I had to Google what riding the rails meant in case it was something dirty. It’s not unless you translate it into another language. I was trying for a play on words with interrail/ eurail (depending on where your home base is).
I crunched some numbers (not really) – since last minute train tickets are very €€€€ I opted for an Interrail pass that is 7 days within 1 month. I wanted to avoid flying because my legs swell up and go off colour like Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka plus the planet is doomed or whatever.
I scooted over to Eastern Europe (the Balkans? I don’t know if I’m allowed to say the first thing) to check some countries off my list. I knew the train situation in this part of Europe wasn’t great, the pass doesn’t cover Albania (bit suss), but even so, I haven’t used my rail pass since I left Bratislava, Slovakia. I’ve been riding the (not covered by my Interrail pass) bus.
Not sure if you’re doing any planning but if you want to see where there are a lot of train connections, this heat map of the rail lines may help (but probably not).
Originally, I was going to go from Amsterdam to Bratislava, Slovakia but I called it in the morning and decided to stop at Salzburg, Austria instead. My train ended up being 1 hour delayed, but don’t worry- I received a whopping 8 euros compensation from Interrail for the slight dehydration (the food carriage was broken so they didn’t serve anything, including water).
salzburg is alive with the sound of music as my first interrail stop
Salzburg makes you want to dance around, screaming the hills are alive with the sound of music– fully give into that urge and prance around.
I stayed near the train station at Cocoon Saltzburg because I knew I wanted to do a day trip to Hallstatt. The hotel was YUM and I never pick good hotels (the sort by price may be the culprit)– the train station is within 5 minutes walk, in less than 10 minutes you can reach the old timey part of the city. I paid roughly 100 a night in June and let me tell you, I had for the first time, the crème de la crème of rooms. Furthest from the elevator, top floor, mountain view, away from the main road. It was bliss.
In Salzburg, you’ll need cash for a lot of little things that are delicious like ice cream and sausages from the stands for a snack in between (I saw that as a review for a sausage stand and I thought now there is a person who is LIVING).
I didn’t enter the castle because from my expert opinion, looking only at dollar signs, outside the castle gives better views. Plus, I like rocks as much as the next gal, but from inside – castles usually just look likes clumps of well-placed stones and they’re always so cold. Ew to living in them.
I did a loopy-loop from the castle down through some trees and then ended up at the base by the river.
I liked the view from the other side of the river looking at the castle (Bastelweg). It was a lush, liberating walk with few tourists. Mostly locals walking their dogs, which is my heaven (the dogs I mean) I don’t care much for the humans. Ew.
Salzburg is magic. My day trip to Hallstatt was splendid and then I continued to Slovakia (not Slovenia).
