Inter-railing is an opportunity that I would encourage everyone to take. Being able to visit so many different countries in a relatively short space of time makes it a totally different experience to a typical holiday. However, if thereâs one thing I wish I had known before setting out it is this: Inter-railing is hard.
The pictures on Instagram and the stories people bring back with them are all one part of inter-railing, but they donât necessarily reveal how stressful and new that kind of travelling can be. This is not meant to scare people off; you will make countless amazing memories, and the experience is still massively enjoyable and rewarding. This type of travelling is not the easiest, despite how many people have done it before you, but getting advice before you go is the best way to have a comfortable and incredible experience.
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1. Be prepared to feel a range of emotions
You only ever see the happy parts of othersâ travels, so you may come to expect non-stop joy from your journey, but this isnât the case. Just like at home, every day is different, and you feel many different emotions throughout your trip. There will probably be moments when you feel stressed, homesick or sad, and this is completely normal; it doesnât mean you arenât enjoying yourself properly or âdoing it rightâ. Thinking that you arenât allowed to feel this way can just produce more anxiety. Youâre having new experiences and ticking things off your bucket list, and thatâs not made any less amazing by having a bad day (or a few).
2. Donât be put off by your first glimpse of a city
My first look at Paris didnât live up to my expectations. Subconsciously, I had imagined the entirety of Paris to look like the Louvre. What I was actually faced with, as I exited the station, was a busy city not dissimilar to London. It threw me off, I felt like I was walking through Brixton, except with a backpack as big as me and not being able to understand any signs or conversations. After a while in a city, you realise that, of course, the whole place is not a picturesque tourist spot, but those places are there. And as with everywhere, there are great places within the busy, noisy areas. Donât let a bad first impression stop you from finding them.
3. Have lunch!
This sounds a bit ridiculous but when youâre physically exhausted and focusing on other things, it is easy to not feel the hunger or to convince yourself that skipping lunch will save your limited budget for other, more fun things. You need to eat. Even if you donât feel it: you do. Youâll find yourself having a lot less fun on your trip if youâre constantly low on energy.
4. Donât rush your visits
The impulse to fit as much as possible into your short time in a country is understandable but try to make sure you get a decent amount of time at each tourist spot. Rushing to and from Notre Dame meant I barely remember seeing it, and I wish Iâd taken more time to enjoy what I was seeing. You get much more out of visiting a landmark, park or museum if youâre able to see it and then settle down nearby to relax, embracing your environment. Taking everything a bit slower will help the whole experience to feel like less of a blur.
5. Think about what you want to get out of it
Whether you want to be more independent, more informed, learn more about yourself or just have a fun experience, itâs good to have your goal in mind. It can help in moments when youâre homesick or stressed to remember there is a reason to this, itâs a challenge youâve set yourself and you are going to gain something from it.
6. Understand each train journey before you take it
Read the details of the trains your route includes, especially the ones that arenât reserved so that you arenât surprised. This will avoid having to pay for a ticket you didnât know you needed and avoid stress about how you will get connecting trains. The travel between countries is the most stressful part of the trip so understanding it as best you can help your whole time abroad run smoother.
7. Do walking tours
This may seem counter-intuitive, but a tour is miles better than seeing landmarks for yourself. They allow you to understand the history, geography and cultural significance of what youâre looking at more, making it even more memorable. Quite often you can track down free walking tours, or tours which ask for you to decide how much to pay, in major cities, so theyâre not going to break your budget either.