It is very common with a lot of young people to travel around after they finish their education at university, taking a few months to explore new countries and cultures. This is not only limited to students and it is good for people of all ages to explore a bit more of this small planet of ours and see how our fellow humans live in other countries around the world. If you wish to go to Europe then a great way of getting around is to get yourself a railcard which gives you passage throughout Europe and can take in the itinerary that you choose.
What is a Railcard?
A Railcard is a pre paid card that you can use to travel along the railways of Europe and take in set countries which you choose beforehand. This is a great way of saving money on your travelling and is also a good way of experiencing the local way of life as well as taking in some great scenery as well. There are lots of companies that offer these passes and you can choose from travelling just one country or up to thirty, it all depends on your itinerary and what you wish to do during your holiday. Using a railcard will definitely save you some money which is good when you are travelling on a budget.
The sites you can see
There are lots of different countries that will allow you to use a pre-paid railcard in order to get around and explore:
- UK
- Italy
- France
- Spain
- Germany
- Greece
This is just a few of the countries but this opens up almost endless possibilities of where you can travel to and what you can see when you go. From Buckingham Palace n the UK, the Coliseum in Rome or the Parthenon in Athens, there is a world of history which you can explore at your own pace and experience a truly marvelous adventure. Travelling on the trains is comfortable and safe, although most trains do not have sleeping facilities, so instead of travelling overnight you may wish to stop off at a hotel or hostel for the night. This also gives you an excellent chance to do some exploring as well. There are toilets n all of the trains and there are usually refreshments available on the longer routes as well. That being said the food is usually expensive so you may wish to purchase your own drinks and snacks before getting on board the train.
Where to stay?
As you cannot sleep on most of the trains and you need to have some rest when you are travelling, most companies who offer the railcards will also offer discount hotels and hostels as well. You can get reviews of the potential places to stay by checking the place out on TravelRepublic.co.uk or one of the many other websites which offer reviews from people who have stayed at the location in question. This can give you a great insight into your potential lodgings for the night and may even make you want to go to a location you had not originally planned to visit. Most companies can get you a better discount rate if you book your stay at the same time as your railcard, than you can get by using the internet or just walking in off the street, so this is a good way to save yourself some money as well.
Planning your trip
If you visit one of the many websites that offer the railcards then you will be able to use their facilities to plan your trip and also check out the train times as well, meaning every last detail of your journey can be planned before you even set off, if this is what you want. You are best up drawing a list of the countries and places you want to see and then try and plan your route accordingly. You may have to be prepared to sacrifice some things though as you may not be able to see everything that you wanted to. The time of year is also important to choose correctly as this is not something you can do only in the summer. You can visit all of the w=many winter resorts of you like and take in some skiing or snowboarding on your travels. The great thing about this sort of holiday is it is all down to what you want to do and where you want to go. You can plan to your satisfied that you are getting the most out of your trip. Do not worry if you do not get to see and do everything you want to though, add this on to your itinerary for your next trip!
Photo by: Spookster67
