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InterRailing in Europe

01st March 2007

Waking up to a lung full of fresh air and the sound of birdsong having camped the night next to a remote Slovenian lake, you feel glad to be alive and even more glad you decided to go inter railing.

The lake in question is in Bled, and the surrounding views are simply stunning. In the middle of the water on an island sits a quaint little church overlooked by a towering castle, with the whole vista framed by the ranging mountains in the background.

Easily accessible by train (although the service is inconsistent) from the Slovenian capital, Ljubjlana, Lake Bled offers swimming in the summer, ice skating in the winter and a chance to ring the lucky bell of St Mary's church when arriving on the island. There are many bed and breakfast options available in Bled itself, but the camping option really allows a cheaper, more natural experience with in one of Europe's most beautifully idyllic locations.

After Bled our travels took us onward to Eger, Hungary, a village at the end of the train line, with little more than a wine valley, a few shops and a freestanding minaret. Truth be told, the main reason for the Eger visit was to sample with famous selection of wines in a 'U' shaped precinct at the foot of the Szēpasszony Vőlgy (valley of beautiful women). This region allows you to fill a 1.5 liter bottle (Coke, Water, anything) with wine for only 400ft (£1!!!). The traditional wine, Bull's blood, is a specialty red, the name of which originated as a result of enemy soldiers believing that the Egerians had murdered and eaten bulls, thus dying their beards red with blood. In reality, they were just getting pissed!

Furthering a few good wine samplings our travels lead us to Poprad, Slovakia, and more specifically the High Tatras National Park and mountain ranges. Situated on the Northern boarder of Slovakia, adjoining Poland, the mountains offer skiing in the winter and some beautiful walking routes in the summer - which for the lazy among us can be started after a short cable car journey half way up the mountain. There are constant electric trains running between Lomnica and Ŝtrbskē Pleso, the two main starting destinations for walkers, and many Pensions and bed and breakfasts to stay in at reasonable rates. Walks will typically take up 8 or 9 hours (depending on how ambitious you are feeling) round trip if you aim to reach the summits, the highest being Gerlachovský štít at 2655m.

These European destinations were most amazing for their natural beauty, and compared to popualar Asian and Australian destinations they're right on our doorstep. Flights into Europe can be picked up at prices as low as £20, Bargain! In total I managed to travel through nine countries in just over a month, with the inter rail pass. This option is an easy, convenient and cheap (£285 for a one month, all zones pass) way of traveling Europe, which allowed me to experience some of the most scenic areas of the world, as well as visit major cities, sample a beer from each country I went to, and learn to conquer language boundaries with friendly, happy locals. This was one of my most enjoyable summers of traveling, and an experience I'd highly recommend it to all students.

For more information visit http://www.interrail.net, or simply pop into the travel shop.

Pete Wythe