You turn to your boyfriend, who’s quietly sat across the room typing on his laptop.
“I’ve just booked a one-way flight to Slovakia,” you say.
“You’ve what?”
That’s basically how it started. A £7 one-way flight to Bratislava, a deal that Skyscanner was dangling in front of me like a bone to a dog— I’d never particularly thought of visiting, definitely didn’t know what was there, but most importantly, I didn’t know how long I was going to be there for. I’d just made an impulsive decision.
Fast forward to the last week of August, and I was stood in Manchester Airport at 3am after a long, laborious few months of building some savings so that I could, you know, deal with the consequences of booking a one-way flight to Slovakia on a random Thursday in March 2024.
My return flight was departing from Berlin Brandenburg in exactly 12 days. I had my suitcase, some new grey hairs, and a helluva lot of courage that inter-railing for the first time would go smoothly.
I landed in Bratislava very early. I was only spending one night there, so I hastily shoved my belongings into my dorm’s locker and ambled my way to the Old Town, which was only a stone's throw away from my hostel.
Bratislava is minuscule, especially considering it’s the capital city, and it is absolutely beautiful. I found that only spending one day here was more than enough, which calmed my worries that I was going to regret the little time I had here; I made my way around the light, pastel streets and winding roads, hiking up to Castle Hrad (accidentally walking in and watching a full-blown opera), and back down the River Danube. The pockets of squares, statues, and fountains dotted around the historic buildings jam the city with character.
It was so unbelievably quiet. Considering it was the peak of summer, only a few other people roamed the streets, leaving the experience of a fleeting visit very relaxed.
Bratislava is the perfect day trip— if you are ever in Vienna and have an afternoon spare, Bratislava is a 45 minute train journey away, and a distinctive city rich with history small enough to be tackled in a few hours. It’s a gem.
2. Budapest, Hungary
Bright and early the next morning, I boarded the bus from Bratislava bus station and made my way down to Budapest, Hungary, a two hour ride. I was staying in the city for three nights, my hostel (Avenue Hostel, €20 per night with free breakfast) was in the centre of Pest.
Arriving straight from Bratislava highlighted how enormous, yet sort of compact, the city is— which, in 34 degree heat, called for numerous cold Fanta Lemons and cooling hostel breaks per day to prevent me collapsing from running around in the heat.
Regardless of what you look for in your city breaks, chances are that Budapest will have something for you. It is lively with art and music, historical castles and bastions. The ruin bars are creative hubs for a drink, regardless of if you’re on your own with a book or in a group- just beware of accidentally walking into the wrong bathroom and making eye contact with a confused middle-aged man (a note to my past self). And if you have a spare few hours, catch the train down to Szentendre: a tiny riverside town about 40 minutes from the centre of Budapest.
Importantly, I felt incredibly safe as a young woman travelling on my own. Usually, I coop myself up inside when it gets dark if I’m abroad solo (a personal preference!), but on my last night, I pushed myself to dawdle over to the riverbank to see the Hungarian Parliament illuminated against the night sky, and I felt completely safe making the journey.
St Stephen’s Basilica is a main tourist attraction, but I couldn’t write this without giving it an honourable mention. I spent an hour sat inside there. It is extraordinary.
3. Vienna, Austria
Vienna was my second and last one-day stop. I arrived early after leaving Budapest on the FlixBus (getting stuck on a motorway in rural Austria), and was immediately introduced to how tightly I would need to grip my purse during my stay after I paid €16 for a single 20-minute journey on the Metro.
But, the expensive city is justified given how palatial Vienna is; the streets are sparkling whites and creams with horse-drawn carriages gliding down the roads.
Belvedere Museum homes a host of pieces from Egon Schiele and Monet's collections, as well as Klimt's The Kiss; although catching a glimpse of the latter was akin to how I'd imagine going into battle would be, the painting is glimmering and arguably worth the pushes and shoves.
But let’s be honest, my love of Before Sunrise was a primary dictator to the places on my itinerary. Alt & Neu, the record shop, is tucked away on a side street, and despite the iconic listening booth no longer existing, the shop is brimming with film memorabilia and the loveliest team of staff members— as soon as I entered, the shopkeeper thrust a pair of headphones on me and plugged in an original vinyl of the film’s score.
I’m keen to go back, and to visit other areas of Austria in general; one day was enough to see a good chunk of the city and visit the hotspots, but not enough to fully integrate myself with the culture of the city and have a proper wander. And no where near enough time to wolf down the entire country’s stock of Sacher-Torte.
4. Prague, Czech Republic
Prague was a destination on my inter-railing plan that was non-negotiable… I had always dreamt of visiting. I spent three nights in Prague after leaving Vienna, and left having crowned the city as my favourite one I’ve ever been to.
The cobblestone roads feel like a model village, and the colourful building look like they're built from plasticine, as well as glowing golden during the night. Traditional Czech sweets and chimney cakes perfume the entire city. It is walkable, incredibly inexpensive, and a treasure chest of the most delicious and electic eateries and museums and galleries.
Making my way around a Tim Burton exhibition, an Andy Warhol exhibition, and admittedly the notable spots from INXS music videos, each day of the trip was made noteworthy from the oodles of activities to busy yourself with. The hike up to Strahov Monastery places you amongst the bright orange roofs with a postcard-worthy view of the entire city, and St Nicholas Church— a baroque landmark splashed in purple and blue— had my mouth agape.
I loved Prague. I could write an essay about it. I also loved doing karaoke on a stage in a British bar full of strangers. I hope they all enjoyed my rendition of Parklife.
5. Berlin, Germany
Berlin and I had an interesting introduction: I hated it at first.
I think it’s because the coach journey from Prague was twice as long after the vehicle was held at the German border for almost two hours, and I was hot, bothered, and tired upon arrival. It took me a good day or two of the trip to warm to the city. But by the end of the three day stay- and the last stop of my journey- I’d grown to love it.
It’s gigantic; I easily could have filled another day or two there. It completely remixed what my inter-railing journey had been, introducing diverse and Brutalist architecture to the neoclassical cities that I’d spent the last 9 days wandering, as well as enriching my trip with new angles of history.
Berlin is exactly how it is described in every online itinerary and travel article: it’s just cool. It is so much greener than I expected, and extremely budget friendly— the majority of experiences had free admissions, which surprised me. Crammed with art, original film photo-booths, and cultural centres whilst being on the doorsteps of the Berlin Wall, the Reichstag, and Brandenburg Gate, Berlin establishes a relationship between old and new that I’d never seen anywhere else.
For your trip, the Jewish Museum and the Reichstag guided tour are must-sees. Set aside 2-3 hours for the Jewish Museum: it’s free entry, enormous, and an extremely valuable and enlightening experience. The format of the Reichstag building and their personal guided tour technology was inventive and stuffed with a broad range of history for everyone, as well as the top of the Dome offering a panoramic view of the city. Top tip: book your tour just before sunset.
***
Ahh, inter-railing.
Realistically, a 12 day inter-rail pales in comparison to the months-long, cross continent adventures that true expeditioners throw themselves into, I’ll be the first to admit that. My main takeaway? I have no idea how those expeditioners do it.
It’s probably because of how high of a turnover I had with different cities and long interchanges during my trip, but by the end, I was exhausted. Exhausted. I was very pleased with the time that I’d scheduled myself with, as 12 days left me satisfied having had the privilege to tick off everywhere I'd wanted to go— I’d been, I’d gone, I’d gotten the T-shirts (and the keyrings. And the postcards).
My honest opinion? With it being said that inter-railing allows you triple the level of immersion than standalone breaks do, there were times where I couldn’t help but feel like I was just checking off lists.
Maybe it was because the general experience of inter-railing is stressful- what if my next coach is cancelled? Do I have enough money to see me through? What if I magically lose all my contact lenses and have to just see the rest of the trip in a blurry state of affairs?- and as a result I didn’t always feel settled, but having huge lists of places I wanted to visit for each place conditioned my brain to function as a hyper-constructive system for 2 weeks, which made me feel guilty sometimes. I think if I were to inter-rail again, I’d stick to staying in one country and exploring it top to bottom, as opposed to crossing different countries.
But above all, it was spectacular. It taught me new ways of travelling and independence that I hadn’t encountered yet in previous trips, and crafted me a multitude of skills to take advantage of when I’m organising future trips. I learnt that adaptability skills are the key to any inter-railing trip.
And with a good amount of elbow grease, shampoo is an incredible washing detergent.
