Interrailing is such a great way to visit Europe. It is surprisingly cheap, at least compared to flying, and there is no better feeling than to wake up wondering which country you’ll be falling asleep in next. The Interrail pass comes in different price bands, according to how long it’s for and how many travel days you require. Follow http://www.interrail.eu/interrail-passes/global-pass for more details. Seeing Europe by train is also a rather charming thing to do, as you can get stunning views of Europe through the window, and avoid the stress of check-ins and Passport controls that airport inflict on us all. There is something quite quaint and sophisticated in saying you are touring Europe by train, too.
Admittedly it does have its disadvantages, the obvious one being that trains can sometimes be a bit slower than planes, and it is easy to get angry just at the mention of another train after too long on one; A title for this could easily have been ‘why I stopped worrying and learned to love the train’. I, however, got to quite enjoy the train journeys, seeing different types of trains and cynically comparing their cleanliness and efficiency to other countries. If nothing else it makes you more qualified to discuss trains at home when some newspaper claims Britain’s trains are the worst in Europe (they’re not). Another drawback is that you are quite limited in what you can carry, because trains are small and crowded and there is only so much weight your back can bear, so that is a disadvantage of rail travel. These are trivial, insignificant whines when you realise how much freedom and adventure can be gained by Inter-railing (or Euro-rail if you are from outside Europe).
To finally convince you all to go for it, I will relate my own tale, broken into two scintillating parts; the way out, and the way back, because our journey was a vague loop, so part one chronicles the loop away from home and part two the loop back. It is I conceded in a slightly bemusing style, for you to enjoy and see how much was achieved even by my little group. Should you decide to do something similar, hopefully my tale can lead you to a few ideas of where to go, what to do and hopefully avoiding the silly mistakes we occasionally (okay regularly) made.
First though I should give a brief introduction before getter to the story proper. We originally settled on a moving holiday like this because we couldn’t agree on a particular place to go, so ingeniously decided to incorporate everyone’s idea into one big holiday. The rail pass we lumped for was the 10 travel days within 22 days. In order to get to Europe to start using the pass we used the cheapest transport known to man to get to Amsterdam, as you shall read soon enough.
Travel arrangements made, our next thing to consider was accommodation. You can romp up to a place and find any free room, but, being slightly cautious we used a hotel and hostel comparison site to book all our rooms in advance. The site had the advantage of having numerous user reviews for each place, so you had a vague idea what you were walking into, which proved a major advantage, and each place required a small deposit, the rest to be paid upon arrival. Our criteria for choosing places was essentially price, location and if possible security, in that order, and, give or take a few examples, largely succeeded in fulfilling these.
Our final consideration was our overall budget. Having gone for the cheapest travel and accommodation options, we had a rough starting point for a budget. After much wrangling we agreed to aim within the vicinity of £800 for everything. This seems quite low for 23 days of travelling, but check out some of my tips for keeping costs down (https://hmmmanifesto.wordpress.com/2013/10/09/how-to-travel-on-the-cheap/). Inevitably we all concluded we’d spent different amounts, but I figured I’d spent £700-750, nicely under budget through thrift and being a bit overly cheap. With all that worked out, we headed off. Enjoy.
European Odyssey
Part One: The Way Out
“On a mild, clear morning, as the sun sleepily blinked its eye over the horizon for the first time that day, three wise men prepared for a journey of mystery, adventure and danger, as they cast their eager eyes over the majestic Megabus, glistening in the new light; ready to carry them on a great pilgrimage back to where they started. Their journey was about to begin…”
The trip began inauspiciously with an alarm screaming inches from my ear at a time of day I didn’t even know existed. From there we journeyed on a train, the Underground and eventually a bus, which then proceeded to put itself on a ferry. The start of a trip is always the most aggravating, and this was no exception. Our aim was to get to Amsterdam in the cheapest way possible, which led us to the Megabus, a startling £4 from the centre of London, and was almost cheaper than walking. This seemed a great idea at the time. It did, however, take 14 hours to get there in some very cramped, rickety and uncomfortable conditions. But at that price it would be churlish to complain too much; not that that stopped us at the time. We eventually reached Amsterdam, in a condition not too much worse than when we left, to begin our tour.
Amsterdam
After a solid day of travel we immediately decided to get lost. The optimistically named Hostel Utopia succeeded in hiding for a good 45 minutes. Like most of the buildings in Amsterdam, it was tall and narrow, with worryingly steep and winding staircases. These proved quite a challenge, especially with a bulging, bloated bag on your back. One thing I learnt is that it is better to fall backwards rather than forwards, as you usually land on something soft; probably the person following you up the stairs. Otherwise you crash face first into a step, then slide unceremoniously down until you reach a turn or the floor, whichever is sooner. The room was sparse and rather undecorated, with someone’s kitchen looking straight into the room, but at least we had eight beds between the three of us, which was probably beneficial in some way.
Amsterdam was something of a disappointment in the end as we ran out of things to do, despite only being there for a night and a day. This may be down to the fact we were on a budget tighter than a tenor’s trousers but entertainment, particularly during the day, seemed to be thin on the ground. There was the unique architecture to enjoy, a result of property being taxed according to the area of land used rather than size, but this was resoundingly ignored by my two friends. We also went on a boat tour of the canals, which was good, although Alan succeeded in sleeping through it. The prices were familiarly high and the weather, an annoyingly persistent drizzle, was equally familiar. What was unfamiliar and alien though was the madness of bikes; every fence, lamppost and spare space had a dozen bikes leant against it. The prevalence of bikes was so great the train station even had a multi-story bike park. It makes sense for a narrow city with few streets wide enough to accommodate cars, but I didn’t see too many people actually cycling, which was strange. It must be said that Amsterdam has little class for such a historic city, as it has morphed into a place for two things; the famous red-light district and the equally famous coffee houses. If neither of these things interest you, or stretch your budget too thinly, there are much more interesting places to go.
Overall though Amsterdam served its purpose as a gateway into the rest of Europe, as well as offering some amusing moments and interesting surroundings. We dashed to the station as the sun crept below the horizon to retrieve our bags, deposited in lockers there earlier (a top tip, as it beats lugging them round all day) and discovered that our sleeper train to Warsaw was cancelled. After a few, very brief moments of hysteria and dejection we made our way to Utrecht, caught another train, although I have my suspicions it was the same one that had apparently been cancelled, and settled down for a long night.
bikes
“And so it was that our intrepid explorers hunkered down to face the challenges of the night, leaving the glow of red and orange behind for the great unknown. They had been tested, and had come through the stronger for it. As they slept restlessly through the miles, they knew not what awaited them…”
A quick sentence or two is needed regarding sleeper trains. They are quite a good idea to travel significant distances in some comfort, and sleeping is a fine thing to do while travelling. But they do have some drawbacks, chiefly being that you do have to pay a bit extra to reserve a place, although with the Interrail pass it isn’t too bad. It also depends on what sort of berth you go for; for the Amsterdam to Warsaw train we chose couchettes; small, narrow things stacked three on top of each other, with another three on the other side. Other people coming and going can be quite disruptive, and the trains can vibrate and shake, which I found quite comforting but others may find annoying. There are more comfortable ones available but naturally the price increases, though it’s worth checking because some countries are cheaper than others.
Warsaw
Warsaw, our stopping point for a few hours until our next train, was a remarkable change and quite a surprise. Having heard only negative things about everything east of Germany I was slightly anxious about what it would actually be like. We emerged, blinking, from the carriage to discover a modern and vibrant city. The sun burned over a scene of large, modern buildings, affluent people and recognisable shops and brands. I had, perhaps naively, half-expected to find a city in the grip of a post-communist hangover, and was pleasantly surprised to find myself mistaken, which is quite a rarity. Poland was geared up for Euro 2012, which did mean that many of the beauty spots had been cordoned off for the fans later in the day, but that didn’t detract from the charm of the place. Unfortunately we had to move on quickly, but it certainly left a positive impression for the time we were there. The weather was also astonishing; I hadn’t realised Poland was so warm in summer. Trekking round in jeans was a punishing experience; I nearly had to chisel my legs out at the end of the day.
Krakow
Another train journey brought us to the magnificent Krakow, which proved to be one of the highlights of the trip. It has the ingenious and oddly pleasing layout that many medieval European cities would once have had; it is all built around a large central plaza, which is the centre and hub of the city, and made navigating a foreign place perfectly simple; need food, drink, a night out, something to do or a train, simply head to the plaza and follow the signs from there. The plaza itself is a beacon for tourism, and is crammed with restaurants, cafes and shops.
Krakow also boasts an impressive and picturesque castle, just outside the city centre, commanding great views over the river Vistula, which is unquestionably worth visiting. As it is a city rich in history, there is a lot to do there in the day. The night is also quite entertaining, with a wide variety of bars and drinking holes, from modern trendy bars to quirky basements and warrens. The local beers are delightfully diverse as well as cheap.
We found our next resting place, Hostel Deco, to be the best of the trip; spacious rooms, comfortable beds, showers you could go in without having to scare off the marauding packs of bacteria and little creatures. It also had good character, sturdy lockers and friendly staff and free breakfast, all for a pretty low price; ideal, in other words. On the topic of prices Poland is excellent for those on stringent budgets. The food and drink was very cheap, especially the beer, and your money goes a lot further than it does in euro-using countries.
Auschwitz-Birkenau is situated nearby, so on our second day we elected to go on an excursion to the infamous former death camp. Some people may not consider visiting a former death camp the best thing to do while on holiday, but read my previous post on the subject (https://hmmmanifesto.wordpress.com/2013/09/25/why-visit-auschwitz/) A short and perilous mini bus journey later, when we put our lives and wellbeing into the hands of a maniacal driver who clearly had delusions that he was Fernando Alonso, brought us to the site of one of the most notorious events in human history.
Auschwitz was absolutely teeming with people from all over the world. The tours were cunningly assorted by language, and our guide was extremely well informed and interesting, which is always welcome. The press of people on such a hot day made a significant impression on everyone there; we all struggled simply walking round clutching bottles of water, so thinking about what it must have been like in the same conditions for malnourished people forced to work was quite a shock. The other lasting impression was of the scale of everything there. The two remaining camps were vast, requiring another short bus hop to traverse them. The exhibits also helped to hammer home the sense of scale; banks of human hair, collections of personal possessions and walls of photos of those incarcerated there were all huge and deeply disturbing. The absolute cruelty and stupidity of the whole enterprise was unequivocally realised when looking round, and, while I cannot say it was a good day out, it was certainly worthwhile. The surviving camps are well maintained and the place is impeccably run, so I implore you to visit if you are near.
Overall then, Poland was a pleasant surprise. We went during the Euros, and the media had been running stories of gangs roaming the streets in packs, and of police worse than the gangs. I had visions, fuelled by the media hysteria, of me hiding under burned out tanks and crumbling buildings, desperately trying to decide whether it was better to be beaten and left for dead by the gangs or the police. But instead we found organised, friendly, clean and safe-feeling cities geared up for the football and very welcoming to tourists. This, combined with great weather, natural beauty, inexpensive food and drink, and a rich history and culture, went a long way to debunking some stereotypes and lazy assumptions of the country we may previously have held.
“Our wanderers departed happy men, broad smiles consuming their faces as they boarded another train to draw them to pastures new. They had stood face to face with the unknown, and come through. But greater tests laid in wait, which would eat at the very bonds of their friendship…”
Budapest
We took our second sleeper train to Hungary. This was a better experience than the last; due to the difference in currency we could easily afford some more salubrious berths this time, meaning more space, no outside disturbances and complimentary food and drink. I was feeling rather brave, having found Poland so nice, and went to sleep eager to see Budapest.
First impressions perhaps weren’t the best. I drew back the blind to find what could be diplomatically be described as slums, complete with a man washing his clothes in a large puddle. My immediate concern was that our hostel would have the same water supplier the, er, sky, and that I would be expected to wash my beautiful hair in the same manner. It is probably fair to say that the outskirts of Budapest are not the wealthiest in the world, and this rather put me off. Numerous concrete buildings, squat, ugly beasts, started to loom large as we neared the station, and my bravery soon melted to pessimism.
The train station was no more promising, so we bravely decide to find a shopping centre, that bulwark of civilisation, and plan our next move from the comfort of a Starbucks. This, obviously, is not a great thing to do when in a new, exciting and different city, but in our defence we were tired and had seen some pretty worrying things since waking up, such as a woman relieving herself in full view in the station. But a coffee and some food later and we were back to our usual, screw-it-lets-go selves. We briefly stocked up with the local currency, which was a thrill since I was almost a millionaire, and set out.
Having thoroughly explored the metro and tram networks we reached our hostel, which turned out to be an abandoned school, complete with desks and lockers, with a few beds in the corner and on an indoor balcony above the desks. I actually found this all great; it was quirky and different, quiet and very spacious, since our room was a classroom. That is until I realised the showers were horrible type you find in any school, stained and needing a button to be pressed every ten seconds to get the boiling water to slam into your face. But you can’t have everything, and it was cheap and fun.
The centre of Budapest painted an affluent, picturesque scene, with green areas, grand buildings and statues adorning every corner. We were unfortunately only there for a short time, so we couldn’t fully appreciate the differences and appeals of Buda and Pest in depth, but the nightlife was thriving and during the day there seemed to be a lot of things to do, which is a great combination. Plus the weather was great, and even the centre was cheap for food and drink, which is always an endearing feature.
However, the problem that many will inevitably experience at some point chose to happen here, and that is of friends becoming aggravated by each other’s incessant company and falling out. It is sad that my overriding memory of such a great place is sitting at a table watching my two friends glare and swear at one another for hours on end, over some trivial matter of what was said on twitter. I soon found I could get along fine by leaving them to it and walking off to drink and sulk on my own, but these things are annoying but do happen. However, those two always argue, and continued to do so, and a grovelling apology on twitter later made it all fine, although it ruined what promised to be a good evening. But never mind, no one fell out with me at least. I suppose I can be proud of that.
“The bonds of friendship may weaken but never die, and so it was with our brave heroes. Weakened, weary but alive they trudged on, for they would not countenance defeat. The world changed before their eyes, and they were ready…”
Zagreb
Our visit to Zagreb was also fleeting, but was another place that seemed pleasant, especially in the centre. The people were friendly enough, particularly the hostel owner, and we enjoyed our all too brief stay there. The weather was outrageously hot at noon, so we hastily took shelter and spent a lot of time at a restaurant, eating and sampling the local beers. The sun did reduce the amount we could achieve, but it was a nice change of pace from the more hectic flights around the other cities we’d been. The buildings were elegant with their terracotta tiles, and I was impressed by the amount of green areas dotted around; though how anything managed to stay green in that heat and light I have no idea. I also love any city with trams, as they are such a great idea. Plus the hostel owner told me no one can make you pay for them, and they are free to access, which is nice.
The hostel, a little out of the way, was clean and sufficient, although the night was awful; the temperature was an insult, my pillow felt like a decaying cat and Alan decided, no doubt delirious from the heat, to talk in his sleep, so was not the most revitalising night I’ve ever had. Fortunately I had a long train ride to try, and fail, to sleep through the next day.
Rijeka
Our journey to the Croatian coastal city of Rijeka was a great example of the beauty of train travel, as the scenery flying by the window often defied any superlatives I can think of. From crystal lakes to the sun setting behind the mountains and the slipping beneath the sea, it was startlingly striking. It was also a little fraught, as the train inexplicably split in half at one point, and we had no idea which half we needed to be in. I encouraged the others to take a different half to me, so at least someone would get there and I would be guaranteed a little peace, but to no avail. There are a few things continental trains have which I really like, too; the use of old fashioned compartments or berths, essentially little private boxes, is fantastic and charming. I know some people will say it’s an inefficient use of space but who cares, and who likes people who care about efficient use of space anyway? Also, the windows that open half way down so you can stick your head and most of your torso out are equally fantastic. Okay, so someone once in a while will get killed, but it really cools you down and you can appreciate the scenery better when most of you is no longer in the train.
After such a great journey, we were quite worried when we stumbled into what appeared to be a cargo port, complete with packs of sinewy tattooed sailors, undoubtedly because of Matt’s poor planning. I wanted to get straight back on the train and leave, as did Alan, but Matt, ever the optimist, declared Rijeka the best place he’d ever been and skipped off happily. Optimists are very annoying most of the time but occasionally they have their uses, and I begrudgingly followed. We spent the next few minutes lost, but finally found our hostel, which was at the top of a concrete block of flats, and boasted 14 beds in one room, a room definitely not designed for 14 beds. If I thought I was hot in Zagreb, I was in for an eye opener. At least there were a few fans going nearby, to move the boiling air around. Luckily I was too exhausted from my earlier sleep deprivation to survive much of the night, and comatosely slept regardless of the oven-like conditions.
During our stay we did locate a nice rocky inlet to bathe in the warm, slightly oily sea, which was good (ish), and the scenery, of blue seas and rolling mountains, was great, once you could see past the container ships. We did come across the legacy of the region’s recent history, the break-up of Yugoslavia. A plaza, with crosses and concrete blocks scattered across it, and the number 49 sprayed ominously across the floor. There was no other explanation or markings offered.
On our final day, using our ingenuity, we came across an old castle or fort, situated high above the city and commanding sweeping views over the buildings and the Adriatic, onto the mountains opposite. It was a stunning spectacle, which even the hideous concrete tenements, littered over the hillside, could not detract from. The castle and the views it offered were the highlight of Croatia. The tranquillity, the warmth and the natural beauty left a lasting impression on us. Once we had broken away from the city to the hilltops above, Rijeka transformed into an incredible destination. My overriding memory of Rijeka is of steps, as we had to scale a number hitherto unknown to mathematics in order to reach our castle haven. But it was worth it, just.
Our castle somewhere up there
castle
those horrible tenements
view
an oily sea
typical train view
“From the unknown East they turned back west, to the beating heart of the continent they strolled. Perchance they slept, safe aboard their metal be-tracked cradle, and rocked, rumbled and shook their way once more. A new dawn, and a new horizon, awaited…”
hmm manifesto 