Walkabout In The UK

 TOTAL: Rail Miles: 1,354 ; Walk Miles: 36.42;

Much of this was originally posted on the excellent Facebook page Interrailing for the older crowd one of the few groups I regularly look forward to following these days due to the positive and informative discourse that takes place there, and the friendly contributors. A real rarity on FB.

As is my usual practice this is a summary of things that worked, and things to change next time around.

I've used the original post as a template and added the additional things I've remembered whilst compiling my daily trip reports, and added some pixs/links that the FB format doesn't readily support.

There is also a Google maps primer for those unused to it, but happy to experiment. 

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INTERRAIL TRIP REFLECTIONS

I visited Amsterdam, Assen area (day ticket), Cologne, Frankfurt via Rhine valley, Strasbourg and Paris on a 6 night/7 day trip using a 5 day Interrail Flexi Pass (5 days in 1 month)

KIT:

I used a cheap 40L backpack (Go outdoors: eurohike Tibet 40) with a change of clothes, toiletries, 1st aid kit, waterproof jacket a couple of books and that was it. (Except for a Android tablet) plus a powerbank & EU Travel Adapter Charger, 65W Power Plug with Multiple Ports. 

In practice powerbank was used twice. 

Mostly charged on the train as I went and adapter was small and superb at coping with dual equipment charging at a fast rate

Wasn't heavy and plenty of spare capacity.

Passport, money, phone, pen/notebook in a bumbag front facing, and covered by clothing when possible.

Worked wonderfully as I could put the pack between my legs on the train, and didn't have to worry about watching it on the luggage racks. Took it with me when I went to the toilet/restaurant car and made it a lot simpler to get on/off the trains. You only have to watch the fun people with wheely suitcases have trying to get on /off the train, and the lack of luggage space to store it on busy routes, to appreciate keep it light/keep it simple.

Tablet was loaded with copies of my printed passes, local train apps, train map apps & email access. Plan was to connect to the internet via wifi or mobilephone tethering (very easy to do) and use it as a fallback in case of emergency.

In practice I never used it & I wouldn't bother in future. 

TIP-TOILETRIES

I picked up a small set of containers for shampoo/bodywash and aftershave.

I already had a full size quick dry camping travel towel - useful in hostel but unnecessary in hotel

Managed 2 showers in 6 nights and returned with some still half full

TIP- FALLBACK FOR PHONE/PASS

Once home I found an old smartphone which I will clear and load up with similar material in future. My fall back in case the main phone fails and I need to transfer the Pass. 

(check sim will transfer across between kit!)

TIP- CHARGING ON TRAINS: 

The Eurostar, TGV and intercity services all had charging points at the seats although sometimes it took a bit of searching!

On Eurostar and TGV particularly your seat mate may be working/relaxing with a laptop. I regularly charged my phone (essential for planning/interrail pass) and Garmin watch tracker (it triggered each time I started a walk, so those back home had an idea of where I was in real time - less worry for them)

The watch in particular became power hungry, probably due to the demands of the GPS handling the large distance changes between walk starts, and the difficulties of GPS in an urban environment. Once home battery usage returned to normal

I quickly discovered - especially if you only see one socket (TGV?)  - grab it as soon as you sit down. 

I only needed a quick 20-30 minute recharge. The laptop user next to me would inevitably hog it for the whole journey only disconnecting minutes before arrival. And then move onto their next wifi enabled/power socket rich environment. I didn't have that luxury.

He who snoozes loses. 

Keep all you cables and charger in a side pocket/to hand so readily accessible to use.

TIP- RECHARGING IN EU:

Thanks to a post on the FB group I bought a simple multi adapter charger. Unlike the lower powered ones it maintained a strong charge despite having multiple devices plugged in. That included Samsung fast charge function.

Lightweight and easy to store away.

PASS:

Like many I was concerned about how the pass worked in operation. In practice it was very simple to use, and any changes to itinerary were easily made on the fly. No problem scanning at the station barriers.

A pity the app doesn't have a demo mode to try it out. I watched a couple of videos but using it in real life was really far simpler.

Honestly it really was!

TIP: UK RETURN TRAVEL

I had some idea of likely departure time for my trip back home from Waterloo. During the returning Eurostar I set up a number of alternative homeward bound trips on the Interrail app so that once at Waterloo I could select and activate the one I needed. Safer to do it sat in a train seat than standing on a busy rail station whilst staying aware of your surroundings.

 

ACCOMODATION:

I used booking <dot> com making reservations on my laptop and also loaded the app onto my phone. 

Bookings were simple to do and appeared on both platforms. 

I could also check recent reviews to get the feel for a place (I deliberately made a point of leaving objective reviews based on my stay)

It meant all my bookings were in one place and easier to manage. Also you are familiar with the site in case you need to make an emergency booking when travelling.

I'd be reluctant to using hostels again. I stayed in 2 and both were ok to sleep for the night, generally unfriendly & nothing like the UK YHA hostel/meeting like minded traveller experience.

Across all hostel/hotel stays only one offered kettle in the room. One had no coffee facilities on site at all.

TIP: EU PURCHASING POWER

If offered pay in euros on these platforms (you might have to search sometimes)

I've been using a CHASE card (no fee/soft credit check) for many years when travelling in the EU, or booking local services - even when sat in the UK making the purchase.

Effectively you are giving yourself a discount for the prices reduction Sterling/Pound. 

Often the sterling price will be quite close to the the euro price, when the euro price is apprx 10% less.

Similarly paying for goods when in the EU - pay in euros.

TIP: FOOD/REFRESHMENT

Parisian boulangeries tend to open at 6:30am and are unbeatable for coffee/pastry

Strasbourg started a little later 7:30-8:00 dependant on closeness to the station

All the bars I used were as equally happy to serve beer or coffee at any time of the day

Food/drink at the station tended to be expensive and not necessarily that great although nowhere near rip off UK/EU airport prices. I found walking 10 minutes or so away from the station produced a choice of better priced (and tastier) alternatives. 

I always used the local supermarket (Use google maps to help here) for small bottles of water which I picked up as  I went with one 500ml in use, and one spare. Also snacks for the train. Keeps the costs down.

Gare du Nord - there is a carrefour supermarket 2 mins outside the station and no road to cross. Water is in the downstairs section. It took me 3 visits before realising this is the main section. 

 

SAFETY:

After an initial exposure to the teeming crowds at St Pancras & Amsterdaam Central I never felt unsafe.

If I wanted to check my phone or transit screens I took care to stand with my back to a wall, ideally well out of the main concourse routes, but I do this in the UK as well.

Only sign of naughtiness was at Gare Nord, but as I was wandering in and out of the station with 3 hours to kill I was able to explore the whole area in depth & was keyed in to the ebb and flow of people in transit, and those who were working the station passengers.

Except for 1 taxi I walked everywhere covering 35-40 miles in the week. I found it the best way to get the feel of a location.

The main issue was the level of bicycle traffic which, dependant on the city could become quite menacing at times. Except for Cologne all the places I visited had very high cycle usage. I became very wary of pedestrian crossings, traffic lights and one way systems as it was quite easy to walk onto a cycleway, or get caught up with cyclists creating their own short cuts, especially the fast food delivery merchants on electric bikes. Oh and the bikes never slow down for anything!

My head was swivelling like an owl by the end of my trip, but after an initial adjustment I just made sure to do a 360 lookaround, before attempting any road crossing, and keep doing it as I crossed.

To put it in perspective, as a very occasional London visitor I find the city too fast, too busy and cyclists likely to come at you from all directions. When I passed through on my return London felt like a quiet backwater, especially after the madness of Parisienne traffic.

TIP: TRAFFIC & BICYCLES

In cities it can be a madhouse even for those used to their busy home towns.

Assume nothing, stay alert.

Learnt to use your eyes and ears at every road crossing, pedestrian crossing etc etc.

Learn to swivel your head like an owl!

LANGUAGE:

Never an issue. I've no Dutch, minimal German and a smattering of French.

Never a problem asking directions, ordering food or checking in.

You get very good at reading body language, and the brain's language centres seem to dredge up information from school lessons thought long lost.

(But no idea why I always wanted to use Portuguese to say thank you in France)

TIP: LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES

I used the Google Translator phone app.

Took 5 minutes to pick up how to use it and will cover all the EU and beyond

ESSENTIALS:

Google maps app. Indispensable for walking around. I set up key station/accommodation routes before I set out, and send them to my phone to be stored as a trip widget.

Just needed to click on the widget when needed, and then put it out of sight in my bumbag as I walked. The audio warns of any direction changes and I only needed to check the screen a couple of times for self confidence.

And for return to station routes, just load the trip and use the arrows to reverse the journey.

TIP: GOOGLE MAPS

Using/Storing a route - see foot of this post

MISCELLANEOUS

TIPS: TOILETS

Use train facilities about 10 minutes before arrival; Stations/platforms tend to charge for toilet use (typically 1 euro) Similarly when at a bar/restaurant. 

I don't think I ever saw a public toilet.

TIPS: SMOKING

I know. I'm a throwback, but the EU inhabitants do like their cigars, especially in Germany.

Despite widespread smoke-free notices across all stations the Interrail pass allowed me to quickly pop outside the station.

Laughingly the German stations had large No Smoking signs but dedicated smoking areas on each platform (a large box painted on the ground!)

TIPS: STATION ACCESS

Netherlands - All the stations that I used had ticket/pass scan barriers preventing access. They accept the Pass QR ticket 

Germany/France - free access to stations; Scan access to platforms. Sometimes.

UK Waterloo/St Pancras - free access to stations; Scan access to platforms.

It only took me a couple of tries to get used to the use of phone at the barrier. I had more of a learning difficulty with trying to scan my passport at the border controls 

NEXT TIME AROUND

Things to leave out

• Tablet (replace with old phone)
• Departure on trains planned for late morning/lunchtime - Didn't work for me. Set an earlier time

Things to add in 

• Water heating for coffee - already sourced one of these to experiment with at home. I looked at collapsible kettle version, but suspect silicon container may not be that durable and I want to keep things light/small

• Extra underwear & possibly 1 summer weight top - I had the space, and even more now I've removed the tablet bulk/weight

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USING GOOGLE MAPS

All methods use Google maps either on laptop or phone - have a play at home first to become familiar with it in comfortable surroundings. I guess Apple etc has a similar facility

I originally used my laptop for initial planning but quickly switched to the phone app as I learnt more about how to use it - its one of those 'play with it and you get better very quickly' sort of things.

METHOD: Set up:

• Load Google Maps
• Select the map type as default 
• (click the symbol below & right of the "Search" box - looks like a box with a + sign)
• Using satellite view will drain your battery - and your data download quota!
• Remember to select the little walking man to get the pedestrian route!

Now you can either create a predetermined route using your laptop at home, and then send it to your phone, or select the point you wish to go to and then click on the Directions button (bottom right on phone) and select "Your location"

METHOD:  Plan your journey for use now

Labels: interrail