Well after purchasing my European Interrail pass last year, it was finally time to use it. I opted to fly to the south of Italy to start my trip there, with my trip then heading up across Italy, north into central Europe. After flying out and a quick night in Brindisi, the first train omy interrail trip was taken at 10:48 on 25/03/2023.

The first stop was Alberobello which is famous for its cone shaped roofs and stone buildings known as Trulli. Alberobello is served by the Ferrovie del Sud Est regional railway, so I walked 16 km from the main line railway station of Fasano, passing by farmland to the village.

From Alberobello it took two regional trains, in and out of Bari to arrive to Matera. The old town has been restored a lot over recent years with the city being EU capital of culture in 2019. It really felt like a city on the up, and I stayed in a hostel situated in the Sassi (old town) district.

With a high-speed rail connection through Rome, the trains took me up to Assisi. A scenic hilltop village in the province of Perugia, most famous for the Basilica of Saint Francis, who is the patron saint of Italy.

My small Airbnb guestroom had one of the best views looking out to the countryside, where I sat and enjoyed lunch.

As beautiful as Italy always is I would not spend all month eating pizza and pasta, but continue north to Milan and then pass by Lake Como as the train took me up to Tirano. This which would be my entry point into Switzerland.