Packing for an Interrail is an art that you perfect with the Interrails. After crossing Europe on four different journeys, we learned the hard way that every gram counts when you are running to catch a train in Rome or climbing hostel stairs in Budapest.
Forget the generic lists you find online. This guide is the result of years testing what actually works in night trains and cramped bunks. We gathered the absolute essentials so you can travel light and safe without feeling like you are carrying your entire house on your back. If you want to avoid the mistakes we made in our first trips, this is the only list you will need to navigate the continent like a pro.
Documentation to take in a InterRail,
- __ Train Ticket to the Border (you cannot use the InterRail Ticket in your own country).
- __ Interrail Pass: If you use the mobile version, make sure the Rail Planner app is updated. If you have the paper pass, do not lose your Travel Diary.
- __ InterRail Map.
- __ Passport (Check if it is required in any of the countries you are planning on visiting).
- __ ID card (check the expiry date).
- __ Photocopy of your ID card.
- __ Travel and Health Insurance (Optional).
- __ European Health Insurance Card (EHIC): It is free and vital for medical assistance in Europe.
- __ Travel Guide.
- __ European Rail Timetable: you can also search online but the book helps you a lot.
Money,
- __ Credit Card.
- __ Contactless app on phone.
- __ Emergency Cash: Always keep 50€ hidden in a different spot from your wallet for any unforeseen event.
Health and Personal Hygiene,
- __ First aid kit.
- __ Spare contact lenses / glasses.
- __ Prescription medicines (and medical documentation for the medicines you take).
- __ Soap, Shampoo, Tooth Brush, Tooth Paste.
- __ Shaving products.
- __ Feminine hygiene products.
- __ Quick-Dry Towel.
Clothes
- __ Underwear.
- __ Socks.
- __ Comfortable Footwear.
- __ Trousers / Skirts / Dresses.
- __ T-shirts / Shirts / Blouses/ Tops.
- __ Sweaters.
- __ Swimwear.
- __ Rain coat / jacket.
- __ Puff (if travelling to cold weather)
Gadgets and Miscellaneous,
- __ Sleeping Bag or Sleeping Bag Liner.
- __ Day Backpack (take a bag that is big enough to carry your food, water and gear you will ned for the day).
- __ Phone (and charger).
- __ Power Bank(for a interrail i would recomend a small 5000mAh so that you can leave it charging in hostels and later charge your phone).
- __ Sunglasses.
- __ Swiss Army Knive.
- __ Pen and Diary. (Optional).
- __ Combination Padlock: Forget key locks. Losing a tiny key in a hostel is a nightmare. Use a combination lock for your locker.
- __ Address of family and friends. (in case you want to send post cards).
