Here's how our journey ended up:

The trip included two ferries - one overnight - which had a small Interrail discount. In total we spent approximately 40 hours on trains over a 7 week trip.

This blog post looks at the practicalities of the journey and the experience we had while travelling. You are free to decide which cities you want to visit and which you want to skip. This worked (mostly) for us - you should write a blog post about your own experiences.

London To Brussels

Eurostar St Pancras is dangerously crowded and needs tearing down. You can use RealTimeTrains to see your departure platform before it is announced - that's useful for avoiding some of the queues.

The first-class service in Eurostar is lovely (even if it doesn't get you access to the lounge). Unfortunately, you need to book vegan meals a few days in advance - a deadline I missed. The veggie option was fine though.

Made it to Brussels where we hit our first snag.

Brussels to Hamburg

We'd booked some of our tickets months in advance. What we hadn't realised is that construction work had been announced and our train would be getting is much later than we anticipated.

Neither Interrail (who we booked the seat reservations through) nor DB (who had our contact details) thought to tell us about the change in journey. Nevertheless, we jumped on a train and had a pleasant enough trip up to Germany.

The Interrail refund form is ridiculously complicated and asks for various screenshots. There really ought to be a big "DB Screwed Up" button for an instant refund. Still, after a couple of days the refund came through.

Hamburg to Copenhagen

There's a DB lounge at the station. We received suspicious stares at our Interrail passes which then necessitated deep examination of our seat reservation by two people. Begrudgingly they let us in. There were comfortable seats and some free drinks. It was mostly quiet until various children started crying.

The train was gentle and slow. 1st class got a snack included - veggie but not vegan. For the first time since leaving the UK there were passport checks which were friendly.

At one point there was a quiet announcement in German. We didn't think much of it until everyone started getting off the train. Turns out one of the carriages had suffered a failure and we were turfed out at Nyborg. Approximately 1,000 passengers attempted to board the next available train - it looked like an utter crush. So we waited for the one after that.

We were treated to a train with spectacular panoramic windows as it went over The Bridge.

A friendly guard told us where to change. Arrived a little late and filled in the Interrail compensation form again.

Copenhagen to Göteborg

The lounge in Copenhagen was basic but fine. A few bowls of fruit and a coffee machine but nothing else. Weirdly no train display.

The train had power sockets on the ceiling - along with headphone jacks! Was a little strange seeing cables dripping down from the ceiling. The 1st class seats were a little roomier than standard, but not much in it. Ticket inspector looked confused at Interrail passes but didn't challenge us.

Göteborg to Oslo

Trains were frequent enough that we didn't bother with advance seat reservations. No 1st class, but the quiet zone was spacious enough. Again, a brief glance at the tickets rather than scanning them.

I was heartily impressed to see snack vending machines on a train! Better than someone pushing a cart through I reckon.

Oslo to Stockholm

There were no signs on seats to say reserved and the service was very full. But we got our seats without a problem. There was free fruit and tea / water in the 1st class carriage. WiFi speeds were excellent.

Stockholm to Helsinki (overnight ferry)

Annoyingly, the ferry terminal is a rather long distance from the nearest tram stop which was a bit of an arse.

The check-in to the ferry warns of extra costs if you have the temerity to use the staffed counters - but the automatic check in wouldn't work with our tickets. They wanted to check that we were eligible for the Interrail discount, so we showed them the app - we didn't have to spend a travel day though. They printed out our tickets and didn't charge us extra.

The boat itself was gorgeous. Obviously not full - many of the bars were empty and the disco was dead - but surprisingly they put on a full song and dance show as entertainment. We'd made reservations at one of the fancy restaurants, which was perfectly nice. It was breathtakingly beautiful outside.

The room was basic, but much easier to sleep in than an overnight train. Unfortunately, I fucked up with the timezones. Stockholm is UTC+1 and Helsinki is at UTC+2. I set my alarm an hour too early!

The breakfast buffet was very well stocked for veggie and vegans. Massive queue before opening but not too crowded.

Helsinki to Tallinn (day ferry)

Terminal was a short walk from the tram. It was spacious and had plenty of seating. Again we couldn't use the automated check in and had to show our Interrail apps. Ferry was small but plenty of room to sit or go shopping.

Tallinn to Riga

Slightly confusing process to buy the tickets as they only went on sale a few weeks before departure. No seat reservations for the first half of the journey - we were slightly worried by the number of people waiting for the three-carriage train. In the end there was plenty of space. Again, 1st class a bit roomier than standard but not dramatically so.

The ticket inspector gave a confused look at the Interrail pass and issued us with a receipt for €0.00!

The train had an onboard ticket vending machine with contactless payments and, delightfully, some bowls of water for dogs.

We changed at Valga which was simple - literally walk across the platform to the waiting train. It was a little more crowded, but plenty of seats.

Riga to Vilnius

1st class was a bit crowded but pleasant until the boomer Brits started ignoring the quiet carriage signs. They were shut up by the guard. Complimentary sparkling water.

Vilnius to Warsaw

There is a VIP lounge in Vilnius - but it is little more than a quiet space with a loo and water fountain. All the snacks and hot drinks were chargeable. We didn't actually have access to it this trip - but the Riga to Vilnius trip did. We scanned our previous ticket reservations to get in.

We weren't able to book seats - because the service said it was sold out. However the train was half empty. No 1st class, but there was WiFi and power, so no complaints from me.

On having our tickets checked we were told that there was 1st class, but we couldn't use it with our Interrail passes. As with most European trains, announcements were in English.

The change at Mockava was easy - we walked to the next platform. We'd booked seats in a little 6 seater cabin - sadly the air con was little more than homeopathic. Even cracking open the window did nothing but waft hot air over us. Fairly full train, toilets were adequate, but the heat was stifling. Even worse, no WiFi!

The train occasionally stopped for several minutes at a time. The crew just opened the doors to let a breeze in - very little health-and-safety culture here!

Mind you, we also saw people crossing the tracks to get to their platform. Yikes!

There were passport checks by armed guards. Brief and inoffensive.

Warsaw to Berlin

Despite the extreme heat, it left on time. This 6 berth 1st class carriage was a bit bigger than the last - and the aircon actually worked.

We were treated to complementary water, juice, and a vegan snack bar! The train driver sounded their horn at every opportunity which wasn't exactly relaxing.

Berlin to München

No vegan currywurst on the DB menu any more 😭.

Annoyingly, we were kicked off at Nuremberg - despite most announcements being made in English this one wasn't, but we figured it out. A train came fairly quickly, so we weren't too late.

München to Verona

There is a 1st class DB lounge but it isn't open to OBB/Interrail scum. Luckily there were plenty of food options for vegans in station. No vegan currywurst on train but several other options.

This was one of two reservations which demanded that it be printed out onto paper and under no circumstances would it be accepted from a screen. That was a lie. Showing the code on-screen was fine.

Verona to Milan

Such a frequent service that no reservations were needed. Annoyingly, the train windows were covered with graffiti so it was impossible to see out. Ticket inspector barely glanced at our tickets. WiFi didn't work. Crowded and a bit noisy. Air con just about coped with the heat.

Milan to Basel

The Interrail app seemed certain that we had to change a dozen times for this journey. Instead, I found a direct train to Olten. The 1st class seats were massive and had a handy compartment for smaller bags. Windows were huge. Again, our passes and reservation were barely glanced at.

As we arrived in Olten there was a train a couple of platforms away which was direct to Basel. Bit of a dash to get it. No 1st class, but it was a double-decker so we got to sit upstairs, which is just as good!

Basel to Paris

The only thing better than 1st class is upstairs on 1st! Big comfy reclining seats. Packed train with not much luggage space. As ever with trains travelling to France, there were warnings about labelling luggage correctly but no one seemed to do it. Zero vegan options on board. C'est la vie!

Paris to London

What a blessing to witness so many people's first ever attempt to queue for a train 🙄

Mad queues to get in to the departure lounge - but the train departed and arrived on time. I'd remembered to pre-book a vegan option which was tasty and also included a dairy-free chocolate bar. Eurostar's WiFi is shit but 5G worked OK.

What's Next?

Doing Interrail trips like this is brilliant. The trains are usually a lot more relaxing than flying, it's more convenient to arrive in a city centre, and they're less polluting.

Would we do a trip like this again? It's certain a lot of travel. We weren't very spontaneous - most of the trip was planned out way in advance, along with hotels. Having 2-4 days in each place is like taking a series of minibreaks, which is delightful. But it can be exhausting. I don't want to complain that my diamond tiara is too tight, but there comes a point where there is such a thing a too much holiday.

We still have several more European countries to visit; although not all are easy to get to by train. Perhaps we'll fly in somewhere, take the train around, then fly back? Or spend a week only in one country?

If you have tips for further adventures - please let us know!

I packed a bunch of snack bars, stocked up Google translate with suitable phrases, and resigned myself to having to pick the ham out of a salad while my wife dined on local specialities. Ah well, I can survive on bread and olives, I guess.

As it happens, I was wrong. Totally and utterly wrong. From Bratislava to Zagreb, I had my fill of tasty veggie treats without fuss. Even the trains weren't too bad.

Here's a quick run-down of what worked and what went (slightly) awry. Or skip to the photos.

On-Train Dining

This was the most variable experience.

The Deutsche Bahn trains had an web site which let you order to your seat! I tried the vegan currywurst which was excellent for train-food. Similarly, the tofu-curry was better than I expected, and was washed down with a lovely radler.

Some of the Czech trains had a selection of sandwiches and salads which were veggie and vegan.

Breakfast on the sleepers was pastry (with dairy) and some fruit. The train from Germany to Paris had a single vegan dish - grated carrot!

The Eurostar back to the UK served up a perfectly fine salad, with yoghurt on the side. They were very good at getting me some non-dairy spread for my bread.

Some trains had no dining car, or only took cash, or nothing veggie. So it is always worth stocking up before travelling. Which leads me on to…

Supermarkets

While other countries don't have the same pre-packed sandwich culture as the UK, you can always find crisps, snack bars, instant noodles, and - sometimes - pre-packed salads.

The Ⓥ symbol is pretty universal - but it's handy to know what the local word is for "Milk". Across Europe, labelling rules are pretty strict, which is good because…

Allergens

The EU has a list of common food allergens. I think nearly every restaurant menu we saw had prominent labelling under each dish. Even if you can't translate exactly what you're eating, it is easy to spot a dish with dairy, eggs, etc.

Say, how do you find good restaurants to eat at?

Happy Cow to the Rescue!

I've spent 12 very happy years using Happy Cow - it list restaurants which are either pure veggie, or have decent veggie options. So before getting to a city, we found restaurants that looked promising.

In fairness, nearly every restaurant we passed had at least something vegetarian on the menu. Usually something cheesey or a side dish of vegetables. But Happy Cow showed us restaurants which had a good selection of omni dishes and veggie dishes. As Liz is an omni, we ate at a mix of places and, to be honest, some of the mixed restaurants were better than the veggie only ones!

You can read all my reviews on my profile.

Local Cuisine

It's no fun going to a brand new European country and only eating veggie sushi and Quorn sausages. Thankfully, we had a great range of local cuisine done in the veggie style.

In Frankfurt I had a vegan Sausage with cabbage salad and home fried potatoes, paired with some lovely apfelwein. I had various simulacrums of local dumplings in sauce, the traditional sandwich with a veggie twist, and the world famous cake make without dairy. Lush!

Of course, it isn't all local dishes for local people. We also went to a very strange influencer restaurant in Slovenia who were happy to chat about which dishes were suitable.

Cultural Hegemony

Despite Brexit, English is still widely spoken. When we tried speaking in the local language we were immediately handed an English menu! And, on the few occasions that didn't happen, Google Translate is basically magic.

Lots of the dishes may be strange to you. That's OK, it is all part of the adventure. But, if you do freak out…

In An Emergency

In every city in Europe, I guarantee you'll find one of the following:

• A falafel stand which claims to cook the only authentic falafel in town.
• A Chinese takeaway with an excellent selection of tofu dishes.
• An Indian restaurant who can do a range of "pure vegetarian" meals.
• A big chain fast-food place,

Luckily, I didn't have to resort to a veggie whopper or a KFC vegetable wrap, but it was nice to know I could fall back on them if needed.

Where it went wrong

There were only a few hiccoughs. Some of the restaurants had slow service or rude staff - but you get that in any restaurant.

One veggie place we went to served the worst vegan schnitzel I've ever tried. Tasted like flattened cardboard coated with crumbled disappointment.

I was pretty sure one of the packet of crisps I bought was milk free, but on closer inspection I was mistaken. Off to vegan jail for me!

Should I Do This?

Yes! If you follow a veggie or vegan diet, Europe is very accommodating. We found kebab shops which only did plant-based dishes, high class restaurants with a couple of incredibly inventive dishes, and everything in between.

Sure, the options on trains can be a bit dicey sometimes, and there's always the suspicion that the waiter has mistaken your order, but it is basically fine.

Nearly every restaurant has a website where you can check the menu in advance, and most of them support online reservations.

Honestly, there's never been a better time to be a veggie in Europe.

Photos

Please enjoy these various shots of delicious food from across Europe.

There are lots of companies which will sell you a pre-designed package Interrailing tour - but we decided to tread our own path. We spent a few weeks poring over maps and rail planners, scouring booking.com for hotels, and working out where we would stop for laundry!

This is a practical look at our itinerary, how we booked the journeys, and the travel snags we faced. If you think you can do better, please write your own blog post.

London to Amsterdam

The Eurostar itself is the most civilised way to travel. Get on train in city centre, a few hours later get off train in a foreign city centre.

The pre-travel experience isn't great. St Pancras is, sadly, dangerously overcrowded. Tried to get into the Premium lounge but even with 1st class tickets we were rebuffed. We also had the wrong sort of Amex for access.

Also annoyingly, there are only limited 1st class seats available for Interrail passengers. So our choice was 1st class with a change in Brussels or standard direct. We went direct so we didn't have to faff with a change. The seating in modern Eurostar trains is fairly spacious.

Amsterdam to The Hague & Back

The Interrail app made this simple. Go to the journey planner, pick a train, add it to your journey.

The massive Aztec Code opened the gates, and we strolled on to a train and sat upstairs. The return was just as simple.

Amsterdam to Frankfurt

Our first attempt at buying reservations. Annoyingly, the Interrail app punts you out to their website. Even more annoyingly, they cheekily add a booking fee - we found out later that DB's website (which has an English version) is fee free.

There's also no ability to select your seats with the Interrail website.

Again, a painless journey. The vegan currywurst was more than adequate for train food. The police passed through the train at one point checking passports - so useful to keep your papers close to hand.

WiFi was free and had a bunch of entertainment services if you get bored of looking out the window.

Frankfurt to Zurich

Frankfurt station has a 1st class lounge - but not for Interrail passengers. Thankfully the main station has plenty of seating.

The night before departure, the Interrail app said seat reservations weren't necessary, but the DB website recommended them. Reservations were easy in the DB site and it let us pick our seats - only 6 were showing as available. We got on and the train was packed, so it was certainly worth the few Euro for a reservation.

No police checks but, on departing Basel's Swiss station, the guard checked passports.

Zurich to Brugg & back

A quick hop over to visit a castle. No barrier checks at Zurich's station. It is quite large, so worth leaving a few extra minutes to walk all the way down to the platforms.

Incredibly roomy 1st class on the upper deck.

We walked all the way to a minor station, hopped on a train back to the city.

After walking for an hour to a little bar where we met some friends, we found another little station to take us home. We didn't even have time to climb the stairs before we were back!

Zurich Cruise

The various benefits of the Interrail ticket aren't always obvious. We went on a lake cruise and were pleasantly surprised to discover that we got 50% off the 1st class tickets. We sat in the sunshine and took in the surrounding glamour.

Zurich to Prague Sleeper

This was one of our anchor journeys. 10 weeks before departure, we booked a private sleeper compartment.

We arrived at the station an hour early and had a slightly nervous wait for the train to appear on the departure board. Confusingly, there were two sleepers listed in the app, with subtly different routes but the same departure and arrival times.

Turns out, the train splits, with half going to Prague and the rest elsewhere. The train arrived about 15 minutes before departure, which was a little unnerving!

The private carriage had four free bottles of mineral water and some slippers, which was a nice touch.

Beer and wine was available to buy. There was a vegetarian breakfast, but nothing vegan other than a bread roll and a bottle of fruit juice.

Sleep was possible, although the starting and stopping of the train is quite disturbing.

No border checks. So we stepped off into the city centre.

Prague Public Transport

We paid about £11 for unlimited trams, buses, and metro for 3 days. Well worth it!

Prague to Bratislava

Annoyingly the Interrail app doesn't let you select seats, so it is always a hop off to the provider's website to select from a seating map. I wouldn't mind, but Interrail have the temerity to charge an inflated price for seat reservations plus a booking fee.

I found it was cheapest to book reservations directly on https://CD.cz - note that they have shitty customer service for when things go wrong.

For example, our 1st class carriage was cancelled! We received an email after we had boarded changing us to 2nd class. Not ideal but we eventually battled through the crowds to get to our seats. Well, somewhere close to our seats.

No border inspection, but the ticket checker wanted to make sure our IDs matched our tickets.

WiFi was a bit rubbish, kept disappearing, but I was eventually able to submit a refund request for our seat reservations.

Bratislava to Budapest

A 10 minute delay in departure led to a 20 minute delay in arrival, but the 1st class carriage was available. We each got a free bottle of water. No toilet paper or hand driers in the loos. No passport checks at the border.

Budapest Public Transport

An utter failure! Despite the machine being in English, we just couldn't work out how to buy a single bus ticket. So we walked.

Budapest to Vienna

Slightly confusingly there are multiple stations which go to Vienna. Neither of which were the station we arrived at!

The Interrail app, once again, wouldn't let us book seat reservations - so I registered for yet another train provider's website.

Keleti station has a 1st class lounge. Basic drinks and snacks available - although the only vegan food was pistachios 😆

The lounge was right next to the Vienna train's platform, which made for a relaxing wait.

At seat dining service, although the web-based ordering system was a bit slow. Had a surprisingly decent tofu curry and beer.

No passport checks and only 5 minutes late.

Vienna Public Transport

Very easy to buy a 24 hour pass - all the machines spoke English. Tickets were pre-validated so we could jump on and off throughout our stay.

Vienna to Graz

The OBB lounge is available to 1st class Interrail holders. So a relaxing wait for the train. Some snacks and drinks available.

Departed and arrived on time. Only thing of note was that a couple of the toilets were out of order.

Graz to Ljubljana

Graz station also has a 1st class lounge. Our Interrail tickets didn't work on the automatic scanner, but the ÖBB agent took pity on us and opened the door. Plenty of snacks and drinks available.

One of the few journeys where we couldn't choose our seats when reserving. As a result, we were assigned to seats at opposite ends of the only 1st class carriage. Luckily, it wasn't very full so we grabbed two free seats next to each other.

No WiFi on the train, which was odd. That said, the quality of WiFi has been highly variable on these journeys.

The dining car was cute but cash only. The only vegan thing on the menu was a salad.

Train was old and rickety, came in a few minutes late.

Long wait at the border and a couple of ticket checks - but no passport inspection.

Ljubljana to Zagreb

Train arrived on time, but no 1st class compartments. A fair few disgruntled Interraillers. No WiFi on the fairly decrepit train. But the 2nd class carriage had little compartments of 6 seats, so it wasn't too bad.

No power sockets, so glad I had my big battery with me. No air con, although the windows could be dragged open. No food or drink that I could see either. Primitive toilets.

Tickets were checked once we were over the border, but no passport control.

Czech railways, who sold us the 1st class reservation, refused a refund because we couldn't prove there was no 1st class! They refused to check with the train operator. So I filed a credit card dispute.

Zagreb Public Transport

Like other cities, there's a 24 and 72 hour pass for unlimited rides. We got the Zagreb Card which also came with entry to a bunch of museums.

Trams were plentiful. No need to show your ticket unless an inspector appears. Stops were announced in Croatian and English. Some trams were clean and modern, others ancient and filthy.

Zagreb to Stuttgart Sleeper

Another "tent-pole" journey booked weeks in advance. We managed to get a private berth for two - but without a toilet / washing facilities.

Zagreb station has left-luggage lockers which were big enough for our massive packs.

Train arrived 40 minutes early. Unfortunately, there was a problem without our coach so, after much shunting, a new one was procured. Rather than a 2 person berth, we got a 6 person couchette - albeit all to ourselves.

No WiFi, but plenty of phone signal along the line. One toilet didn't have soap, the other had no paper. Choose wisely!

At 0415 we crossed the border to Germany. Whereupon the police boarded, knocked loudly on our door, and demanded to see our passports.

I'll be honest, it wasn't the best quality sleep I've ever had! Breakfast was a pre-packaged chocolate croissant. No vegan option, but we did get some bottled water.

Given the reservation was over €200, we were somewhat underwhelmed!

Stuttgart Public Transport

Find a machine at the U-Bahn, select English, pay a few € for a day pass. As with every other country there are no ticket barriers and you don't have to present your ticket to the driver.

Stuttgart to Ludwigsburg & back

Cheeky little day-trip on our last full day. Trains every 10 minutes. 1st class available on the way out, but not the way back. But, for a 13 minute journey on a clean and modern train, it was hardly noticeable.

Stuttgart to Paris

The trip I'd been dreading. Given Deutsche Bahn's reputation for poor timekeeping, I was worried we'd miss our connection in Paris.

We reserved the seats before we started the whole adventure as Interrail said they were selling quickly. Fair enough for a peak time morning service and, indeed, the train was crammed.

The TGV 9576 was a bit shabby. Even in 1st class some seats were torn and there were mystery stains on the ceiling. The luggage rack had just about enough space for everyone's bags.

The Interrail app was pretty good at keeping us informed of the likely arrival times. Although it thought the train would arrive late into Stuttgart instead it came early and departed on time. It also said there could be mandatory bag inspections and to allow an extra 20 minutes for boarding. That didn't happen though; we just strolled straight on.

On train WiFi worked once the train departed. There were some locally hosted podcasts, movies, train information, and food ordering.

Literally the only vegan option was grated carrot. Bienvenue en France!

Some of the toilets had no paper so, just like China, remember to carry your own!

Paris to London

Much like the journey out, this was booked months in advance. That allowed us to get first class seats for the journey back.

A quick walk in the rain from Garre L'Est to Nord. The standard route takes you up a flight of stairs, which isn't ideal with luggage. The walkway between the stations isn’t yet complete. Luckily there is an alternative route.

The Eurostar terminal only lets you in 2 hours before departure. The lounge is only for Premier Mega Extra Special customers, so we sat in the main station.

Once on the train the "Plus" seats aren't noticeably more comfortable than the standard seats although they are a bit larger.

Departure was on time. As we were travelling in "Plus", we got a complimentary meal. There wasn't a vegan option, so I spooned the yogurt off my salad bowl. The cabin crew found me some margarine for my bread. Wine was nice!

Train arrived perfectly on time. But disembarking was delayed because of another train on the opposite platform.

Statistics

The Interrail Android app has a nifty little summary of all the journeys you've taken. I'm not sure if that time accounts for delays (probably not) - but the rest seems accurate.