The 15 best (and most popular) Interrail routes in Europe

An economic way that allows you to get to know and travel to different European cities is the interrail, train ticket with which you can move around different places in Europe in the period you decide.

It is important that before starting the interrail route you have some clear questions, such as that it is necessary to reserve a seat in some of the trains, that the ticket is not valid in your country of origin, so you will not be able to start the journey with the ticket from there, and that the ticket allows you to make multiple trips in one day, for this reason it is interesting to use it to move around the different cities and get to know them best.

Below we mention 15 of the best interrail routes to do in Europe and what issues we should take into account before starting the trip.

• We recommend you read: "The 9 best destinations to travel with friends (and what to do in them)"

What does the interrail consist of?

The interrail consists of a train ticket that gives the owner the possibility to travel around Europe

, in the contracted period, generally one week or one month. This pass is specific for European residents, in case foreigners want to make the route they are given the possibility of taking the Eurail ticket.

This mode of transport was created in 1972 by the International Union of Railways with the intention that young people (under 21 years of age) would find it easier to travel and move around Europe with lower prices economic. Prices vary according to the route taken and age, so the older the ticket will cost more (currently there is no longer an age limit).

What are the best routes to travel on Interrail

It is important to plan the route well before starting the trip since we must calculate the time to be able to carry out the entire route on the established days and to be able to enjoy the cities that we visited. It is better to be able to spend an adequate amount of time in each destination, than wanting to make a very long route and not having the opportunity to get to know the different countries.

There are three premises that we must take into account before embarking on the trip: in some trains we have to book in advance to be able to travel, we will have to pay a price in advance; the pass is not valid for your own country, which means that you will have to start the route in another place than the place of residence; and the ticket is designed to be able to choose different days, it allows us to make different trips on the same day.

It is recommended to carry out Interrail routes of at least 15 days so that the trip is really economical. In this case, the pass that is usually taken is from 4 to 5 days, since, as we have already said, we must count that we will be able to make more trips during a day and that there will be days that we do not move from the country because we are visiting. So let's see which routes in Europe you can't miss.

1. Route Munich-Bern-Milan-Nice-Marseille

We will start the route in Munich, Germany, where you can visit Marienplatz, which is the historic center of the city, finding in this area some of the most important buildings in the city. Viktualienmarkt is located very close to the historic center, it is the most famous market and one of the essential places to visit.

We will continue the route to Bern, capital of Switzerland, you cannot miss its cathedral, tallest building in the country and from where you can contemplate magnificent views, the clock tower and if you like science or are simply interested in history, you should visit the Museum of Einstein. The next destination is Milan, the city of fashion, where you can see its immense cathedral and its exclusive Vittorio Emanuel II gallery.

Before our final destination we will pass through Nice, where you can see the coast and stroll through the Cours Saleya or flower market. Finally, we will finish the route in the French city of Marseille, where you will be able to visit the Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica, located at the highest point of the city.

2. Route through Italy and Greece

If you are passionate about history you cannot miss the Italy-Greece interrail route. There are multiple combinations of cities that will allow you to discover the most beautiful corners of these countries. The way to move in the country can be done by interrail and to go from one country to another there is the option of taking a ferry. So the trip can depart from Rome to see the most famous monuments such as the Colosseum or the Trevi Fountain, go through Florence and arrive in Venice, the city of canals, to take the ferry that will take you to Greece, specifically to patras.

From Pratas you will head towards the capital Athens, where you will be able to contemplate some of the constructions with more history like the parthenon, you can't miss how beautiful it is at night when they light it up.

3. Balkan Route

There are different routes to do in the Balkans. We recommend Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Dubrovnik, which is once again a city in Croatia located on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, Kotor in Montenegro also a coastal city, you must go up to the Castle of San Juan where you can contemplate wonderful views of the city and the bay. Finally the route will end in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.

4. Route through Nordic Countries

If you are not afraid of the cold and one of your wishes is to be able to see the northern lights The best option is to do the route of the Nordic or Scandinavian countries, passing through the main cities of these countries, the capitals. So you can start the trip in Copenhagen capital of Denmark and start the route to Oslo capital of Norway. Other beautiful cities to visit are Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, and Lapland, located in the north of Finland, a magical city at Christmas since it is where the residence of Santa Claus is located.

5. Route through Great Britain

One of the most beautiful routes, especially if you like meadows and nature, is the one carried out by Great Britain. You will thus be able to visit the most important cities of the island such as London, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Even if you don't want to miss Ireland you can catch a ferry from Liverpool to Belfast from where you can catch a train to the capital, Dublin.

6. Route Sweden-Germany-Prague-Austria-Italy

Tour Europe from north to south. Begin your journey by visiting Stockholm in Sweden from where you will depart for the capital of Germany, Berlin. From Germany, take them to Vienna, a city in Austria, first passing through Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, where you can see the most famous medieval clock in the world. Finally we will go to Milan in Italy, our last destination.

7. Route Romania-Bulgaria-Greece

If you want to take a route that passes through Bulgaria and ends in Greece, we recommend you take the interrail route that goes from the capital of Romania, Bucharest, passing through Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, where you can visit the Alexander Nevski Cathedral, one of the largest cathedrals of the Orthodox Church in world level. Finally you will arrive in Greece, specifically Thessaloniki, the second most important city in Greece, after Athens, its capital and final destination of your route.

8. Luxembourg-Belgium-Netherlands route

Another interesting route is the one that joins Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. The trip will depart from the city of Luxembourg, a little touristic place but that hides charming places such as the old town with medieval fortifications considered a world heritage site.

From Luxembourg we will head to Belgium where you can visit Brussels, its capital, with the Grand Place, a very charming place, and get closer to the small towns that are nearby Bruges and Ghent. By last, our final destination will be Amsterdam where you can get to know this charming capital, known for its canals and large number of bicycles.

9. Route through the heart of Europe

This route departs from Paris, the capital of France, where you can visit the famous Eiffel Tower and walk through Montmartre, to the capital of Austria, Vienna, where you will see the popular Hofburg Palace. Other cities that this route passes through are Amsterdam, Berlin, you can not miss the German capital, Prague and Budapest, where you can cross the Danube over the chain bridge, the most emblematic place in the city. town.

10. Denmark-Germany-Switzerland-Italy

Another route to cross Europe from north to south departs from Copenhagen, passing through Berlin, Dresden and Munich, one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. You can also visit Bern and Lucerne, the most charming cities in Switzerland and finally arrive in Italy, to visit the city of fashion, Milan, Florence, located in Tuscany and the capital, Rome.

11. Black Forest-Munich-Milan-Lyon-Paris route

We will start the trip in Germany specifically in the Black Forest area, a wooded region located in the state of Baden-Württemberg. From the Black Forest we will depart for Munich, another of the most beautiful cities in Germany. We will then change countries to go to Milan, in Italy, before heading to Lyon and finally to Paris, in France.

12. Podgorica-Belgrade-Sofia-Istanbul route

Another destination that the interrail allows us is Istanbul, the capital of Turkey. We will depart from Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro; We will pass through Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, where you can see the beautiful Cathedral of Saint Sava. Next we will go to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, to finally reach our last destination, Istanbul, where you will be able to visit the church of Santa Sofía and watch the sunset from the area known as “Las Carpets”, an experience that you cannot miss to lose.

13. Route Belgrade-Sarajevo-Zagreb-Bologna-Lyon

This route gives you the possibility to visit some of the less famous or well-known cities in Europe but which also show great charm.. The trip departs from Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and we will go to Sarajevo, whose attraction lies mainly in the historic center of the city.

Then we will arrive in Zagreb, in Croatia, a city where coffee is a great protagonist. Before reaching our final destination, we will make a stop in Bologna, an Italian city, where the oldest university in the world is located.

14. Oslo-Stockholm-Helsinki-Tallinn route

Another route to the north of Europe starts from Oslo, the capital of Norway, passing through Stockholm, in Sweden, Helsinki, in Finland and the final destination, Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, considered one of the best preserved and most beautiful medieval cities of Europe. This route will allow us to see spectacular landscapes, such as visiting the Norwegian fjords.

15. Route London-Paris-Strasbourg-Bern-Florence

This route also allows us to cross Europe from north to south, departing from London and taking a ferry that leaves you on the continent. We start the trip in London, the capital of England, where you can see the most emblematic sites such as the Big Ben clock or the London Eye.

From the London capital we will depart for Paris, from where we can head for Strasbourg, a city known for its historic center, also called "Little France" and considered heritage of the humanity. Before reaching our last destination we will pass through the beautiful city of Bern in Switzerland. Finally, we will arrive in the region of Tuscany in Italy, specifically in the city of Florence.