about the history and culture.
Top sights:
- Notre Dame (visit this area in the evening so see lots of street performers)
- Eiffel Tower
- Arc De Triomphe
- Champs-Élysées (beautiful street leading up to the Arc De Triomphe)
- Sacré-Cœur (iconic church in Montmatre)
- Louvre (beware, if you aren’t interested in art you could spend hours here looking for the Mona Lisa only to be underwhelmed when you finally find it)
- Palace of Versailles (a short train journey out of the city)
Top Tip: Just like any big city, be wary of people selling things on the streets or asking for donations to charities. Many of these are scams and they might just snatch your wallet as soon as you pull it out!
After Paris, we stopped off in a little town called Mulhouse on our way to Switzerland. Whilst Mulhouse is a pretty town in itself, we stayed the night here simply to save money as it was much cheaper than hotels and hostels across the border in Switzerland.
Switzerland
Switzerland is super scenic country, full of mountains, lakes and rolling hills. However, its also a super expensive city, as we were on a budget we didn’t stay the night but instead explore the town of Lausanne for a few hours before heading to Italy.
Italy
We stayed in Italy for 10 days, visiting three different cities: Florence, Rome and Venice.
Top tip: Even with an interrail ticket, in Italy you need to book your train tickets in advance and pay for a reservation. Reservations cost around £10 per train.
Florence
Florence is a fantastic city filled with overly decorated buildings from its rich renaissance period. The entire city centre has been declared a UNESCO world heritage sight!
Top Sights:
- Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo)
- Uffizi Gallery
- Basilica of Santa Croce
- David of Michelangelo Statue
Rome
Italy’s capital is famous for the colosseum and the ancient roman forum but don’t forget there is a whole other country inside the city – the Vatican.
Top Sights:
- Colosseum
- Roman Forum
- Arch of Constantine
- Palatine Hill
- Parthenon
- Trevi Fountain
- Spanish Steps
- Altar of the Fatherland
- St Peter’s Basilica (Vatican)
- Sistene Chapel (Vatican)
Venice
Our last stop in Italy is the unique city of Venice with 150 canals its definitely worth a visit if you’re travelling in summer. However if you’re travelling in winter, be prepared for lots of floods!
Top Sights:
- Rialoto Bridge
- Doge’s Palace
- Bridge of Sighs
- Grand Canal
- St Mark’s Square
- Libreria Acqua Alta (quirky bookshop)
Top Tip: take a cheap “gondola” ride by getting a traghetto (gondola ferry) from one side of the canal to the other!
Austria
We only spent two days in Austria both in the capital, Vienna. I wish we had explore more of the country though, we changed trains in Innsbruck and it looked stunning, Salzburg is also on my list!
Top sights in Vienna:
- Schönbrunn Palace
- The Hofburg
- Belvedere Palace
- Karlskirche
- Hundertwasser House
Slovakia
We originally planned for two days in Bratislava – a city I knew very little about before visiting. On our first day we did a walking tour and I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the old town. However on our second night, we were robbed in our hotel room – our passports, interrail tickets, wallets, our camera and George’s phone were all stolen. We were determined to not let it ruin our trip, luckily we had insurance and were able to get emergency passports from the British Embassy but we did have to stay an extra day.
Top Sights:
- Bratislava Castle
- The Blue Church
- Main Square and Old Town Hall
- Man at Work statue
Hungary
After a slight delay in Bratislava, we made it to Budapest just a day late. Budapest turned out to be one of my favourite cities, I wish we were able to stay longer than the 2.5 days we had! It’s an incredibly cheap city but is rich in culture with plenty to do from exploring historical sights, to soaking in thermal baths to discovering ruin bars.
Top sights in Budapest:
- Hungarian Parliament Building
- Buda Castle
- St Stephen’s Basilica
- Fisherman’s Bastion
- Hero’s Square
- Széchenyi Baths
- Shoes on the Danube
- Szimpla Kert (ruin bar)
Czechia
Onto Prague, another lively colourful city, home to one of Europe’s most disappointing tourist attractions – the astronomical clock
Top sights in Prague
- Astronomical Clock
- Prague Castle
- Charles Bridge
- Old Town Square
- Dancing House
- Lennon Wall
Germany
Next stop Berlin, a city with tonnes of history to learn, even just within the last 100 years. I would highly recommend taking a walking tour in Berlin to discover all of its stories.
Top sights in Berlin:
- Brandenburg Gate
- Reichstag Building
- Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
- Checkpoint Charlie
- East Side Gallery (Berlin Wall)
- Berlin Cathedral
Denmark
Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital is another expensive city but well worth a visit, even just for a couple of days.
Top sights in Copenhagen:
- Nyhavn (harbour)
- Little Mermaid Statue
- Tivoli Gardens (amusement park)
- Christiansborg Palace
- Rosenborg Palace
- Christiania (a freetown, also called the Green Light District)
Belgium
During our time in Belgium, we visited two cities – the capital Brussels for a day after a few days in Bruges.
Top sights in Brussels:
- Grand Palace
- Atomium
- Mannekin Pis Statue (another often underwhelming attraction)
- Royal Palace of Brussels
Top Sights in Bruges:
- Belfry Tower
- Plaza Gran Mercado
- Basilica of the Holy Blood
- Rozenhoedkaai canal
- Burg Square
Netherlands
Our final train journey brought us to Amsterdam, another city full of history and canals and famous for various forms of entertainment…
Top sights in Amsterdam:
- Anne Frank House
- Vondelpark
- Rijksmuseum
- Royal Palace
- Red Light District
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