1990 to the Present Day

Available for over a year

Miranda Sawyer dons her rucksack to explore the impact interrailing has had on different generations of young people. The scheme's been going almost forty years. For many, it was a rite of passage, clutching that all important month-long rail pass. Sleeping on trains, running out of money, barely escaping trouble. The collapse of communism in the late 80's opened up new cultures and unfamiliar places in Europe for backpackers to explore. But do people still interrail around Europe these days, especially when they're used to cheap flights to exotic locations. Join Miranda Sawyer to find out. Playwright David Greig, travel writer Sarah Baxter and railway guru, Mark Smith, amongst others, talk to the programme. Part Two: 1990 - 2011.