Croatia 6 MINS READ

The Balkans: Health and Wellness Getaways from Croatia to Greece

The Balkans: Health and Wellness Getaways from Croatia to Greece

Croatia 6 MINS READ

In our previous blog post, nature travels took us to Croatia and Montenegro. From the beaches and 19th-century spas to the islands with legendary sites, there is so much to do, see, and enjoy during a Balkan getaway. Visits to Albanian and Greek natural parks offer so much to indulge in. From the freshwater to the smells of olive trees, you will want to soak up all the health and wellness benefits forever. When taking your trip off the beaten path, you too can find luxurious hideaways with less populated areas to explore and discover freely. First, start planning where to go! 

balkan getaway in croatia

Albania and Greece Wellness and Health Itinerary:

Albania is well known for its lush nature, green woods, and blue pristine sea. The country has so much to offer when it comes to pampering visitors with massages and world-class spa experiences. The best part is, you can indulge in a fraction of the cost you would spend elsewhere in Europe. As for Greece, the best way to take care of your mind and body is to soak up all the Vitamin D on the beaches, and diving in the pristine blue Ionian Sea. If there is one thing we know if your health can benefit immensely from an outdoor getaway. 

Best Spas and Wellness Centers in Albania:

As for the best spa and wellness centers in Albania, tourists have a wide selection to choose from. While many are located in Albania’s capital city, Tirana, there are several locations offering the same wellness experience in areas near the sea. Make a trip out of it and book an overnight spa to give you an extra dose of relaxation.

As for other retreat options, visitors can find several near the natural parks. Senior-friendly and accessible tourist wellness and spiritual meditation retreats are growing in this region. There are even Italian and English-speaking beachfront yoga retreats in Durres you won’t want to miss. Daily organic meals and yoga meditation can seriously up your tranquillity and help you hit the reset button. Are you looking to stay within your budget? Go and volunteer in Albania to enjoy the luxurious nature without spending anything on accommodation in exchange for lending a helping hand.

Best Yoga and Spiritual Retreats in Greece:

Greece offers just as many experiences if not more. We suggest doing your research to find the offbeat locations. Many websites will direct you to Greece’s more populated touristic cities upon first glance. However, there are so many secluded areas you will want to see first. Several yogini ashrams host retreats every summer with travelers and yogis coming to achieve spiritual awakening from all over the world. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will work wonders for your soul.

balkan getaway

Greek Health and Wellness History:

 Therapeutical bathing and wellness retreats date back to prehistoric times starting with the Babylonians and Egyptians. However, the earliest Western descriptions of these health and wellness retreats come from Greece. Public baths and showers were meant for relaxation and personal hygiene. However, the Greeks believed the natural springs and tidal pools had a sacred power of healing, as told in Greek mythology. People come from all over the world to take a dive into these natural springs. You will leave feeling healed and rejuvenated. Where do we sign up?

Now that you know everything from the history of wellness retreats to the best places for a massage, it’s time to hit the road. 

Buna River-Velipoja Protected Landscape in Albania, Velipojë:

The Buna River, or Bojana, of the South Western Balkans, is an important river containing the most important wetlands in the Eastern Meditteranean. To get the best views, we recommend hiking on the coastal wetlands. Not only you will gaze upon the relaxing waters of the river, but also the estuary of Drin, and the lagoon of Villani. The gulf of Viluni runs across the city of Velipojë alongside the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most beautiful sights one will see in their lifetime. To get from Skadar to Velipojë, it will take 40 minutes by car. There is no public transport, as the area is far from the main cities. Thus, CuddlyNest experts suggest renting a car in Albania to allow you to experience one of the best views and peaceful road trips during your vacation.

beautiful beaches in croatia

Kunë-Vain-Tale Nature Park

You do not want to miss taking a drive through the nature reserve Rezervati Kunë-Vain-Tale on your way to Greece. From the beautiful Illyrian forests to Mediterranean woodlands, the nature reserve is one of the most biologically diverse areas in Albania. With more than 277 species of plants, 23 species of mammals, 196 species of birds, and many more insects and fish, flora and fauna are abundant. Take your yoga mat, hiking boots, a warm sweater, and a hammock, and go explore the beautiful nature with lakes. The walking paths are so secluded that you will feel like the only people there. Your mind will thank you for the peace and serenity. 

Durrës, Albania:

Durres, Albania is one of the most beautiful and historically rich cities. As the second-largest city and a summertime resort paradise, it also has the largest port in the Adriatic Sea, connecting well with Italy and Greece. No matter your destination, when coming to Durrës, you should visit the ancient remains. Although there are not many left from the Ancient Roman times, the Durrës Amphitheatre built in the 2nd century AD is definitely a must-visit. You will find all types of architecture in Durres. From Illyrian to Greek, Roman, and even Italian architecture, Durres is definitely worth a stay for a day or two. Make sure to go to the Royal Villa of Durrës, among other museums for an extra cultural experience.

Vjosë-Nartë:

To go further from Durres to Vjose Narte, you will ride through the beautiful Divjaka-Karavasta National Park. The natural park has the largest lagoon in Albania, and one of the largest in the Mediterranean Sea. The Karavasta Lagoon, in Albanian, Laguna e Karavastasë is also a very popular location for bird-watching and camping. Once in Vjose Narte, though, you will need to find the Narta Lagoon and the famous “Land of Eagles and Castles.” Ecotourism is very important in Albania and the Balkans. This region is the best place to go for eco-tourism enthusiasts and slow travel supporters.

balkan getaway by the coast

Vlorë:

Without Vlora or Vlorë, the Albania travel destination guide would not be complete. Lying on the foothills of the mountains at the Strait of Otranto, the city belonged to ancient Greece. Tourists can indulge at the beach in the Gijpe Canyon, Zvërnec Island, and House if Ismail Bej Vlora. It will add to your experience of Vlora. The bay of Vlora is also considered the frontier between Adriatic and Ionian Seas. The island of Sazan so close, it is a good idea to go there for a couple of hours. Vlora weather is one of the best in Albania, and you cannot really go wrong when there are 300 sunny days per year.

Sarandë:

Sarande offers a historical sightseeing experience unlike any other. There are plenty of medieval areas to explore around the Albanian Riviera. Start by visiting Lëkurësi Castle and Monastery of 40 Saints. Book a boat tour in the afternoon to enjoy a leisurely ride around the sea. The best ways to travel around is by bus and ferry boat. You can get to Patras from Sarande in a 4-hour drive. If you are traveling with a group consider travel by bus. Patras city is quite large, therefore it is safer to have some backup options. You can’t miss exploring the entire metropolis.

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CuddlyNest provides all accommodations to all travelers at the best price. Find unlimited travel inspiration on our blog and social media channels

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Health and Wellness Getaways from Croatia to Greece

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Croatia 9 MINS READ

Balkan Nature Wellness Roadtrip Itinerary to Croatia and Montenegro

Balkan Nature Wellness Roadtrip Itinerary to Croatia and Montenegro

Croatia 9 MINS READ

Balkan Croatia Montenegro CuddlyNest blog roadtrip senior nature getaway relaxing

Senior travel in 2019 is great and booming. But while hotels and resorts offer more and more yoga and health, meditation and yoga holidays, some elderly prefer to go on an active holiday and enjoy nature hikes, mountain climbing, and even canoe trips, discovering what Europe has to offer from a different perspective.

Senior Holidays in Europe

If you prefer visiting Europe and its Central European capitals, or travel to Northern Europe for Art Noveau architecture, or visit

other Balkan countries for great food, go and visit some of our previous blogs. But if you want to treat yourself well, and allow your body to relax on holiday while giving it enough active time, keep reading and learn what great Balkan destinations to visit and add to your South-Eastern Europe bucket list when going on winter or spring holidays 2019. CuddlyNest put up an itinerary for your active, adventurous, and yet not too much physically demanding holidays – and we are sure you would love to get some relaxation time with SPA and beauty retreats in between! 

Balkan and Greece Itinerary Plan for Active Seniors

Balkan and Greece itinerary is a great option if you are looking for a laid-back travel destination country and want to go somewhere you’ve never been before. From Croatia to Montenegro, from Greece to Albania, there are well-known and popular destinations as well as harder to reach, much more rural and even abandoned nature-only places.

  1. Split, Croatia
  2. Brac Island, Croatia
  3. Pasjača Beach, Croatia
  4. Vranjina, Montenegro
  5. Locven and Skadar Lake National Parks, Montenegro
  6. Durrës, Albania
  7. Sarandë, Albania
  8. Corfu, Greece
  9. Patras, Greece

Split, Croatia.

Balkan Croatia Montenegro CuddlyNest blog roadtrip senior nature getaway relaxing

Split, Croatia Best SPA and Nearby Beaches

While Split is the capital of Croatia and one of the best-connected cities in the region, there is not much nature around the city, apart from the very well-kept white sandy beach. To relax and care for your health, we recommend staying at SPA apartments and enjoy the Split hospitality for very affordable prices. 

There is a SPA and wellness centre also in Divota Apartment hotel, where private studio apartments in Veli Varos District just 5 minutes from the UNESCO-listed Diocletian’s Palace and the Riva seaside Promenade. The rooms have access to massages and SPA and wellness centres.

If you are more into hotels than private apartments, Hotel Park Split has a seasonal outdoor pool, and couped with SPA and wellness centre Filomena Priska Spa on its underground floor. The center includes a hot tub, sauna and even a gym! Located on one of the Split’ s most famous beaches Bacvice, it is Make sure to try out their 19th century inspired massages, facial and body treatments, as well as services like waxing, manicure and pedicures.

Balkan Croatia Montenegro CuddlyNest blog roadtrip senior nature getaway relaxing

Makarska, Sumartin and Brac Island 

To truly enjoy the wild spirit and sense the Split itself, you must dive into island-hopping even if only for a short time. From Split, you can travel to Makarska, a nearby town just a 1-hour ride away. Makarska is known for its Riviera beaches, and seafront promenade, but to get to less crowded and wilder beaches, we suggest visiting Kačić Square and then continuing to port and getting on a ferry to Brač island.

How to get to Makarska

To get to Makarska, get on a Promet Makarska bus. It will take a little over 1 hour from Split to Makarska. Get your tickets at the bus station, but check the schedule or if you wish to, then book your tickets on their website. The bus goes hourly from 5 am to 10.30 pm daily, and you can get a ticket for 50 HRR, approximately €7.

Sumartin and Brac.

Sumartin and Brač Island are an old and scarcely populated island. Sumartin village is the youngest town on the island, homing around 500 people only. Established in the 17th century, the town comprises Fraciscian monastery, and some other religious buildings, among old farmhouses. When visiting Brac island, take it slowly and enjoy the local wines, food, and other  . If you earlier visited Split and saw the UNESCO inscribed Diocletian palace. Built for Emperor around 4 AD, today it forms around half of Split old town. If you wonder where the material for the magnificent building was taken, then it is just there, in Brac. Near Supertar, there were dolomite Rasohe quarry, in which slaves worked day and night to gather material for the palace. Still today, you can see a small engraving – the legend says the picture was engraved by slaves asking for guidance and strength to Hercules, the Roman hero famous for strenht and other features. When visiting Splitska, Smartin and other places in Barc, you can rent a bike to get around the island faster.

There are also several SPA resorts and nature and eco-travel guest houses offered for staying at and enjoying your holidays in a laid-back, natural atmosphere on this Croatian island.

Makarska to Brač Island ferry

To get from Makarska to Sumartin, you can take a ferry by Jardolinija route 638. The service runs 3 times a day in the off-season, 4 times a day in June and September, and 5 times a day in July and August. The ferry costs 30 HKR for an adult, but you can check more precise ticket information here

Pasjaca Beach.

Balkan Croatia Montenegro CuddlyNest blog roadtrip senior nature getaway relaxing

Best Beach in 2019: Visit Croatia Pasjača Beach

If you are keen to see one of the wild beaches compromising both white sand, pristine blue water and even some cliffs, then look for it no more and head to the now-famous Pasjaca beach. It was claimed to be the best beach in the world in 2019, sporting the 1st place and ranking above the world-famous beaches of Spain and Greece. If you can catch both, we also suggest going to Nugal beach just to see what the hype is about.

As for the origins of the beach, it is not exactly a natural beach, as you may expect. Developed from a symbiosis of man and nature, the origins of the Pasjac (or Popovic) beach date back to 1955 when there was a tunnel constructed, leading to the sea. Workers left the excavated rocks just there, and in a few years, the waves crashed against to fill the shore with white sand at the bottom of the majestic cliffs on Konavile. Today, you can, therefore, see both white sand and cliff shore watered by the blue Medditarea sea water.

How to get from Brac to Pasjaca

To get from Brac island to Pasjaca, the easiest way is to go from Supertar to Split by ferry, and then take a bus from Split to Popovic. The whole trip will take around 4 hours, and cost from €31. The bus route is not going by the seaside but is surely a picturesque journey, taking you through the mountainous region of Dio Kanjona Rijeke Cetine, the Dio Canion of the river Cetina. 

Kotori, Montenegro.

Balkan Croatia Montenegro CuddlyNest blog roadtrip senior nature getaway relaxing

Bay of Kotori, Montenegro

To continue your road trip, you can head to the nearby Cavtat caostal town to rent a car and go further on your own into the nature parks of Montenegro. The car drive from Cavtat to Kostanjica in Kotor, just by the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro will take you no more than a 1-hour drive, and the road is simply beautiful, with flat and landscape, small road going through the coastal towns. If you are not in a rush, definitely stop at Igalo Игало in Montenegro, take a dip in the water at Tople, walk the promenade and see the Old Škver Harbor, before heading to Kamenari passing Savina Monastery in Herceg-Novi, on the way overseeing the most beautiful bay in Montenegro, Boka Kortska.

Cavtat Car Rental 

Renting a car at Cavtat Croatia will not cost you a fortune. While some car companies allow you to drop a car off at your hotel in Cavtat for free and renting within Croatia will be around £54 for an economy car but you would have to pay €40 to take it into Montenegro. Axa rental service offers the prepayment to be around £21 for the excess, while for other companies, like iCrahire, it would cost 45 Euros for the green card to take it out of Croatia. There is also another cost you must take into account, hence the insurance To reduce the insurance to zero, you can use iCarhire and reduce the 1500 euro excess to £20 for the week to reduce it to zero. However, the company will still need your card to reserve the insured amount, and 15 euros to reduce the excess. All in all, you will hardly spend over 100 euros for a week of car rental, and the money will get you much further than taking buses. However, we only suggest booking a car after going to the islands, as ferry fees can quickly add up if you want to take your car with you.

Ferry from Kamenari to Lepetani

 To get from Kamenari to Lepetani by car, you cannot take a ferry or ride the walking bridge connecting Kamenari to Lepetani. Instead, you shall ride all the way the scenic route by the inner part of the bay, and going through Dobrota and Kotor towns. Whilst on the road, we recommend also take a chance and enjoy the local cuisine, and get some of the best Montenegro food, ordering either the tasty fish soup or squid-ink-colored black risotto at one of the restaurants in the towns.

Lovcen National Park, Montenegro

Balkan Croatia Montenegro CuddlyNest blog roadtrip senior nature getaway relaxing

Visit Lovcen National Park, Montenegro

Visiting Lovcen National Park is a must if you want to wind off and just enjoy the wild beauty of Montenegro. From weeklong meditation retreats on your own in the 62 km2 area in the central highest part of the mount Lovcen, to wandering the historical buildings, farmhouses and village guvnas, cottages in katuns and more man-made but integrated spaces. The mountainous region is popular with tourists but less so in September and October season. The best time to camp here in July and August, but for a digital recharge, or off-grid life for a few days to relax your senses and get back the health, you may also visit the park in the shoulder season. 

Lovcen National Park Practical Information: Entrance Fees and Accommodation

To enter the National park, you must buy a ticket for £2, but the entrance for children under 7 years old is free. You can also camp here, with your tent or camper. Sleeping in nature will cost you 10€ while there are also several hotels located within the nature park, hence Hotel Ivanov Konak ad Hotel Monte Rosa. The former one also has a bicycle and car rental for your convenience. 

Skadar Lake National Park in Montenegro

After taking time in Cetinje in Lovcen National Park, you can drive further to either Podgorica and Budva, to visit either the capital or one of the best-rated resort towns in Montenegro. However, you can just continue along the road  M23 from Centinje t Podgorica, and take a turn at Meterizi, turning onto a small countryside road going to Skadar. Skadar is well known for its nature, and the lake feels untouched by men.

If you wish to deep dive into nature and relax, then gong for birdwatching either alone equipped with a book and binocular, or in an organized tour, you can spot all kinds of birds all season long. As for other activities, like boat rides, you can relax taking a sunset ride into the beautiful lake.

Rijeka Crnojevića

Before coming to the lake itself, you will pass by the Rijeka Crnojevića, Ријека Црнојевића. To take the most from the local cuisine, we suggest having lunch with the local scallops in the Old Bridge Restaurant, alternatively heading to the nearby Šinđon and get some lake fresh food fro the Eko Restaurant Šinđon.

Balkan Itinerary: Visit Virpazar

Virpazar is one of the smallest villages around the lake, at the same time offering one of the best options for winding off, taking a break from city life and enjoying yoga retreat, off-grid life, and fresh air all day, all night. With a population of a little over 300 inhabitants, both Serbs and Montenegrins, the  village is the perfect place to escape the city buzz. When bored, you can climb up the Besac Castle which is open every day and watch the lake from up.

To follow up on the next edition of the Balkan itinerary, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and share this on Pinterest!

Balkan roadtrip senior nature getaway relaxing

The Balkan nature itinerary will be continued by a trip to Albania and rural Greek islands.

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Europe 8 MINS READ

Travel Europe After Brexit: What to Keep in Mind to Stop Losing Money Abroad & Travel Sustainably

Travel Europe After Brexit: What to Keep in Mind to Stop Losing Money Abroad & Travel Sustainably

Europe 8 MINS READ

Travel and Visit Europe After Brexit on 31 October

What else will change after October 31? With no-deal Brexit, visiting Europe after Brexit may become a bit more of a struggle. Read further to know what to expect and how to prepare in advance.

Visas to Europe

There will be no visas. The European Parliament has granted Britons right to travel to the European Union without a visa after Brexit, staying in Europe visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It is, however, only granted if the UK implements similar measure for EU citizens. 

Travel with Pets to Europe after Brexit

After October 31, there will be slight changes in pet travel to Europe. To prepare for travel with your pet, there are some simple steps you should follow.

If the United Kingdom becomes the third country once it leaves the EU, and automatically an unlisted country. However, it can apply to the European Commission to be listed (Part 1 listed or Part 2 listed), in which case pet travel becomes easier. If leaving with no-deal Brexit, then with conditions of the unlisted country, you should follow the following procedure to travel to Europe with your pet.

  1. You have to microchip and get your dog/cat/ferret vaccinated before you travel, and take a blood sample within 30 days of the last rabies vaccination.
  2. Your vet will send the blood sample to the EU-approved testing laboratory and wait for the blood test results.  When 3 months from the successful blood test sample have passed, you can now go to Europe to travel.
  3. Your vet will give you a copy of test results and enter the date of a sample taken into your pet’s health certificate.

If you are a frequent traveller to Eu, your pet will not need a repeat blood test if the previous one was successful and rabies vaccination history is up-to-date. However, you will need to get a new health certificate for each trip within 10 days before your trip.

Returning to the UK, you will need your EU pet passport, animal health certificate and UK pet health certificate. To learn more about pets travelling with UK nationals living in the EU or scenarios in which the UK becomes a listed third country, read more on UK government Animal and Plant Health Agency guide here.

Holidays to Europe after Brexit: How Not to Lose Money?

With the British pound tumbling long-term low ( lowest since 2012), it is a serious matter to manage your pounds before going on holiday to Spain, Italy or Croatia this autumn. To plan ahead and not to exchange pounds in Europe is a must; to be exact, it is much more of a better deal if you take cash with you – this way you will not lose 15% of your money on airport booths. Want to save even more? Buy your holiday currency now.

Spain Listeria Outbreak: Keep Safe from Bug

The food poison and listeria outbreak in Spain have been on news recently, with 200 Britons suffering. To keep safe, you should stay away from meat products and rather go for vegetarian and vegan Spain meals. To learn how to ask for a no-meat meal at a restaurant, read our advice  here.

Sustainable Travel and Responsible Transportation in Europe

If you think that sustainable travel is all about booking a green hotel, visiting countryside tulip farms, then you may as well be tricked into buying a refillable water bottle while waiting for a carbon-fuelled cheap airline flight from one city to another.

While crossing out the overcrowded destinations and cutting out plastic is indeed important, even more so is your transportation mode and dietary habits. While we already wrote about how to eat sustainably in Spain, what to pack for zero-waste travel and where to switch from overcrowded Europe destinations, the transport is oftentimes overlooked as neutral to sustainable travel when in fact, it is not. 

Train Travel in Europe after Brexit

There is only as far you can get walking, running or pedalling on your bike. While we strongly encourage you to go on a cycling tour in France, or all across Europe, it is almost inevitable to use a transport mode powered by other than man energy, unless you are up for riding a horse or sailing across Atlantic to attend a business meeting like Greta Thunberg.

There are a few simple ways to switch from unsustainable low-fare, high-emission short flights to green vehicles, like electric trains and electric buses to get to your holiday destination. For visiting Europe, one of the most convenient, no-fuss and also the most sustainable way to get around the continent is to get a Eurorail pass. Partnering with national train lines, routes include thousands of European towns and cities in 31 countries for Eurorail global pass. Alternatively, you can slash your expenses and choose one country pass. Easily accessible, customizable train passes may not be the cheapest, but definitely the most convenient way of getting around, allowing for days, weeks and even months of travel.

Buses

Unless you are going on family Europe holidays and your rental car is fully loaded, public buses come second best choice to tackle transport carbon emissions. European public inter-city and international bus lines are quite well developed, especially in less populated and developed regions, like Balkans and the Baltic States, or in between smaller towns. If you are up for a long-haul bus ride, though, be prepared to check reviews first, to avoid smelly toilets. Most buses in Europe these days come from with reclining seats, free WiFi, and silence, instead of the latest Eurovision song on repeat.

Hitchhiking

Not being an option if strive for convenience or try to juggle across Europe with a family or dog, but.. As long as you are (young?), wild and free, hitchhiking around Europe is the easiest way to travel with zero regrets about environmental track left behind you, as you are simply making the trip of somebody else to be more resource-effective. As for the budget, it is also a more budget-friendly option, while for safety you should always check Hitchwiki site for tips, tricks, best spots and even gatherings and hitch-races.  

Carpooling

An alternative to blind hitchhiking is other sharing transportation services, like carpooling. Hopping into Oskar in Hungary, BlaBlaCar in Southwestern Europe, or Carpool.be in Belgium and Netherlands, you can give a boost to shared services. These will work the best in mainstream hours following people who do daily or weekly commuting to work, university or countryside house.    

Eco-friendly Travel Transportation Apps

To choose between the modes of transport, we suggest always go for road transportation and if possible then sharing services, but if you are still puzzled what’ s the best for planet, here are some apps to guide you through travel ecology and help to plan you travel consciously.

Green Travel Choice

Green Travel Choice app allows you to track your CO2 emissions, no matter if you are driving a rental car, taking a  bus or riding a motorbike. The app logs your trips, travel distances, and your emissions over time, and you can travel and learn at the same time. Partnering with TIES, The International Tourism Society, developers have worked hard to provide accurate data in collaboration with one of the most influential ecotourism organizations.

To download the app, you will need to have $1.99 on your card and iPhone, iPod or iPad running at least iOS 3.0 

BlaBlaCar Travel After Brexit

BlaBlaCar is an app dedicated for people to share rides. You can look up rides several weeks In advance or create search reminders for either carpooling or bus taking you to the destination. You can decide between the cars based on who has booked a ride already – red their profile feedback before sharing a long-haul ride. The app is for free, available for both iOS and Android devices.

FlixBus

Need a last-minute bus from one city to another? There is no better (and almost no greener) way to get around Europe – just open the app, book your ride and hop on the bus to get to your desired destination.  according to the reviews, however, the FlixBus app does not always update the time schedules for buses, so beware the fact that there is a slight chance of you staying on the road.

Eurail vs Interrail – Carbon Neutral Travel Transport Options

Eurail and Interrail passes are probably the best option to anyone coming to Europe for sustainable holiday and visiting several cities at once. 

Eurail or Interrail – What’s the Difference and Which One Should You Get?

Both are referring to international or intercity train network passes for the European 31 country network. The difference here lies In the fact that all-in-all, while InterRail passes are for Europeans, Eurail passes are for non-Europeans, it can get a bit more tricky with residence area. You cannot buy a Eurail pass if you reside in Europe, as well as you cannot buy an InterRail pass if you don’t.

As a UK citizen, you are in luck, as InterRail is much cheaper (under 25 years of age one-month pass goes for €422 for InterRail and €568 for Eurail). While Eurail pass offers many more options for travellers to choose from: one-country pass, two-country and regional passes.

Just in case you wonder, there is a difference in train types included in each type of pass. InterRail Global Pass also covers Ecostar high-speed train connecting London, the United Kingdom with France and Belgium. You can reserve the train up to 3 months in advance. However, for many other high-speed trains like French TGV, night trains and scenic trains, reservation with an additional fee is required. 

InterRail – Is it Worth it? Budgeting for Sustainable Travel

Is Interrail worth it? To say the least, Interrail pass is quite a splurge. While flexibility and city-hopping may be worth it, we advise you to always check the trains available on your approximate travel route. More often than not, with good planning and booking bus and train tickets well in advance, single-ticket rides are much more budget-friendly, allowing you to save some money.

However, if you are with your backpack, open to spontaneity and rather horrified of catching free WiFi’s across the road trying to look up train schedules and understand the timetables in a foreign language, Interrail may be for you.

However, you should still remember to make reservations in advance – you can do it via Rail Planner app.

Travel for Free with UK youth pass to Europe after Brexit

If you are a student coming from the United Kingdom and wishing to travel for free, go for it! Even after Brexit, British teenagers will be able to apply for free EU rail passes awarded by European Union on its 20,000 free train passes within “DiscoverEU” project. No matter if UK exits EU on 31 October, British teens will be continued to be awarded EU train passes, to be “ambassadors” of Europe and share their travels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. If you missed the deadline on 16 May, there is still a chance to apply for tickets in the second round in Autumn 2019. 

Once the UK leaves the EU, the British will not be able to take part in European programmes, like the Erasmus student exchange, so InterRail pass may be one of the last chances to milk Europe.

you might also like:

Train Travel in Europe
Best Fruits in Europe
Europe’s Offbeat Destination

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