Backpacking Travel Around Europe By Train Itinerary For 2 Weeks

Are you planning to travel around Europe by train for an epic adventure? I would like to share with you a 2-week itinerary to travel around Europe by train. It has been a travel goal of mine since I was a kid to see the beauty of Europe by train. 

It was a great opportunity that we were able to do this using Interrail. To travel Europe by train is a great way to see the landscape and immerse yourself in the local culture. This will surely enrich your travel experience and fire up the adventure.

If you want to know more about Interrail and Eurail, here is a guide to travel Europe by train using Interrail and Eurail.

In this Europe itinerary for 2 weeks, starting from Italy then to Switzerland, Germany and Austria.  You can follow this itinerary and enjoy exploring these countries in Europe.

Here’s our travel around Europe by train Itinerary for 2 weeks.

Visa Requirements

Depending on your nationality, you might have to check if you are required to secure a visa prior to your travel to Europe. If you are a dual citizen like me, you can check this guide on how to travel as a dual citizen with 2 passports.

For Philippine Passport holders: Securing a Schengen visa is necessary prior to your travel to Europe.  You can check here on how to apply for a Schengen visa.

For British Passport holders:  Since Brexit is coming up, you might need to check your passport’s validity here. The passport rules after Brexit will take place in March.

Trip Budget

As for the trip budget, we tried to keep it to a minimum without sacrificing the cleanliness, convenience and location. You have to take location into consideration as it will eat a lot of your time if you go for the super-budget ones that can be completely out of the way of where you want to visit in each destination.

Accommodation:

On picking our accommodations in each city, we considered these factors before making the reservations.  We checked the reviews about the cleanliness, convivence and location of the hotels.

Here are the hotels where we stayed per city:

• Hotel Prestige (Sorrento, Italy)

£107/ room for 2 nights + city tax (€1.50) – You can check the current prices and reviews on Tripadvisor here.

• Hotel Veneto (Florence, Italy)

£47.54 / room for 1 night – You can check the current prices and reviews on Tripadvisor here.

• Hotel Helvetia (Venice, Italy)

£ 105.96/ room for 2 nights – You can check the current prices and reviews on Tripadvisor here.

• Airbnb Apartment (Lake Garda, Italy)

£121 for the whole apartment for 2 nights, self-catering – Get your free €28 Euro Airbnb travel credit here.

• Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni (Bellagio, Italy) 

I wrote a post about our stay at this hotel:  Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni: A Luxury Hotel Review in Lake Como (Italy)

You can check the current prices and reviews on Tripadvisor here.

• Hotel Drei Konige (Chur, Switzerland)

£50 / single room shared toilet for 1 night– You can check the current prices and reviews on Tripadvisor here.

• Sofitel Bayernpost Munich ( Munich, Germany)

— You can check the current prices and reviews on Tripadvisor here.

• Austria Trend Hotel Lassalle Wien ( Vienna, Austria)

£53/ room for 1 night – You can check the current prices and reviews on Tripadvisor here

Flights:

We booked two single flights as we were arriving and departing from different countries.  For this itinerary, we booked London (Gatwick) – Naples, Italy and the return flight is from Vienna, Austria to London (Gatwick) via British Airways.

The total cost was £653.04 for the group of 4 pax or £163.25 per person return fare including 1 checked luggage per person and 7 kilos carry on luggage. You can check cheap flight deals like this using Skyscanner.

Transportation:

When travelling around Europe using Interrail or Eurail, not all the train, bus and ferry networks are included in your ticket.

Depending on your planned Europe itinerary, you might still have to pay for the regional trains and buses. You will also have to pay extra for the required seat reservations for the High-Speed trains, Cross country trains and Scenic trains.

Itinerary Details

Italy

Italy Interrail Map

Italy Interrail Markers Map

Read More: Where To Go In Italy: The Beautiful Places To Visit In Italy

Day 1: Sorrento & Amalfi Coast  

One of the gems in the Campagna region of Italy.  We started our trip from Naples and took the bus from the airport to Sorrento for €10 euros/person.  You can typically get the bus ticket just before you exit the airport terminal.

On arrival in Sorrento, we were picked up by the hotel transport at the meeting point in front of the Sorrento Circumvesuviana train station.

After our check-in at the hotel and lunch, we went to catch the local SITA bus from Sorrento to Amalfi. Just be warned that this route is so winding and can potentially cause some travel sickness.  Cost is around €2-5 per person.

After some sightseeing around Praiano and Amalfi Coast, we head back to Sorrento for an overnight stay.

Suggested Tours via GetYourGuide.com:

Full-Day Guided Amalfi Coast Road Trip From Sorrento | Amalfi Coast Experience: Small Group Tour from Sorrento | Sorrento: 2-Hour Walking Tour
| Sorrento: 2-Hour Coast Discovery Boat Tour with Snorkelling | Sorrento Lemon Tour

Day 2: Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius

Day trip to Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius from Sorrento is fairly easy and accessible.  From Sorrento train station, you can buy a local train ticket for €2 return.  You have to start your day pretty early to avoid the morning rush and the massive influx of tourists in Pompeii.

Read More: Pompeii and Herculaneum: The Erotic Side of Pompei (Italy)

I highly suggest booking a tour around Pompeii so you can get to appreciate more of the history and significance of the ill-fated city. After the tour of Pompeii, you can go and book the Mount Vesuvius tour.

The pick-up point is typically in front of the Pompeii Scavi Station, and the mini-bus will take you halfway up the volcano and then you have to transfer again to an all-terrain vehicle to go up to the summit.  From the highest meeting point, you have to do a 20 to 30-minute trek to the crater of Mount Vesuvius.

Suggested Tours via GetYourGuide.com:

Pompeii: Fast Track Entrance Ticket with Audio-Guide | Pompeii Fast Track Entrance Ticket | Pompeii: Half-Day Excursion from Naples or Sorrento | Pompeii & Vesuvius Full-Day Tour From Sorrento

Read More: The Unmissable Things to Do in Rome (Italy) for First Time Visitors

Day 3: Florence

We left Sorrento around 8 am to catch the 9 am Frecciarossa train from Naples to Firenze S.M Novella (2 hours 51 mins high-speed train).

After check-in at the hotel, we went to see the beautiful Tuscan city of Florence. We visited the famous Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. We then headed towards Piazzale Michelangelo to see the famous and adored Florence skyline. Then had a lovely dinner and enjoyed some Tuscan wine. See some sample itineraries to Florence here.

Suggested tours via GetYourGuide.com:

Ultimate Uffizi: 2-Hour Priority Entrance Tour | Florence Dome Climb: 1-Hour Priority Entrance Tour | Florence Duomo Tour: Cathedral, Baptistery and Museum

Day 4: Pisa and Venice  

Time to hit the trains again on to Pisa and Venice.  Pisa is roughly an hour away from Florence if you use the regional trains. Pisa is one of the most visited places in Tuscany and it is famous for the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

After a day trip in Pisa, we headed to Venice onboard Frecciargento from Firenze S.M. Novella to Venezia S. Lucia for a 2 hour and 5 mins high-speed train ride.

Suggested Tours via GetYourGuide.com:

Reserved Entrance to Leaning Tower of Pisa & Cathedral | Pisa Cathedral Guided Tour and Optional Leaning Tower Ticket | Pisa Half-Day Tour from Florence

On our arrival in Venice, we bought the Venezia Unica Card for 2 days for €30 or you can use the Venice Public Transportation: Waterbus and Mainland Bus ticket for 72 hours for £10. This will serve as our unlimited Vaporetto (water taxi) ride around the Venezia islands. Our hotel is located near Lido beach, so it is necessary for us to have the Venezia Unica card.

After checking in at our hotel, we went out to dine within the Lido island. Venice restaurants are pricey so make sure you make an extra budget for your dinner as they typically charge you with table charges and even breadsticks and bread while waiting for the meal that you haven’t even ordered. So if you are not paying for it just refuse all the things they will put on your table as you will get charged for it otherwise on top of your bill and table charge.

Suggested Tours GetYourGuide.com:

Gems of the Venetian Lagoon: 4-Hour Tour by Boat | Doge’s Palace & St. Mark’s Basilica 2-Hour Tour | Venice: Grand Canal by Gondola with Commentary

Day  5: Exploring Venice and the Lagoon Islands

We started our day pretty early to explore Venice and the lagoon islands of Burano and Murano.

Using our Venezia Unica Card, we explored the various Venice attractions like the Bridge of Sigh, Basilica di San Marco, Piazza San Marco and many more. Eating in public areas are prohibited in Venice.  You can only eat on the restaurant premises.  There are public signs that will tell you this to avoid a hefty fine.

Murano Island is known for its long tradition of glassmaking. If you are into glassmaking craft, a visit to Murano island is definitely worth it. There is a free glassmaking demo as the glass artisan showcase their craftsmanship on creating Murano glasses items. A certified true Murano glass has a hallmark and seal “Vetro Artistico Murano”.

Burano island is a small colourful fishing village in Venice.  The island is known for its colourful fishermen’s houses. Painting their houses in bright and bold colours has been a long tradition of the fishermen of Burano so they can easily identify that they’ve arrived home. Burano island is much relaxed compared to the Murano and Venice islands.

Suggested tours via GetYourGuide.com:

Boat Trip: Glimpse of Murano, Torcello & Burano Islands | Venetian Lagoon Tour: Visit Murano, Burano and Torcello | 90-Minute Walking Tour of Venice | Combo Tour: Glassblowing and Gondola Ride

Day 6: Lake Garda

It’s a travel day for us as we leave Venice to head towards our next stop, Lake Garda.  From Desenzano train station, we took the bus to the centre to head towards our apartment in Lake Garda. We decided to just walk around the nearby areas by the Lake and marina.

Suggested tours via GetYourGuide.com:

Dolomites Full-Day Coach Tour from Lake Garda | Lake Garda: 2-Hour Guided Trike Tour | Full-Day Lake Garda Tour: Bus & Public Boat with Guide

Day 7:  Verona

We decided to go for a day trip to Verona from Lake Garda. The main mission for our day trip is to visit the famous “Casa di Guilleta”  also known as the House of Juliet.  The House of Juliet was made famous by the romantic play of William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.

Inside the house, you can see the famed Juliet’s balcony and a statue of Juliet. It is believed to bring you good luck when you hold the Juliet statue’s bosom. Tourists who visit the House of Juliet in Verona typically leave a small note of everlasting endearment messages and their names.

Read More: Verona Was Not As I Expected It To Be (Things To Do in Verona Italy)

Every day Juliet’s club of Verona receives hundreds of love letters from around the world with various love stories of joy and sorrow.  After our day trip in Verona, we headed back to Lake Garda.

Suggested Tours via GetYourGuide:

Verona Card: Arena Priority Entrance | Verona from Above: Lamberti Tower Skip-the-Line Entry | Verona Hop-on Hop-off Tour: 24-Hour Ticket | Welcome to Verona: Private Walking Tour with a Local | The Classic and the Unknown: Original Verona Bike Tour

Day 8: Bellagio and Lake Como

We started our journey fairly early in the morning to head towards Milan and catch another train to Como. From Como, we picked up a rental car that we used to drive from Como to Bellagio.

Bellagio is known as “the pearl of Lake Como” for a very good reason.  You will definitely fall in love with the romantic and charming town of Bellagio with the Swiss Alps backdrop and the gentle waves from Lake Como and Lake Lecco.

We stayed in the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, the only 5-star hotel in Bellagio.  It was a Swiss family-owned mansion turned into a hotel.  European royalties, former presidents, dignitaries and movie stars have stayed here to experience the beauty of Lake Como and Bellagio.

Day 9: Bellagio

We spent the day relaxing and soaking up to the beautiful surroundings of Bellagio. We walked around Bellagio town, church and through the port.

Our hotel has the best view in town overlooking Lake Como and Lake Lecco. They also have a fantastic outdoor swimming pool. Just a perfectly romantic day in Lake Como.

Suggested tours via GetYourGuide.com:

Lake Como, Bellagio and Varenna: Full-Day Tour from Milan | Lake Como with Bellagio and Lugano Day Trip from Milan | From Milan: Lake Como Day Trip

Switzerland

Switzerland Interrail Map (Copy)

Switzerland Interrail Map

Day 10: Bernina Express

We set off early from Bellagio for a 40 mins drive on the narrow winding road to Como.   From Como, we took the regional train to Tirano and onto Bernina Express to Chur, Switzerland. There is a €10 seat reservation fee upon booking this train ride, but the actual train fare is included on your Interrail or Eurail pass.

Bernina Express is part of the UNESCO World Heritage. It is one of the most scenic train journeys in Europe and in the world.   The 4-hour scenic train ride will take you through the most beautiful landscapes of the Swiss Alps, gorgeous Swiss towns like St. Moritz,  glaciers and national parks.

We arrived in Chur, Switzerland late afternoon and went straight into our hotel.  Then went out for dinner. Prices in Switzerland as super expensive to prepare to have a spare budget allowance if you are planning to stay here.

Suggested tours via GetYourGuide.com:

Bernina Express: 1-Day Individual Excursion| Buggy park Pontresina: Exclusive parking rental for groups | Swiss Coupon Pass: 2-for-1 Offers in Switzerland | Chur: Historic City Audio Guide Tour | Chur: Private 2-Hour Walking Tour

Germany

Germany Interrail Map (Copy)

Germany Interrail Map

Day 11: Munich

We head off early from Chur for a 4-hour train ride to Munich, Germany.  We stayed in Sofitel Hotel Munich Bayerpost which is right next to the Munich Train Station.

After another travel day, we’ve decided to relax and just have a gentle stroll around Marienplatz to have dinner and good Bavarian beer.

Suggested Tours via GetYourGuide.com:

Munich Hop-On Hop-Off Tour: 1-Day or 2-Day Ticket | Dachau Memorial Site Half-Day Tour from Munich | Munich: An Evening of Bavarian Beer and Food Culture | Skip the Line Munich Free Walking Tour with Booking Fee | From Munich: Dachau Memorial Site Full-Day Tour in English | Munich CityTourCard: Public Transport & Discounts | Third Reich & WWII Tour Walking Tour | Munich’s Beer Halls and Breweries: 3-Hour Guided Tour

Read More: Best Attractions and Things to Do in Munich (Germany)

Day 12: Neuschwanstein Castle in Fuessen, Germany

Since I’ve already been around Munich, I decided to go for a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle in Fuessen.

Fuessen is a 2- hour train ride from Munich.  I already pre-booked my castle tour ticket and it was ready to be collected at the castle ticket office. It has always been a childhood dream of mine to visit and see this castle.

Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the castles commissioned by Ludwig II in the beautiful Bavarian region. No photography is allowed inside the castle and it is prohibited by German law.

The Romanesque interior of the castle is well preserved and amazingly grandeur.

It was a feeling of great happiness and contentment when I accomplished this childhood dream of mine.  After the whole day in Fuessen, I headed back to Munich to catch up with my friends and stay overnight for another early travel day to Austria.

Suggested tours via GetYourGuide.com:

Day Trip to Neuschwanstein & Linderhof Castles from Munich | Neuschwanstein Castle Full-Day Tour from Munich | Eagle’s Nest Tour from Munich: Groups of 4 or More

Austria

Austria Interrail Map (Copy)

Austria Interrail Map

Day 13: Vienna

Another travel day for us on the last leg of our train by train around Europe.

We set off early for a 4-hour high-speed train journey from Munich to Vienna.  The train fares were included in our Interrail pass but we bought a Vienna travel card to access the metro around Vienna.

After checking in our hotel, we went out to see some attractions in Vienna like the St. Stephen Cathedral, The house of Mozart, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna Rathaus, Hofburg Wien and many more.

Vienna’s architecture is classically beautiful and elegant.

Suggested Tours via GetYourGuide.com:

Skip the Line: Schönbrunn Palace & Vienna City Tour | Vienna: 2-Hour Walking Tour | Skip-the-Line: Schönbrunn Palace Guided Tour | Vienna: 1-Day Hop-on, Hop-off Sightseeing Bus & Free WiFi | Vienna: Classical Concert in St. Anne’s Church | Vienna City Card: Discounts and Public Transport | Ticket for Mozart & Strauss Concert in Kursalon Vienna

Day 14: More of Vienna and heading back home

On the last day of our trip around Europe, we went to see more of Vienna.  We went to visit the Military History Museum and learn about the interesting story of Vienna.

In the evening, we went straight back to the airport to catch our evening flight back to Gatwick.

That pretty much sums up our whole travel around Europe by train itinerary for 2 weeks.  I hope you have picked up some insightful travel tips or even been inspired to do the same route that we did.

Let me know in the comment box below if you also want to travel around Europe by train. I would love to know your train travel experience and sample itinerary.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ryazan Tristram

Travel Writer & Photographer

Ryazan has a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism and Hotel Management. She also has more than 10 years of work experience gained from working in the hotel and travel sectors in Asia and Europe. Her work has been featured and published on Huffington Post, Reader’s Digest, Discovery Channel, World Travel Guide, MSN, CNBC, GMA, Lonely Planet and many more. She is currently living in the UK as a dual citizen (British – Filipina). Join her on travelling around the globe with a mission to share the best of the world.