W e were sitting enjoying a quiet beer at a bar in Ghent when I realised we’d made the right decision. Ghent was humming but not heaving, cheerful but not chaotic. It was the first night of our three-week Interrail trip with our 18- and 16-year-old sons.
Now, after a long train journey, the calm ambience of the medieval Belgian city left us feeling relaxed rather than exhausted. An Interrail ticket opens up 33 European countries by rail and many people seize the opportunity to visit capital cities on their bucket list. A typical itinerary takes in big hitters like Paris, Prague, Rome and Madrid.
We decided to do things a little differently. Our 22-day continuous Interrail pass meant no extra travel costs and we were determined to make the most of it Our ultimate destination was Budapest, but our route there and back took in smaller, less frenetic towns and cities. We opted for Delft and Utrecht rather than Amsterdam, Baden-Baden in Germany’s Black Forest instead of Berlin, Salzburg over Vienna and Lausanne, not Zurich.
We arrived in Brussels by Eurostar. The station was busy and confusing, and the train out hot and crammed. Ghent, when we emerged an hour later, was positively serene by comparison.
That first night, we ambled to the beautiful quayside, crammed with cafes and bars. There was no problem finding a table. It was July and still light as we wandered back to our hotel at 10pm, the streets quiet despite it being Saturday night.
View image in fullscreen The writer .
