Interrail – how to discover Europe by train
Interrail is a service that lets you discover most of Europe, without ever having to get on a plane. Here is a summary of how it works, and where you can travel. Also read about where you can sail to from England.
It’s unlikely most dogs are going to want to be getting on and off trains all over Europe. If you do take them with you, check policies of each operator before travel. If needing to take pets abroad (say emigration), Eurostar does not allow pets (bar guide dogs) from UK routes.
Le Shuttle offers a 35-minute crossing from Folkestone to Boulogne (your pets stay with you in the car, and there is a pet-friendly check-in, just follow the paw prints).
Explore the Interrail passes
Interrail offers a number of passes. You just plan your route, choose a pass and then activate it, for travel throughout the continent. Any European resident can use them, non-European residents must use a Eurail Pass.
- Interrail One Country Pass is obvious!
- Interrail Plus Pass lets you travel in 1 or more countries, often with reserved seats.
- Interrail Global Pass lets you travel throughout 2 countries. Choose from 33 countries.
The idea is that Interrail is an all-in-one pass (a bit like London’s Oyster card). So once purchased, you can use it within your country of choice to travel on nearly all trains (and sometimes ferry companies), by simply showing staff the Pass (or on your phone). There are 33,000 destinations covered across Europe.
Michael Portillo’s great railway journeys
Although most TV these days seems to be either rubbish or bullying or both, the odd decent program is worth watching, like Michael Portillo’s Great Railway Journeys on BBC4.
He may not have been popular as a politician, but since giving up politics and launching into travel programmes, his popularity has soared.
Always polite, nice and enthusiastic, his programmes that follow an ancient book on railway journeys across England (and abroad) make for compulsive viewing:
A little over a year ago, I confessed I couldn’t stand Michael Portillo (Great Continental Railway Journeys) who dressed like an early 1990s gameshow contestant. It pains me to admit this, I got it wrong.
He is a weirdly compelling host. At one point, a woman kisses him on the cheek and he turns to camera and shouts ‘CHOO CHOO!’ at the top of his voice, like the horny wolf from the Tex Avery cartoons.
So fine, I got it wrong. And I hope he never stops making these shows. Stuart Heritage
Susan Boyle’s equally good travel programmes
Same with the delightful Susan Boyle. If you don’t already know and love her, you will after watching one of her travel shows. A former lawyer on Death Row in the USA (her late father was the Scottish equivalent of Chris Whitty), she gave it all up to make us laugh. And also wrote a wonderful book on kindness.
Be kind to others. But above all, be kind to you. You deserve it. You can be Wonder Woman if you want to. I know I am. Susan Calman