Brussels – Stuttgart – Innsbruck – Arosa – Lucerne – Paris
We had an absolute blast on our 3 week interrail trip with kids around Europe. We also learned a LOT! Here’s everything we did, what we loved, and what we would do differently next time.
Our 3-Week Interrail Europe Itinerary with Kids
Our Interrail Route at a Glance
Our actual route was pretty wild, and took more trains than we had originally thought we would. While we visited the six destinations listed above, we found ourselves on a total of 18 trains! Some of the places that were on our list weren’t direct trains, so we just had to roll with it. Here is our route:
Why We Chose This Route
This isn’t one of the typical first Interrailing trips that people tend to do. The trip was planned to celebrate a BIG birthday for my husband, and he had two requests: a visit to Stuttgart for the car museums, and a stay in the Alps somewhere.
He actually ended up with a double helping of the Alps thanks to a last minute change of plan. Engineering works meant we unexpectedly had to re-route. Luckily we found a (brilliant) place in Arosa in the Swiss Alps, which ended up being some of our favourite days!
How Much Did Our 3-Week Family Interrail Trip Cost?
Ok, this is the info you really need. I kept track as much as possible, obviously some things were paid out way before the actual trip, and some were expenses of the trip itself. Here we go…
Interrail Pass Costs
We bought 5 Interrail passes altogether. Everyone has their own pass, there isn’t such a thing as a family pass. We bought them in a Spring sale, with I think a 15% discount. All the passes were global second class, 7 days within 1 month passes.
We bought 2 adult passes at £272 each, 1 youth pass (age 12 – 27) at £205, and 2 child passes at £0 each.
Total for the passes: £749
Seat Reservation Costs
This was so varied. Some seat reservations were mandatory, some were optional, and some trains had no reservations possible. Where they were optional, we always reserved to reduce uncertainty when we were getting on the trains.
UK – Brussels: UK train: £0. Eurostar: £155
Brussels – Stuttgart: 3 trains £9
Stuttgart – Innsbruck: 2 trains £9
Innsbruck – Arosa: Austria train: £13, Swiss train: £0 (no reservations available)
Arosa – Lucerne: £0 (no reservations available)
Lucerne – Paris: Swiss train £0, French TGV £46
Paris – UK: UK train: £0. Eurostar £155
Total reservations: £387
Accommodation Costs
Our complete costs (rounded to the nearest £/EUR), room type and number of nights were…
| Destination | Accommodation | Nights | Cost |
| Brussels | Meininger Hotel Bruxelles City | 3 | £317 |
| Stuttgart | a&o Stuttgart City | 3 | £279 |
| Innsbruck | Meininger Hotel Innsbruck Zentrum | 5 | £1130 |
| Arosa | Airbnb | 4 | £824 |
| Lucerne | Hotel Baslertor | 3 | £1113 |
| Paris | Meininger Porte de Vincennes | 3 | £374 |
21 nights | Accommodation £4037
But also! We had to pay tourist taxes directly to the hotels on arrival in some of these cities. Here we go again….
| Destination | Tourist Tax Paid |
| Brussels | £12 |
| Stuttgart | £0 |
| Innsbruck | £26 |
| Arosa | £0 |
| Lucerne | £32 |
| Paris | £28 |
21 nights | total tourist taxes: £98
TOTAL: £4135
Accommodation per night cost: £197
Food and Eating Out
Two things influenced these costs for us on this trip: firstly, we were on a tight budget. We were trying to do the trip on as low a budget as possible, without completely sacrificing comfort or experience. Secondly, some of us find predictable, safe foods a lot easier to deal with when we’re in an unfamiliar environment. Both of these reasons meant that we self catered a lot, rather than eating out. So for us, the totals are:
Supermarkets/markets: £501
Eating Out: £84
Total: £586 Averaging £28 per day.
Attractions and Activities
I can honestly say we found all the attractions and activities that we booked were such good value. We definitely found them to be cheaper than in the UK, so that was a pleasant surprise.
Total: £225
Local Transport
The cost of local transport was generally fairly low. This was helped a LOT by the fact that during our longest stays, in Innsbruck and Arosa, we had the local cards that came with the accommodations, which gave FREE public transport around the area.
Total: £70
Our Total Interrail Trip Cost for a Family of Five
Interrail Passes: £749
Seat Reservations: £387
Accommodation: £4037
Tourist Taxes: £98
Food and Eating Out: £586
Attractions and Activities: £225
Local Transport: £70
Miscellaneous: £68
Final Total: £6220
Planning Our Family Interrail Trip
Choosing Our Interrail Passes
Starting the planning for our trip was a little overwhelming at first! I sat down with a brew, the seat61 website and a couple of good old Facebook groups.
The first step was to buy the passes. As we already had an idea of the route and the stops we wanted to do, we decided on a 7 Day Pass. This gives you 7 travel days within one month. We needed 2 adult, 1 youth and 2 junior passes, and we managed to secure them in the Spring sale, with 15% off, about 5 months before we travelled.
How Far in Advance We Planned and Booked
Once we’d booked the Travel Pass, following advice we booked our Eurostar seats straight away. There are a limited number of Interrail-friendly seats on each Eurostar train, and it’s often the part of the journey that you can’t be flexible on so this was a priority.
We then mapped out our journey, using an actual paper map! This was SO valuable, especially when we had to change our plans.
Once we were sure of our destinations, we started to look for accommodation in each place. We were a bit worried, as we’re quite last minute and there’s five of us, so we wanted to make sure we could find accommodation and then sort the trains after that.
*It’s worth knowing that once you buy your Travel Pass, you have 11 months to use it, so plan your purchasing accordingly!
Booking Trains and Seat Reservations
The Man in Seat 61 was our absolute go-to for everything to do with train reservations for this trip. His website is jam packed full of everything you need to know, and because we were travelling across six countries, we needed to know a lot!
The Interrail Pass is your train ticket, and so the only thing you need to pay for once you have a pass is any seat reservations you want or need. This varies wildly by country, for example the TGV high speed trains in France required mandatory (fairly pricey) reservations, while in Switzerland no seat reservations can be made at all.
For us, we looked carefully at the train timetables, chose the trains we wanted, and made any reservations we could after we had booked our accommodations.
There is a LOT to take in at this stage of the planning. However, while you don’t have to book your reservations through the Interrail app (and you probably shouldn’t as it can be more expensive), you can log all your planned trains in there so you won’t lose track of them.
It is also worth downloading the rail apps of the country you’re planning to visit (again, the Man in Seat 6 guides you through this) as they often have up to date info on any delays/cancellations.
Booking Family-Friendly Accommodation
This was our big worry before we went – how could we find accommodation for all five of us, for exactly the length of time that we needed it, in August?! However, we had plenty of options and we’re really happy with how it all worked out.
We stayed in a mix of hotels, AirBnBs, and hostels, which suited us perfectly. We booked most of them through Booking.com giving us the flexibility to change our plans at the last minute – this was really helpful when our plan changed from Italy to Switzerland!
How We Planned Travel Days with Kids
The comment we got the most when we told people what we were doing was ‘How will the kids cope with the travel days?!’ And truthfully, screens are how they coped.
While we planned to mix up iPads with card games and reading for them, in reality it didn’t work out like that. What we found was that we were so busy when we were actually in the places enjoying them, that the travel days ended up being much needed down days for the kids, where they could just relax.
Of course, there were quite a few times we would interrupt them to insist that they looked at the amazing views, or if we passed something significant like a border, but otherwise we just left them to it.
The older two children had videos downloaded and ready to watch, and our youngest either listened to an audiobook or watched Netflix.
We saved the card games for after our evening meal each day, which became a tradition of the trip!
Stop 1: Brussels, Belgium
How We Got to Brussels
This was a really important travel day, because it counted as our Outbound day on our Interrail pass. You get one outbound and one inbound travel day, and those are the only days that you can use the pass in the UK. So you really have to make sure you get out of the UK on your first travel day!
We managed this with two trains – first was a 6:30am start on the West Coast Mainline from the north west of England to London Euston. It was then just a ten minute walk to London St Pancras, where we caught our Eurostar train that took us directly to Brussels. From there, we walked to our hotel, which was around 25 minutes. Brussels are one hour ahead and we arrived right on time for check in at 3pm!
Where We Stayed in Brussels
This was our favourite accommodation find of the trip – the Meininger hotels. These worked absolutely BRILLIANTLY for us as a family of 5, but would be great for smaller and larger families too. We stayed in three of them altogether, and the Brussels hotel was the first.
We absolutely loved the big bedroom, with bunks so no kids had to share (it is bickering central if that happens these days). We also just loved the vibe of the hotel, with loads of hangout spots for the kids, where we could grab a coffee and see them.
The Meiningers are a hybrid hostel/hotel model, so there’s something to suit everyone. We had a private room and bathroom, but we made use of the kitchen where we cooked our own meals, and the fridge to store food.
Inclusive tip: Look for these hybrid hostel/hotels. The rooms are comfortable and spacious with hotel amenities, but the kitchen and the ability to store your own food means you can cook your own meals if eating out isn’t for you.
What We Did in Brussels with Kids
Brussels Day 1
We had two full days in Brussels, and that was plenty. Our first day was spent wandering, where we made sure we saw the beautiful Grand Place with all it’s gold. We also followed the parts of the street art trail that were around the city centre, which was very cool. And of course we had to try some warm Belgian waffles!
Brussels Day 2
On Day 2 we visited Mini-Europe, which is a little way out of the city, next to the Atomium. (We didn’t visit the Atomium as my son was due to go there as part of a school trip and we didn’t want to spoil it!) It was a lovely day out, and tested our navigational skills as we found the right metro train to get there.
Our Brussels Highlights
Our hotel! We were SO pleased with it. And the Grand Place, which was beautiful, as well as the Belgian waffle, which we’re still talking about now.
Brussels to Stuttgart by Train
From Brussels, we took a train to Cologne, then jumped on a connection to Mannheim, then it was just a short hop on the final train to Stuttgart.
Stop 2: Stuttgart, Germany
Where We Stayed in Stuttgart
We stayed slightly outside of Stuttgart centre, close to the Schlossgarten, in walking distance to the centre. We stayed in an a&o hostel, which was fine, but ended up being our least favourite accommodation of the trip.
The room was fine; it was a hostel type family room with bunkbeds for the kids, and our own bathroom. But the kitchen and fridge storage facilities weren’t ideal, and we also had to eat some meals in our room. It was fine, and the staff were great, but it wasn’t our favourite.
What We Did in Stuttgart with Kids
We loved Stuttgart! We mainly came for the car museums, but we really enjoyed our time in the city. Here’s how we spent our days:
Arrival Day
I stayed at the hostel with our ND child, who always needs a bit of decompression time whenever we arrive somewhere. Husband and the other children went out for an explore and to get some food.
Stuttgart Day 1
Husband and Mr 13 (the car fanatics) went out super early to catch a train to the Porsche museum. It’s not far out of the centre, and a train from the central station takes you really close. They spent a couple of hours there while the rest of us had a slow start, with breakfast and cups of tea!
We then wandered into Stuttgart to meet them after the museum, and we ventured into Stuttgart library, which I LOVED. This was a bit leftfield with kids but they’d never seen anything like the all-white design of it before and they thought it was great. They especially enjoyed finding the German versions of their favourite books – Wings of Fire auf Deutsch anyone?!
After a picnic lunch (which quickly became a recurring theme) we walked back to our hotel via the enormous Schlossgarten – a beautiful outdoor space full of playparks, fountains, a lake, and plenty of wide open space to blow off some steam.
Stuttgart Day 2
Another car museum! This time the whole family were involved. We visited the Mercedes museum, which is again, just outside Stuttgart centre. We took a train to Schlachthof station then walked the rest of the way. The museum is impressive looking, and made even the non-car enthusiasts (me) want to go and have a look. We loved it! The teen and tween enjoyed the sports car sections, and my favourite part was the 90’s exhibition, obvs.
Our Stuttgart Highlights
The Mercedes Museum was an absolute hit, and walking through the Schlossgarten will forever be one of my favourite days.
Stuttgart to Innsbruck by Train
The journey from Stuttgart through Germany and Austria to Innsbruck was where the Alps first revealed themselves, and the scenery became more and more beautiful. Our journey took us from Stuttgart to Munich where we had a couple of hours to enjoy lunch in a local park. Then, a second and final train to Innsbruck.
Stop 3: Innsbruck, Austria
Where We Stayed in Innsbruck
This was our absolute favourite out of all our accommodations on the trip. It was another Meininger Hotel; this one was much smaller than the previous one, and we were on the top floor. The room was SO big and spacious, and the views were on another level.
PICTURE
As well as the spectacular views, the hotel again had a decent kitchen (although it did get busy) and plenty of room to store our food. The breakfast room for those who had ordered breakfast was kept very separate, and there was plenty of room for us self-caterers to sit and eat. Our after dinner games became a firm tradition in this hotel!
Travel Tip: check whether your location provides city cards with your accommodation. Both Innsbruck and Arosa provided local cards that gave us free public transport, including some mountain gondolas, as well as other discounts.
What We Did in Innsbruck with Kids
Innsbruck was our longest stay, with a whole 5 nights here. We had (correctly) predicted that we would need a bit of a longer stop to enjoy some downtime, and this was the perfect place for it.
Innsbruck Day 1
We used this day to explore Innsbruck. The hotel is close to the river, so we walked along the river and then across it, up towards the Alpenzoo. It was HOT outside, so we explored the tree-covered paths close to the zoo, and found a quiet playpark to pass the time. The rest of the day was stocking up on food, including choosing which Haribo to try next, and exploring the hotel.
Mr Sandy Toes was coming down with something at this point, and so we also discovered the costs of paracetamol on Austria – almost £10!!
Innsbruck Day 2
Adventure day! This was one of our favourite days of the whole trip!
We headed out to Muttereralm for a day of exploring the mountains. Using our Innsbruck Welcome Card, we took the bus out to Mutters, and caught the gondola up the mountain. It was brilliant! There was so much to do up there. I had wondered if it would be a little young for my crew, but honestly, they loved it all. A highlight for my eldest (13) was riding a mountain go cart back down the mountain with Mr STAS, while we raced them on a gondola.
We weren’t finished with the day yet though. Someone at the hotel had told us about the fab outdoor swimming pool at Mutters, so we’d brough our swim stuff and headed there next. This was a painfully hot walk from the gondola station, but once we were in the pool that was all forgotten!
Innsbruck Day 3
Another Innsbruck day. Mr. STAS was just getting over whatever his illness was, and Mr. 11 needed a down day, so we just had a chill wander around the historical areas of Innsbruck, shopped for a couple of souvenirs, and played lots of Uno Flip and Exploding Kittens in the hotel.
CLICK HERE for our favourite travel games
Innsbruck Day 4
This was my choice – the Swarovski Museum! The bus left from just outside our hotel and took us straight there, although the screen with stops on wasn’t working so it took a bit of guesswork to figure out our stop (we got off a stop too early, but as all buses are free we just hopped on the next one).
The museum is set in beautiful countryside 40 minutes outside of Innsbruck, with a backdrop of the Alps. I’ve always loved Swarovski, so I persuaded the family to come and they definitely didn’t regret it! The museum is gorgeous and sparkly, and there’s a big play area for kids too, so everyone was happy.
Our Innsbruck Highlights
Our favourite day was the day out at Mutters, without a doubt.
Innsbruck to Arosa by Train
This was a pretty unbelievable journey to be honest. Our first train was from Innsbruck to Sargans, then leg two was from Sargans to Chur, which was filled with view after view.
The final leg was the most epic train journey I’ve ever taken. The train itself was pretty old fashioned, slightly slow and rickety rackety. There was no air con, just lots of windows that were already open. There was also a map on each table, showing the route and where there were BEARS on that route! The fact the train was slow was perfect – as it took us slowly up into the alps, the slow winding route gave us so much chance to soak up every view. To top it off, the train played super loud bear growls every time we went through a bear area of the map!
Stop 4: Arosa, Switzerland
Where We Stayed in Arosa
Honestly, we were SO lucky with this stop. As it had been a last minute change of plan, when we looked for accommodation most of it was booked. And the places that weren’t, were super expensive. But then! We found a brand new Airbnb, which was on an offer for it’s first few bookings. And what a find! The host was absolutely amazing, and we absolutely loved our stay.
What We Did in Arosa with Kids
We had 4 nights in Arosa which meant 3 full days. On arrival day, we found our accommodation (which was luckily an easy walk down a hill) and then ventured out to get food. We were a bit apprehensive about this after hearing horror stories about the price of food in Switzerland, but we survived!
Arosa Day 1
We stayed pretty local on the first day. Arosa is an alpine village with 2 lakes, Obersee and Untersee. Our location was super close to Untersee, which is the swimming lake. We were so ready for a swimming day after all the heat! The lake is great. It has a few toys and floats to play around on, and is surrounded by grass where you can set up for the day. There are changing rooms, toilets and a cafe and shop, so you really can stay for as long as you like!
Arosa Day 2
Today was the BIG birthday for Mr. STAS! And it was his wish to be up a mountain, so up we went. Again, we had a card, ‘the Arosa card’, which gave us free public transport including local gondolas. So we walked to the gondola station in Arosa, and went up the mountain in the gondola. We started at the very top station, where we soaked up the views and used the telescope thing to have a look around. It was chill up here!
We then went down to the middle station where there was a lot more going on. We wandered past the bear sanctuary to find a picnic spot, and watched the bears having a lovely swim to cool off. Once we’d filled up, we found the mini golf (I am not good at this) and then took the gondola back down to Arosa. We found a great playpark close to Obersee and hung out there for a while before we headed back to our place for birthday pizza and…more Uno Flip!
Arosa Day 3
It was Obersee’s turn, which is a bigger lake higher up in the village. Amazingly, pedalos are free to hire on the lake with the Arosa card which was a real treat!
We finished with a lovely walk around Obersee and some ice cream, planning for a return trip someday.
Our Arosa Highlights
Honestly, all of it. We all loved it all. If we’d had more time, I would have booked into the bear sanctuary, as I would have loved to have seen how it all works.
Arosa to Lucerne by Train
Honestly, it was actually quite ridiculous how beautiful this part of the trip was. First, we had our return bear train to Chur through the mountains. Our next train was to Thalwill, and then our final train into Lucerne was a double decker – we’d waited the whole trip to sit upstairs on a train and it didn’t disappoint!
Stop 5: Lucerne, Switzerland
Where We Stayed in Lucerne
Lucerne was a tricky one to book. We had left it a bit late, it was the middle of August, and Lucerne is SO popular our choices were quite limited. Happily, we found Hotel Baslertor, which had rooms large enough to accommodate all 5 of us.
When we arrived in Lucerne, we found that the location couldn’t have been better, as it’s right in the heart of Lucerne, really close to the river. The hotel itself was lovely and charming, and it had a swimming pool which was an absolute bonus.
What We Did in Lucerne with Kids
It was a bit of a shock to us to be in a busy city after the quietness of the Alps, but luckily the sun shone and Lucerne looked her absolute best for us while we were there. As usual, we took the first day just to settle in, with a couple of us venturing out just to get our bearings and find some food (it’s always about the food!).
Lucerne Day 1
We engaged full tourist mode on this day. The day started with the tourist train, which set off from fairy near to our hotel. There were headphones with all languages available, which meant we could listen to a bit of the city’s history. The kids (begrudgingly) enjoyed the train, but they weren’t that into the history lesson in their ears.
Once we’d hopped off, we had one of those city days that are quite rare for us – we just walked and walked and walked. We popped into modern shops, tourist shops, cafes, and churches. We visited the Lion of Lucerne sculpture, and spent way too long looking at Swiss army knives in the shop next door. And once we decided we couldn’t walk any more, we headed back to the hotel and played in the swimming pool for as long as we could.
Lucerne Day 2
It was my turn to feel unwell, so I was sad to miss out on day 2. However, the rest of the family had a brilliant day out at the Swiss Museum of Transport. Just a short bus ride away from the centre, the museum is super hands on and interactive and kept everyone entertained for a good few hours (even the non-car enthusiasts).
Our Lucerne Highlights
Definitely the Swiss Museum of Transport, and just soaking up the Lucerne vibes around the river.
Lucerne to Paris by Train
This journey was where the vibe definitely changed from the Swiss trains where you can’t reserve a seat, to the French fast trains where you absolutely HAVE to reserve a seat. Our first train was from Lucerne to Strasbourg. We then caught a TGV fast train to Paris, and we’d heard that the checks could be really stressful. However, we found the opposite to be true – while we did have our tickets and reservations checked at the station, and then again along with our passports on the train, everyone was so friendly and helpful, and it was a great experience.
Stop 6 – Paris, France
Where We Stayed in Paris
This was our third and final Meininger hotel of the trip, and this one was HUGE. We chose this hotel Meininger (there are two in Paris) because it had rooms to sleep 5, which suited us budget-wise. However, the hotel was quite far out of the centre, and meant either a bus or the metro or a really long walk to get anywhere. Having said that, the hotel itself was great, and the staff could not have been more helpful.
What We Did in Paris with Kids
Arrival day meant we just mainly recovered from trying to work out the public transport ticket system and finding our way to the hotel on the bus (I would say this was the trickiest part of our entire trip, it was such a flashpoint). And, as ever on arrival day, sorting out some food.
Paris Day 1
Walking, walking and more walking. I didn’t have any expectations of Paris, but I have seen that some people describe it as dirty and unfriendly. This wasn’t our experience at all! It might be just where we spent time, but we walked from our hotel all the way in to the Jardins du Luxembourg and back, and it felt leafy and spacious. We found a couple of playparks to enjoy on the way, and a couple of shops, but we mainly just looked around and enjoyed hanging out. Also we made sure that we found a patisserie for some obligatory treats to take back to the hotel.
Paris Day 2
Day 2: Although we hadn’t booked anything, we really wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, and this meant nearly an hours ride on the metro. The ride itself was great as we got to see a lot of the city when it was overground, and the time flew by. We got out at the nearest stop to the Eiffel Tower, and headed straight there. Despite the fact it is SO touristy, it still looked beautiful in the sunshine, and we enjoyed hanging out on the grass for a bit before we started our long meander back.
Our pootle back included a visit to see the Louvre (just the outside though), a walk across Pont Alexandre III, a visit to the Tuileries Garden, a walk past the Pompidou centre, and a pop in to the Lego Store amongst many other sights. We were exhausted!
Our Paris Highlights
I would say we were pleasantly surprised by the general vibe and the feeling of light and space in the city, and we just enjoyed hanging out.
What It’s Really Like Interrailing Europe with Kids
Those were the facts you needed, bow lets get into the details you want; the good, the bad and everything in between.
Were the Long Train Journeys Difficult?
Nope. We planned so much for the journeys, and we didn’t find them difficult at all. For each journey, we made sure we had enough food and water, two forms of entertainment for the kids (e.g. a tablet and a book), and we each memorised our seat number before we got on so we knew where we were heading.
The most difficult things were:
There were a couple of trains, I think possibly in Germany, which didn’t have the carriage letter on the outside, so that was a bit stressful getting on. However, the signs on the platforms are usually helpful with telling you where to stand to wait for your carriage, and this meant we were in the general area each time and didn’t have to go to far to find our seats.
One of our early trains from Brussels was wildly busy. We didn’t understand why, but it turned out one of the Eurostar trains from Brussels had been cancelled so we had all their passengers on too. Luckily we were still able to use our seats but it was a bit overwhelming at first!
The German trains were often running late. We’d heard that this would be the case, but it still meant that our connections were a bit frantic, although amazingly, we made them all.
Food and Snacks on Travel Days
We planned our train travel so that each travel day happened over lunchtime. This gave us tie to have a decent breakfast in the place we were about to leave, and to assemble some kind of lunch to take with us. (The only exception to this was leaving Lucerne, that was super early).
To attempt not to add to our load too much, we used these Light My Fire boxes for our trip (we each had a different colour for logistics). They were great for storing packed lunches in for the train journeys, then they could act as plates and bowls at the hotels that we self catered in. Despite being super prepared with these, we inevitably ended up with a brown paper bag to carry too, which usually involved baguette of some kind, and any bulkier items like crisps.
Our staple packed lunch on a train items included: Baguette, cheese, sometimes ham, tomatoes, crisps, blueberries, and occasionally the local Haribo offering.
Toilets, Wi-Fi and Charging on European Trains
I had been a little worried about the toilet situation, and how the kids would handle it, but I needn’t have worried at all. We found train toilets much easier to find and use than station toilets.
The Wi-Fi was non-existent really. You could usually get signal in a station, but then that wasn’t any use once the train was moving. We used our phone data which acted as a hotspot, and if the signal ever wasn’t good enough for that then it was a chance to read, or draw, or look out of the window!
Keeping Kids Entertained on Trains
As mentioned previously, we are more than happy for the kids to spend time on screens when we’re travelling. I think it’s unrealistic to expect kids to appreciate what’s out the window as much as we do, although there were plenty of times that we demanded that they look outside when there was something impressive/unusual/when we crossed borders etc etc.
We also took books (this will link to a reading post) and magazines, and my daughter loves to come up. with fashion designs so she took a sketch book and colouring pencils.
Dealing with Delays and Missed Connections
This was Germany! Luckily we didn’t actually miss any connections, but that was only thanks to the DB Navigator app. Trains were late, then they ran slow and arrived even later, so connections were a bit stressful. The app can store your whole trip, and work out if you still have time to connect, as well as which platform you’ll be going from. This gave us a chance as we slid into a station, to try to spot the next platform and make a mad dash for it!
We had zero delays and missed connections in any other country, it oucldn’t have run more smoothly.
Building Downtime into a Busy Trip
There’s no doubt about it, interrailing Europe is a very busy trip! And everyone’s tolerance levels to the busyness vary massively.
The first thing we did was be mindful of this fact, and watch the kids (and each other!) for signs that we weren’t enjoying it or coping with it. When that did happen, we gave that person whatever they needed. This looked like a day in the hotel decompressing with one parent, while the other took the children that were happy to go out somewhere that suited them.
We also, as previously mentioned, made sure we didn’t try to do anything else on a travel day other than get to our destinations and find food. We learnt this through doing way too much on our first day in our first stop Brussels, and we never did it again.
There was also, for everyone, some downtime reading/watching a film/watching YouTube time built into days when we would return to the hotel, before dinner for example.
What We Packed for 3 Weeks of Interrailing
Suitcases or Backpacks for Interrailing?
This wasn’t a purposeful choice by us – we took what we had and hoped for the best!
The kids had a rucksack each with: a packing cube with their stuff in it, their own entertainment, their own train food and drink, a waterproof jacket, and anything else we needed to stuff in there at the last minute!
I had a wheely Tripp cabin sized suitcase, and a cross body bag with lots of compartments.
Paul had a CabinZero backpack, which we have used for flights before, and a money wallet.
So, before the trip I would have said backpack as it ‘felt’ like a backpacking trip, but now I’d say small suitcase each, with a small backpack too.
Things We Were Really Glad We Packed
Ok, this list is not the one I thought it would be before we went. Top of the list is sandwich bags! These helped with our self catering, transporting things, keeping Haribo safe, putting used sporks in, and a hundred other things! Don’t interrail without them.
Next, was packing cubes. We used these basic packing cubes as we liked the different colours, and we wanted to see if they would work for us. They were SO helpful when we got to a new hotel and all we had to do was lift out each persons cubes and put them in a cupboard or on a shelf. We also had a swimming one which meant we could just lift it and go on swimming days.
I mentioned these earlier, but these LIGHT my Fire sets were brilliant. We used them every day one way or another. They were plates, bowls, snack boxes, and storage. If we cooked too much pasta one night, it went in one of them and became lunch the next day. We also brought the matching cups for our morning cups of tea!
Other than that, I’m glad we at least had some paracetamol before we had to pay Austrian prices for some, and I’m glad we took our favourite suncream as we used it every single day.
Things We Would Leave at Home Next Time
Just one thing – the heavy walking shoes. I insisted on these, thinking we’d need them for some of the Swiss and Austrian mountain action – we did not. We travelled in them, but carried our lighter trainers and we should just have worn them the whole time.
Things We Learned Interrailing Europe as a Family
Don’t Try to Visit Too Many Places
It’s ok if you don’t see absolutely everything that a place has to offer. I honestly think you’re not really experiencing the vibe of a place if you’re just running from one activity to the next. Sometimes it’s ok to just wander for a bit.
Not All Travel Days Are Equal
Some days will work beautifully, some absolutely will not. Sometimes you’ll be in a noisy packed carriage with a bit of sensory overload, sometimes you’ll be the only ones on board. Just be prepared for anything to be the case.
Accommodation Location Makes a Huge Difference
This is so true. In Brussels, we LOVED the accommodation, but it’s location meant we didn’t love Brussels. In Lucerne, our our accommodation was great but a very small space, but we were right in the heart of the city so everything was easy. In Innsbruck, we were right across the road from a bus stop that we used loads of times which made planning days out easy. Accommodation location definitely matters.
Build in Days Where You Do Very Little
And by very little, I mean ‘not much planning is involved’, This is an admin-heavy trip and it’s lovely to have a little breathing space.
Give Yourself More Time for Connections Than You Think
Oh my goodness, I planned all our trains BEFORE I read this advice myself. Before booking connections, it’s worth searching how much time people recommend for connections at that station, because the station makes a difference. Some of the connections the apps offer you make sense on paper, but not in the reality of a huge station with ticket control onto the platform. It’s worth checking.
Let Everyone Who Wants to, Choose Something
One of our children finds it really hard to choose something that then the whole family will do as it’s too much pressure, so I’d say only do this if people want to. This could be as big as choosing a museum, activity or area of a city they want to see, or as small as visiting a particular store or getting a fancy cake,.
What We Would Do Differently Next Time
We’ve talked about this a lot since we got home. Our route wasn’t straightforward, but we actually loved the destinations that took us 3 trains to get there!
With hindsight, we would stay in Brussels for 2 nights instead of 3, and maybe Innsbruck for 4 nights instead of 5. This would have given us an extra night or two in Lucerne, where we could have got up into the mountains more.
We would also have visited the Atomium in Brussels. We avoided because Mr. 13 was due to visit it on a school trip, however he didn’t end up visiting it in the end so we totally could have gone!
What We Would Change About Our Travel Days
Honestly, nothing! We had quite a lot of trains but our travel days were pretty awesome.
What We Would Change About Our Packing
We learned a LOT and definitely wouldn’t take the same set up next time. If we went again, we would each take a Tripp suitcase – when we got back we invested in one for everyone in different colours as they’re so handy! They fit easily above the train seats and it would have made life so much easier if we all had one.
Our Top Tips for Interrailing Europe with Kids
Book the Important Trains Early
The Eurostar only has a limited number of seats available to reserve on each train, so if you’re after certain dates you should reserve these as soon as you can after buying the pass. Then, if there are any high speed connections in France that you want, book these early too.
Choose Accommodation Close to Public Transport
Don’t make the mistake we made in Paris! We had a fab hotel, but it meant a loooong bus journey through Paris after a day of train travel. I wouldn’t want to be too close to any train station, especially at night, but somewhere with either an easy bus/taxi connection or a fairly short walk is ideal.
Avoid Too Many One-Night Stops
We actually did zero one night stops, and I can’t imagine actually seeing any of the place if you did. If it helps with logistics i.e. gets you closer to a destination and makes more sense to stop over for decent train times then that makes sense, but if you’re actually wanting to enjoy the place? Stay more than one night, especially with kids.
Keep Travel Days Flexible
You might want to rush out and see the sights as soon as you get there, but everyone else might need a rest. You might expect to be sat in a lovely restaurant for dinner, but everyone might be shattered and only fit for a takeaway. Try to go with the flow on travel days and don’t plan too much that’s set in stone.
Download Everything Before You Travel
This is essential. Have all the apps you need. Have the interrail app with everybody’s pass loaded on, on the front screen of your phone. Have an email folder for all your train reservations, and one for all your hotel reservations. Print out (I know, it’s old school but it’s worth it), every train reservation confirmation, put them in order and pop them in an A5 plastic wallet.
Always Carry Food and Water
I mean, if you’ve got this far as parent I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know here. Many tricky situations with kids are avoided or averted with decent snacks and enough hydration.
Is Interrailing Europe with Kids Worth It?
What We Loved About Interrailing
For us, we absolutely loved the sense of adventure. We booked all trains and all hotels so we weren’t doing this spontaneously, but at times we felt like we were on Race Across the World!
We also loved the fact it was completely different from any holiday we’d done before. We like holidays where we move from place to place, but we’d never done it on the train before. And we got to see so much! One holiday provided cities, museums, mountains, lakes, and 5 different countries!
The Hardest Parts of the Trip
It was super admin heavy. Like there was a LOT of admin. And not just before we left, it was pretty constant. Checking trains, booking days out, double checking what the visitor cards entitled u s to, checking out local bus times, google maps. It was a lot.
Would We Interrail Europe as a Family Again?
Absolutely yes! I actually want to get the ticket that allows you on the ferries between the Greek islands as well as the trains next!!
Family Interrailing FAQs
What Age Is Best for Interrailing with Kids?
Ok, I’m definitely not someone who thinks that you should wait to travel with children, and we’ve been taking our children all over the place since they were very little. However, having kids that could sit for a train journey, carry their own backpack and organise their own entertainment was a DREAM. So I’d say once they can sit for (or tolerate) a train ride and carry a backpack reliably you’re all good.
Do Children Need Their Own Interrail Pass?
Yes. Even though under 12’s Interrail passes are free, everyone still needs their own pass. They each generate their own ticket for travel. They can all be held on one app on your device, though.
Do You Need to Reserve Seats When Interrailing?
This depends. Yes to the Eurostar and trains in France.
How Much Luggage Should You Take Interrailing?
Less is more. We wish we’d taken a case each, but these would have been small cases. It’s not advisable to take big suitcases as it makes life more tricky on the trains.
Is Interrailing Cheaper Than Flying?
Yes. For 7 days of train travel, an adult ticket cost £272, the kids were cheaper. You absolutely would not get 7 days of flights for that price.
Is Interrailing Stressful with Kids?
With a decent amount of planning, I would say not.
Our Final Thoughts on Interrailing Europe with Kids
Interrailing Europe with kids was something we had no idea if we would enjoy. And we absolutely loved it. The adventure vibes, the variety, and the fun of train travel meant we had the best time, and we would absolutely, definitely do it again.
