Tag: European trains

St Moritz

Make the Most of an Interrail or Eurail Pass with this Route

On By Michelle LawsonIn European travel3 Comments

Following on from the previous post with tips for using a Global Interrail Pass (or Eurail for non-European residents), here’s a month’s Interrail route that makes great use of a flexible Europe-wide pass. On the whole it avoids countries that require seat bookings and supplements. All journeys were free with the pass apart from the the short ride from Jenback to Fügen (Austria) and the Swiss Bernese Oberland mountain railways/cable cars (the Interrail gave a 25% discount though).

Disclosure: This post contain affiliate links to accommodation that I’ve personally experienced and enjoyed. This means I get a small commission if you make a purchase through the links, at no cost to you.

Travel day 1 | Using the rail pass from London

From Devon, UK to Namur, Belgium. This was as far as we could comfortably travel whilst avoiding an expensive overnight in Brussels. It also avoided routes into Germany that were somewhat unreliable at the time. Namur is cheaper than Brussels and has a bar called Barnabeer with 47 beer pulls!

We stayed in BED Namur-Premium at the start and end of our trip. It’s a self-check-in property with a shared kitchen.

Travel day 2 | Belgium to Luxembourg by train

Namur to Luxembourg. Back when I was a tour guide in the 1990s, our coaches often diverted to Luxembourg to fuel up with cheap diesel. In frustration I’d gaze out at the city clustered above, below and along the edges of a deep river gorge, unable to leap off and explore. Now, after all those trains, it was a pleasure to walk this charming city. You can make use of elevators to move between the upper town and the valley.

We spent the night in the central Auberge Gaglioti, which was fine and fairly central in the new town. Luxembourg isn’t hot on budget accommodation.

Travel day 3 | Luxembourg to Strasbourg using trains

Luxembourg to Strasbourg (France). Strasbourg was a morning stop on our 1990s coach tours, although there wouldn’t be time for more than a quick stroll around the waterways and 16th century buildings of Petite France and a glimpse of the Cathedral’s astronomical clock.

Nowadays Petite France is busier, but no less enchanting . . . even when the peace was broken by a guitarist practising Wish You Were Here, the chords flying out of an open window on the upper floor of a half-timbered building.

We found the Aparthotel Adagio to be a good place to stay – out of the main buzz but still close to the centre. The mini kitchen in the room is a bonus when you’re on an extended trip.

Luxembourg City
Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Continue reading “Make the Most of an Interrail or Eurail Pass with this Route” →
Swiss railway at the foot of the Eiger

Ten Tips for using an Interrail or Eurail Train Pass

On By Michelle LawsonIn European travel1 Comment

A long time ago in Lisbon, on what I thought would be my final Interrail trip, I celebrated my 26th birthday. According to my diary, the hostel wardens gave me a beer and a group of Australians bought me a glass of port wine.

Back then the month-long Interrail pass was limited to youngsters. Not any more! And now you can buy a pass limited to specific countries and lengths of time. You can even get Interrail to plan your trip for you, including accommodation. Note that Eurail is the same pass but for those of you who live outside Europe.

But I’ve always dreamed of returning to the freedom of a ‘global’ pass that’s valid across Europe. This year, celebrating 50 years of Interrail, the global Interrail pass was briefly discounted to half price. And adding a second month cost a mere £22 extra for a senior!

Two months of rail travel gave me the freedom to visit new places as well as embark on a memory trip. As well as interrailing in my youth, I’d also worked as a travel guide/ski rep in Europe. I used the rail pass to revisit a few places I continue to dream about some 30-odd years later.

The second month was used to revisit Poland some 50+ years after my Polish father drove us there for holidays.

10 tips for smooth Interrailing
Here are some practical tips that I picked up for using the mobile pass (the next post gives a brief guide to the first month’s route). Some people swear by using the old paper Interrail pass, but I’m a fan of the mobile pass, which uses the Rail Planner app.

Eurail is the version of Interrail for those of you who don’t live in Europe. You may find this post by GoNomad useful if considering a Eurail pass.

Continue reading “Ten Tips for using an Interrail or Eurail Train Pass” →
Jardins de la Fontaine, Nîmes

A stopover in Nîmes: slow travel in the South of France.

On By Michelle LawsonIn European travel1 Comment

It’s the first day of spring, although the Jardins de la Fontaine smell more like early summer. Half the population of Nîmes is sitting on the lawns of the 17th century park, like the Uber Eats cyclist taking a break, and the other half are in the outdoor cafes of the old town. I walk up the balustraded stairways and look down at the fat orange fish in the ornamental ponds until my eyes are drawn to vivid purple amongst the green.

Jardins de la Fontaine, Nîmes
Jardins de la Fontaine, Nîmes

A path leads up through the pine woods to the highest point in Nîmes and the oldest of the Roman sites, the Tour Magne. From the top of the tower the line of the Via Domitia, built by the Romans to link the Alps with the Pyrenees, still carves through the city.

From up here you gain a true perspective of the Arènes de Nîmes – a gigantic bowl of a Roman amphitheatre with 34 rows of seats that rise up and outwards.

Arènes de Nimes amphitheatre

As I leave the Tour Magne, four police officers amble up to it. France is on alert with the Gilets Jaunes demos, but these four act more like curious tourists than law enforcers. I see them again and again that afternoon, wandering round and smiling, looking at things rather than people.

Tour Magne, Nimes
Maison Carré

Crossing the road back into the pedestrianised old town, it’s a surprise to come face to face with one of the best preserved temples from the Roman world, right here in the middle of Nîmes.  The Maison Carrée has been a centrepoint of the city for almost 2,000 years.

It’s 6pm and still hot so I go into the Amorino ice cream shop where they carve my scoops into flower petals and politely check that I understand that lime basilic comes with basil as well as lime. As I step out of the shop I almost collide with a very elderly man in violently patterned shorts. He barks at me in a strangulated voice, in a language that could be English.

Darkness falls and it’s time to join everyone else eating outdoors. I choose a table opposite a narrow alley with a view through to the massive grey stones of the amphitheatre.  16 euros to sit here under the still-swollen moon, with a duck burger du Perigord and a small pichet of white wine; a bargain.

Taking the Eurostar from London to Avignon? Nîmes is just an hour or so by frequent train service from Avignon central. See Loco2 for times and tickets.

All of the Roman sites can be visited. Read more about visiting Nîmes here.