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Colomiers, France.

It has already been a year since I’ve decided to go for a long trip. I don’t remember exactly when it took its final shape, but long enough to let me time to come up with a plan for a first « short » trip. It’s a test, a trial, a beta.

First I want to test the Interrail pass, so there’s no unforeseen issue on that side of the logistics. I also want to test my gear. Must make sure every thing is here, that nothing is in my backpack that shouldn’t be, that everything is adapted and will suffice to my needs. It’ll also be a benchmark for what to buy next and how many and which clothes I should take. But, most importantly, I want to test myself, of course.

Am I ready for this? Am I capable to endure weeks of continuous travel alone? Am I good enough to find my way through Europe and come back on time for work in 3 weeks? Am I resourceful enough to find a roof every night? To take the correct trains? To balance moving and visiting? To not get scammed or robbed?

I had to go for a trial run. Out of the question to answer these, well, questions, on the big trip.
So a few weeks before departure, I opted for a destination. My first thought was for something along the line of Spain to Norway, but that felt kinda short, and I’ve already been on all countries on the line, and will go back. My second idea, which quickly became the final choice, was to go to Turkey.

Turkey is not part of the 2024 trip route, I’ve never been there, and it is on the Interrail pass. Hurray! We have a destination. What about the route though?

I decided to go through the minimum countries possible, especially those I’ve never visited before, as to keep more for 2024. I also wanted to be confronted to some troubles, so I chose to go through Serbia. The path was: France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and back the same way.

Mission İstanbul (Istanbul) was set. I gathered the last bits of gear that I needed, sent the cats in holidays at my mother’s house (thanks Mom!), and was ready to go.

Now, let’s go to the first day of the trip, and switch to a present narrative mode, shall we?

Here we are!

Today’s the big day, the departure. The first day of a trip is always a very tense and special moment, at least for me. I’m not the kind to be stressed out by unplanned travel, but there is undeniably something about the first day. It feels like if this day goes wrong, everything fall apart. Even though I have only booked like the first three nights of the trip so far! Anyway, no need to worry, the first train from my home town of Colomiers leaves at 9 h 15, and I’m here well in advance. It’s a small regional train, that takes me to the main station of Toulouse, Matabiau.

Here, after the first hour of waiting of the journey, I actually already meet someone I know (well, chances are of course higher here than they will be in the middle of Serbia, but eh). One of my coworkers was here with her family, accompanying their son, to the same train I was embarking.

That second train takes me to the superb southern town of Montpellier. If you’ve never been there, I can recommend. It has this south coastal charm, while being very student-driven, with a neo-classical kinda vibe architecture. Lovely. Today though, I’m not going too far from the station. I just have time to grab a lunch at a nearby restaurant (I’m the sole customer, should I be worried?) for an hour, and on I ride the lightning-fast TGV to Lyon, the third train of the day.

Now you may wonder why I would go that far North? Well, I could have followed the coast for sure, but that’s a treat I want to save for 2024. And it’s a great occasion to meet my good studenthood friend Rémi, whom I haven’t seen in quite a while! The area around the train station is quite a mess right now, but I finally managed to get on the correct bus, and soon enough I was reunited with Rémi.

It was a really nice evening, catching up and playing some board games. But he works tomorrow, so it was a relatively early bedtime. Tomorrow, I leave France and start using the Interrail pass. The real journey begins.