Are you planning a 3-week backpacking route through Europe using Interrail? Amazing! It’s such a great experience and you’ll have the best time. We’re here to help you plan your 3 weeks in Europe and how using interrail can make the journey a breeze! Read on to find out more about planning a 3 week interrail route in Europe.

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How to Plan a 3-week Backpacking Route with Interrail

Europe is a continent full of history, amazing culture, multiple languages and a variety of countries. With so many countries, it can be hard to figure out where to start your 3 week interrail route!

In this travel guide, we’ll show you a 3-week Backpacking Route through gorgeous Europe and which cities are best to visit on a first-time trip. Of course, you can mix this itinerary up to your preference, however, we think everyone will enjoy this interrail route.

As we’re born in the UK, we grew up visiting some of these countries with our families, exploring well-known towns and impressive buildings.

It wasn’t until we took our first weekend trip together that we suddenly realized how big Europe is and how much we wanted to explore our home continent. So we created our own 3 week interrail route and hit the road!

This 3-week Backpacking route is the perfect mix of cities, nature and beaches! As part of our planning process, we purchased our Interrail tickets, pre-booked our accommodation, and noted down which trains we wanted to take.

What is Interrailing in Europe?

Interrailing is a European train pass that gives you more freedom than the average train ticket. You can purchase global passes that cover 33 countries within Europe or specific passes for one country.

Depending on how much travelling you’re doing they can be a good way to save money. However, this is not always the case if you’re travelling less often on your trip. Have a browse on the Interrail website to see the range of passes.

Interrail vs Eurail

They are the same thing! The only difference between the tickets is what country your passport is from. As a European citizen, you can get the Interrail pass, if you’re from a country outside of Europe then Eurail is your option. It’s just the price that changes.

Find out about 8 Great Backpacking Tips you need to know before hitting the road!

The first step – Do I need to plan a route before my trip?

If you’ve found our 3 week interrail route travel guide, you likely want to plan your route before starting your journey. It’s a great idea to at least have a rough plan for your trip, especially if it’s longer than 2 or 3 weeks.

There are over 40 countries in Europe, so it’s going to be a hard decision when figuring out which countries to travel to

Interrail passes are designed to make your trip flexible. You can book hostels on the day of arriving at a new destination, you can meet friends and they will take you somewhere new.

There are benefits to being flexible on a trip! When it comes to regions like South East Asia it’s popular to book accommodation within a day or two of the stay because there’s not much worry about the price and availability.

Why it’s good to plan your interrail route:

  • Europe has higher prices, it can be more expensive to be flexible
  • Travelling in high season means the good hostels will sell out
  • You may miss the train to a destination on your bucket list
  • Saves time on your trip worrying about travel plans

Even if you prefer to book a flight and go with the flow it’s a good idea to have a rough 3 week interrail route to start your journey.

Ljubljana - 3 week Backpacking Route in Europe using Interrail
Ljubljana – 3 week Backpacking Route in Europe using Interrail

Helpful Tips for a 3 Week Interrail Route

3-Week Backpacking Route using Interrail

If you’re struggling to create the best interrail 3 week route, you can follow this guide for a perfect trip with lots of variation! Here’s the countries we’ll take you to on in this Europe backpacking itinerary.

Countries: Poland – Germany – Czech Republic – Austria – Slovenia – Croatia
Interrail Pass: 5 days within 15 days Interrail pass

This itinerary is based on our experience, so we’ll give you some tips along the way. We started with a northern destination in Eastern Europe and worked our way down to the south. This worked out amazing because we could feel the weather getting warmer as we travelled south on the trains.

Day 1 โ€“ 3 | Warsaw

Start your 3 week Europe backpacking route in Poland – an underrated country in Europe!

Warsaw is the capital of Poland and also the largest city! When it comes to Poland, most travellers visit Krakow, but Warsaw is the perfect place to start your interrail route as you can continue into Germany!

There are lots of things to do in Warsaw from museums to parks and trying Polish cuisine. The historic city has a beautiful Old Town and ลazienki Park is a great spot for a picnic.

When we visited Warsaw, it rained and stormed for a whole day, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying what the city has to offer. We tried pierogis for the first time and fell in love, we’ve been eating them ever since this trip!

We’re glad it was our first stop and will definitely be visiting more of Poland in the future, especially for the delicious perogies! It’s a great way to start your interrail route.

Tip: Make sure you don’t visit Warsaw on a Monday or Tuesday because the museums may be closed.

Warsaw, Poland
Warsaw, Poland

Best Things To Do in Warsaw

Where to stay in Warsaw for Backpackers

Day 3 โ€“ 6 | Berlin

The capital city of Germany is a great place to visit on any European adventure! It’s perfect for a city break or if you’re stopping by on a backpacking trip. The city has amazing culture, booming nightlife, iconic monuments and tasty cuisine. It’s easy to fall in love with Berlin.

Make sure to visit Tempelhofer Feld to experience another side of Berlin! It was once an airport, but it’s now a massive field to explore. You will find many Berlin locals rollerskating down the old airstrips.

Berlin is a must-visit on your 3 week interrail route as there’s so much to do, it’s a backpacker heaven. The prices aren’t too bad either, although they’re more expensive than in Poland. Try some currywurst, walk along the old Berlin wall and relax on the river Spree. Berlin will always have a place in our hearts!

Another reason to visit Berlin is for it’s amazing vegan food scene. It’s one of the best vegan-friendly cities in Europe and the options here make it so easy to travel as a vegan.

Brandenburg Gate in Berin, Germany
Brandenburg Gate in Berin, Germany

Best Things To Do in Berlin

Where to stay in Berlin for Backpackers

Wolfsburg – Day Trip from Berlin

Located west of Berlin is a city named Wolfsburg. It isn’t a top-rated stop on a European Itinerary as you don’t need long to enjoy its small city.

However, it’s known as the headquarters for the German brand Volkswagen. It’s also home to the Autostad, an automobile-themed park with a classic car museum and driving track. The AutoMuseum showcases Volkswagen models and prototypes, which is amazing if you’re a Volkswagen fan like Dan.

It’s only a 1-hour train journey away from Berlin, and it’s the perfect way to explore a new German city. If you don’t fancy visiting a car museum, spend the extra day in Berlin instead.

Wolfsburg, Germany
Wolfsburg, Germany

Day 6 | Dresden – Interrail Stopover

Dresden is another wonderful city in Germany. Filled with spectacular architectural buildings, Dresden stands out for its rich history.

The Zwinger, an important building with attractive gardens, is one of the city’s highlights. As we were only there for a day, we made sure to gaze at all of these grand buildings.

Germany is also known for its great beer gardens, which we took the time to enjoy!

We chose to visit Dresden after we realised our train from Berlin to Prague passed through. We spend most of the day here, lugging around our backpacks and resting in the sun. It was awesome to explore an extra city on our travels, so different to Berlin!

Dresden, Germany
Dresden, Germany

๐Ÿ’ค Hotels โ€“ Book advance on Booking.com!
๐Ÿ›Œ Hostels โ€“ Book advance on Hostelworld!

Day 6 โ€“ 9 | Prague

Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and there are many monuments to see throughout this cobblestoned city. It’s the perfect city for your 3 week backpacking interrail itinerary.

Charles Bridge is one of Prague’s astounding things to do and you can also climb to the top of Petrin Tower to overlook the city. Prague was one of the most affordable destinations on our trip, as long as you avoid eating in tourist areas.

Browsing the old town of Prague and finding all of the cathedrals will give you all the European vibes. You can’t leave the city without trying a Trdelnรญk. It’s a sweet pastry often called a chimney cake!

Prague was one of the destinations that inspired our Interrail adventure because we almost chose to go here on a previous trip. It was one of the top destinations on our list! After looking at a few pictures, you will know what we mean!

Best Things To Do in Prague

Where to stay in Prague for Backpackers

Petrin Tower in Prague
Petrin Tower in Prague

Day 9 โ€“ 12 | Vienna

Next up on this 3 week interrail route is Vienna – Austria’s capital city! Austria is a landlocked German-speaking country. Home to part of the alps and famous for its palaces, buildings and castles.

Vienna is well known for its fascinating buildings and opera! Unfortunately, we are not that interested in opera so we opted for roaming the streets in search of museums.

We originally booked accommodation in the centre of Vienna, but they cancelled on us days before. We were trying to stick to a strict budget, so ended up booking an apartment next to the Danube River! It worked out amazing though, as it gave us the unknown opportunity to relax by the Danube and see a more local side of Vienna.

From Vienna, you can also visit Bratislava on a day trip, but we didn’t have time on our interrail 3 week route. There’s much more of Austria to see, but after a few days in the capital, we decided to head to Slovenia next. Here’s a few things to do in Vienna for 3 days.

Best Things To Do in Vienna

Vienna, Austria
Vienna, Austria

Where to stay in Vienna for Backpackers

Check out our tips on backpacking Europe (especially if you’re on a budget!)

Day 12 โ€“ 14 | Lake Bled

We have to admit that Lake Bled is a place we never knew existed before researching travel routes. It has become very popular for backpackers to visit on their route through Europe as it connects a lot of major countries.

It was one of our favourite destinations on the trip, but at this point, we were craving nature because we had spent almost 10 days in cities. Lake Bled is a town in Slovenia close to the Austrian border and a short distance away from Ljubljana, the capital city.

Lake Bled is one beautiful blue lake with an island situated near the middle, many boats bring visitors to the island. Although you don’t need to spend long as it’s very small.

When you’re not following the trail around the lake, there are areas you can swim in and spots you can sunbathe. You can also try the famous Bled Cake, a creamy pastry dessert!

Next to the lake is a hill where you can experience tobogganing for a small cost. It feels like a mini rollercoaster and definitely worth doing to get your adrenaline rush. Just remember to break!

Once we saw the pictures of the lake, it was instantly on our European Bucket List. The photos and recommendations enticed us to explore for ourselves, and that’s what we love about reading travel blogs!

Lake Bled, Slovenia
Lake Bled, Slovenia

Best Things To Do in Lake Bled

  • Visit Bled Island
  • Ride the Toboggan
  • Walk around Lake Bled
  • Swim the swimming areas
  • Visit Lake Bled Castle
  • Indulge in Bled Cream Cake
  • Hike to Mala Osojnica

Where to stay in Lake Bled for Backpackers

Day 14 | Ljubljana – Interrail Stopover

Ljubljana pronounced: looยทbleeยทaaยทnuh

We took a local train from Lake Bled to Ljubljana in the morning to spend the day before catching our night train. This meant we had to carry our backpacks around for the day, which is why it’s a great idea to pack light when backpacking!

Slovenia is a beautiful country, so it was amazing to explore two locations within the country. Although Ljubljana is a small cosy capital city, it’s praised for its green spaces! The buildings are mesmerising, and it was lovely to see so many people enjoying the sun by the river.

The key landmark of the city is the towering castle and one of the ways to reach it is by the Ljubljana Castle funicular. There is a view of all the orange-coloured buildings in Ljubljana.

Ljubljana is a lovely stopover on the way to Croatia! As hard as it was to say goodbye to Lake Bled, we were excited to see more of Slovenia during our short time in the country.

Backpacking in Ljubljana, Slovenia
Backpacking in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Best Things To Do in Ljubljana

  • The Triple Bridge
  • Ljubljana Castle
  • Preลกeren Square
  • Tivoli Park
  • Ljubljana Cathedral
  • Ljubljana Central Market

Where to stay in Ljubljana for Backpackers

Overnight Train Ride to Split – 1 night

The best way to get from Zadar to Split on your 3 week interrail route is to catch an overnight train. They’re actually pretty comfy and you’ll wake up to views of the ocean when you arrive on the coast of Croatia.

Interrailing in Europe for 3 weeks
Interrailing in Europe for 3 weeks

Day 15 โ€“ 18 | Split

Now it’s time for the beach part of our Interrail trip, we couldn’t wait!

Split is the second-largest city in Croatia, and a popular location for backpackers! With the sun shining almost constantly in the summer and many sandy or rocky beaches, it’s easy to see why Split is so enjoyable.

On one of our days, we walked around Park ล uma Marjan searching for small isolated beaches, it was another one of our favourite days from our 3-week backpacking route!

There are many restaurants and ice cream shops to indulge in whilst wandering in the Croatian heat.

We had our first overnight train experience getting to Split, and when we arrived a local told us it’s easier and faster by bus, so we will remember that in the future!

The main reason we chose to go to Croatia was because of the magical pictures we saw of Krka National Park and Plitvice Lakes National Park.

We managed to make it to the stunning Krka National Park, but when we arrived it was extremely busy. The waterfalls were definitely impressive! The only area that wasn’t too busy was when we were swimming in the water.

The park’s trail was only one-way and because of this, it was full of many slow people. We don’t like to be too negative about places on here, but the truth is, this spot is just very popular! However Split is definitely worth a visit, and now onto our last location of the trip.

Visiting Krka Waterfalls on a 3-week backpacking route in Europe, Croatia
Visiting Krka Waterfalls on a 3-week backpacking route in Europe

Best Things To Do in Split

Where to stay in Split for Backpackers

Day 18 โ€“ 20 | Zadar

Zadar is another city along Croatiaโ€™s Dalmatian coast and about 2 hours away from Split. The historic Old Town and wonderful ruins are what makes Zadar worth visiting.

It’s less famous than Split and very different! If you decide to go from Split to Zadar, we recommend getting the bus, instead of a train as it will be a lot faster and it’s affordable. Find bus tickets here!

A lot like most of Croatia, Zadar is covered in orange-topped buildings, which is so beautiful to see and also convenient for the heat. The city has also created a sea organ which is an architectural sound art object, it uses the power of the waves to create sounds. There is also a big solar-powered dance floor next to the sea organ.

Zadar came up on our radar after we saw a great priced flight back to our home country, UK. It was only a couple of hours away from Split and a good opportunity to explore another area in Croatia.

Best Things To Do in Zadar

Where to stay in Zadar for Backpackers

So that’s the end of our 3-week backpacking route in Europe using interrail! We have a few more tips for you about Interrailing Europe in this travel guide.

Zadar, Croatia
Zadar, Croatia

3 Week Interrail Route Overview

For most of our intercity trips we used our interrail pass! We paid separately for the train return to Wolfsburg and our bus from Split to Zadar.

As you can see we stopped off at many capital cities along this journey. This was our first time visiting all of these countries and it’s lovely to discover the capital of a city before finding the hidden gems.

Whilst we now love finding off-the-beaten-track places and pushing ourselves to discover the unknown more, we also enjoy learning about the capital.

It can be hard deciding where to begin your Interrail trip, but in the end, it’s really about your experience and how you spend your time. Throughout our travels, we decided to take it easy in Austria as our accommodation was near the Danube river and outside of the central city.

Catching the sun on a man-made beach whilst taking frequent dips into the river instead of rushing around in the city is something we will remember forever! Don’t get us wrong, we absolutely love cities.

When travelling for 3 weeks in Europe by interrail you have to give yourself a break because it can get tiring walking thousands of steps a day and you won’t be appreciating your adventure as much.

Our accommodation in Warsaw
Our accommodation in Warsaw

3 Week Interrail Route Breakdown

To summarise our trip we visited 10 locations in 6 countries and caught many modes of transport.

  1. Poland – Warsaw (2 days)
  2. Germany – Berlin – (3 days)
  3. Germany – Wolfsburg (1 day-trip)
  4. Germany – Dresden (1 day-trip)
  5. Czech R – Prague (3 days)
  6. Austria – Vienna (3 days)
  7. Slovenia – Lake Bled (2 days)
  8. Slovenia – Ljubljana (1 day-trip)
  9. Croatia – Split (3 days)
  10. Croatia – Zadar (2 days)

Immediately after the trip, we spoke about what we enjoyed the most and what we would change or recommend to someone else doing this route.

Ultimately, Lake Bled was our favourite location. We should have spent more days there, but cut ourselves short with only 2 days as we decided to see Ljubljana (which we don’t regret). Near Lake Bled there were amazing parks to explore such as Triglav National Park that we didn’t get to see.

We love being surrounded by mountains with fresh air and nature. Our Airbnb also offered rental bikes for โ‚ฌ4, which is amazing! We didn’t get the chance to use them, but now we know for the future. If we were to plan this trip again, we would probably lose a day in Vienna in order to spend more time in Lake Bled.

Although Lake Bled was our favourite destination, Germany was actually the country we wanted to go back to the most. Germany has a great vibe and draws us in to want to explore more. Its cities have such a big energy and there is so much to do throughout the country, we can’t wait to visit again.

Interrailing in Europe can get quite expensive. It’s best to save enough money for your trip, so you can have the best time away!

3 Week Interrail Route Conclusion

Slovenia was definitely the country that surprised us the most as we didn’t realise how beautiful it was going to be. Even going past on the trains, we were mesmerised by the journey from Vienna to Lake Bled, although a lot of that journey was Austria too!

Another one of our favourite destinations was Prague. We tried amazing Czech food in underground restaurants and it’s definitely a walking city which we love!

Out of the destinations we visited, our top 3 recommendations are Berlin, Prague, Lake Bled. (We also recommend Budapest, but we didn’t visit here on this trip)

We are looking forward to visiting other regions of all 6 countries we visited. You can never complete a country, as there’s always so much to do!

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany
Berlin, Germany
The Berlin Wall, Germany
The Berlin Wall, Germany

Check out our – 8 Great Trips for Backpacking Europe Better!

Other 3 Week Interrail Routes in Europe

  • Amsterdam 3 nights – Berlin 3 nights – Prague – 3 nights – Vienna – 3 nights – Salzburg 2 nights – Lake Bled 3 nights – Ljubljana 1 night – Budapest 3 nights
  • Paris 3 nights – Amsterdam 3 nights – Berlin 3 nights – Prague 3 nights – Vienna 3 nights – Bratislava 2 nights – Budapest 3 nights
  • Berlin 3 nights – Warsaw 2 nights – Krakow 3 nights – Prague 3 nights – Vienna 3 nights – Lake Bled 3 nights – Split 3 nights
  • Amsterdam 3 nights – Berlin 3 nights – Prague 3 nights – Vienna 3 nights – Lake Bled 2 nights – Venice 3 nights – Milan 2 nights – Lake Como 2 nights

Tip: Sometimes Interrail have discounts on their passes if you book them before March 31st!

๐Ÿ’ค Hotels โ€“ Book advance on Booking.com!
๐Ÿ›Œ Hostels โ€“ Book advance on Hostelworld!

Thatโ€™s the end of our 3 Week Backpacking Route using Interail! Enjoy your trip to Europe and if you need any more help planning โ€“ send us a message on Instagram (@thesunrisedreamers) or leave a comment below!

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3 week europe interrail itinerary travel guide
3 week interrail europe route travel guide

Amy & Dan are the founders of The Sunrise Dreamers. They are travellers from the UK who have been on the road since 2017 whilst living in places like England, Canada, Thailand and the Canary Islands. They share their knowledge of travelling the world with detailed travel guides and tips. They're experts in vegan travel and show their audience how to travel on a budget.

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4 Comments

  1. This itinerary looks perfect for so many travelers! Sounds so easy to get around and get a taste of the main cities too

    Reply
  2. Magicandbliss says:

    That sounds like a dream trip. Backpacking Europe is my dream and I can’t wait to start prepping for it. Thank you for this amazing post, it is so inspiring and informative.

    Reply

    1. Oh wow thank you! ๐Ÿ™‚ It will be so exciting when you begin your adventure, Europe is magical!

      Reply

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