Interrailing Through Austria and Italy: A 2 Week Itinerary

Last summer, we decided to go on an interrail trip around Europe focussing on Austria and Italy. We travelled for two weeks across these beautiful countries, seeing sights from St. Marks Square in Venice to the rolling hills of Salzburg. It was an unforgettable trip, and so I thought I would write you guys an itinerary of where we went and what we got up to. Overall though, if you have never been interrailing and are reading this, you just have to go – you won’t regret it!

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Day 1: London – Brussels

We began with an early trip to the Eurostar Station at St. Pancras. We had spent all week packing the essentials; clothes, sun-cream, travel wash and a copious amount of snacks for the journey ahead. After a tasty morning coffee and pastry, we took our seats aboard the Eurostar train, ready to depart on a thrilling adventure. After a rather speedy train journey, we eventually arrived at our stop for the night, Brussels. There are of course some must-do things in Brussels, and these primarily orbit around the idea of eating lots of tasty food, sampling those delicious waffles, those quintessential Belgian chocolates and, given a chance, more chocolate which together meant a very luxurious ‘diet’ and a chocoholic’s dream. (That’s not even including the superb supper we had at a local fish restaurant just off Grand Place.) As dusk arrived, it was time to head back to the hotel for an early night. We were scheduled to be up at 05:00 the next day, and like all good travel bloggers, I needed some beauty sleep…

Day 2: Brussels – Cologne – Munich – Salzburg

Our ICE (Inter-City-Express) train pulled out of Brussels (Midi) Station at 06:25 and we were soon on our way, travelling at speed through the Belgian countryside towards Liège and the German border. As we had a long day in front of us we were looking forward to our first stop which was to be Cologne (Köln) and breakfast. After a break of an hour or so we were on the move again, bound for Munich and lunch! Another break, which allowed us to sample some good, wholesome Bavarian dishes and time to spare, we were able to explore a few of the sights found in the centre of Munich and the picturesque Marienplatz. The final leg of the day’s journey took us through the hills and countryside of southern Germany and across the border into Austria and our destination, Salzburg. Having checked into the hotel we set off to explore the Mirabell Gardens (famous for scenes in the Sound of Music) and the Old Town, where we managed to find ourselves a characterful traditional restaurant which offered a sizzling plate of Käsespätzl (Jack’s first taste of real Austrian food).

Day 3: Salzburg

Time to revisit the Old Town, climb up to the Hohensalzburg Castle, which dominates the city, and stroll through the streets and market places of Mozart’s birthplace, taking in as we went, several of the beautiful churches. After a good explore of this fantastic city, we hopped aboard the Sound of Music Tour Bus and as we travelled along visiting those well-known backdrops to the film sang to our hearts content throughout the afternoon! The music was contagious and before long everybody on board was adding to the, not always melodic, version of those classic songs. A real highlight was eating home-made apple strudel outside the famous church in Mondsee, where Maria and the Captain get married. After the tour, 4 hours from start to finish, we finished off the day by dining in the hotel before saying so-long, farewell (auf wiedersehen, adieu …… ) to Salzburg.

Day 4: Salzburg – Vienna

Our journey continued onwards to Vienna started just after 10:00 and after two-and-a-half hours, sat aboard the high-speed Railjet, we were pulling into the modern, and not long finished, Vienna main station. It was a short tram ride across the city to our hotel in the Mariahilf district of town where we were able to leave our bags before setting out into the centre. We started our explore in the heart of Vienna, visiting St Stephan’s Cathedral, the Hofburg and, of course, popping into the renowned coffee house of Demel for a drink and a slice of cake. Our evening was spent gorging ourselves on yet more traditional cuisine in The place for Schnitzel, Figlmüller, and catching up with old friends.

Day 5: Vienna

We started off the day by visiting the baroque palace and former residence of the Habsburgs, Schloss Schönbrunn. The sun was already shining brilliantly, and the temperature was rising fast, so after a quick tour of the gardens we decided to begin the climb up towards the Gloriette which provided us with a glorious view of the palace and grounds, as well as the city in the background. The climb had been demanding and we needed a rest and rehydration (that’s what we said!) so we treated ourselves to some refreshments in the café and watched as the Viennese and well-to-do tourists indulged themselves with a Sisi breakfast and feasted in the ‘Imperial way’. The second half of the day took us back into the city centre, starting at the Stadtpark, an oasis of peace, tranquillity and home to the many statues commemorating past Viennese artists, writers and composers. Then we moved on to Schloss Belvedere where we enjoyed an hour or two wandering through the palace’s gardens. The day had passed far too quickly, and it was soon time for an evening meal (at Vapianos) and then to get ourselves ready for another early morning and our long journey down south and into Italy.

Day 6: Vienna – Venice – Padua

The seven and a half hour journey from Vienna to Padua took us through beautiful countryside and we enjoyed views of the rolling hills, the lush vegetation, the rivers, the lakes, and later the mountains as our train ate up the miles. At 15:00 we made it to Padua and were pleased to get to the hotel and freshen up after the journey. The late afternoon was spent wandering into the city via the Porta Ognissanti (or Portello) – one of the remaining medieval gateways of the city – and before long we had made it to the Piazza Garibaldi, marking our arrival in central Padua. Before an authentic Pizza dinner we were able to take in Padua’s sights such as Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza dei Frutti, the unique Basilica of St Anthony and the Prato della Valle.

Day 7: Padua (Venice)

At 09:21 we boarded our train to Venice and we were soon crossing the causeway, with our first views across the lagoon and the skyline of the almost mythical city. Despite the sweltering heat we made the most of our day and ticked off the sights we wanted to see; the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge, St Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace. In true Italian fashion we also kept ourselves refreshed with numerous scoops of gelato, sampling sorbet and ice cream flavours from gelaterias across the city. (You just can’t get enough of such mouth-watering delights, can you?)

Day 8: Padua (Trieste)

Trieste was calling, and so after making the most of the hotel’s substantial buffet breakfast, we boarded our train and made our way along the coastline towards the city. Once we had arrived, our first stop was the Villa Miramare, a short bus ride from the station. The dazzling white castle with its turrets, brilliant in the sunshine and with blue skies behind, sat beside the azure coloured waters of the Adriatic and created an almost Disneyesque image. After an hour or so we retraced our steps and made our way back into central Trieste and began our ‘tour’ in the Piazza Sant’ Antonio Nuovo before heading into the Piazza Unità d’Italia, the true heart of the city. After a stroll along the waterfront, we decided it was time for lunch, and once refuelled we continued with a trip to the cathedral and the Roman Theatre. It was soon time to make our way back to Padua to once again prepare for the following day’s journey, which would take us west across the top of Italy to Turin.

Day 9: Padua – Venice – Turin

After 3 hours aboard the high-speed Frecciarossa train we were pulling in to Turin. Our day in the new surroundings started at Eataly, a food hall promoting the very best of Italian produce, before we hopped aboard the Metro to discover what one of Italy’s former capitals had to offer. The elegant baroque-style Piazza San Carlo, the Royal Palace, cathedral and the Palatine gate provided us with plenty to see!

Day 10: Turin

Day 2 in Turin saw us travel to the outskirts of the city to visit La Venaria Reale (the royal residences of the House of Savoy). After a quick drink to cool us down in the already 35 degree heat, we made our way in to the royal grounds. Our tour of the gardens took us along the northern boundary of the palace to the landscaped floral gardens and the eastern end of the long central alley of Hercules with its canal stretching out into the distance, beyond which stood the peaks of the Western Alps. The afternoon saw us back into the city with one of our aims being to visit the distinctive Mole Antonelliano. Standing some 167.5 metres and topped with a 4-faced dome, crowned by an impressive spire, the Mole was, at the time of completion, the tallest unreinforced brick building in the world. Nowadays the building is home to both a Museum of Cinema and a shaft-less glass elevator that transports the intrepid visitor up through the void to the terrace 85 metres above to gain a 360⁰ panoramic view across the city – an experience we didn’t want to miss out on!

Day 11: Turin – Aix les Bains

Our journey across the border into France ended up being slightly longer than anticipated as we were unable to travel on one of the high-speed trains (restricted number of seats available to Interrail Pass holders). Instead we took at a more leisurely pace travelling through the Susa valley to ski resort Bardonecchia, where we had a quick explore, and then Mondane which served as a transfer station. (In many ways the slower, stopping trains provided us with more time to admire the contrasting scenery of this beautiful part of the world.) At 14:00 we finally arrived in Aix-les-Bains, our base for the next 2 days, and, as always, we were ready for some lunch. After eating in Place du Revard, we made our way through the Parc Floral des Thermes and on to the rue Georges 1er, where we found steps to take us up the hill to the frontage of the Thermes Chevalley. It was then onto the lake where we spent some time enjoying the views.

Day 12: Aix les Bains (Annecy)

Another sunny day called for a day trip to one of France’s prettiest lakeside towns, Annecy. The journey by train took about forty minutes and we were soon able to begin our discovery of the so-called ‘Pearl of the French Alps’. Our day was spent walking along the lakefront, and following the geranium-lined canal, with the 12^th century Palais de l’Isle sitting majestically in its centre and exploring the streets and alleyways of the medieval old town. Feeling energetic we opted to climb up to the Chateau which offered some pretty views out across the town below, before returning down to the hustle and bustle below to find some lunch.

Day 13: Aix les Bains – Lyon

Leaving Aix les Bains, we headed onwards to Lyon. Our trip took us through yet more wonderful scenery and varied landscapes, which surprised us time and time again. At 10:00 we arrived in Lyon and after a quick stop at our hotel, we set out to explore the city. Place Bellecour, the Basilica of Notre-Dame and Fourvière hill, the Roman amphitheatre and the Old town with its many Traboules kept us occupied during the morning and early afternoon. After a quick and traditional Lyonnais lunch we continued our day across the river in the Opera district, before catching the bus up to La Croix-Rousse for an evening stroll around this rather more bohemian and laid-back part of town.

Day 14: Lyon – Paris

From one French city to another. We arrived into Paris Gare du Lyon just before lunchtime and after a quick bite to eat it was time to start exploring. We hopped aboard a bus which took us across to the edge of the Latin quarter. The rest of our day was spent seeing the sights including the Pantheon, Luxembourg Palace and its gardens and strolling through the quaint streets of St Germain du Pres.

Day 15: Paris

Up before the crowds we set out for our first stop of the day, the Trocadero. It was a bit grey and hazy but we were still able to enjoy the view of the Eiffel Tower ahead of us. Our next port of call was Les Invalides before we made our way back across the Seine in the direction of the Louvre, and of course the Champs Elysees and the Arc du Triomphe. The afternoon and evening took us up to Montmartre where we absorbed the bohemian atmosphere and enjoyed the views of Paris.

Day 16: Paris – London

With the best part of eight hours before our Eurostar to London, we still had things to see and do. First stop was a trip up the Arc du Triomphe and a spot of window shopping along the Champs Elysees before we cut across town to Opera and the Grands Boulevards. We stopped for brunch at Angelina and then slowly made our way back to Gare du Nord. Our holiday was very quickly at a close, but what a two week adventure it had been!

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I really hope you enjoyed reading this post about my trip interrailing through Austria and Italy. More posts from my trip will be featuring very soon!

Until then! Love V x