Interrail journey through the Iberian peninsula

I did interrail from Portugal and i have crossed whole Spain, it took 14 days of travel and 2500 km with train. This kind of activity requires good body and mind condition especially when you travel alone because you can rely only on you.

Before the Journey.

For the beginning prepare your body to the trip because this will be really exhausting, kick the habit and stop things like smoking.

Do sports, focus on your strength – running or swimming seems to be excellent choice.

Be prepared for situations like your smartphone batter run out, if you cant memorise address of your accommodation, try to remember significant monument or park near to your localisation.

Where to get interrail ticket?

Main Railway station in the city you wanted to start, international office.

In my case it was in Seth Rios, where bus station is next to railway station.

I bought ticket 5 in 10 which means 5 days of travel within 10 days.

It’s good to have a plan of trains and make some reservations before trip, especially when we want to travel with fast trains like AVE or ALVIA because it might be that there will be no available places when you decide to buy a ticket for the last moment.

Interrail ticket cost about 250 euros.

Every reservations, seat place costs from 6, 5 to 10 euros so total is about 300 euros.

Try to make a general plan of budget

Always plan like 20% more cash per day than you think because there are lot of unexpected situations which require additional financial sources.

To cut the costs look for accommodation on the outskirts of the city, you can reach centre with tram or bus and it can be remarkable relief for your budget.

Do not forget about insurance, beside our European grey plastic card, I extremely recommend you to have something extra.

Companies like Allianz or Generali can offer you hospital cover for eq. when you broke your leg or get seriously illness (you can’t exclude this things, it's travell everything can happen), simply when you lost your documents, or suitcase get damaged.

Houston we've got a problem.

It seems to be obvious that you can communicate in English all over the world..

¿Hablas español? No. ¿Nada? Nada.

I've crushed the wall in the first hostel I have visited.

I don't know why, but it's quite rare to find English speaker, it was not so bad at all but far from normal conversation.

What to eat?

Try as much local dishes as you can.

If you are able to cook it would be your advantage, most of hostels offer full equipped kitchen and fridge, so you can buy fresh food and store it to cut the costs.

Ask natives for recipes and after all try to repeat dish at your home during holiday slideshow.

How to organise my time?

Attend in free city guided tour, they are running for tips- so it means after around 3 hours of walking, the guide will ask you to value his work. If you don't like someones leading you are not obligated to pay anything, or from the other hand you can reward someones knowledge and creativity. No pressure it’s all up to you.

Take your time, relax.. You don't have to see everything, plan less than you can do per day. It will help avoid running from place to another with watch in your hand.

Flea market is something what have impact on me, in those places you can make another journey this time back in time, see the soul of the place or region you currently visiting, something incredible. From time to time it's possible to find a real treasures in such places..

Alone or with group?

It depends on you, if you can't imagine to talk with foreigners or you can't stand loneliness, you definitely have to take somebody with you, but there are plenty of positives in solo travelling.

Nobody complains, no plans, you are free. Don't need to negotiate that you prefer taste local beer than going to the Cathedral...

Travel alone, but never be alone. Head up high from your mobile and try to speak with people.

There are plenty travellers in hostels, most of them looking for company, just try to communicate, don't be shy!

Travel solo is difficult, and its up to your character, but in my opinion even harder is to be a leader of group and makes everyone happy.

Always look at the bright side of life.

No expectations, its hard but you can't have a better attitude during travel.

Take everything as it is, don't push yourself to anything if you have not will to do it, be smart.

Say 'yes' to all the things that likely can bring you joy.

Do things you have never done before, because they will make you feel alive!

That's the point!

Travel is to grow in accelerate mode, you face problems that you will never face sitting in your home, you have got to cross your comfort zone, travel brings adventures and stories to tell but the most important is that gives you information about yourself.

To be continued.