A week-long circuit across Europe taking in the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, and Germany.
Date
November 2025
Countries
United Kingdom > Belgium > The Netherlands > Luxembourg > France > Switzerland > Germany > Belgium > United Kingdom
Trip overview
Trip summary and learnings
- Free and bundled public transport (e.g. Luxembourg nationwide, hotel passes in Bern) dramatically improves ease of travel
- Staff FIP travel benefits make extensive European rail travel affordable and accessible
- Swiss rail stands out for integration, consistency, and precision in both infrastructure and passenger experience
- Cross-border rail services can feel fragmented when operated by multiple national providers
- Rail travel highlights how quickly culture, architecture, and behaviour change across national borders
- The design and comfort of modern rolling stock (especially in Switzerland) greatly enhance long-distance journeys
- Solo rail travel offers freedom and flexibility, but can also bring moments of isolation
- Language barriers can make everyday tasks unexpectedly challenging when travelling alone
- Slower, quieter moments of rail travel encourage reflection and a sense of grounding
- Rail remains one of the best ways to experience variety and contrast across Europe in a short time
Finance overview
- Most countries visited have an average cost of living, the standout being Switzerland
- I budgeted £1,094.00 for the trip
- I ended up spending £1,105.00, a £11.00 overspend
- This was mostly led by an increase in costs for trains and hotels vs budget, and a decrease in costs for food vs budget
- Trains were so affordable thanks to rail staff international travel benefits.
| Category | Budget | Actual | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel | £698.00 | £729.00 | -£31.00 |
| Train | £145.00 | £189.00 | -£44.00 |
| Food | £214.00 | £148.00 | +£66.00 |
| Incidentals | £37.00 | £39.00 | -£2.00 |
| £1,094.00 | £1,105.00 | -£11.00 |