As we dive into Easter break, the strange final stages of the academic year are upon us. Exams are looming, and stress is starting to hit, yet the days are also getting longer and warmer. I am at the point now when any hint of mild, sunny weather immediately kickstarts my brain into dreaming of the exam-free bliss of the holidays. If you are already thinking about potential summer plans, I would recommend making use of the lengthy university breaks by opting for interrailing (you probably will not be granted these long summers after graduating!). But can interrailing be affordable on a student’s budget? Yes! From my own experience last year, I have compiled an assortment of helpful tips to make your interrailing trip cost-efficient.
Consider a shorter travel pass.
When initially choosing which interrailing pass to go for, I recommend opting for a Flexi pass. With Eurail, the Flexi pass gives you a certain number of travel days over either one or two months. When you use each travel day, you are given free access to the European rail network, allowing you to take multiple train journeys throughout that day. To save money, I recommend getting the shorter (and cheaper) Flexi passes, which range from 4-7 days within 1 month, or 10-15 days within 2 months. My boyfriend and I chose the 7-day pass, which we used to travel to 8 different destinations over 2 weeks.
Be mindful about where you choose to go and for how long.
Learn from my mistakes and check how expensive certain countries are before you go…. I thought it would be lovely to pop over to Switzerland during our interrailing trip – not quite realising how notoriously pricey it was! Little did I know that I would be forced to pay €7 to sit on some grass by a lake, before being informed by the ticket man, “In Switzerland, nothing is free”. Fortunately (for our bank accounts), we only stayed in Switzerland for a couple of days.
Interrailing can be an ideal way to briefly visit expensive places without having to fork out your life savings. However, I recommend learning about the affordability of destinations before travelling. This will allow you to plan to stay in cheaper places for longer and go for shorter stays or day trips to the more costly locations.
Book your accommodation as early as possible.
The prices of accommodation in Europe rise pretty swiftly as the holidays approach. Luckily, we managed to book all our accommodation in advance (at least two months before). I seriously recommend planning your trip as early as possible to get the best deals on accommodation. Plus, if you are travelling with other people, I would advise you to have a look at Airbnb as well as hostels, because sometimes these can work out cheaper (along with being a much more pleasant experience).
Only eat out as a treat!
This one can be tricky when travelling. We often found ourselves tired and hungry, whilst being immersed in the delicious smells of restaurant emissions in the tourist hotspots. However, taking a trip to the local supermarket and planning for meals on the go can save you a lot of money in the long term. Most accommodations have a little kitchen area (or at least a fridge) where you can prep packed lunches and breakfasts during your stay. If you have room in your luggage, I recommend bringing a Tupperware container for pre-made sandwiches. Otherwise, you can always steal a few paper bags from supermarket bakeries.
By only eating out on special occasions, you are much more likely to enjoy and appreciate the experience, whilst keeping your spending low. I also suggest asking the locals for the best restaurants in the area, because they often offer the tastiest, most authentic, and (usually) cheapest options.
Don’t waste money on unnecessary experiences.
There are so many free things to do in European destinations, whether it’s free walking tours, free museums, or simply admiring the stunning landscape and architecture. We only chose to do paid experiences if they seemed truly unique and worth the cost. However, especially in tourist hotspots, there will be a lot of locals trying to lure you into paying for over-priced mid-tier events. Being wise and careful about what you spend your money on can prevent you from wasting your budget on less fruitful experiences.
Use your rail pass tactically.
Using your interrailing pass tactically is key to getting the most out of your trip. It is so easy to get caught out with the confusing travel day rules when using the Flexi pass. As each travel day is valid only for the specific date you use it on, travelling overnight (before midnight, then after midnight) counts for two travel days. So, despite it seeming like a fantastic idea to save on accommodation costs by sleeping on the train, you will be using up two of your precious travel days for one trip. Therefore, to get the most out of your travel passes, travel during the day.
Nevertheless, you also have unlimited travel on the European rail network for each travel day. This gives you a brilliant opportunity to take extra day trips on the dates when you are already planning to travel to your next destination. For example, on the day we were getting the train from Salzburg to Vienna (Austria), we decided to take a little detour using our free rail pass to the gorgeous town of Hallstatt – which is said to be the inspiration behind Frozen’s Arendelle! We had a lovely time exploring Hallstatt in the day, before travelling on to Vienna in the evening: all using only one travel day.
I would also urge you to use public transport if you need to travel a short (un-walkable) distance. Most local buses are very reasonably priced. This will enable you to stash your limited travel days to use for your longer journeys.Now you are all set to begin planning your interrailing adventure! This leads us to my last key word of advice: make sure you plan. Most of these budgeting tips can be rendered pointless if you are not organised and plan ahead a little. So, get started early, to guarantee an incredibly memorable, and affordable, experience.