Breathtaking panoramic scenes of rural beauty combined with historic cities are examples of what makes Europe such a popular destination for travelers. We love exploring Europe not only because of these reasons but also because everything is so closely packed together. Low-cost airlines or adventurous road trips are great options to get around but in our opinion, the best way is to travel Europe by train. What better way to do this than by using an awesome Eurail Pass.
If you have followed our travels over the last few years, you will know that we are huge proponents of the Eurail Pass. We have been fortunate to previously explore Europe by train using the Eurail Select Pass to explore Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. Our latest adventures saw us get a little more ambitious and courtesy of winning two Eurail Global Passes at TBEX Europe 2015, we were able to plot an itinerary a little more extensive than before.
We want to share our hectic yet amazing journey through Europe where we spent two weeks exploring some of the most beautiful destinations in the world (at least in our opinion).
Eurail Global Pass
With access to 28 countries around Europe, the Eurail Global Pass is the most extensive of all passes available. If you have flexibility and time, this is definitely the right pass for you. Be sure to check Eurail’s website at the time of booking for the latest prices and options available.
These prices are for adults though options are available for youths (Under 25). Second class tickets are also available for purchase but we strongly recommend ‘First Class’ as you have the luxury and freedom of selecting any available seats in either class. We will share more of our experiences later on ‘First Class luxury’!
Pass Duration
1st Class
5 Days Within 1 Month
$528
7 Days Within 1 Month
$643
10 Days Within 2 Months
$793
15 Days Within 2 Months
$1039
15 Days Continuous
$673
22 Days Continuous
$868
1 Month Continuous
$1065
2 Months Continuous
$1501
3 Months Continuous
$1851
**Prices updated as of March 12, 2016 (subject to change)
I personally think the best value is in those passes with 10 or 15 days. If you have no time constraints, then the one-month continuous pass is an amazing option because you have way more flexibility and time to spend in each country. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to spend so much time so check out our itinerary below using the 15 days within 2 months pass (First Class).
If you need more convincing that the Eurail Global Pass or any of the available passes is right for you, check out our overall review of why exploring Europe by train is the only option you should be considering.
Intense and Amazing European Itinerary
As we headed across the pond prior to Christmas 2015, we had every intention of seeing as much of Europe as possible using our Eurail Passes.
Proposed Itinerary
Our flight was booked into Stockholm, Sweden so that was definitely going to be our starting point prior to Christmas. We planned on spending at least 24 hours in Stockholm to explore the city and then head on the train to Copenhagen. Flights from Stockholm back to England were expensive but we found a couple of cheaper options out of Copenhagen.
After spending Christmas with my family, we had flights booked back to Berlin and from there the adventure would start.
Actual Itinerary
To give you a better idea of the dates and time spent in each location here is exact itinerary by date along with the European cities we discovered along the way.
Date
Location
December 20
Stockholm
December 21
Stockholm
December 22
Copenhagen and Manchester
December 22 – 27
United Kingdom
December 27
Manchester, Hannover, and Berlin
December 28
Berlin and Dresden
December 29
Dresden and Prague
December 30
Prague and Vienna
December 31
Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest
January 1
Budapest
January 2
Innsbruck and Zurich
January 3
Lucerne and Interlaken
January 4
Strasbourg and Luxembourg City
January 5
Luxembourg City and Brussels
January 6
Brussels and Amsterdam
January 7
Amsterdam
Armed with our handy Eurail app on our iPad and an old-fashioned map, we were ready to go!
Our planned route was pretty accurate though we did have to make a few changes en route, particularly from Budapest to Zagreb which we had to cancel given the trains no longer cross the border due to the migrant crisis in this part of Europe. We only found this out two hours into our train journey, so we had to hop off the train at the next available spot and head back to Budapest.
The town of Simontornya in the heart of Hungary was where we stopped for almost two hours in a train station that reminded me out of a scene of Hostel or other Eastern European based movie. We finally arrived back in Budapest and despite losing two nights accommodation in Zagreb and Ljubljana, we decided to change our itinerary and head to Zurich and spend some more time in the Swiss Alps.
We want to give you a brief step by step guide on our route and some information on things to do, where to stay etc. in each of the locations we experienced.
Stockholm
Our first visit to Sweden was the perfect way to start our amazing trip around Europe. From strolling around the historic Gamla Stan (Old Town) neighborhood to the modern design of SkyView, we had a great time exploring Stockholm.
5 Attractions Worth Visiting
Gamla Stan
Vasa Museum
The Royal Palace
Stockholm City Hall
SkyView Observatory
Check out our review of spending 24 hours in Stockholm that provides more details on several of these attractions along with some other useful hints and tips about the city.
Hotel Recommendation
Scandic Grand Central Hotel
Address – Kungsgatan 70, 111 20 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone – +46 8 512 520 00
Check out our review of the Scandic Grand Central Hotel which is situated in a perfect location to explore many of the above-recommended attractions.
Berlin
Flying into Germany after spending Christmas with my family in England saw us arrive in Hannover and then take the two-hour train journey to Berlin. We spent the night and the majority of the next day in the German capital, exploring many of the leading attractions including the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, and Checkpoint Charlie.
5 Attractions Worth Visiting
Berlin Wall
Brandenburg Gate
Reichstag
Checkpoint Charlie
Berlin Cathedral
Experiencing Berlin in a day is optimistic, slightly crazy but a whole bunch of fun! You can check out what we did in the German capital before boarding an early evening train to the city of Dresden, which was one of the cities devastated by bombings in World War II.
Hotel Recommendation
Ramada Berlin Alexanderplatz
Address – Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 32, 10178 Berlin, Germany
Phone – +49 30 30104110
The Ramada Berlin Alexanderplatz hotel is a perfect location especially if you are visiting Germany at Christmas. Directly across from Christmas markets and Hofbräu Alexanderplatz, there is plenty to see in this part of Berlin before heading on the M or S-Bahn to explore all the above attractions plus much more.
Prague
A short two-hour train journey from Dresden saw us visit the beautiful city of Prague. This was our first time in the Czech Republic and we immediately fell in love with the beauty here. Gorgeous architecture, cheap but delicious cuisine and a city that just inspires you to walk around and explore.
5 Attractions Worth Visiting
Charles Bridge
Old Town Square
Prague Astronomical Clock
Prague Castle
Wenceslas Square
24 hours in Prague may seem ambitious but once you arrive in the Czech capital you will understand how you can explore quite a lot of the city in such a short amount of time. If history and mouthwatering Trdelnik intrigues you, Prague is the city to visit!
This was one of our favorite spots on our European adventure, so we are excited to return here in the near future to explore more and of course, take advantage of the food here.
Hotel Recommendation
Jurys Inn Prague
Address – Sokolovská 204/11, 186 00 Praha 8, Czech Republic
Phone – +420 226 222 600
This hotel is in a perfect location directly across from the Florenc subway station which offers easy access to the main railway station in Prague. It is also a short 10-minute walk from the ‘old town’ where you can experience many of the above attractions.
Vienna
The Austrian capital of Vienna was next on our list and a journey of just over 4 hours from Prague offered us plenty of time to admire the gorgeous Czech and Austrian scenery, while also providing time to reflect on the experiences we had to date.
Traveling by train is comfortable and offers better opportunities to catch up on editing pictures, writing blog posts etc. Travel bloggers out there will understand.
5 Attractions Worth Visiting
Hofburg Palace
Mozart’s House
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Belvedere Palace
Peterskirche
If you only have a short time to spend in Austria, then perhaps our 24 hours in Vienna guide will be the perfect companion for you. We enjoyed our time in the Austrian capital and even in a short timeframe, we were able to explore a plethora of gorgeous landmarks iconic to this part of Europe.
Hotel Recommendation
Hotel Imlauer Wien
Address – Rotensterngasse 10, 1020 Wien, Austria
Phone – +43 1 211400
Bratislava
The beautiful Slovakian capital was next on our list of must-see cities around Europe. I am not going to lie, leaving Vienna on the short train journey to Bratislava was a little nerve wracking given that we had no idea what to expect.
A few hours later and we quickly found out that this is one city you just have to explore with an open mind and don’t let the train station cloud your judgment!
5 Attractions Worth Visiting
Michael’s Gate
The Blue Church
Devin Castle
Bratislava Castle
Grassalkovich Palace
If you are visiting Slovakia for the first time, we strongly encourage you to take the free Bratislava walking tour that is available. Our tour guide Andrea was incredible and we can highly recommend this to anyone in the region. Learn about the history and culture of Bratislava plus understand why the portrayed stereotype in movies such as Eurotrip are far from the truth.
Hotel Recommendation
Marrol’s Boutique Hotel Bratislava
Address – Tobrucká 6953/4, 811 02 Bratislava 1 staré mesto, Slovakia
Phone – +421 2/577 846 00
Budapest
We arrived in Budapest on New Year’s Eve and this is definitely a great way to bring in the New Year! Staying at the Hilton in the heart of the city, we enjoyed a relaxing evening before heading out on New Year’s Day and exploring the city. With locals recovering from the night before, we were able to stroll around Budapest and enjoy the beauty within this city.
5 Attractions Worth Visiting
Chain Bridge
Shoes on the Danube Bank
Vajdahunyad Castle
Fisherman’s Bastion
Hungarian Parliament
Check out our guide to exploring Budapest in one day if you want more information on some of our favorite attractions around the Hungarian capital.
Hotel Recommendations
Hilton Budapest City
Address – Budapest, Váci út 1-3, 1062 Hungary
Phone – +36 1 288 5500
Eurostars Budapest Center
Address – Budapest, Kossuth Lajos u. 7-9, 1053 Hungary
Phone – +36 1 328 5200
We ended up staying two nights in Budapest after our mishap attempting to travel by train to Zagreb, only to find out that the border was closed. Both hotels are in a great location for accessing much of Budapest.
Zurich
Following the decision to return to Budapest, we decided to completely change our itinerary and head to Zurich early rather than visiting Zagreb, Ljubljana and Venice (we will have to save that for another trip). The train journey through Innsbruck and the Austrian Alps was gorgeous and although this was our longest trip, it was one of the most enjoyable given that we were able to eat lunch while appreciating the gorgeous scenery around us.
This was our second visit to Zurich and we have found that this city is a great hub for exploring other parts of Switzerland.
5 Attractions Worth Visiting
Cruise on Lake Zurich
St Peter’s Church
Swiss National Museum
Üetliberg
Grossmünster
Our review on our top recommended things to do in Zurich will certainly highlight some of our favorite spots but just spending time in this part of Switzerland will make you want to return sooner rather than later.
Hotel Recommendation
Hilton Zurich Airport
Address – Hohenbühlstrasse 10, 8152 Opfikon-Glattbrugg, Switzerland
Phone – +41 44 828 50 50
Luxembourg City
One of the lesser known parts of Europe is the small nation of Luxembourg. Located in the shadows of both France and Germany, this nation is well worth visiting for many of the following reasons.
5 Attractions Worth Visiting
Casemates du Bock
Grand Ducal Palace
La Passerelle Viaduct
Monument of National Solidarity
Luxembourg American Cemetery
If you are looking for recommendations on what to do in Luxembourg City, be sure to check out our review that will hopefully inspire you to add this to your itinerary. We visited Luxembourg City en route from Strasbourg to Brussels and it is the perfect stop-off before heading into Belgium.
Hotel Recommendation
Best Western Hotel International
Address – 20-22 Place de la Gare, 1616 Luxembourg
Phone – +352 48 59 11
Brussels
As we headed into our final few days exploring Europe, we took time to visit the beautiful city of Brussels despite the mass security concerns surrounding this city following the recent terrorist attacks in Paris.
We have heard a lot of negative comments made about Brussels, not only regarding the security here, but also because it is portrayed as a very underwhelming city. We both personally disagree with these comments and had an enjoyable experience exploring the Belgian capital. Don’t forget to sample one (or more) of the delicious Belgian waffles…irresistable doesn’t begin to describe how good they are.
5 Attractions Worth Visiting
Manneken Pis
Grand Place
St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral
Royal Palace
Belgian Center for Comic Strip Art
The best way to explore all of these attractions is to take a free Brussels walking tour.
Hotel Recommendation
Hilton Brussels City
Address – Place Charles Rogier 20, 1210 Bruxelles, Belgium
Phone – +32 2 203 31 25
Amsterdam
Our European Eurail adventure culminated in what we believe to be the best possible city, Amsterdam. Two weeks after embarking on the second part of our journey from Berlin, we arrived in Amsterdam ready to explore the perfectly dubbed ‘Venice of the North’.
The canals, bicycles and quirky architecture made us immediately fall in love with the city and that was before sampling a fine glass of Heineken!
5 Attractions Worth Visiting
Rijksmuseum
Anne Frank House
Red Light District
Begijnhof
Heineken Experience
An Amsterdam walking tour by Sandemans is a great way to learn about the history, culture and perhaps a little controversy. By the time you end the tour, you will be ready to head over to the local brewery and take the Heineken brewery tour.
Hotel Recommendation
Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Amsterdam – NDSM Wharf
Address – NDSM-Plein 28, 1033 WB Amsterdam, Netherlands
Phone – +31 20 722 0666
Summary
To travel Europe by train is clearly an awesome way to explore a lot in a short amount of time. We visited 13 different countries, many of which we only spent 24 hours there, but it was enough to give a brief insight into what was on offer there.
I can’t emphasize enough the convenience and benefits of purchasing a Eurail Pass and just heading out with an open-mind and experiencing the full potential of the European rail system. Other countries would do well to take note of this awesome system.
The post How to Travel Europe by Train in Two Awesome Weeks appeared first on A Brit and A Southerner.