FYI, The Eurostar ticket can be bought as a ticket to "any Belgian station" - this allows the Eurostar trip and then a subsequent single journey within 24 hours to anywhere in Belgium if that's helpful for a trip out from Brussels.
London to Cologne can easily be done in a day - see the Man in Seat 61's page at
https://www.seat61.com/Germany.htm#london-to-cologne-by-train
Whether Interrail + reservation fee each way (€30?) is cheaper than individual tickets may depend on when you want to take the outbound, and what else you do in Europe - there do look to be some cheapish tickets at the moment, especially returning in Sept after the schools go back, but if the Eurostar return is pricey, you may well find it cheaper to go for a 4/5/7 in month Interrail, even just for the return ticket to Europe.
I have some time off work at the end of August and beginning of September, and would like to use this period to experience some rail journeys and city sightseeing in Europe over a 3-7 day period. I would use at least one of the above cities as a base for my travels and even wouldn’t rule out doing all three in one trip if I have the time, but here are some things to consider:
- This would be my first ever solo trip abroad, so quite a big step out of my comfort zone although I have been wanting to do this for some time.
- On my outward journey, I could be starting from Poole or Southampton depending on prior plans, with the intention of ending up in one of the three European cities before midnight. I have factored in the time it will take to check in for Eurostar and getting across London, but leaving earlier might be better to get ahead of myself in case there are delays further along the trip. In this scenario, I have considered staying somewhere on the outskirts of London the night before (preferably Woking as it is on the SWML) which will give me enough time the next day to arrive for an early Eurostar check in.
- Wherever I end up, I will be passing through Brussels as my intention was always to get the Eurostar there for onward travel connections. Considering that I have never visited the Belgian capital, it might seem perverse to not visit if I would be changing trains there anyway. A lengthy stop there on the way to/from somewhere further afield could be an option, although not sure if half a day would be enough to see the main landmarks. On the other hand if I do decide to stay in Brussels, there is the option to do day trips to other cities in the Benelux and North-Western Germany.
- Luxembourg is on my bucket list simply to tick off another country and make use of its free public transport, however Luxembourg City itself is tiny in comparison to most European capitals (smaller than even Grimsby, Hastings and High Wycombe) and most of it can be explored in a single day. Getting there from other cities is quite difficult too, with a 3 hour rail journey time from Brussels for example. That might be pushing it a bit for a day trip from the Belgian capital.
- Cologne is a bit further, and might be pushing it in terms of getting there from Southern England within the same day, but it is a lovely city and has plenty of onward travel connections. Going into Germany will also encourage me to practice my German which I picked up from my last visit there back in December, and it is well visited so should have plenty of opportunities for guided tours and experiencing the local culture. Wuppertal is also not too far away which is ideal considering that the Schewebebahn is also on my to do list!
- Splitting the nights between all three cities above might allow me to make the most of different train journeys, but at the cost of actual sightseeing within these cities which is pretty much the point of visiting.
- My intention is to stay in hostels, as these will be cheaper and provide the opportunity of meeting fellow travellers. I haven’t got round to looking up any yet but I am guessing most will be pricier over the August Bank Holiday weekend. I’m setting myself a budget of around £500 for the trip but might need to go slightly higher to take into account unexpected purchases.
- Would getting an Interrail pass for this trip be worth it? I’m aware it lets you travel on Eurostar (with the usual reservation fee) and most domestic services in Europe, but with train fares in Belgium relatively cheap and free in Luxembourg, would there be much point in getting one?
Any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciate
