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Europe by Eurail

July - August 2022
A 47-day adventure by S Read more
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  • TravelerEurope by Eurail
    Day 1

    Arriving in Brussels

    July 13, 2022 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We arrived in Brussels after a logistically painless journey. The train to London was simple, a quick queue through St Pancras and a relatively short journey (just 2 hours) to Brussels. Our company for the trip was questionable, with two chaps behind us having no volume control!

    At Brussels Midi, we opted for a half hour walk to our hotel to see some of the city. Turns out we've arrived on the eve of a festival (In The Streets) which looks exciting. After dropping out kit, we headed out to the fabulous Casco bar for some beer, jazz and a Philly cheesesteak. The food was delicious, but scratched up my already sore throat, leaving it very painful 😔 We were joined by fellow interrailing friends for a drink afterwards, which was a lovely addition to the evening.

    We detoured on the way back to the hotel via Grand Place, a beautiful, traditionally Belgian square, and the heart of Brussels. We then swung by the Mannekin-Pis, a famous statue of a small boy peeing into a fountain, before calling it a night.

    Tomorrow, we are booked on a European Parliament tour...so excited!    Read more

  • TravelerEurope by Eurail
    Day 2

    EU Parliament

    July 14, 2022 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We were booked into visit the European Parliament at 10am, so we grabbed breakfast in the hotel and headed out across Brussels. It was about 30 minutes walk from our hotel through some of the beautiful narrow city streets with stunning architecture.

    The European Parliament itself was astonishingly welcoming and open. After security, we were given an multimedia tour and allowed to wander into the Hemicycle where the tour walked you through the workings of the EU. We popped across to the Parliamentarium too, before wandering to the House of European History. This free museum was absolutely superb, discussing what 'Europe' was, and then looking at some key moments in modern European history. The video on 1989 revolutions was especially brilliant.

    We wandered past the other key institutions of the EU on our way back to town, and past the Parliament of Belgium too (which was sadly not open to the public!), before grabbing a quick drink and heading back to the hotel with a bit of lunch.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope by Eurail
    Day 2

    In the Streets

    July 14, 2022 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We spent the afternoon what we were planning to do tomorrow. Started with Luxembourg, then Strasbourg, before finally settling on Cologne...although whether we stay there or push on to Koblenz remains to be seen!

    On the way back to the hotel we passed a lovely looking cafe serving mussels so we returned their for dinner along with some of their own Grimberger beer - both were delicious.

    Today was the start of the In The Streets festival, so once we finished eating we wandered over to the roller dance display, which was superb. They then had skates free to hire, so we had to have a go. I managed to get my skates on, stand up, and instantly fall down! B at least made it to the rink without falling over. Impressively, we both only fell once!

    We took a long walk back via the Grand Place and some bustling side streets to round off our time in Brussels 🇧🇪

    Beer Index (Brussels) - €5.50/0.5l    Read more

  • TravelerEurope by Eurail
    Day 3

    Cologne

    July 15, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Up early, and out to Brussels Nord, we caught a train to Cologne. Passing through Liege and the Belgian countryside, the scenery was lovely, although we spent much of the time planning what to do with our day and where to spend tonight, before settling on Mainz.

    At Cologne, we dumped our kit in fancy storage lockers and set out to see the cathedral, which was right next to the station. It's imposing, dark facade (and beautiful flying buttresses) was mirrored inside with a vast, lofty space. The mosaics were especially beautiful.

    From here, we wandered over the Hohenzollern Bridge, covered in a spectacular amount of locks, and down the far side of the Rhine. Coming back towards town, we walked through the old town and to the lovely Fruh Am Dom for some local kolsch beer (and Ben had some local cheese too).

    Back at the station, luggage retrieved, the platform was chaos with about four trains to Bonn but people running between them wildly as the station staff tried to get the doors shut and the trains away! Eventually our train Koblenz turned up and spirited away to the Rhine Valley.

    Beer Index (Cologne) - €4.50/0.5l (Kolsch)    Read more

  • TravelerEurope by Eurail
    Day 3

    Koblenz

    July 15, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    An hour or so down the river from Cologne, we jumped off at Koblenz, and failed to find a luggage store that worked. So we did a 5km walk along the Rhine and through the old town with all of our luggage in tow!

    Koblenz is where the Rhine and Mosel rivers meet under the shadow of a huge fortress on the opposite bank. It was a quaint little stop, clearly popular with river cruises, but relatively sleepy and we were glad it was only a brief stop before we journeyed on to Mainz.

    Beer Index (Koblenz) - €4.62/0.5l    Read more

  • TravelerEurope by Eurail
    Day 3

    Mainz by night

    July 15, 2022 in Germany ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    From Koblenz we travelled the picturesque, UNESCO, Rhine Valley. Lined with hills and cliff-top perched castles on both sides, it was beautiful to see out the window. It was also, however, the first train we had to stand on.

    We arrived into Mainz in the early evening and checked into our hotel near the station. After a long day walking, we tossed up whether walking to the main town was doable but ultimately the lure of dinner drew us in. About a 15 minute walk put us in the main town, where we grabbed some sushi before wandering down towards the Rhine passed the Natural History Museum's big display of rocks, which B very much enjoyed! At the Rhine we were treated to a beautiful sunset over the bridge.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope by Eurail
    Day 4

    Mainz by day

    July 16, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We pondered whether to stay in Mainz today as it was to be the site of a far-right rally and an anti-far right rally in response. The police presence was huge (and had been the night before), but we wanted to see the Gutenberg Museum so we stored our luggage at the hotel and wandered in.

    Grabbing a sandwich for breakfast, we wandered to the Rhine to eat in the baking morning sunshine. This meant wandering through the Saturday Market, already in full swing under the shadow of the beautiful pink cathedral.

    The Gutenberg Museum was incredible. Over four floors covering the development of the printing press, development of calligraphy, printing around the world and included original Gutenberg bibles. There was even a demonstration of the press in action.

    We wandered across the Market Square and into the cathedral which was cavernous but beautiful with the sun streaming through the windows. Finally, we walked to the Kirschgarten old town, before heading back for our kit and a train to Mannheim.

    On the way, we passed the rallies, which were now in full swing and the police everywhere. We avoided getting caught up in them but read later that the police had had to use pepper spray...yikes!

    Beer Index (Mainz) - N/A    Read more

  • TravelerEurope by Eurail
    Day 4

    Mannheim

    July 16, 2022 in Germany ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    The train to Mannheim was quite full, but itnwas a fast train so we sat between carriages for 40 minutes. After dropping kit at the hotel, we walked out to the canal at the west of Mannheim, near the point where the rivers Rhine and Necker meet. The afternoon sun was incredible, so we popped into a nearby microbrewery for a flight including their own brews before wandering back to the centre of town. All throughout the walk, gazebos were scattered through town with bands singing and playing music. We walked to the beautiful water tower, where another band was playing, before turning in for the day. Having walked 40km in two days, we were ready for a rest!

    Beer Index (Mannheim) - €9.16/0.5l (flight)    Read more

  • TravelerEurope by Eurail
    Day 5

    Heidelberg Palace

    July 17, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Free birthday breakfast at the hotel this morning, courtesy of a kind member of hotel staff, which was lovely. We then headed out by train to Heidelberg for a day trip. As we walked along the Necker, a triathlon was taking part on the opposite bank, with loads of swimmers in the river.

    Heidelberg was beautiful. Set in the hills either side of the Necker, the beautiful and unique architecture of each of the house are overshadowed by the ruined palace. The town centre is equally picturesque, with narrow, cobbled streets lined with old, shuttered buildings. We passed by the Heidelberg University jail, where unruly students were held four four centuries!

    From the town centre, we headed up the (steep!) hill towards the ruined palace and its terrace gardens. Even early in the morning it was very hot, and the hill took a while to climb! The view from the terrace was stunning, looking back down the valley, over Heidelberg and back towards Mannheim.

    Inside the palace, we popped into the German Apothecary Museum and the Grand Tun, a phenomenally large wine barrel! As an unexpected bonus, included in the ticket was a trip on the funicular railway, so we hopped up one stop before heading back to the main town.    Read more

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