New Aquitaine by Train: A 7-Day Car-Free Itinerary
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Published on 7/3/27
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If you're dreaming of a wonderful international train trip, you've probably already considered The Interrail Pass for Exploring Europe. But is that really the best option? How should you plan your trip? What do you need to prepare?
In the 38th episode of our podcast Want a hit?, produced with the support of SNCF Connect, Tolt welcomes a train travel enthusiast. She has about ten Interrail trips under her belt! Together with her partner Régis, she went on a wonderful train journey: Six months by train exploring Turkey and Georgia, passing through Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Greece, with stops for camping in the mountains and exploring Balkan landscapes. Here’s your chance to learn his best Interrail tips. Follow the guide!
When Isabelle isn’t in Grenoble, she’s traveling or camping in the mountains with her husband, Régis. In 2022, the couple set off on an adventure to explore Central and Southern Europe. A speech-language pathologist and an engineer by trade, respectively, they are negotiating a 6-month break to set off. Goal: to go as far east as possible by train!
"Landscapes that change slowly as the kilometers go by—that's what true the magic of travel "on the train."
In this episode of “Want a hit?”, Isabelle tells us about the most memorable parts of this trip, from the landscapes of the Balkans to the mountains of Georgia.
"The flexibility of the train is what makes it magical: you plan a stop, and then We'll just wing the rest as we go."
"The train is a great place to do all sorts of things. People have never written or read as much as they do when traveling by train."
As a reminder, Interrail lets you travel on European rail networks as much as you like for a specified period (from 4 days to 3 months maximum) in 33 countries Europeans.
Be careful, though—the Interrail Pass is not necessarily more advantageous from an economic standpoint; rather, the main advantage is organizational in nature (having the flexibility to take a train whenever you want in Europe)!
It might even end up costing you more than if you booked each train separately. We therefore recommend that you do the math carefully before making your decision.
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To pay less, Here are a few tips you should know, though:
Interrail regularly offers promotional deals, especially during the holiday season or the summer (that’s how Isabelle and Régis were able to get a 2-month pass for half price!). To make sure you don’t miss them, you can sign up for the newsletter Interrail (as well as to our Locomissive, where we regularly share the best deals and promotions for your low-carbon trips!).
If you have 27 years old or younger, you can take advantage of Discounts ranging from 18% to 23% on standard Interrail passes (for example, a 7-day Global Pass valid for 1 month will cost you €258 instead of €335). Similarly, travelers from 60 years of age or older are eligible for a 10% discount on the different types of passes (for example, a 7-day Global Pass valid for 1 month will cost €302 instead of €335 for seniors).
To save a significant amount of money, not only can you opt for second class, but Interrail also offers discounts on hostels, ferries, and certain activities (which you can find in the "Deals" section of the Rail Planner app or directly on the Interrail website).
If there's one advantage to the Interrail Pass, it's that you can travel as much as you want. Why not take this opportunity to save some money? In France and among our European neighbors, this means opting for TER and INTERCITÉS trains (since night trains and high-speed trains are the ones that generally require advance reservations). In Eastern Europe, however, almost all trains can be boarded without a prior reservation!
Isabelle confirms this:
“Don't hesitate to make last-minute plans ! Train travel is perfect for this: you don’t necessarily have to plan everything in advance, but can adjust your itinerary based on your mood, the people you meet, the weather, and what you discover…”
In many Eastern European countries, Reserve your seats at the station instead of online It will also help you save on booking fees.
What if you can't find a train to your next destination? “Don’t hesitate to look around for other options because There are always alternatives. “For example, there are many night trains available from Zurich or Stuttgart!”
For details on rates by age group, Our Complete Guide to the Interrail Pass provides an update:
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“The combination of a tent, a backpack, and the train is really perfect for…” flexible !”
To Isabelle and Régis, backpacking and sleeping in a tent - at a campground or while camping in the wild - was the best compromise for stay mobile all while saving money (which didn't stop them from staying at a youth hostel or in a hotel room whenever they wanted to).
To travel light by train and bus, Isabelle strongly recommends traveling with a backpack. “I think that much more convenient than a suitcase with wheels, very easy to carry no matter the terrain, she explains. "My backpack was 40 L for the 6-month trip, and Régis's was 68 L."
According to Isabelle, the essentials to pack are: a good tent, sleeping bags suitable for the season and the countries you plan to visit, 3 or 4 T-shirts and 1 pair of pants that can be converted into shorts (planning to do laundry regularly at campgrounds), and the essentials for preparing your own meals if needed so you can be self-sufficient while camping.
On their train ride back, the couple took the opportunity to explore some new cities:
The total budget for this half-year trip? 14,000 € for two people (7,000 € per person) all-inclusive: train, lodging, and also rental unit in advance to store all their belongings until their return to France, and 2-month Interrail pass in Europe (purchased through a 50% discount promotion, at €700 per person).
To find out all the details of their itinerary (including photos and their experiences), visit the Travel Journal Isabelle and Régis's My Atlas!
Which country made the biggest impression on Isabelle? Turkey. “It’s a huge country, so there’s so much to see. The people are very welcoming and friendly—there was always someone there to point us in the right direction and offer us some tea!”
As for the stage that made the biggest impression on him, it was the one in the Pirin Mountains in Bulgaria. “The scenery is truly incredible, with lakes and mountain peaks—a bit like the Alps! And the train route is very beautiful.”
The Corner of the Mount Kazbek in Georgia It also leaves him with a memorable experience: “We saw our first 3,000-meter peak, with climbers heading up it. It’s a timeless place where there aren’t many people. In fact, my favorite stops were definitely the ones surrounded by nature, especially in the mountains.”
As for the benefits of the slow travel On the train, Isabelle's words echo those of all the guests on our podcast:
“When traveling by train, you can take your time. You can really see the changing landscapes, some languages that are changing, some borders we cross "physically…"
“Of course, there’s the argument eco-friendly which meant a lot to us. But traveling by train also allows you to meet the locals and to discover other customs to really soak up the country’s atmosphere. For example, in Turkey, people would share tea on the train, and the dining car was a very welcoming place.”
Isabelle and Régis's next trip? The Baltic States. And the couple doesn't plan to stop there. On their bucket list, there's also the Trans-Siberian Railway and a train trip through North Africa.
To follow their adventures and check out all their recommendations, you can visit their blog, To the Rhythm of the Railroad, and subscribe to their Instagram account: @au.rythme.du.rail !
And to make sure you don't miss a single episode and get plenty of inspiration from our guests, feel free to Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite streaming platforms. Thanks to our partner SNCF Connect, the leading app for trains and sustainable transportation that helps more than 15 million users plan their trips in France and Europe.
Issue du monde de la communication et des médias, Sophie est Responsable éditoriale chez HOURRAIL ! depuis août 2024. Elle est notamment derrière le contenu éditorial du site ainsi que La Locomissive (de l'inspiration voyage bas carbone et des bons plans, un jeudi sur deux, gratuitement dans ta boîte mail !).
Convaincue que les changements d’habitude passent par la transformation de nos imaginaires, elle s’attache à montrer qu’il est possible de voyager autrement, de manière plus consciente, plus lente et plus joyeuse. Son objectif : rendre le slow travel accessible à toutes et tous, à travers des astuces, des décryptages et surtout, de nouveaux récits.
