The Bucket List Interrail Trip
If you’re only ever going to go Interrailing once, then you want to do it right.
That’s why we created our Bucket List Package – a selection of 10 beautiful and iconic European cities (nine countries) that you must see at least once in your lifetime.
This four-week trip, literally the epic Interrail adventure, will see you stop off in Barcelona before heading off along the med coast to Nice, Florence, Rome and Venice then on to Ljubljana before hitting the headliner cities of Budapest, Krakow, Prague and (Babylon) Berlin. This package also gives you a little longer in the cities, with three nights in all but two of the stops.
Read on to find out more about our top recommendation for each city – and don’t forget, there are no barriers to Interrailing, except your own imagination.
First stop is Barcelona, which always pops up on Interrailers’ most popular of destinations. Take a stroll in the sun and savour the city’s stunning modernist architecture, most notably the works of Antoni Gaudí. His most famous – and fairy tale-esque – buildings and sites are the Sagrada Família, Park Güell and La Pedrera.
Perhaps a tad less famous than Barcelona (but still an unmissable destination),
Nice is a perfect spot to chill. And no more perfect a spot exists to do just that than the Promenade des Anglais, which curves for almost five miles around the Bay of Angels. You can even rent skates, scooters, bikes or an electric Segway.
Fabulous Florence is the mecca for art lovers. There is the Uffizi gallery, whch houses the world’s greatest treasure trove of Renaissance art, and the Galleria dell’Accademia with its famous, seventeen feet tall statue of David. If you have time, don’t forget to climb the Duomo’s 463 steps for some stunning views of this beautiful city.
Rome. Where to start? Well, if there’s one thing you must do (other than eat ice cream – and lots of it, yum!) that one thing is visit the ancient gladiatorial arena, the Colosseum. And you can now climb right to the top tier too.
Venice. Go Venetian style on a gondola of course, but also stop by the magnificent Piazza San Marco, which is home to St Mark’s basilica, the Doge’s Palace and the Torre dell’Orologio.
Ljubljana. Slovenia’s capital and largest city, the attractions include Ljubljana Castle, Tivoli Park and a range of activities on the Ljubljanica River (stand up paddling anyone?). It’s also the gateway to Lake Bled, with its picturesque central island, home to the Church of the Assumption.
Budapest. Lots to see and do here but our recommend is for the nightlife – hit a ruin pub for a unique bar experience and a real slice of the city’s nightlife. Situated in the old Jewish quarter, ruin bars are the hippest spots in the city after the first (Szimpla Kert) opened its doors over 15 years ago.
Krakow. Many people take a day trip from the city to the truly unforgettable concentration camp museum and memorial, Auschwitz-Birkenau. It is well worth it, though it does come with an emotional punch. If you have the time, you may also want to drop by the Wieliczka Salt Mine deep under the ground.
Prague. Renowned as one of the best preserved medieval, mechanical clocks in the world, watch the Astronomical Clock Strike the hour in the Old Town Square. And don’t forget to take an evening stroll across the beautiful, 14th century Charles Bridge.
Berlin. Take a photo at Checkpoint Charlie! Of course! The checkpoint was the famous east-west border control during the Cold War and is now a tourist centre (we also love the step back in time offered by the DDR Museum). Then, if you’re in a mood hit one of Berlin’s techno clubs – because this is the city to go clubbing!
Find out more about our Bucket List Interrailing Package, which includes your rail pass, reservations and all accommodation plus our added extras, on our website here for the hostels package or here, if you prefer the hotels option.
Image credit © Koen Nijbroek