UK to Syria by train?
 The magnificent gate to the citadel in Aleppo. |
Syria was a wonderful country to visit and Syrians were amongst the most hospitable people you would meet anywhere. I've been there twice, travelling from London to Damascus and back by train on both occasions. Until recent events, it had always been a very safe country for travellers, safer than most western countries in fact. It was easy to reach Aleppo and Damascus overland from London or any other city in Europe, using a daily sleeper train from Istanbul to Adana in southern Turkey, then by daily bus or weekly sleeper train to Aleppo. I've left this page untouched since the war started, it'll at least show you how things used to be...
London to Syria overland by train
Istanbul to Aleppo & Damascus by
train or train+bus
Hotel in Aleppo - the famous
Baron's Hotel
Aleppo-Homs-Hama-Damascus by train
Damascus to Beirut (Lebanon) by bus
Damascus to Amman (Jordan) by bus or
Hedjaz Railway train
Damascus to Tehran (Iran) by train
CURRENT CIVIL WAR IN SYRIA. With the civil war going on, it's not the time to visit Syria. I wrote this page years before the current problems, and I have not updated it for the current status. I hope they sort their problems out soon, I will update the page once the dust settles. In the meantime, check current travel advice at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
Useful country information
London to Aleppo & Damascus...
Step 1: Travel to Istanbul...
First, you need to reach Istanbul. For journeys starting in London, Paris or Vienna, see the London to Turkey page for train times, fares and how to book. The train journey from London to Istanbul takes 3 nights with daily departures all year round. For journeys starting in other European cities, find train times with int.bahn.de.
Step 2: Istanbul to Syria...
Once in Istanbul, it's easy to travel overland to Aleppo & Damascus in Syria, taking a daily air-conditioned sleeper train leaving Istanbul late at night, travelling through great scenery in southern Turkey next day and arriving in Adana in southern Turkey in the early evening. This is a relaxing journey in the comfort and privacy of a modern air-conditioned sleeping-car. Spend the night in Adana, then take daily buses or a taxi from Adana to Antakya and from Antakya to Aleppo, arriving in Aleppo in the evening. Times, fares & information here.
It's a good idea to plan out an itinerary and budget for a journey like this: How to plan an itinerary & budget.
Incidentally, there's also a twice-weekly train from Gaziantep in south eastern Turkey to Aleppo, but the problem is that all Turkish domestic trains to Gaziantep from either Istanbul or Ankara are still suspended due to long-term engineering work, rendering this new train pretty useless for travellers from Europe or Istanbul to Syria.
Background on trains from Istanbul to Syria: A brief history of the Taurus Express...
Agatha Christie's novel, Murder on the Orient Express, doesn't start in Istanbul, or on the Orient Express. It opens on the platform at Aleppo, next to the two blue-and-gold Wagons-Lits sleeping cars of the Taurus Express bound for Istanbul. The Taurus Express was inaugurated in February 1930 by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, the same company that operated the Orient Express and Simplon Orient Express, as a means of extending their services beyond Istanbul to the East. It ran several times a week from Istanbul Haydarpaşa station to Aleppo and Baghdad, with a weekly through sleeper to Tripoli in Lebanon. After the second world war, the Wagons-Lits company gradually withdrew and operation of the Taurus Express was taken over by the Turkish, Syrian and Iraqi state railways. Up until the late 1980s, a twice-weekly Istanbul-Baghdad service was maintained, with weekly through seating cars from Istanbul to Aleppo. For political reasons, the through service to Baghdad was suspended and the main train curtailed at Gaziantep, but the weekly through seats cars Istanbul-Aleppo were maintained. In 2001, the Aleppo portion of the Toros Express was speeded-up and given a proper Syrian sleeping-car instead of the two very basic Turkish seats cars. You could once again travel in the security and comfort of a proper sleeper from Istanbul to Syria, and it was a great way to go. Unfortunately, long-term engineering work meant this weekly direct sleeping-car and indeed the main Istanbul-Gaziantep 'Toros Express' was suspended indefinitely from June 2008, and as at 2011 shows no sign of being reinstated.
Istanbul to Aleppo by train
Until June 2008, a direct sleeping-car used to run from Istanbul to Aleppo once a week, attached to the Istanbul-Gaziantep Toros Express. Both the Toros Express itself and this Istanbul-Aleppo sleeping-car have been cancelled indefinitely since June 2008, due to long term engineering work in Turkey. While this weekly sleeping-car remains suspended, here's how you can travel from Istanbul to Syria, using a comfortable daily air-conditioned sleeper train for a night and a day across great scenery to Adana in Southern Turkey, a hotel in Adana for the night, then daytime bus travel from Adana to Aleppo in Syria. Total journey time 2 nights, 2 days. There was also a weekly train from Adana to Aleppo on Friday nights in summer 2010, although this has now stopped running.
Istanbul ► Aleppo via Adana...
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Step 1: Travel from Istanbul to Adana by daily air-conditioned sleeper train, leaving Istanbul's Haydarpasa station on the Asian side at 23:50 and arriving in Adana at 18:35 next day after a remarkably scenic & comfortable journey across Turkey. This train is called the Içanadolou Mavi Tren, and it has a civilised air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1 & 2-bed compartments with washbasin, reclining pullman seats & an air-conditioned restaurant car.
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If you leave Istanbul on Thursday evenings, you can connect in Adana with the weekly train to Aleppo (see step 2 option 3 below), arriving in Aleppo on Saturday morning. On all other days of the week, you'll need to take buses or taxis from Adana on to Syria, see step 2 options 1 & 2 below, and in this case you'll need to spend the night in a hotel in Adana.
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Alternative step 1 via Ankara: If you have any trouble getting a sleeper on the direct Istanbul-Adana train, you can also travel from Istanbul to Adana via Ankara. Indeed Ankara is well worth a 24 hour stopover if you have the time. Take a modern air-conditioned daytime train from Istanbul Haydarpasa station (depart 10:30 daily) to Eskişehir, changing there onto the connecting high-speed 250km/h train to Ankara, arriving 16:30. A restaurant car is available for lunch. Then take the Cukurova Mavi train from Ankara to Adana, departing Ankara at 20:05 daily and arriving Adana at 07:25 next morning, sleeping-car available with restaurant car). See the Train Travel in Turkey page for details of each of these trains.
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Step 2, option 1, daily: Travel from Adana to Antakya then on to Aleppo by air-conditioned bus. Buses run every hour from Adana to Antakya (15 Turkish lira) where you change onto another bus from Antakya to Aleppo (18 Turkish lira). There are at least 2 bus companies running at least two daily buses each from Antakya to Aleppo, Özhan Turizm (www.ozhanturizm.com) & Hatay Luks Nur Seyahat (www.hatayluksnurseyahat.com), although their websites are only in Turkish. It's easy to buy tickets at the bus station when you get to Antakya. www.ozhanturizm.com have departures from Antakya to Aleppo at 08:00, 11:00 & 13:00, journey time 3 hours. On their website, click 'seferlerimiz' (timetables) then 'Tarifeli' (scheduled times). Hergün means daily, hareket saati is departure time, variş saati is arrival time, dönüş saati is return time (from Aleppo).
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Step 2, option 2, daily: Travel by taxi. Alternatively, you can travel from Antakya to Aleppo by service taxi taking 3 passengers for around £5 each. The service taxis leave when they are full, mainly in the early morning or afternoon, taking 3 to 4 hours to reach Aleppo including the border crossing. Another seat61 correspondent took a taxi all the way from Adana to Aleppo and reports that it took 5-6 hours including 2 hours crossing the border and cost $90 for all three passengers. If you have any feedback, please email me.
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Alternative step 2: Weekly train from Adana to Aleppo: A twice weekly train was reinstated a few years ago, then reduced to weekly, on Friday nights, then (December 2010) discontinued again. It may return in May 2011. If I receive any more information, it will be posted here.
Aleppo ► Istanbul via Adana...
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Step 1: Travel from Aleppo to Antakya & Adana by daily buses: There's a daily direct Syrian bus from Aleppo's Karnak bus station to Antakya & Adana, leaving at 05:00. Turkish company Özhan Turizm (www.ozhanturizm.com) have departures from Aleppo at 12:00, 15:00 & 17:00 for Antakya, journey time 3 hours, fare around 350 Syrian pounds. On their website, click 'seferlerimiz' (timetables) then 'Tarifeli' (scheduled times). Hergün means daily, hareket saati is departure time, variş saati is arrival time, dönüş saati is return time (from Aleppo). Or there are minibuses to Antakya with bus connection to Adana, leaving from the small bus station down a side street next to the Ramsis Hotel (opposite the Baron's Hotel) for 800 Syrian pounds. The minibuses leave a 05:00 and 14:00, journey about 6 hours 30 mins to Adana. If you catch a very early bus, you may manage to connect in Adana the same day, otherwise you'll need to overnight in Adana.
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Alternative step 1: Weekly train from Aleppo to Adana: A twice weekly train was reinstated a few years ago, then reduced to weekly, then (December 2010) discontinued again. It may return in May 2011. If I receive any more information, it will be posted here.
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Step 2: Travel from Adana to Istanbul by daily air-conditioned sleeper train: Take the Içanadolou Mavi Tren to Istanbul, leaving Adana at 14:00 arriving Istanbul 08:58 next day. The Içanadolou Mavi Tren has a very civilised and comfortable air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1 & 2-bed compartments with washbasin, reclining pullman seats & restaurant car, see the Train Travel in Turkey page for details & photos. It's a very scenic & enjoyable journey.
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Alternative step 2 via Ankara: You can also leave Adana at 19:30 on the daily 'Cukurova Mavi Tren' sleeper train overnight to Ankara, arriving 07:35 next morning (pullman seats & air-conditions sleeping-car with 2-berth compartments). Then take the 11:10 Ankara to Istanbul high-speed service arriving Istanbul Haydarpasa at 16:50. Or take a later train, seeing a bit of Ankara if you like, it's well worth a stopover.
How much does it cost?
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Istanbul to Adana by daily train costs just TL 73 (about £33 or $50) sharing a 2-bed sleeper, TL 90 (£41 or $61) in a single-bed sleeper, or TL 28 (£12 or $19) in a reclining seat.
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Adana to Antakya by bus costs around TL 15 (£7 or $10).
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Antakya to Aleppo by bus costs around TL 18 (£8 or $12)
How to buy tickets, southbound...
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To be sure of a sleeper, it's a good idea to buy tickets in advance. You can book a seat or sleeper on the Istanbul to Adana train online at the Turkish Railways website, following the step by step advice on the Train Travel in Turkey page..
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Alternatively, contact Tur-ISTA Tourism Travel Agency, Divan Yolu Caddesi No. 16/B, 34410 Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey. Telephone +90 (212) 527 7085 or 513 7119. Fax +90 (212) 519 3792. E-mail erdemir@tur-ista.com. I can personally recommend their service. They are near the Sultanahmet tram stop, a short way from the Blue Mosque.
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You can also buy your Istanbul-Adana ticket at the station when you get to Istanbul, preferably a few days in advance, especially if you want a sleeper as these can sell out although you'll usually find pullman seats available even on the day of departure.
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You should buy Adana-Antakya-Aleppo bus tickets or tickets for the weekly Adana-Aleppo train when you get to Adana.
How to buy tickets, northbound...
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Buy bus tickets in Aleppo.
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Buy your Adana-Istanbul ticket when at the station when you get to Adana. There are normally pullman seats available on the day, and often sleepers.
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Alternatively, if you're sure of your return date, you could pre-book your Adana-Istanbul tickets in advance, either online following the step by step advice on the Train Travel in Turkey page, or by contacting Tur-ISTA Tourism Travel Agency, Divan Yolu Caddesi No. 16/B, 34410 Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey. Telephone +90 (212) 527 7085 or 513 7119. Fax +90 (212) 519 3792. E-mail erdemir@tur-ista.com. I can personally recommend their service. They are near the Sultanahmet tram stop in Istanbul, a short way from the Blue Mosque. You can collect the tickets as you pass through Istanbul heading south to Syria, or they may be willing to send the tickets to you for a fee.
What's the journey like?
Your journey starts on an evening ferry across the Bosphorus, from the European side to Haydarpaşa station on the Asian side. The ferries sail from the Karaköy ferry terminal on the Galata side of the Galata Bridge every 10-20 minutes, the crossing takes 20 minutes, and the fare is 1.50 YTL. Enjoy the wonderful views of the Istanbul skyline, with the Haghia Sofia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace reflecting the evening light. At the historic Haydarpaşa station, if you haven't yet stocked up with supplies for your journey, there are snack kiosks at the station, so now is your chance. The train ravels overnight, then the following day snakes through great Turkish scenery towards the Taurus mountains.
What is the Istanbul-Adana train like?
The Içanadolou Mavi Tren uses modern air-conditioned TVS2000 coaches, as good as any in western Europe. Quiet and smooth riding, the train has reclining pullman seats, a sleeping car (shown below) with 1 & 2 bed compartments convertible to a private sitting room for daytime use. The air-conditioned restaurant car features tablecloths, proper china & metal cutlery (do you get that on a long distance bus or even a plane??), and serves cheap hot meals, wine & beer as the train snakes its way through the mountainous Turkish scenery. Highly recommended!
Travellers' reports...
Traveller David Earley reports from a trip in 2008: "The trains from Istanbul to Ankara and on to Adana were excellent [Baskent Express then Cukurova Mavi train]. At least 8 other people were travelling on the train who had booked for the Toros Express. We took a cab to the bus station at Adana and they put us on a bus to Antakya. They were obviously anticipating people wanting to travel to Aleppo, as they had two taxis to meet us at Antakya. We were then driven at a suicidal speed to our destination! Interestingly, Turista seemed to be encouraging us to take a bus all the way from Istanbul to Aleppo. I am glad we did not do this as we heard from another traveller that this is a dreadful experience and there is nothing to see on the journey. We also enjoyed the Aleppo-Damascus train service really excellent."
Hotels in Aleppo: Baron's Hotel
When you arrive in Aleppo, whatever your normal budget, the most wonderful and historic place to stay is the Hotel Baron, on Baron Street. Opened in 1909, it was one of the most famous hotels in the middle east, used by Agatha Christie, Roosevelt, Mutafa Kemal Attaturk, Lindbergh and T. E. Lawrence. It will cost you all of $45 for a single room or $55 for a double to stay there, an experience in itself! Email the hotel on hotelbaron@mail.sy or call Telephone (00 963) 21 211 0880. For more information and booking, see TripAdvisor's Barons Hotel page.
Some rooms have now been modernised to western hotel standards, other rooms have been restored with older furniture and tile floors - ask for a restored room if possible. The lobby, lounge, bar and restaurant have not changed for decades, and exude faded grandeur par excellence... Lawrence of Arabia fans will want to book TE Lawrence's room, room 202. You may get to meet the larger-than-life hotel manager, Mr Walid, who can arrange visits or cars to local sites such as St Simon's church (highly recommended), or even long-distance day trips to Krak des Chevaliers or Palmyra (both unmissable).
Aleppo - Damascus by train
If you need to travel between Aleppo and Damascus, take the train. It's fast, very comfortable, and unbelievably cheap. There are several daytime air-conditioned trains between Aleppo and Damascus, also an overnight train with a sleeping-car with 1 & 2 bed compartments. All the trains shown here run daily.
1,2 = 1st & 2nd class with buffet car. Sleeper = Sleeping-car with 1 & 2-bed compartments with washbasin, plus 1st & 2nd class seats.
Always double-check train times locally. Aleppo to Damascus is 367 km (229 miles).
You can check Syrian train times and fares at www.cfssyria.org (in Arabic only, but you can easily translate using Google language tools). Another good resource for checking Syrian train times is www.syrische-eisenbahn.de/SyrianRailways/CFS/Fahrplan/CFS-Fahrplan.htm.
Damascus Kadem station is located 3-4 kilometres (2-3 miles) southwest of Damascus city centre, a taxi to or from the centre costs about 100 Syrian pounds ($2) and takes 25 minutes when traffic is busy. It's reported that there's a free shuttle bus which leaves the Hedjaz station an hour before the departure of each Aleppo-bound train from Damascus Kadem, but please confirm this at the Hedjaz station ticket office. Allow plenty of time to catch a train, as for some reason they may want to check your passport and X-ray your bags!
Homs stations: It's reported that Homs now has two stations, Homs 1 (nearer the centre) & Homs 2 (on the outskirts), trains normally serve Homs 2, some may still serve Homs 1, please check locally.
How to buy tickets...
You must buy tickets in person at the station, you cannot buy them online.
In Aleppo, you can buy your ticket on the day of travel or the day before (but not further ahead than this) at the main railway station in the city centre. It's a three stage process, so bring your passport and allow plenty of time. The stages are: 1. Get your passport checked by an official; 2. Buy your ticket; 3. Take your passport and ticket to a security man who will check them and write the details down in a book. Easy!
In Damascus, you can buy your tickets on the day of travel or the day before travel (but not further in advance than this) at the ticket window inside the old historic Hedjaz station in the city centre, even though this station now has no trains (the area at the back where the narrow-gauge Hedjaz Railway tracks once were has been a building site for several years). This saves you trekking all the way out to Damascus Kadem station outside the city centre, although one recent report says they had to go to Kadem to book the overnight sleeper as the Hedjaz station ticket office couldn't book it. Alternatively, you can of course buy tickets at Damascus Kadem on the day of travel, but allow plenty of time and expect to have to show your passport.
New 100mph trains Aleppo-Damascus...
Trains 7 to 16 use new 100 mph air-conditioned diesel trains delivered from South Korea in late 2006. 3-D tour of new train interior. 3-D photo of new train cafeteria. The number of Syrians using trains is increasing: Passenger numbers in 2010 are expected to be double those carried in 2006, at over 4 million passenger journeys. Though reports suggest these new trains are now often being hauled by locomotives - clearly the purchase deal didn't include maintenance!
The overnight sleeper...
Travellers' reports...
A traveller on the Damascus-Aleppo overnight sleeper says, "I was a woman in her mid-twenties and was a little conscious of travelling on my own. The actual service was surprisingly good. I was ushered in and told the procedure about tickets and not to open my door for any other knocks till the morning. The cost one way was 290 Syrian pounds (about £3), pretty good value considering I had the whole room to myself for no extra cost."
On daytime trains, the air-con in first class is almost too good, the armchairs are comfortable and reclining with loads of legroom. A girl came round soon after departure handing out a complimentary sweet to each passenger.
If you have any further feedback, please e-mail me!
Aleppo & Damascus - Latakia
Please double-check all train times locally. All train are daily. There is some spectacular mountain scenery on the Aleppo-Latakia route, with the best views from the north side of the train.
Fare Aleppo to Latakia: On fast modern trains 41-45, Aleppo to Latakia is 135 Syrian pounds 1st class,105 Syrian pounds 2nd class. On older trains 242-246, Aleppo to Latakia 70 pounds 1st class, 50 pounds 2nd class. Bring your passport when buying tickets. As a foreigner, it's reported that you may have to get your ticket stamped at another ticket window after buying it.
Fare Damascus-Latakia: 120 Syrian pounds 1st class, 80 Syrian pounds 2nd class.
Trains 41 to 45 & train 22 use the same modern air-conditioned trainsets as used on the Aleppo-Damascus line, see the photos above.
Trains 242-246 & train 25 use older but still comfortable cars like this:
Trains also run Damascus-Latakia, Latakia-Tartous, and Hama-Tartous - see www.cfssyria.org for times and fares (in Arabic only, but you can easily translate using Google language tools).
Things to see in Syria
Aleppo
In many ways, Aleppo is a nicer and more relaxed city than Damascus, and it's a wonderful place to spend a few days. Using the historic Baron's Hotel as your base, explore the souks (covered market), the citadel with its famous gateway, and the main mosque. The small ruined church of St Simeon, just outside Aleppo, is well worth a visit for its windswept peaceful location on a remote hilltop, with the ruins of St Simon's pillar in the centre.
Hama
A pleasant town, famous for its 'nurias' or waterwheels. It can be reached by train, on the Aleppo-Damascus main line.
Palmyra
The famous ruined Roman city in the desert, and one of the highlights of a visit to Syria. It can be reached by bus from Homs or Damascus, journey time from Damascus 3-4 hours) or by hired car and driver. There are reportedly no direct buses between Aleppo and Palmyra.
Krak des Chevaliers
This is the best-preserved crusader castle in the Middle East, and one of the highlights of a visit to Syria. British castles tend to be either ruins or converted into stately homes, but Krak is the closest you'll get to a castle as it was when it was in use by the crusaders. It can be reached by bus or taxi from Hama or Homs (it can help to know that the village next to the castle is called Hosn, minibuses go there from Homs), or as a long-distance day trip from Aleppo or Damascus with hired car and driver for around $100. Fans of T E Lawrence will also want to visit - Lawrence visited and studied the Krak during his pre-war tour of the castles of Syria.
Damascus
Syria's capital is busy and grubby, but there's a fair amount to see. Martyr's Square is the centre of the modern town, a short walk from the souks leading to the ruins of the Roman Temple of Apollo and the Umayyad Mosque. Visitors can enter the mosque for 50 Syrian pounds. Outside the mosque is the tomb of the crusader's most famous adversary, Saladin.
No flying was involved in the taking of these photos: All travel from London to Aleppo & Damascus and back was overland by train...
For 3D panorama photos of Syria's attractions, see www.360cities.net/search/kaemena-syria.
Syria to Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt
Damascus to Beirut (Lebanon)...
There is no railway to Beirut, but buses link Damascus with Beirut (Charles Helou bus station), 115km, journey time 5 hours, a whole range buses daily. Buy tickets and check exact times locally, as the bus companies do not have any website.
Damascus to Amman (Jordan) & Egypt...
There used to be a twice-weekly Damascus-Amman train over the famous Hedjaz Railway, but it was cancelled due to track damaged. It's been partly reinstated, see the Jordan page. Alternatively, there are several daily buses from Damascus to Amman taking about 4 or 5 hours. For times, fares photos and information, see the Jordan page. For onward travel to cairo in Egypt by bus or by bus & ferry, also see the Jordan page.
Damascus & Aleppo to Tabriz & Tehran...
There is a weekly train with sleeping-cars and restaurant car from Damascus & Aleppo every Monday via Lake Van in Turkey (where passengers leave the Syrian train, take a ferry and join an Iranian train at the other side) to Tabriz and Tehran in Iran. Fares are not expensive. Times and fares are available at www.tcdd.gov.tr (click 'English' then 'passenger' then 'trains to the Middle East'). Also try www.raja.ir (click the house logo then 'English' top right) and www.cfssyria.sy. Between Syria and Lake Van the train has 1- and 2-bed Syrian sleeping cars. Between Lake Van and Tehran the train has Iranian 4-berth couchette cars, all air-conditioned. There's a traveller's report on this train on the Iran page.
Guidebooks
To
get the best out of a trip to Syria, you'll need a good
guidebook, and I've found the Lonely Planets and Rough
Guides to be about the best out
there for the independent traveller.
Click the images to buy online at Amazon.co.uk...
Or buy direct from the Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide.
Find hotels along the way to Syria
Backpacker
hostels
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & VPN
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Always take out travel insurance
You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer. It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit. These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here. Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection and gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a European mobile data package and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. There's no need to buy a physical SIM card! Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
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Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards. And you can get a Curve card for free.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than getting a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When travelling you may use free public WiFi which is often insecure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using this link you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I also get some commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, hotel bookings and Interrail or Eurail passes are often now held on your mobile phone. You daren't let it run out of power, and you can't always rely on the phone's internal battery or on being near a power outlet. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or buy from Amazon.com.
Touring cities? Use hill walking shoes!
One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa. They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities. My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!