Connect & get inspired

Channel 4 aired a nice programme on the Bernina Express tonight.It’s available to stream here (if you’re outside the UK, you might need a VPN).https://www.channel4.com/programmes/alpine-train-at-christmas

Good morning all! 😊 We're a family of four with two kids aged 6 and 8. This summer we'd like to make use of a 5-day Interrail Global pass for a month for an 8-9 day holiday. We're starting from a station on the Milan-Verona line. Got any suggestions for a kid-friendly itinerary on a budget?. We did Vienna last year for a week, so giving that a miss this time (despite loving it!). 😄 Any ideas? I've thought about trips that aren't too long and with few changes, so as not to stress my kids 😊 Something like this- Verona → Innsbruck 🇦🇹 → Munich 🇩🇪 → Lindau 🇩🇪 → Montreux 🇨🇭 → Verona 🇮🇹 😊. Thank you so much

Hoping to take the Bernini Express to Tirano next summer (26). Heard there’s not much there, so was wondering if it’d be an idea to then get a train to a smaller town on Lake Lecco/ Como. We have 2 children (9 & 10) and limited budget! Has anyone visited Bellano, Lierna, Lariania, Lecco or any other suggestions? From there we’d hope to travel to Milan to catch eu sleeper to Amsterdam.Thanks for any help!

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!

Hey everyone! 👋 We're creating a YouTube video about the best off-season destinations by rail, and we'd love your input! Which destinations do you think we should feature, and why? Maybe a ski town when the slopes are quiet, a bustling summer town that becomes peaceful and even more beautiful in the off-season, or hidden gems that only locals know about. Is it the serene atmosphere, the unique seasonal beauty, or the charm of exploring somewhere without the crowds? Comment below and let us know your top picks.   Thanks a bunch! 

Hello all,I like to share some inspiration for anyone who is planning to visit The Netherlands.Today the city Alkmaar.Located in the province of Noord-Holland, here you find the city of cheese. One of my favorite cities to visit.The city center is on walking distance from the station, filled with shops, restaurants and old buildings.  Kaasmarkt (cheese market) Thousands of visitors from all over the world come to Alkmaar especially for the cheese market. It's a truly special spectacle, with a square overflowing with cheese and porters carrying it. In 1365, Alkmaar had the right to weigh cheese and one set of scales, but by 1612 there were already four. The exact date of the first real cheese market is shrouded in mystery. Old documents have been found that clearly indicate the cheese market definitely took place in 1622, but there's also evidence that the cheese porters' guild was founded in 1593; from this, we can deduce that a cheese market must have existed even then.Cheese Market -

Evening all.I hope you are all well. I would like some advice and tips about using the global pass (specifically 3 month pass) for our travels around Europe.I have looked at various videos and reviews on YouTube regarding this way of travelling and most positive although, there are some that are negative and they do highlight some important issues.One guy was saying about reliability and frequency of trains in eastern Europe?  can anyone confirm if this is the case please? Also apparently the train station names do not match with what is on the app so it can be a tad confusing according to the reviewers. Can someone who has travelled recently using the Interrail pass please advise on anything you think we should be aware of? We want to try plan in advanced as much as possible and to start our trip early-,mid next year and would appreciate all feedback, tips and advice.We understand that we have to make reservations in certain countries. Could someone please tell us what countries these

Hello all,I like to share some inspiration for anyone who is planning to visit The Netherlands.Today the city Utrecht.Located in the province of Utrecht (yes, Utrecht in Utrecht) a beautiful old city center.The city center is on walking distance from the station, filled with shops, restaurants and old buildings.Here are just a vew highlights, but Utrecht has way more to offer.  Station area Utrecht station and area around it, is a intersting sight on its own. From high buildings reaching for the sky, to a lovely walk path over the railtracks. Bubble rooftop and a big shopping mall, it's all there.And if you are lucky, you will find the UFO on the rooftop.   Cafe Olivier (Hidden Church) Olivier is located in the former Maria Minor church in the center of Utrecht. This Maria Minor was originally a clandestine church. In the sixteenth century, at the time of the Reformation and the iconoclasm, it could be dangerous to openly profess your faith and buildings were built that looked like a

Hello all,I like to share some inspiration for anyone who is planning to visit The Netherlands.Today the city Amersfoort.Located in the province of Utrecht, a lively city with a beautiful old city center.The city center is on walking distance from the station, filled with shops, restaurants and cute alleys to discover. Muurhuizen (street, city walk) When you walk through the Muurhuizen you imagine yourself in the Middle Ages. When the city began to expand as a result of the economic boom in 1380, a new city wall had to be built. The old wall was torn down and from about 1500 houses were built with the material from the old wall along the line where the city wall had stood. Because the construction of these houses took place in different periods, a great diversity of forms emerged.Muurhuizen - From mainstation, take bus 5, 6, 15, or 17 (5 minutes) to busstop “Amersfoort, Centrum” or walk 15 minutes.   Mondriaanhuis (The Modrian House) The birthplace of Piet Mondriaan is now a modern mus

Hello all,I like to share some inspiration for anyone who is planning to visit The Netherlands.Today the city Arnhem.Located in the province of Gelderland, a lovely big city with a rich history.Arnhem has a nice city center on walking distance from the station, filled with shops and cultural places.  Musis Sacrum Musis Sacrum (Latin for 'dedicated to the Muses'), is a concert hall, located on the Velperplein and Park Lauwersgracht in Arnhem. The building, which is also called Musis for short, dates from 1847 and was designed by the architect Hendrik Willem Fromberg. It is the home base of Phion, formerly Het Gelders Orkest. In addition, concerts, dance performances and club nights are given.Musis - From mainstation, take bus 3 Het Duifje (4 minutes) to busstop “Velperplein” or walk 13 minutes.   Park Sonsbeek Park Sonsbeek as an estate has been around for over 250 years. Before that, it was a stream valley in the forest. 750 years ago, the first watermill stood along the Sint-Jansbeek

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

Hello everybody!How are you? I decided to “shout out” my trip, done from 6th of April to the 6th of June – 2023It was a great experience and maybe it can inspire some route you can do, connections available and maybe I can be helpful sharing few hints.Short bio: I am 40 y.o. I love to backpack around but I’m getting a bit soft, but still a good walker.I did this as solo traveler, pretty often I spent 2/3 nights (so, mostly 3 full days) each city, in some cases a bit longer (Istanbul, 6 days, Lofoten Islands, 8 days). I think travel by train make it possible and less stressful, even the itinerary was a bit crowded. Stations are closed to the center, travel is most of the time relaxing, a good way to refill the battery.Eventually, this trip was planned in weird way. I wanted to visit Istanbul and Scandinavia (easy peasy!).On the way I was invited also by some friends in Spain, so I added it at the end of the list. Plus, many years ago, I did my Erasmus in Germany and I lived for a while

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

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 ?

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?

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.