Interrail forever! -Kids on train travels

I do not mind selling my own jewelry, but I would probably be one of the most passionate sellers of #electricbikes, #Ortlieb cycle bags or #InterRail passes. I absolutely LOVE these three inventions. So why only write about jewelry?
Interrail has resurrected from the Nineties and it is even BETTER! Me and my family went inter railing two years ago, and this summer we´re doing it again. The kids can´t wait, it was our best trip ever.
​Let me guide you!

2: Inter-net-railing

Since last time I went inter railing, which probably was in 1992 there has been a major change for the better. It is called Internet.. Instead of the giant Thomas Cook rail timetable we dragged around Europe it is now all in your pocket. The app #railplanner is just ingenious. It can be used off-line, it tells you how often and where the train stops and how many minutes you need to walk from one platform to the other. We love it!

For accommodation we prebooked the first week with #Airbnb. They were all wonderful and fun private flats and houses like this one in Lubeck.

5: be prepared..

We had a little rucksack with cooling elements where we always had some bread, jam, peanut butter, hardboiled eggs, fruit and water. And coffee! It is so much nicer to sit down in a park or wherever you are as you get really tired of going to cafe´s and restaurants three times a day.
If you travel with kids, remember that sometimes a cool fountain is enough. Stop there, don´t haul them along to the destination. Kids are fantastic guides, they see all the cool little things we overlook..  And with kids you get to see the Chocolate museum in Køln, the Puppet museum in Lubeck and the Toy Museum in Nurnberg. And you go to bed early and wake up early in the morning, so you can actually catch that early train. 

1: Hey ho! Lets go!

The absolutely best part is the magic of just starting the trip downtown. You go to your local trainstation and embark on the train. That´s it! -No being there 2 hours in advance, no security line, no expensive airporttransport, no running to gate 76 and no pouring out shampoo, water or babyfood.

The following scenarios which are nightmarish in a car or on the plane are quickly solved with a smile: You need to pee? -No problem, it´s in there. You hungry already? -Great, we brought food! You bored? -Great, be brought games, books, or just go for a walk and have a look around the train.
Our kids were 6 and 8 last time, and they loved it so much because we also got to spend so much time together, just playing cards or picking up mum´s old hippie crafting skills: making bracelets..

And where do you arrive? -In the middle of your destination, We saw Bremen during a lunch break.
Splendid place.

3: Inter-analogue-railing

But some things never change:  It was still actually really great to have the Lonely Planet book along. The museums, B&B´s and places it listed were all really cool, and quite often you just can´t be bothered with reading 40 pages on internet to decide whether to go to that little city. Books still rock!

4: Germany uber alles

If you think Germany is a boring country for holidays, think again. It is probably the best country in the world in where to be a train passenger. Germany has it all; wine districts, cycle paths, quirky little villages, beer gardens, cool fountains, large rivers, big parks, outdoor swimming pools  .. you name it. I can probably add Germany to the fourth thing I could sell. Germany works. Germany is surprisingly beautiful and fun. and because it is so well planned you feel very intelligent as a traveller.
​We went cycling along the Mosel, and every 20 minutes we passed little villages which all looked like Hans and Grete were still living there. On the way back we just loaded the bikes onto the train. Four bikes in the same carriage? No problem, We could probably have fitted a couple of wheelchairs in there as well.
So if you are a bit nervous about interrailing; start with Germany. 

6: Things to remember:

• Schwimmbad! We were really happy we had printed out a list of different open air pools, and that we brought the above mentioned rucksack with cooling elements. A deck of cards, some audiobooks, some lightweight handcrafting things like those little rubber bands, a pair of scissors, some crayons were great to bring along for long hauls.
• If you travel on Friday be prepared to either have a reservation or sit on the floor, I would suggest the first. Night trains need a reservation, be aware that the sleeping compartments can be really expensive. 
• Plan the next meal ahead, especially breakfast, and always have water along.
• Use some time to plan your stays in the bigger cities, they can be exhausting without a plan. 2-3 activities per day was perfect for us.
• You don not need sleeping bags or tent unless you really love to carry stuff, but the rucksack is still the way to go, no suitcases..
• We had a 22 day pass, we rather wanted to make small trips every day, than using whole days on travel to save money.
• Don´t plan on seeing too much, it takes time to get home as well.If you want to see Berlin, Barcelona and Rome you will spend the entire holiday on the train. Focus on one area and save all the other  for the next Interrail. Sometimes a long distance can be really quick because of the ICE trains, and other times you´re just going to what seems a few hundred km, and because of how the railway is organized, it takes forever. 

 Our trip went like this: Oslo-Copenhagen-Lubeck-Køln-Trier-Luxenburgh-Nurnberg-Innsbruck-Munich-Berlin-Oslo
This year we are doing France and maybe Netherland. Can´t wait!

http://www.interrail.eu

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