One thing I did not anticipate with interrailing was the quantity of preparation and research that went into the project. Normally, I am used to simply booking a Jet2 package holiday, but this time round it was not as simple. Instead, it was a case of pulling up Airbnb and uncovering affordable hostels to stay in for 2 nights. Moreover, countless hours were spent crafting the most thrilling route for us to explore parts of Europe we have not had the pleasure of exploring. As well as calculating the best airports to fly out from to arrive at our desired destination. Thankfully, we eventually arrived at the point where our trip was booked!
Jetting off at the beginning of September, we plan to land in Venice (the only place where I have been before). Here, we aim to carry out the idyllic Venetian holiday staple of sailing down the canals on a gondola under the Bridge of Sighs. It wouldn’t be a Venice trip if we did not have a gelato in Piazza San Marco, and visit the breathtaking St. Mark’s Basilica. From Venice, we will travel via train to the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana. While here, we plan on wandering about the streets, admiring sights such as the pink Franciscan Church and the Dragon Bridge. However, number one on our agenda while in Slovenia is to visit the tranquil Lake Bled and explore the Triglav National Park.
After these escapades, we will then hop over to Zagreb, the Croatian capital, where we aim to immerse ourselves in the local festivities by visiting the Dolac Market and the National Theatre of Zagreb. To continue the balance of city exploration and nature expeditions, we will make sure to visit Plitvice Lakes National Park. After exploring the Balkans, we aim to take a bus to the Hungarian capital of Budapest. After receiving travel tips from my friends, I knew we had to visit this iconic city and fulfil the mandatory excursion of a Danube River Cruise at night to admire the Hungarian Parliament Building. To enjoy our time even more, we aim to stop by the Fisherman’s Bastion, Buda Castle, and the Széchenyi Thermal Spa.
The trip has been planned so carefully that we will arrive back at university just in time for second-year induction (that is, if we want to leave)
Then, as we spend 2 nights in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava, we will stroll around the old town, have lunch at the Bratislava Flagship Restaurant, visit the Primates Palace and climb the City Hall tower for views of the city. Of course, it would be a European city break without visiting a church, and for Bratislava, our pick is the famous blue Church of St. Elizabeth. Then, in under an hour on the train, we will travel to Vienna, the capital of Austria, where we, as budding theatre fans, will attend the Vienna State Opera. To further admire the rich culture of the city we aim to visit the Austrian National Library, the Art History Museum and the Hofburg Palace.
Finally, we will conclude our trip in Prague, where we will make sure to indulge in plenty of cheap pints of beer. To make sure we will have plenty of photos for the Instagram dump, a trek up the Vyhlídka Na Opyši observation desk and a tour of the city to admire gothic architecture of Prague Castle will be in order. The trip has been planned so carefully that we will arrive back at university just in time for second-year induction (that is, if we want to leave).