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Sustainable packing tips for your next Interrail adventure

Getting ready for your Interrail trip? We have some good news: by taking the train, you’ve chosen one of the most environmentally friendly modes of travel available in Europe.  

 

To help you take your sustainability game to the next level, we compiled a list of packing tips you can follow to lessen your adventure’s impact on the environment even further. 

 

Pack your bags and get excited – you’re about to experience the beauty of Europe, while doing your part to help the planet. 

A train travelling through the mountains of Switzerland

Pack lightly and strategically 

 

When it comes to sustainable packing, the old adage applies: less is usually more.

 

“Did you know that carbon dioxide emissions from travel are directly proportional to the weight transported?” asks Italy’s Ministry of Tourism. “The first step to being a responsible traveller is therefore to ensure your travel bag is as light as possible.”

 

To cut down on luggage weight, “pare down your clothes and shoes to just the essentials,” Switzerland Tourism advises. “Pack layers that combine well, and for each piece of clothing, ask yourself: “Do I really need this?” 

 

Switzerland Tourism also suggests developing a packing strategy with your travel companions, urging travellers to “plan together, make space and save on weight.” For example, a group of four friends travelling together might only need two chargers instead of four.  

Woman packing a suitcase thoughtfully

Use reusable dining accessories

 

After you’ve pared down your packing list, you should have some extra space in your luggage. 

 

We recommend using some of the extra room to pack reusable cutlery and bags and a sturdy water bottle and coffee cup to use throughout your trip. Single-use plastic – including the plastic bags, utensils, and other items travellers often wind up using when purchasing food and drinks on their trips – is a serious problem in the European Union and beyond. 

 

According to the European Commission, common single-use plastic items such as cutlery, beverage cups and bags, along with fishing gear, make up 70% of all marine litter in the EU. By packing your own reusable items and using them to lessen your reliance on single-use plastics throughout your Interrail trip, you can play a role in reducing Europe’s plastic pollution problem.

 

Person filling reusable water bottle

Don’t forget about reusable toiletry bottles 

 

In April 2024, the EU announced that certain single-use plastic packaging types will be banned beginning in 2030. This includes the miniature packaging for toiletry products often found in hotels and other accommodations – an acknowledgement that widespread use of this packaging can have a big impact on the environment. 

 

Interrail travellers can take part in this change by filling up small, reusable toiletry bottles at home and using them many times over, rather than buying new mini bottles before each trip or using the mini toiletries at hotels. 

A woman filling reusable toiletry bottles

Look for innovative solutions 

 

Some toiletry products – such as toothpaste — are harder to pack with reusable containers. Fortunately, there are some innovative products on the market – such as Smyle’s toothpaste tabs – that can help you solve this problem. 

 

Instead of using traditional plastic toothpaste tubes, travellers can purchase small, glass bottles of Smyle’s toothpaste tabs to use on trips and at home. Paper refill sachets are also available as part of your purchase. And here’s a bonus: since you only need two toothpaste tabs per day, bringing Smyle tabs instead of a full tube of toothpaste will lighten your luggage load.  

A woman holding a bottle of Smyle toothpaste tabs

Research recycling options 

 

Maybe you bought some groceries on your trip and ended up with plastic packaging to discard. Maybe you have some used brochures that you’d like to offload before making your journey home. 

 

Let’s be realistic: even when you’re mindful, almost every traveller will generate some waste on a trip. That’s why it’s good to look for ways to recycle waste whenever possible on your journeys. 

 

Take a few minutes to research what recycling and composting options are available in each place you visit. In addition to helping the environment, this small action will leave you even more knowledgeable about each destination on your adventure. 

Recycling bins in a park

Interrail x Smyle

 

This article was written as part of a partnership with Smyle. With code EURAIL, you can enjoy 20% off all Smyle products, including its electric toothbrush with a bamboo head and four-month battery, ideal for Interrailers travelling for weeks or months at a time.

A train travelling through the mountains of Switzerland

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