Sardinia, Italy

A getaway to Italy is not that original in terms of planning a vacation in Europe. In the past years, places like Cinque Terre or Amalfi have experienced a burst of Instagram tourism. Colorful houses framing a rocky coastline by the sea seem to have become the recipe for overtourism. When I think of holidays in Italy, childhood memories of endless drives in our family car come to mind, then the first time you catch a glimpse of the ocean near the horizon. Pine tree woods, Estathé Limone by the beach and my mother convincing us to visit countless historic churches with her. As a child, I didn’t know what overtourism was, I only knew how much I enjoyed being by the sea and getting the chance to be away from home every once in a while.

I know what Italy Fernweh means. You get back home and suddenly don’t like the espresso anymore that you were happy with before. This story offers no cure, but possibly a different take on your Italy travels, coming from someone living in Europe. I prefer traveling by train to pretty much any other form of transportation: you get to use your time “on the road”, you get to see the places you travel through from a different perspective and you might discover entirely new spots along the way by looking out for little stops between bigger stations. On top of that, it is more eco-friendly than traveling by car or plane. I try to avoid plane travel altogether. And knowing that this travel story is not an example of perfectly eco-friendly behaviour, it is a beginning.

My partner and I had nine days to work with for this trip including travel days. We also had an invitation from a friend to stay at a beautiful house in Sardinia. So the planning began. I am lucky enough to have a partner who knows nearly everything about train travel, which helped. The easiest way to get from Frankfurt to our destination on the north-eastern coast of the island was to take a plane. But it was not the only way. We decided to buy Interrail tickets and distribute the journey over several days.

Frankfurt - Milan

The first travel day began at 9 in the morning in Frankfurt, Germany. From here, we took the train to Basel SBB (ca. 3 h). There, we changed trains to get to Milano Centrale and picked up snacks. I highly recommend Caffè Spettacolo for good coffee paired with a Chäschüechli from Coop. We arrived in Milan at 5 p.m. and checked into our hotel for the night, RossoSegnale B&B in Loreto. We had dinner at Trattoria Bertamè, gelato at Golab Gelateria and stopped by Bar Picchio for a Negroni Sbagliato. For the following day, there was a train strike announced and so we decided to get up extra early to catch a train that would definitely get us to Livorno. An important lesson for international train travel: sometimes you have to be spontaneous, or the circumstances will make you let go of your plans.

Milan - Livorno

Other than expected, there were hardly any signs of the announced strike. After arriving in Livorno, we had a few hours to kill before boarding a Moby ferry to Sardinia. Another lesson: train travel can be exhausting with luggage and long layovers. Luckily, most train stations have luggage lockers or baggage storage services nearby, where you can book a locker online in advance. After having locked away our baggage, we explored Livorno, being grateful for 25 degrees and sunshine at the beginning of May. We strolled by a hotel at the riviera and decided to book a short stay in the spa. After a dip in the pool and a sauna session, we headed to the harbour. Most people get there by car and walking across the docks in the midst of trucks and enormous cruise ships felt a bit surreal. Another surreal moment followed as we entered our spacious cabin right below the ship’s bridge. Like most passengers, we watched the departure from one of the decks drinking a beer and waving goodbye to the mainland. Falling asleep on a giant ship in the middle of the sea is strange if you’re not used to it. The Mediterranean Sea is not necessarily known to be rough, however we were prepared for a bumpy night. I do not advise drinking alcohol at this point, but let’s just say that one or two beers helped us go to dreamland fairly quickly.

Livorno - Olbia

I would describe the night on board with Moby as comparable to one on a night train. Ear plugs are recommended and the comfort of a suite cabin made our first overnight ferry experience enjoyable. There is a wake-up call before the ferry arrives, which gives you enough time to check out of your room. Watching the sun slowly rise over the sea through your cabin window is a magical moment that is hard to describe with words. This moment alone made the extra time and effort this journey took worth it. After anchoring we started the search for the bus that would get us to Olbia airport – and ended up sharing a taxi with another couple. At this point, at the latest, using public transport becomes more difficult. Bus schedules are not always consistent. We knew that it would be easier to navigate the island having a car. Therefore, we had booked a rental in Olbia (rental stations can be found by the airport) in advance for a good price.

San Teodoro

We stayed with a friend in San Teodoro for the next four nights. San Teodoro is a small town on the upper east coast of Sardinia, about 30 minutes out of Olbia. We got to know the town as not too crowded in spring outside of the tourist season. Our friend provided us with insights into the local culture and history as well as tips for day trips. Sardinia has a rich multicultural history which reaches into the present. The regions of the island differ in languages, architecture styles, cuisine and other traditions. Apart from Italian, people speak Sardinian, Sassarese, Gallurese or one of the many dialects. A bit like its neighbour island Corsica’s relation with France, Sardinia is not just one of the 20 Italian regions. On our first evening, our friend described the island as a small continent in reference to its diversity.

The first night on Sardinia gave us a taste of its peace and groundedness. We fell asleep to the sound of crickets chirping outside of our windows and woke up to the sound of grazing sheep in the backyard of the small house. For breakfast we made piadinas which we enjoyed on the terrace overlooking the mountains and spotting the sea in the far distance. We spent two days by the beach in San Teodoro mixed up with excursions to Posada, a cute little town built on a hill around the Castello della Fava, and Tempo Pausania. We picked Tempo Pausania over Nuoro because we wanted to visit Nuraghe Majori, a protohistoric fortress today inhabited by a colony of bats and surrounded by Mediterranean woods. The drive to Tempo Pausania was an adventure. Let’s just say that if you like serpentines and narrow streets, you will have the time of your life. But it was all worth it. The archeological site of the nuraghe, the garden and the small restaurant were wonderful. You could tell that people work hard on preserving this place and respecting the wildlife. If you get the chance, you should stop by the café/restaurant and try the Seadas, a typical Sardinian dessert consisting of a pastry filled with pecorino cheese and topped with honey, possibly one of the most delicious desserts I have tried in the last years. Deep-fried dough, cheese and honey – what’s not to like.

Olbia – Genoa

After a few blissful days on the island it was time to start our journey back, but not without some exciting stops along the way. For the return route we had decided to take an overnight ferry to Genoa instead of Livorno. This time, we traveled with a slightly older ship in a simpler cabin. It was charming and felt like a journey through time. Think wood-paneled walls and gold details. We got a table in one of the ship’s restaurants with live music. The food was better than the music and this time, we had some regional wine as a little nightcap. Before we knew it, the ship had arrived in Italy’s sixth largest city. We found a small café near the harbour for colazione: cornetti e caffè.

Genoa – Alp Grüm

From there, we took our time to stroll through the city to the train station to catch a train that would take us back to Milan, where we changed trains for Tirano. In Tirano, we boarded one of the most famous trains in Europe, the Bernina Express, to go to Alp Grüm. I remember being in awe during the entire train ride from Tirano up into the most beautiful mountain landscape. Photos of this part of our journey show me mostly with my mouth open, flabbergasted. You can book rooms in the Da Primo Albergo Ristorante Alp Grüm, which is cute hotel in the train station building. The Bernina Express stops right in front of the hotel entrance and the train is the only way to get to the station. Alp Grüm is also a perfect starting point for hikes and you can stop there to just have a hearty meal at the restaurant.

Alp Grüm – Frankfurt

My partner had booked a room for us as a surprise. Opening the curtains the next morning was yet another highlight: fresh mountain air, the view of the lake in the valley below, sun-kissed glaciers. After breakfast, we hopped on the next Express train and made our way over the glacier and past many cows to Chur, Zurich and from there home to Germany. This was a very special journey and I feel extremely grateful that I had the means to discover such beautiful spots in Europe with a savvy train travel companion. It all began with booking an Interrail ticket, so if you’re thinking about planning your journey – take this as your sign to get started!