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College Tribune e | October 14th 2008
Features News
Travel
Going off the rails Jason Timmins details the ultimate inter-railing guide so you do something unprecedented, and get prepared early They say that travel broadens the mind. Inter-railing is of course the thing you do during your student days, it’s how to see the world (well Europe at least) and experience exotic drinks from far distant lands. There are two main categories of inter-railer. The first is the somewhat cultured version. They’ll be seen queuing up to visit local museums etc… the second type are those who travel in order to experience hangovers in four different time zones. Probably the best option to go for is a healthy balance of the two whereby you can expand on your knowledge of other cultures and at the same time party the night away in some of Europe’s finest capitals.
Tips of Travel So, tips of travel. First, you should have some idea of the cities and countries that you’re planning to visit. Also, it is advisable to check on the inter-rail website that your planned journey is possible, both geographically and in the time you have allocated. For example travelling from Stockholm straight to Athens probably won’t happen so planning is essential! What could be worse than arriving in the middle of Europe and not knowing where you’re going or how you have to get there. A good idea is to book your flight home before you leave Ireland. This will give you a final destination point and a time frame to work the rest of your journey into. It will also save you the embarrassing situation of having to beg on the side of the street or sell your body in order to get enough change to phone your parents and ask for a “loan” to purchase a ticket home. No amount of novelty genitalia key rings from Amsterdam will make it up to your parents if you’ve drank yourself through twelve countries, ran out of money, and ended up somewhere in Serbia trying to find a way home. Anyway, the inter-rail website will help you with all the initial stages of your journey, those details are best left to yourself.
Must-visit locations The first port of call could probably be the great city of Amsterdam. This is one of those must see places and there’s no better time to go than when you’re young and slumming it. Amsterdam has a reputation for being a somewhat sleazy sex ridden place (sounds like the perfect place to start your trip?) but af-
ter three trips I consider it one of the gems of Europe. Truly, it is an amazing cosmopolitan, multicultural all round remarkable city. The city has been given the nickname ‘the Venice of the north’ and it is undoubtedly well deserved. This metropolis has all the old world charm of the northern European cities with all the spice liveliness and glamour of our wonderfully decadent western culture, not to mention the canals. It’s absolutely full of places to see and things to do. Every corner has a remarkable view and every street its own history. The other great thing about Amsterdam is that it’s so easy too navigate your way around. One must-see sight In Amsterdam is of course the Anne Frank house. This is the actual location of the secret annex where Anne, her family and a number of others hid from the Nazis who had taken over Holland. Unfortunately Anne did not live to see the end of the war as she had so longed to, but her diary and the house did survive. Again this is one of those places that just get over run by tourists and so do try to get there early, the Van Gogh museum along with the Reijks museum are also very interesting. One more highly unusual museum: The sex museum is really cheap and a great laugh, well worth a visit. On the topic of sex you might want to know about that famous red light district. Well it really only consist of two streets which run at either side of one of the canals. Cannabis is legal in Holland and if you’re looking for some all you need do is head to a coffee shop and work away. However, this summer a smoking ban was introduced into Holland and so you have the odd situation of being permitted by law to smoke pure weed inside but not hash or weed mixed with tobacco. You can however find a few places still that have a separate room where you may smoke to your hearts content.
Paris Paris: the city of love. It is an enchanting place but the first thing you need to do is get to grips with the metro system because the city is huge. Your best memories may well be of the Eiffel tower at night and the markets along the river on the way to the Louvre which in itself is pretty neat. The Mona Lisa is one of those paintings you can boast about seeing but it will take you some time to actually get close to. It is doubtful you could
■ Venice
■ Vienna see the entire Louvre in a day so be picky when choosing what you want to see. Paris has a good nightlife and there are bars and clubs to suit you no matter what your tastes may be.
Vienna Vienna is the next notable city I’ll cover although I stayed in Zurich along the way. It was Sunday when we arrived in Zürich and everything was closed, so if this happens to you, you will spend a day drinking at the only bar open, the Oliver Twist and a night spent in the only club- one of Zurich’s gay bars. Here, you need to change money so be aware; you will spend more than you think. It is strange to find such a huge and sprawling city in such a small country. But when you realise that it was once the capital of a large and expansive empire it all makes sense. Vienna has so much to experience that you can feel totally exhausted after a day or two so best give yourself some time here if you intend to really see the place. The most important thing to know here is that even in July it’s just like Ireland and may rain at anytime so have an umbrella handy. Eating out is cheap in Vienna and so are clothes, drinks
and cigarettes so go wild. Also unlike Amsterdam and Paris you can smoke indoors so the rain doesn’t affect the smokers all that much. The city has a well-developed sub-way system but make sure you don’t forget your ticket, as it’s a 70 euro on the spot fine. One of the main sights in Vienna is the Hoffburg palace but you’ll need a few hours to see it properly. The zoo is just outside the city (you can get a train there) and is also worth a visit. All in al, Austria is a lovely country, the people are nice and the cakes are even nicer. Try out some beers while you’re there and some of the lovely Austrian food. The city is good to go out in but can be difficult to get around at night and also extremely easy to get lost in so head to a tourist office and grab a map as early as you can.
Venice If you are going to have a last stop, make it Venice. If Carlsberg made cities they would have built Venice. The only major downside to this place is the lack of nightlife. Most of the bars are around the piazza Santa Margarita. The only nightclub is the Piccolo Mundi that lies down one of the many back alleys. The city is one of the most
beautiful on earth and beautiful th fact that there are no cars the an anywhere in the city which is b built on a series of islands makes it the perfect peaceful place to rrelax and watch the world go by aas you sip an espresso. The most o obvious place to see is of course th the world famous Saint Mark’s S Square. It can be extremely p packed and you should watch out ffor pickpockets during the busy sseason. All around the city you’ll find great markets and don’t be aafraid to haggle about the price. A Although a ride on a gondola m may seem very romantic it will ccost you. If you’re staying on the m mainland make sure you know what time the last boat leaves at or you may have to pay through the roof for a water taxi. From the Venice of the north to the real thing, all that can be surmised is that inter-railing is one of the most rewarding experiences. Personally, it was the best trip I’ve ever had and I’m getting ready to do it all over again.
Last word The only last bit of advice I have is to bring a book. The train journeys can be long unless you stop at some of the minor towns and cities along the way, so unless you want three hours of I spy with the person next to bring something along to keep you from being bored or alternatively you could get most of your sleep while on the train. That leaves more time to party when you get off. Also, check at the train station before you get on a train to make sure you don’t need to book a seat and the time of the next train you need to get. Always keep your passport with you, this is very important. Make sure you have enough money and try not to overspend in your first city leaving you having to live off dry bread for the last part of the trip. Get planning now, and enjoy.