I have recently returned from inter-railing around Europe, visiting Belgium, Holland, Germany, Switerland and France as part of our Great InterRail Adventure with Rail Europe.

As I travelled around the continent by train, I tweeted, updated the greentraveller facebook page and wrote a rolling blog. Thanks to everyone who sent in tips for where I should visit.

The billions of Euros that have been spent on upgrading rail networks and high speed trains in Europe means that it is a joy to travel around the continent by train. Ticket prices can be high though and the booking process can be tricky, so buying a one-off inter-rail pass is a really practical way to get around. And it's is not just for backpackers on a budget, an inter-rail ticket simply gives you the choice to take your time and be spontaneous without the hassle of having to pre-book every train months in advance. For more information about itineraries, advice on booking tickets and timetables, see our Rail Journey Planner.

We've now compiled our own Greentraveller Guides to each of the cities we visited: Utrecht, The Netherlands | Antwerp, Belgium | Cologne, Germany | Basel, Switzerland | Valence, France. 

The highlights of the trip were: canoeing along Utrecht's canals, lunching in a German ICE train dining car, marvelling at Cologne's mighty Dom Cathedral, swimming in a fresh mountain lake in the Swiss Alps, and cycling around the gorgeous medieval city of Valence. 

Less Carbon, More Fun!