Interrail Journal: How to Document Your European Train Adventure
Crossing borders by train across Europe? Learn how to journal your Interrail trip—capturing the journey between destinations, not just the destinations themselves.
The best part of Interrail isn't the destinations. It's the space between them.
The Italian countryside at golden hour through a train window. The stranger who shares their snacks across a table. The moment you cross a border and the language on the announcements changes.
Most travelers photograph cities and forget the trains. Here's how to journal the full Interrail experience—including the journeys that connect them.
Why Interrail Is Different
It's About Movement
Unlike flying, train travel is travel. You watch the landscape shift. You feel yourself crossing the continent.
Journal the journey, not just the arrival.
Borders Blur
You wake up in France, lunch in Switzerland, sleep in Italy. The transitions matter.
Capture the crossings.
Time Is Strange
8 hours on a train is both forever and instant. You arrive at 4pm having done nothing and everything.
Use train time for reflection.
The Interrail Journal Template
A Full Interrail Entry
Left Berlin at 8:47. The German announcements shifted to Czech somewhere around Dresden. I couldn't tell exactly when—I was asleep against the window.
The train itself:
Old-school compartment car. Six seats, sliding door, like a movie. An elderly Czech couple across from me. A German student next to me reading something in French. We nodded at each other and stayed in comfortable silence for 4 hours.
What I saw:
Saxony is surprisingly beautiful. I expected industrial flatness. Got forested hills and small rivers. The Elbe Valley through the window was worth the whole ticket.
The border crossing:
No passport check (thanks, Schengen), but I felt it. The station names changed. The snack cart prices switched to koruna. A different country, proven by tiny details.
Arrival in Prague:
The station is chaos. Trams, tourists, taxi scams. But stepping out and seeing the spires—worth it. This is why I take trains. You arrive in the heart, not an airport 40km away.
Tomorrow: No train. Walking day. My legs have forgotten how.
15 Interrail Journal Prompts
Train Journey Prompts
- What did the landscape look like for the last hour?
- Who was in my train compartment? What were they doing?
- What moment made me look up from my book/phone?
- What did I hear, smell, feel on this train?
- How did I know I'd crossed a border?
Destination Prompts
- First impression stepping off the train?
- How is this city different from the last one?
- What's unique about this country's train stations?
- What would I miss if I'd flown here instead?
- What's one thing I'll do differently next time I visit?
Reflection Prompts
- How does constant movement feel?
- What have I learned about European geography?
- What's my relationship with spontaneity vs. planning?
- How has my "ideal day" changed on this trip?
- What would I tell someone considering Interrail?
Journaling ON the Train
Train time is perfect for journaling. Here's how to use it:
The "First Hour" Rule
After departure, spend the first hour:
- Writing about where you just left
- Looking out the window
- No phone, no book
This captures fresh impressions before they fade.
The "Last Hour" Rule
Before arrival, spend the last hour:
- Researching your destination (maps, plans)
- Setting intentions for the next city
- Quick journal entry about the journey itself
Long-Haul Journeys (4+ hours)
Structure your train time:
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| Hour 1 | Journal about previous city |
| Hour 2-3 | Window gazing, reading, rest |
| Hour 4 | Plan and write intentions for next city |
%20copy%202.webp&w=384&q=75)
%20copy%203.webp&w=384&q=75)
Your trips deservemore than a camera roll
.webp&w=96&q=75){kind=icon}
Tracking Your Route
Your Interrail pass is a map of your journey. Document it:
| Day | Route | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Amsterdam → Brussels | 1h 52m | Thalys, worth the supplement |
| 9 | Brussels → Paris | 1h 22m | Too fast to appreciate |
| 11 | Paris → Lyon | 2h | TGV through wine country |
| 12 | Lyon → Milan | 4h 45m | Alps crossing, best of the trip |
| 14 | Milan → Venice | 2h 26m | Flat but atmospheric |
Countries crossed: 5 (Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy)
Best train: Lyon-Milan for the Alps views
Lesson learned: Night trains save a hotel night but destroy your sleep
Capturing Border Moments
Borders are invisible but felt. Document:
- When did the announcements change language?
- When did the architecture shift?
- When did the prices change?
- When did you feel like you were somewhere new?
Somewhere between Germany and Austria, the mountains got bigger. No announcement, no sign. Just suddenly the Alps were there, filling the window, and I understood why people write songs about them.
Night Train Entries
Night trains are their own experience. Journal them differently:
Boarding: 9:15pm, Gare de Lyon. The couchette is smaller than expected. Six bunks, strangers stacked like cargo.
Falling asleep: The rhythm of the train. The occasional station stop where everything goes quiet. The French guy below me is already snoring.
Waking up: 6:30am. Spain. Different light, different colors, different air through the cracked window. Crossed a country while I slept.
Arrival: 8:15am, Barcelona Sants. Exhausted, disoriented, and inexplicably happy. This is time travel.
Multi-Country Reflections
After several borders, start comparing:
- How do station cafes differ?
- Which country's trains are most comfortable?
- Where do people talk to strangers? Where don't they?
- What surprised you about each country?
Digital Tools for Interrail
TripMemo
- GPS tracks your route automatically
- Works offline (essential for tunnels and remote tracks)
- Photos organized by location, not just time
Rail Planner App
- For logistics, not journaling
- Shows connections, delays, platforms
- Supplement your journal with practical info
Offline Maps
- Download before each country
- Screenshot key station maps
- Your journal doesn't need to be a guidebook
The End-of-Trip Summary
After your Interrail adventure, write:
Countries: 9
Trains taken: 23
Total hours on trains: ~68
Best train ride: Lyon to Milan (Alps)
Worst train ride: Berlin to Krakow (delay hell)
Best station: Antwerp Central (a cathedral)
Surprise favorite place: Ljubljana (didn't expect to love it)
What I'd do differently: More night trains, fewer city days
Will I Interrail again? Already planning the next one.
What's Next?
Continue your journey documentation:
- Road trips: Road Trip Journaling Guide
- Long-term travel: Long-Term Travel Journaling
- Prompts: 100+ Travel Journal Prompts
- Complete guide: The Complete Guide to Travel Journaling
Interrail isn't about collecting cities. It's about feeling Europe stitch itself together outside your window.
Your journal captures what photos can't—the rhythm of the rails, the blur of borders, the particular magic of waking up in a different country than where you fell asleep.
Document the journey. That is the destination.
Ready to document your Interrail adventure? TripMemo tracks your route automatically and works offline—perfect for tunnels, rural tracks, and countries without data roaming.
