To Russia With Love: 8 Weeks

London is home to the UK’s biggest and best known museums, sights and attractions – why not customise this route to add a few nights here if you want to make the most of what the city has to offer?

Highlights

Check out the country’s top museums, all of which are free!

Explore the alternative markets at Portobello road and Camden

Try all the international foodie delights in Brixton Village or Brick Lane

    Train to Brussels  – 4 hours

Belgium’s biggest city accommodates an eclectic mix of old and new, from Europe’s most beautiful square, lined with guild houses and continental cafes to its bureaucratic alter ego as capital of the European Union itself. Come for the delicious beer, stay for the waffles and moules frites.

Highlights

Visit Mini Europe in the capital of the EU

See Europe’s most beautiful square – Grand Place

Try to find the cheeky fountain statue – Manneken Pis

    Train to Amsterdam – 4 hours

Despite being credited with certain recreational pastimes, there is actually a lot more to the city than the stereotypical picture, with its abundance of engaging museums, beautiful townhouses and canals. Find out what makes Amsterdam the beating heart of the Netherlands.

Highlights

Visit the Van Gogh Museum

Discover Europe’s biggest historic centre by pedal

Take a tour of the red light district

    Trains to Hamburg – 5.5 hours

Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany, but you can still expect a green environment mixed with a maritime spirit. Check out the cool music scene which hosted the Beatles in their early days, as well as the bustling Reeperbahn district, the historical St Michaelis Church, and the famous fish market. Hamburg has an eclectic feel that’s hard not to love.

Highlights

Visit the Tierpark Hagenbeck

Go to the Fischmarkt – either very late or very early

Explore the 800-year-old harbour

Train to Copenhagen – 5 hours

Copenhagen is a place where equal rights and liberal attitudes take precedence, a land where the atmosphere is incredibly safe and remarkably relaxed. Make sure you visit the hippie commune of Christiania where squatters’ rights still hold sway.

Highlights

Visit the little mermaid

Go to one of the world’s oldest theme parks

Sample the fruity beers at plenty of microbreweries

    Bus to Berlin – 9 hours

Berlin is the alternative, cool kid of Europe and a pro at being edgy. It’s how people dress, their liberal attitudes, the graffiti, the skaters and BMXers, the art, the clubs and the food. Berlin is also crammed full of fascinating WWII history around every corner so there’s something for everyone.

Highlights

See a section of the old Berlin Wall

Climb the dome of the renovated Reichstag

Discover the nightlife of Schoneberg and Kreuzberg

    Train to Krakow – 7 hours

Krakow escaped being reduced to rubble in WWII, preserving the postcard-perfect Old Town and the cellars housing its famous bars and clubs. That’s not to say it doesn’t share a chapter of history in the nearby Auschwitz concentration camp, which demands a humble visit.

Highlights

See Europe’s largest medieval market square

Take photos of Poland’s best preserved city

Find one of many gothic cellar bars open until late

    Train to Warsaw – 3 hours

Known as the ‘Phoenix City’ after having risen from the ashes of so many ruinous wars, Warsaw is home to an abundance of Polish art, vibrant nightlife and wholesome cuisine. A plate of delicious dumplings and soup will keep you nourished while you venture around the stunning rebuilt Old Town.

Highlights

See the imposing Soviet Palace of Culture

Visit the entirely reconstructed Royal Palace

Have a drink at the fashionable old town bars

    Bus to Vilnius – 9.5 hours

Vilnius is home to one of Europe’s largest Baroque old towns. The spires and coloured facades have a distinctly continental feel – not surprising since you’re only a few hours away from the North of Poland. Enjoy exploring the hub of Lithuania’s culture and arts scene – and don’t forget the hearty local cuisine once the sun sets.

Highlights

Enjoy amazing panoramic views from the Hill of Three Crosses

Stroll around the largest Old Town in Eastern Europe, declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO 

Visit the fascinating Museum of Illusions

    Bus to Riga – 4 hours

Riga may be austere and gracious on the surface but dig deeper and you’ll discover awesome nightlife and a wealth of Baltic culture. Wind your way around the cobbled streets by day, come evening go underground to seek out some of the Baltic region’s best music venues.

Highlights

Learn about the varied and fascinating history of Latvia in a walking tour of the old town

Dance the night away, Latvian style, at Folksklub Ala Pagrabs

Marvel at the Art Nouveau style buildings – like famous building at 2a, Alberta Iela

    Bus to Tallinn – 5 hours

At once a modern, stylish city and a medieval maze of passageways and cobbled streets, Tallinn is a great combination of old and new. Recently the city has become a centre for contemporary art and design, with loads of independent boutiques and ateliers springing up – perfect for whiling away slow summer days.

Highlights

Visit the museum of (both) occupations

See the sumptuous Aleksander Nevsky cathedral

Drink at numerous pubs with local Estonians

    Ferry to Helsinki – 3 hours

For an important harbour town it only seems right that you should take a ferry to Helsinki. In summer Finnish people enjoy their open parks, relaxed atmosphere and quirky cafes before they all disappear indoors for winter as temperatures plummet.

Highlights

Visit the Finnish folk museum with live actors

Stroll through the magnificent Sibelius Park

Take a boozy sightseeing tour on the red pub-tram

    Train to St Petersburg – 5 hours

St Petersburg is the city of the Tsars. From glorious opera houses to underground music scenes, classical masterpieces to street art – immerse yourself in Russian colour and culture. When you’re done, make the most of the city’s famous White Nights to party into the early hours – you can sleep when you’re dead right!?

Highlights

Marvel at the incredibly ornate “Church of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood”, Pushkin and Catherine Palaces

Join local residents for all night parties in June during summer’s “White Nights” where the skies only reach twilight but not complete darkness

Discover authentic bargains at Udelka flea market on the weekend

   Night Train to Yaroslavl – 12 hours

Check out traditional Russian hospitality in Yaroslavl – one of the “Golden Ring” cities famed for their beauty and historical importance. Explore the gorgeous cathedrals and churches, with golden domes and elaborate frescoes.  Make sure you get a pic of the grand Cathedral of Assumption too!

Highlights

Join Yaroslavl’s locals and kiss for good luck by the Volga River

See the UNESCO heritage area of the city which is teeming with museums and churches

Head to Pivoteka Pinta and drink the best beer in town

    Train to Moscow – 4.5 hours

Home to the grand treasures of the Tzars, Russia’s modern political hub (The Kremlin) and more cultural heritage than you can shake a stick at; it’s clear that any trip to Russia has to include Moscow.

Highlights

Check out Red Square and St Basil’s Cathedrals – arguably Russia’s most famous sight

Eat your way through delightfully stodgy cuisine – potatoes, Borscht, any kind of meat you can imagine and plenty of local beers (and maybe vodka) to wash it down.

Sweat out all the toxins you’ve acquired in a classic Russian Banya, or bath house.

    Night Train to Kiev – 22 hours

Ukraine’s capital is a stunning city with a history as fascinating as it is turbulent. The large number of students gives the city an unexpectedly progressive and young outlook – you only have to look to the 2014 riots to see what its population is capable of. Learn more about the city’s past and present by checking out the excellent museum and art scene.

Highlights

Take a craft beer tour to discover Kiev’s awesome underground brew-houses

Explore Caves Monastery with it’s stunning golden rooves

Feeling daring? Travel out to Chernobyl to check out the exclusion zone.

   Night Train to Prague – 20 hours

Prague is beautiful, with no better word to describe it. On whichever side street or square, the intricate architecture prevails, with every building unique and full of colourful detail. The Czech Republic is also the home of Pilsner beer, with no lack of establishments to sample it.

Highlights

Cross the enchanting Charles Bridge

Marvel at the curvy design of the dancing building

Try all the Czech Pilsner beers in the old town pub

    Train to Cesky Krumlov – 3 hours

Cesky Krumlov is often sighted as the “undiscovered” Prague. We’re not sure how undiscovered it really is, but it certainly makes a great value addition to your stay in the Czech capital. Enjoy the pretty pastel buildings, slow pace of life and quieter (but just as quaint) old town.

Highlights

Try out Night Rafting – head out with a trained guide and discover the river after dark

Head underground to discover the old mines which made Cesky Krumlov rich

Visit the Eggenburg Brewery to see how their tasty Pils is made.

    Train to Vienna – 5 hours

Vienna is crisp, clean and chic with its biggest draw factor being the multitude of classical palaces and grand imperial buildings. Whether you’re into your royal history or not, the sheer scale of it here will be encapsulating for all, whilst not forgetting the great bars and eateries.

Highlights

Visit the Spanish riding school of Vienna

Eat real Apple Strudel and Wiener Schnitzel

  Go to a classical concert in a city renowned for music

    Night Train to Paris – 15 hours

Paris is a byword for romance, a synonym for style and the epitome of elegance. The pride of France and one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Paris needs little introduction, from the Eiffel Tower to the Pont Neuf, bedazzling visitors and oozing charisma at every turn.

Highlights

See the Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum

Watch a cabaret act the famous Moulin Rouge

Experience the colourful nightlife of the Marais

    Train to London – 4 hours

Home time! Either finish your journey here or continue your onward journey home to your nearest UK station for free using your Interrail pass!