Yzabelle Bostyn
RESPECTED newspaper The Times has named a Spanish interrailing route one of the best in Europe.
Train expert Andrew Eames has revealed his top interrailing picks around Europe, with Spain earning a coveted spot.
He recommends travelling by train for any age, not just gap year 20-somethings.
Photo: Interrail
“With the flexibility of an interrail pass and one of the following multi-nation adventure itineraries you’ll get to enjoy all the dreamy window-gazing and buzzy nightlife of your youth, with one difference: this time you can stay in a hand-picked hotel (with your own private loo) close to the centre of the action,” he said.
Among his top picks was a two-week route around Spain, passing through Paris and Avignon along the way.
The journey requires a €380 euro pass allowing seven days of travel within one month.
Although the trip starts in London, expats who live in Spain could take on the journey backwards before heading home from London or simply turn around from the final French destination.
Eames’ recommended route for Brits starts with a Eurostar from London to Paris, where you can explore the newly renovated Notre Dame and artsy Montmartre neighbourhood.
Then, take a TGV fast train (three hours) from Gare de Lyon to Avignon, where you can visit an expansive gothic palace.
The third step is to take a picturesque trip from Avignon to Carcassonne, rising above the Languedoc-Roussillon vineyards along the way.
Once there, you can connect with Spain’s high-speed AVE network, travelling to Madrid in just under seven hours.
After admiring the famous Retiro Park, Plaza Mayor and Gran Via, Eames recommends checking out the nightlife before noshing down on some well earned churros.
Next on the itinerary is a three hour jaunt to the sun soaked city of Malaga.
“The final journey is from Madrid to Malaga, across the mountains of Andalucia, coming to a halt in this elegant Costa del Sol beach resort, birthplace of Picasso, for culture and sunbathing,” he said.
The trip ends with a six hour train to Barcelona, where visitors can explore architectural monuments, trendy barrios and world-class restaurants.
Eames then recommends hopping on a high-speed service back to Paris before the Eurostar to London.
The train expert’s other picks included a two week trip from the Alps to the Mediterranean.
“Head to beautiful Lucerne in Switzerland, before crossing the Alps into Italy and winding your way down to Cinque Terre on the Mediterranean coast,” Eames said.
Another top choice is the ‘central Europe’ route which ‘takes in some of the most impressive cities in central Europe, with stops in Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary.’
