Interrailing Europe is one of the best ways to explore this diverse continent. It’s not just an eco-friendly way to travel, but an interrail pass is an easy and budget-friendly way to visit as much of Europe as you can. The Interrail Pass allows you unlimited train travels around Europe, whether you choose a One Country Pass or an Interrail Global Pass. We asked travel bloggers for their experiences interrailing Europe to collect the 6 best interrail Europe routes.
Note: the Interrail Pass is only available to European citizens, but its equal the Eurail Pass for residents of non-European countries.
Read more: the best road trips in Europe and how to calculate the impact of your train trip.
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6x Interrailing Europe Itineraries
#1 Interrailing Eastern Europe
By us
The first trip I made after graduating university, was an interrail trip to Eastern and Central Europe. For three weeks, I and my little brother visited many European capitals on a budget, staying in cheap hostels and using the night trains. Our 3-week interrail route brings you to the best highlights of Europe in only short time, making the most of an Interrail Global Pass.
We started our trip in our home country the Netherlands, passing Berlin on our way to Warsaw in Poland. We used the Warsaw free bike system to explore the city and took the train to our next Poland stop: Krakow. This hidden gem in Eastern Europe is not just a great city trip destination, but also your base for day tours to the former Nazi-camp Auschwitz and the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
Next stop is beautiful Prague, one of the best capitals of Europe for its charming streets, many tourist attractions and great restaurant scene. Head next to Budapest, famous for its thermal spas, classic architecture and beutiful bridges over the Danube. Travel further south to Belgrade in Servia, one of the more off the beaten track citis to visit, before interrailing back north to Zagreb in Croatia and make one or two stops in Slovenia or Austria.
We recommend Salzburg as a final stop. This charming small mountain town brings you cobble-stoned streets, royal palaces, mountain hikes and some movie locations of the famous The Sound of Music movie.
By Lucy from On the Luce
Explore the cosmopolitan cities and unspoilt natural landscapes of Denmark, Sweden and Norway on an InterRail trip across Scandinavia. This Scandinavia by train itinerary only takes one week and you can use InterRail’s ‘Global Pass for 4 travel days within 1 month’.
Start in the Danish capital Copenhagen where you can visit colourful Nyhavn and take a boat trip through the canals. Then board the train for the 5.5-hour journey across the Öresund Link combined bridge and tunnel from Denmark into Sweden. Explore Stockholm’s medieval Gamla Stan district or the islands of the Stockholm Archipelago.
Next travel on to Norway on the 6-hour journey to Oslo. This arty city is home to the Munch Museum and Oslo Opera House as well as museums dedicated to its seafaring history. Then travel west towards the fjords on the 6-hour journey to Flåm, changing in Myrdal onto the scenic Flåmsbana mountain railway for the last part of the journey.
The Flåmsbana zigzags its way steeply down to the edge of the Sognefjord past waterfalls, snow-capped mountains and pretty villages. Take a boat trip to soak up the scenery along Norway’s longest fjord from Flåm before catching the Flåmsbana back up to Myrdal.
From there the Bergen Line is another beautiful route with plenty of mountain views which takes two hours to reach Bergen, the capital of the fjords and your final stop. Try local seafood at Bergen’s Fish Market or take the Fløibanen funicular railway or Ulriken cable car for spectacular views from above.
#3 A 1-week UK itinerary: London to Inverness train route
By Elina from Empnefsys & Travel
One of my favorite UK rail routes is the east coast route from London to Inverness. This One Country Pass route passes from York, Newcastle and Edinburgh among other smaller towns in England and Scotland.
The best part about this route are the views. As the train approaches the north of England and enters Scotland, the train passes close to beautiful countryside, impressive cities and breath-taking cliffs. In order to enjoy these views from the comfort of your seat, you need to book a seat on the right-hand side of the train with front-facing direction (or the opposite for back-facing seats).
From start to finish the train journey takes about 8 hours, but you will certainly need at least a week to experience all the main stops along the way. I suggest, spending 3-4 days in London and Edinburgh to be able to see all the must-see sights of each city. Then, spend a couple of days in York and Newcastle, while smaller towns such as Darlington and Berwick-upon-Tweed can be explored in a day.
Once the train leaves Edinburgh, it passes from a few small cities and towns in Scotland, before entering the Cairngorms National Park. You may want to get off the train there, with Aviemore being a great gateway to nature hikes and adrenaline activities. The last stop of the train route is Inverness, also known as the capital of the Scottish Highlands. It would be a pity to end your trip there without first going on a day trip to nearby Loch Ness or just wandering in the streets of Inverness.
#4 Italy train route: a 2-week itinerary
By Rachel from Earths Magical Places
Italy is one of the best places in Europe to go Interrailing. There are countless famous destinations to visit, breath-taking scenery, and who could forget the food! One of the most popular Italy routes starts in Venice, before stopping off in Florence, Cinque Terre, and then ending in Rome.
You need at least a week to complete this trip. However, if you want to travel at a relaxed pace, two weeks is more ideal! This allows ample time to enjoy all the highlights of the mentioned Italian cities such as the canals of Venice, Florence’s Duomo, and the Colosseum in Rome… It’s honestly hard to pick a favorite as each location has its own unique charm and rich history to uncover.
While these cities really need no introduction, the penultimate stop, Cinque Terre is potentially lesser-known. Yet, it’s probably the most magical stop. Actually comprising of 5 ancient fishing villages, Cinque Terre is found along the rustic Italian Riviera coastline. The colorful houses, and spectacular sea views, bring such an old-world charm to the region. Thus, it’s hard not to fall in love with the Cinque Terre Villages, which have remained largely unchanged for over 500 years.
Despite this fact, it’s incredibly easy to reach by train! A regional line connects all the villages with La Spezia, which is just two hours from Florence and can be included in your One Country Pass interrail ticket! Therefore, planning your route through Italy really couldn’t be easier.
#5 Belgrade to Bar route
By Ellis from Backpack Adventures
The train from Belgrade to Bar is maybe one of the shortest interrail routes and also one that is actually faster by bus. The 476 kilometer long railway line connects the capital from Serbia with the Montenegrin coast. If you are lucky it takes about 11 hours, but delays are common. Yet, this route is one of the most scenic in Europe.
Taking the Belgrade to Bar train is not about speed or comfort, but about history and spectacular views. This line was built by Tito, the head of state of former Yugoslavia. He was a big lover of trains and wanted to connect the capital of Yugoslavia with the Montenegrin coast. This sounds easier than it was, because the Dinaric Alps were in between. The train from Belgrade to Bar winds through spectacular mountains, crosses 435 bridges and passes 254 tunnels.
You can travel this route in one go, but there are some interesting stops along the way. In Serbia the train stops among others in Bijelo polje, Mojkovac and Uzice. The route even drops for a little bit in Bosnia Herzegovina before going back to Serbia and finally Montenegro. In Montenegro it stops in Kolasin, Podgorica and Virpazar. Uzice, Kolasin and Podgorica are nice cities if you are interested in the region’s history and architecture. Virpazar is the gateway to beautiful lake Skadar and a great stop if you like nature.
#6 Berlin to Prague by train
By Kenny from Knycx Journeying
The EuroCity train that connects the two Capital cities in Germany and the Czech Republic takes off every two hours every day. The journey takes about four hours, with a short stop in another popular travel destination in between, Dresden.
The best time to travel to Berlin, Dresden and Prague is during Christmas as all three cities offer some of the best Christmas Markets in Europe. Being today’s capital of Germany, the Fall of the Berlin Wall that reunited East and West Germany was for sure one of the most important events that left a mark in the modern world’s history. Spend at least two to three days to explore all the city’s classics, from the iconic Brandenburg Gate, the East Side Gallery, and the many museums on the Museum Island.
Check out the Zwinger and the Dresden Royal Palace during your stopover. If you are there during Christmas, Dresden’s Striezelmarkt was voted the most charming Christmas market in Germany. The train journey continues across the River Elbe with picturesque scenery. Consider taking a break in the spa town of Bad Schandau if you have enough time!
Prague is a romantic destination that everyone would immediately fall in love with. The famous Old Town Square is only a short walk away from the train station. It’s a cluster of national landmarks and monuments from the Astronomical Clock, Old Town Hall, to the Church of Our Lady before Týn; don’t forget to have a taste of a Trdelník, and spend the next two to three days exploring the rest of the city, including the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle.
