When I mentioned to people we were spending a week of the Easter holidays travelling around Europe Interrailing with four kids. I got some funny looks! I must admit as our trip got closer I did wonder if we had bitten off more than we could chew. But our trip went without a hitch and I think we got the balance just about right between time spent on trains and time spent seeing places by foot. The boys were aged almost 12, 8 and 7 when we took our trip. This blog post looks at our 1 week itinerary interrailing with kids. You may also find planning your first interrailing trip useful.
AD – We were gifted our Eurail Global Passes
Our 1 week Interrail itinerary takes us from the UK to Amsterdam, across to the Czech Republic, and through Germany before a quick pit stop in Paris to return to the UK. As it was our first time we wanted to keep it to a week in case it did not go as well as we had hoped. Turns out that it went so well that my only regret on the way home was not making more of it and adding in some other stops or adventures along the way. This 1 week Interrail itinerary can be adapted and extended to make your own itinerary if you have more time. Buy adding additional days in Amsterdam, Paris or visiting alternative locations between stops. I have added suggestions as we go along. Most of which we have visited as city breaks in their own right.
1 Week Interrail Itinerary
Our Eurail Pass had up to seven days that we could travel within a month period. Allowing one journey in and out of the UK on the Eurostar. Our trip had five travel days across five different countries. We planned our trip using the Interrail website, and downloading the app. This allowed us to put in destinations and see how long the travel time was between destinations.
It also allowed us to pick out the best option when it came to the number of changes. Since it was our first trip we intentionally chose trains that did not include changes. This did mean that we had an extra cost as many of the high speed trains do require seat reservations which are not included in the Interrail Global Pass. I have included details of these below for reference.
Day One – Out of London on the Eurostar
The starting point of our European adventure was London St Pancras, leaving on the Eurostar at around 11 am. We arrived a couple of hours before to grab breakfast and pass through security. You do need to make seat reservations when travelling on Eurostar trains. You can read all about this process here – How to use an Interrail or Eurail Pass on the Eurostar.
Top Tip – the number of seats that you can reserve on the Eurostar trains with an Interrail Global Pass is limited. Therefore I would recommend getting your train tickets as soon as they go on sale 180 days before the date of travel, especially during high season.
Our train passed through Lille, Brussels and Rotterdam on the way to Amsterdam.
Possible Extension – Belgium & The Netherlands
You could consider stopping in both Brussels and Rotterdam for a couple of nights each if you wanted to extend your journey. Both cities are suitable for children.
- Brussels – Our most recent visit was to see the Christmas markets. But there is plenty to do in Brussels with kids including the amazing Natural Science Museum. The boys also really enjoyed hunting for the three peeing statues.
- Rotterdam – We had a few nights there when the kids were small. Visiting the yellow upside-down houses, trying out a pancake boat trip, enjoying the Family Adventure Park Plaswijckpark and staying on the SS Rotterdam.
Day One – Arrive in Amsterdam
Our train reached Amsterdam around 4.15 pm. Which gave us around six hours to enjoy the city before getting one of the overnight trains to Prague. The Grand Centraal Station is not in the city centre. But there is plenty to do close by, with the canals being a short walk. During the six hours, we had between trains we had enough time to fit in a boat trip, chocolate shopping, ice creams and dinner at the Grand Cafe 1e Klas, which is inside the station. Think ornate ceilings, ambient lighting and wood panelling.
Depending on the time of year you are travelling then you may want to stop over so you can get a day trip to Keukenhof to see the tulip fields. These are bookable in the city centre and tourist information can help you with public transport if you do not want an organised trip.
The European Sleeper is a relatively new service having only started in March 2024. We had booked a couchette since there were six of us meaning we could all fit in one compartment together. You can also pick up the sleeper train from Brussels if you decide to stop there. Your ticket includes breakfast and there is water provided. Since the train did not reach Amsterdam until 10.30 pm we were keen to try and get the kids settled as quickly as possible.
The sleeper was surprisingly comfy although I think next time we would probably opt for the sleeper cabins over the couchette. Read more about our experience here – European Sleeper What to Expect.
Possible Extension – Berlin
If you want to extend further then the European Sleeper does also stop in Berlin around 6.30 am. In this instance when travelling with kids I would have got on earlier in Brussels to try and settle them and get half a night’s sleep with an early rise. Berlin is an educational city for children to explore with lots of things to do. Charlie and I spent three nights there when he was just seven and packed lots in – Things to do in Berlin with kids.
Day Two – Arrive in Prague for 3 Nights
This was our first time visiting the Czech Republic and its capital city. We arrived at the main station at around 11 am and immediately set off in search of our accommodation which was located by the Old Square in the old town. It was around a 20-minute walk. There are several stations that service Prague so bear this in mind when planning your trip. Although there is a good public transport system that serves all the train stations.
We did fall in love with the Unesco World Heritage Site, with something to see around every corner a couple of nights wasn’t enough. And I intend on returning in the future. Although we did pack a lot into our 3 nights in Prague, including visiting Prague Castle, a boat trip and the Petrin Tower for the best views across the city. I think it now ranks as one of my favourite capital cities and one of the best places we have visited.
When it came to leaving Prague to go to Munich our train ride did not plan out quite as planned. Prague to Zurich was the longest journey we did outside of our travel days in and out of the UK at five and a half hours. We discovered that there was a rail replacement service between a couple of the stops on the journey. Top Tip – make sure you turn notifications on in the Eurail App. We were a little nervous but we need not have worried as it turns out their processes are much better than in the UK.
Possible Extension – Swiss Alps
You may want to consider adding the Swiss Alps to your Itinerary. From Prague, you could go to Zurich and then to Interlaken where we have stayed before. With your Eurail or Interrail pass you can obtain extra discounts on the cog trains that service Jungfraujoch Top of Europe. This is a must-do if you visit the area it is spectacular. We also visited in April and had snow-capped mountains flanking the lakes when we arrived and beautiful sunshine during our stay.
Day Five – Arrive in Munich for 3 Nights
The bus replacement service did extend our journey time as we left Prague at 8.31 am and ended up arriving in Munich around 3.30 pm. Some of this was because of German customs. Although the guard warned us to have our passports ready we did not need them when they boarded the train. Maybe it was all the kids that put them off! I have written more about catching the train from Prague to Munich here.
Arriving later than planned did mean our accommodation was ready. If you are looking for cheap places to stay then around Munich station there are several cheap and cheerful hotels and hostels. Munich was the largest city we visited during our 1 Week Interrail Itinerary. Again there was a lot to do, from seeing the surfers in the English Garden, to visiting the royal place called The Residenz. Not forgetting one of the boy’s favourite day trips to the Bayern Munich Football Stadium.
Make sure you add the food market Viktualienmarkt to your itinerary it is open all week round and a great way to taste delicious food at a reduced price. Read more about what we go up to – 3 Nights in Munich.
From Munich, we caught an Intercity Train (ICE Train) to Stuttgart. We chose Stuttgart on the basis that we wanted to break up the journey to Paris yet it has enough to keep the kids entertained. We took an early train, and the short train journey was an hour and fifty minutes which meant that we had most of the day to explore.
Possible Extension – Neuschwanstein Castle & The Bodensee
If you want to extend your trip then I would use the regional trains to get to Fussen which is the closest town to the very picturesque Neuschwanstein Castle. On many people’s bucket lists, you need a full day to explore the castle and its sister Hohenschwangau Castle which is on the same site. If you want an English tour of both then you need to book these well in advance, especially during the high season.
Another alternative would be to travel to Friedrichshafen, which is a German town on the Northern side of the Bodensee. This would open up all sorts of possibilities to visit different cities since the lake borders both Switzerland and Austria as well. We spent a week on the Bodensee (with a car) but Friedrichshafen would make a good base for exploring the region. If you decide to do this then add the old town of Meersburg and the Island of Lindau to your must-see list. Both of which are on the German side.
Day Seven – Arrive in Stuttgart for 1 Night
Stuttgart was our final stop. We did not have that long to explore but still managed to fit in Stuttgart Zoo – Wilhelma and a wander around the old town for dinner. With an underground system that is easy to navigate, it made getting around easy. Especially since we stayed in a hotel right next to the station – Budapester Platz. There are several hotels here and it is only a short walk to the station.
The next morning we were up early for a direct train to Paris. As this a TGV one of the high-speed trains there were additional costs of the seat reservation fee. This is because it is the express route. If you are looking to keep the costs low then you can use the local trains with multiple changes. The train times did not work for us since we did not want to stay in Paris on this trip. But if you intend on extending your Interrail trip then you could consider this.
The boys loved going on a double-decker train and we made the most of our first-class Eurail Global Pass. It also meant that they tried out lots of different types of trains on our trip.
Possible Extension – Strasbourg
The TGV also passed through Strasbourg, you could see the Cathedral famous for its Astronomical Clock towering above the rest of the skyline from the train. We have visited a couple of times and it would make a good one-night stop. With a little tourist train for kids, half-timbered buildings, the cathedral and an amazing cheese shop in the main shopping area. There are plenty of things to do in Strasbourg.
Day Eight – Transitioning through Paris and The Eurostar the end of our 1 Week Interrail Itinerary
Due to leaving Stuttgart early, we arrived at the train station around 10.15 am. The TGV brought us into Paris Est train station but we needed to get to Paris Nord train station to pick up the Eurostar home. It is a five to ten-minute walk between the stations depending on the platform you come in on. Our intention was to take the metro to see the Arc de Triomphe since we had a couple of hours to fill, however, we had not realised that the luggage lockers were closed in the station. So instead we found a cafe outside the main station and had pancakes. Before our next stop – Great Britain and home.
Possible Extension – 2 Nights in Paris & Euro Disney
Paris is a natural extension, especially if you have not visited before. A couple of years ago Charlie was desperate to go up the Eiffel Tower so we spent two nights on another trip. There is lots for kids to do and even though it is not my favourite city you can not help but be charmed by it. This is what we got up to on our last visit 2 Days in Paris a family-friendly itinerary. And of course, its proximity to Disneyland Paris makes it a good stop for children.
As you can see with the extension it would be easy to make this into a month in Europe itinerary! I can not wait to go on another Interrailing Trip and I already have a two-week Summer trip starting to form in my mind.
Have you been on an Interrailing trip? Please let me know where you went in the comments below.
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