Often described as Europe’s last wilderness, Sweden’s remote and sparsely populated far north is a land of striking beauty – and in summer it’s easy to visit without a car or plane. The slow trains of the Inlandsbanan, or Inland Line, take you through a landscape of forests, heathland, lakes and rivers. On the way, reindeer and elk cross the tracks. Ahead of you, over a thousand miles of wild nature and endlessness. Welcome to life in the slow lane.

You want to experience your first backpacking adventure in Europe – but are unsure what to expect? Then this book will address your uncertainties and answer all your questions. Starting with planning your travel route, a required budget, and the optimal packing list, you will find everything you need to know for a successful journey by train.

Europe offers everything you need for an adventure. Breathtaking landscapes, cultural diversity and backpackers from all over the world. By train, you can travel from the biggest metropolis to the most remote place. With this book, you will be well prepared to start your first backpacking adventure. From my experience, I can tell you that traveling by train is the most beautiful way to discover Europe. Let’s go, your adventure awaits!

Find cheap tickets
Find out whether an Interrail Pass makes sense for you or whether tickets booked separately might be cheaper. You’ll also find more tips on how to save money on your train journey.

Planning your itinerary
In addition to popular travel routes, there are tips on route planning and recommended countries. You can also find out how to optimise your route and experience as much as possible on your journey.

Budget planning
It is easy to calculate the costs you will incur and the budget you should plan for. You can also find out how to find cheap accommodation.

Adventure awaits
Whether it’s after graduating from high school, during the semester break or as a short break from work, now is the best time to explore Europe. So let’s go, the adventure awaits!

Adventure awaits!

There are countless European countries you can explore by train.
All you have to do is be brave and go on an adventure.

As you stand on the banks of the Rhine and look out over this mighty river, many words come to mind. Enchanting, formidable, majestic. It’s hard to imagine that at its source you can step right over it in a single stride. Intrigued, I recently travelled to Lake Toma, Switzerland, by bike and train to see for myself the Rhine at its humble source.

Dresden is a city brimming with musical history, from the house where Wagner wrote his Lohengrin opera and the street where a popular violinist was murdered on a tram, to a hall where Mozart once played for the king. Guide and cultural historian Christoph Münch set out to find the city’s forgotten musical past and collected them in his book “Dresden – 500 Places of Music”. Also of interest is the important role the railways played in the city’s cultural and musical development.

From Europe’s longest bar to a wholesome beer spa, via some life-saving beer tunnels: we travelled with an Interrail Pass from Rotterdam to Pilsen visiting some of Europe’s best breweries, bars, beer gardens and cellars. We immersed ourselves in history… and eventually in beer too.

It might seem hard to believe, but in a metropolis like Paris you really don’t have to go far to recharge your batteries in the countryside. Simply jump on the underground or the regional RER. To the east of Paris lies a large wooded area called the Bois de Vincennes, and while many tourists to Paris do find their way here, few visit the fantastic flower park also located here.

The highlands, the sea, the whisky, Harry Potter… there are many reasons to travel to Scotland and there’s no better way to cross the rugged highlands than by train. The West Highland Line is considered one of the most beautiful stretches in the world and the train even takes you to places that are inaccessible by car.

There’s a reason why a city’s railway station is often its most iconic landmark. Sure, its grand design or architectural innovation helps to form your first and last impression of your destination, but it’s also the stories it tells that draw you in, the people coming and going, the family reunions, the emotional farewells.

Across Europe, thousands of miles of railway have been abandoned over the years and left to rust. But in one German town, an old line that once transported Prussian troops and military equipment and later shuttled children to and from school has been brought back to life. Today, you can enjoy a ride along the disused railway on a draisine— or rail bike. 

The tiny red and white trains of the narrow-gauge Pinzgaubahn make their way slowly through Austria’s Pinzgau Valley for 53 km. Villages and picturesque churches dot the landscape as you head towards one of the highlights at either end of the line – the Zeller See and the famous Krimml Waterfalls, the highest in central Europe.