Where to Sleep

 outdoor

There are many possibilities to sleep outdoors. Look around for a quiet place. Don't choose the middle of a big park in a city or directly outside a big railway station. Sometimes it is much easier and safer to take a train and to leave a big city for the night. Get out in a small village and search for a meadow to sleep on. When you sleep outdoors you should always watch out for thieves. If you use a tent when sleeping outdoors it is easy to be discovered and if you sleep on the beach there can be thieves and often it is not tolerated by the authorities.

 camping

A cheap way to have a relaxing night and you have access to showers. You can also get into contact with other travellers. Very often there are lockers at the reception in which you can put all your documents or other important things. To find nice camping areas it is good to have a guide book with you.

 night trains

If you are travelling long distances, night trains are perfect. But every year there are less normal night trains available in Europe. Very often you need reservations or you have to pay surcharges or you have to take a sleeping car with a bed, because normal seats don't exist anymore. Sleeping cars are available for a fair price in eastern and southern Europe. Advice: attach your backpack to your seat. The best place for your backpack is under your seat and wear your documents on your body or put them in your shoes or somewhere else. Sometimes you sleep very deep and that is perfect for thieves.

 hostels

Hostels exist in many different variations. Some are very small and nice, some are big and impersonal like an airport. Get the information about the hostels you might stay at before you start your InterRail trip. You can call the hostels one or two days before you arrive to see if rooms are available and to make a reservation. Hostels always have double rooms but also cheap dormitories. You will meet a lot of travellers in hostels.

 hotels

The most expensive way to sleep. Maybe for one day to relax, but it is expensive. A double room starts from 40 EURO and can go up to more than 100 EURO.

Source http://www.interrail.net