In the summer of 2017, during those fleeting months of bliss between finishing sixth form and starting university, I made the questionable decision to spend all my Saturday job savings on a boozy (and disastrous) week in Ayia Napa. As well as it being a total car crash, it also meant I missed out on the British rite of passage: the post-A Level summer interrail trip.
I had, for a long time, consigned this to the scrap heap of teenage regrets. Until, feeling shamefaced about my carbon footprint while planning my summer annual leave last year, the idea returned. There is, after all, no statute of limitations on an interrail pass.
Emma outside Seville cathedral
Emma Loffhagen
In the past few decades, there is a sense that the world has shrunk at an alarming pace. It is easier than it has ever been to buy a plane ticket for the price of a Sunday roast, turn up at an LED-illuminated airport, and be whisked off to an identical-looking airport on the other side of Europe. There are obvious perks to our new world of low-cost travel, but the downsides are innumerable.
Primarily, of course, it is incredibly destructive for the planet. The number of flights taken increased eightfold between 1974 and 2014, and global aviation emissions have quadrupled since the 1960s.
Emma with her backpack after arriving in Barcelona
Emma Loffhagen
Beyond the environmental impact, there is something less tangible we miss out on from teleporting ourselves between airport gates. It is worthwhile noticing how the world doesn’t neatly change at international borders: countries and people transition slowly and imperceptibly, if you take the time to notice.
As we become more climate conscious, and also long for a sense of deeper connection with the places we visit, there is a growing case for train travel as a greener, slower, more enriching form of travel. And it shouldn’t only be embraced by those who are dependent on a student loan.
How does interrailing work?
An Interrail pass is essentially an all-in-one ticket which permits you to travel on trains around Europe without having to buy separate tickets for each journey. Global Passes offer access to several countries from €212 (£176), and One Country Passes allow you to explore a single country, with prices starting at €119 (£99). You can choose between four to fifteen travel days, and and you can catch as many trains as you need within your allocated days. If you opt for a global pass and you’re in the “youth” category (12-27 years old), the cheapest pass available gives you four days of travel within a month for £178.
It’s a remarkably cheap option, but it doesn’t have to be an ascetic holiday — minimal travel costs mean that you can splash out a little more on your hotels. There are a few planning bits to consider: while the pass works for the majority of European trains, you still have to reserve seats and they can get snapped up quickly, so it’s advised to plan your trip and book your trains a few months in advance. And make sure your route is feasible before booking your accommodation — the website The Man in Seat 61 is incredibly helpful for plotting routes across the continent. I kept it simple by sticking to just France and Spain, but there are 33 countries available on the Global Pass.
The trip included two sunny days in Paris before Barcelona
Emma Loffhagen
So, after resurrecting my Duke of Edinburgh 60 litre backpack, I caught a post-work Thursday evening Eurostar (yes, the Eurostar is included as long as you reserve a seat), and arrived at Hotel Lutetia in Paris, an Art Deco sanctuary in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, in time for a 10pm cocktail. A historic hub for artists and intellectuals, it is named after the city’s old Roman town, and resembles something of a modern Nero’s palace, decked out with vine covered walls, a grand marble-clad lobby and serene, light-filled rooms overlooking the Eiffel Tower.
The Arc de Triomphe at sunset
Emma Loffhagen
While I only spent 48 hours in the French capital, it was a weekend of culinary delights, including lunch at the relaxed but sophisticated Joia, by renowned chef Hélène Darroze, and a cocktail at CopperBay Hotel Lancaster just off the Champs Elysees.
Train journey: Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord, 2 hours 16 minutes
Views of La Sagrada Familia at lunch
Emma Loffhagen
While it is always a joy to be in Paris, it was a stepping stone on this trip, which was primarily a Spanish endeavor. After a fond farewell to Lutetia, the backpack was repacked — this time, Barcelona was calling. You can get between the two cities in under seven hours on one of the frequent high-speed SNCF trains, which whisk you through the rolling countryside of Burgundy, past quaint villages and fields of sunflowers, before the scenery transforms, first into the rugged beauty of the Pyrenees and eventually to the glittering Mediterranean coast.
The rooftop pool at Nobu Hotel Barcelona
Nobu Hotel Barcelona
A little weary after a day of travel, it was a relief to find that the Nobu hotel I was staying at was next door to Barcelona-Sants, the train station we had pulled into. By now, the Nobu’s global reputation precedes it, but I was still unprepared for just how breathtaking it would be.
The jewel in its crown is the Sake Suite, an expansive haven with panoramic views of the whole city, stretching from La Sagrada Familia to Montjuïc. Barcelona is hardly a city short on stunning places to stay, and another great option is the Grand Hotel Central. Accurately named for its prime location in the city’s atmospheric old town, it was the ex-home of politician and businessman Francesc Cambó, and feels like a museum as much as a hotel.
After popping into Hotel Arts Barcelona for a beachside lunch, we decamped for the evening at Hotel Almanac’s VIRENS restaurant, for probably the best meal I’ve ever experienced. As a vegetarian, Europe can sometimes be a little tricky food-wise, but VIRENS offered us an exquisite eight course all-veggie tasting menu paired with wine.
Train journey: Renfe-SNCF high-speed train from Paris Gare de Lyon to Barcelona Sants, 6 hours 15 minutes
Seville’s Cathedral is a must-visit
Emma Loffhagen
After three days in Barcelona, the backpack was on again for a six hour train to the Andalusian capital of Seville. We pitched up at Palacio de Villapanés, a stunning boutique hotel housed in an 18th-century palace, furnished with ornate marble staircases, and boasting courtyards adorned with orange trees, and a rooftop terrace with panoramic city views.
A selfie in the centre of Seville
Emma Loffhagen
Even in late May, the temperature change was palpable — Seville was sweltering, but we cooled off along the Guadalquivir river after a couple of days of sightseeing, before checking into the OnlyYou hotel, a spot a little closer to the train station the night before our next trip.
Train journey: AVE from Barcelona Sants to Sevilla Santa Justa, 5 hours 15 minutes
Where we stayed: Palacio de Villapanés (slh.com, from £211 per night); OnlyYou Sevilla (onlyyouhotels.com, from £138 per night)
The pool at Palacio de Sancti Petri, where we relaxed for a couple of days
Palacio de Sancti Petri
Around two hours south of Seville is the ancient city of Cádiz, Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited city. Founded by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC, it is now a labyrinth of narrow streets, squares, and the unmistakable scent of salty air. Something of an understated city, we took it slow, strolling along La Caleta beach and admiring the imposing Cádiz Cathedral.
Arriving at Cádiz station
Emma Loffhagen
As the sun dipped low, we left the city and headed to the Palacio de Sancti Petri, a luxurious beachfront resort by Melia, located in Chiclana de la Frontera, about 25 minutes south of the city, and the perfect place to unwind for a couple of days after non-stop travel.
Train journey: Sevilla Santa Justa to Cádiz, 1 hour 38 minutes
Where we stayed: Palacio de Sancti Petri, a Gran Meliá Hotel (melia.com, from £164 per night)
Where we ate and drank: Palacio de Sancti Petri
URSO Hotel & Spa in the centre of Madrid
URSO Hotel & Spa Madrid
From Cádiz, it was onto Madrid. We caught the first train at 6.30am, arriving in just under five hours, and in time for lunch, checking into the URSO Hotel & Spa, a boutique spot in the chill, hipster and LGBTQ+ neighbourhood of Chueca, littered with fantastic vintage shops, and around a 25-minute walk from the city’s main museums and Retiro Park. An upmarket option, it boasts the Michelin star restaurant Casa Felisa, with a focus on traditional Spanish food (no fancy fusions here).
Cocktails at sunset
Emma Loffhagen
For lunch, we headed to The Madrid Edition, to sample some of their innovative dishes crafted with locally sourced ingredients. As the sun set, dinner awaited at Picos Pardos Sky Lounge, perched atop the elegant BLESS Hotel Madrid.
Train journey: Cádiz to Madrid Atocha, 4 hours 32 minutes
Where we stayed: URSO Hotel & Spa (hotelurso.com, from £170 per night)
Nobu Hotel San Sebastián, on the final night of the trip
Nobu Hotel San Sebastián
A five-hour train from Madrid to San Sebastián marked the final destination of our trip. As we pushed north up the country, the landscape shifted dramatically from arid scrubland to verdant mountains – as did the weather: the Basque country is known for its fickle climate. But by the time we checked into the Nobu, the clouds had cleared.
Views from the balcony at Nobu Hotel San Sebastián
Emma Loffhagen
Yet again, the Nobu defied expectations: located on La Concha bay, a roof terrace and pool overlook Santa Clara island, it is certainly one of the best views in the city. The hotel’s restaurant, Nobu, has a Michelin Key, and boasts an array of the hotel’s signature Japanese-Peruvian dishes.
Train journey: Madrid Principe Pio to Donostia-San Sebastián, 5 hours 23 minutes
Where we ate and drank: Nobu Hotel San Sebastián
Two glorious weeks were an ever-changing window into the heart of Europe
Emma on the last day of her trip
Emma Loffhagen
Our final day was a masterclass in the efficiency of European trains, which saw us waking up in San Sebastián and going to sleep in London without getting on a single flight. The interim was a 40-minute train to the French/Spanish border town of Hendaye, followed by roughly five hours to Paris, and finally, a Eurostar to St Pancras.
It was the end of a glorious two weeks, and an ever-changing window into the heart of Europe.
