1. Tell us about yourself
Introducing myself is not my strong suit — unlike talking about trains. But here is the short version.
I have been obsessed with trains since I was a kid. Toy cars never interested me. When my grandmother wanted to keep me busy, she took me on a train trip. By high school I was already traveling around Europe by rail — which did not exactly delight my parents or teachers when I disappeared for a week without showing up in class.
After school I ran a delivery pizza business — pizza is my second love after trains. Whenever I could, I traveled. That rhythm never really stopped.
2. So why Railhop?
On those trips I kept meeting lost, overwhelmed travelers. Some could not figure out how to buy a ticket. Others missed connections and thought they were stuck with no way out. Train travel is beautiful, alive, and freeing — but plans often fail on bad preparation or events you cannot control.
For someone heading out on their first rail trip, that stress is real. It is often enough to make them skip train travel altogether. I kept asking: how can I help people who want this experience but are afraid to go alone?
What if they had a travel buddy in their pocket — someone who has done the route before and can help when things get messy? That is the idea behind Railhop.
A real person plans your route, compares passes vs. tickets, flags reservation traps, and — on Premium and VIP — walks you through booking step by step. Not an app. Not a chatbot. A planner who rides European rails for a living.
3. What would you tell first-time rail travelers?
Do not be afraid to go. Everything is a first time once. But prepare properly:
- Fewer destinations — slow down; Europe is not a checklist
- Flexible hotels — full-refund bookings help when plans shift
- Fewer connections — every transfer is a risk; build buffer time
And if you want to travel with a clear head — like a VIP with someone watching your back — Railhop is built for that. OK, that sounded a bit like an ad. But it is true.
Practical starting points: pass vs. regular tickets and which trains need reservations.
4. What were your biggest — and most expensive — rail mistakes?
When I started, information on cheap seat reservations and advance fares was scarce. Ignorance cost me a lot of money. Today there is more info online, but if you do not know how a country’s system works, not knowing is still expensive.
I also fell for street scams more than once — and lost serious money. That is why every Railhop package includes a scam & tourist-trap awareness kit. I wish I had had something like that on my early trips.
5. Favorite destinations, best trains, and the most scenic routes?
Tough question — Europe is wildly diverse and every country offers something different. My personal favorites for train travel are Switzerland and Italy.
- Italy — in my view, the best high-speed trains in Europe
- Switzerland — the most scenic routes and, in my experience, the best overall rail service
One route I keep coming back to: Lauterbrunnen → Mürren in the Swiss Alps. If you have never done it, put it on your list.
6. A final thought?
Travel. Preferably by train. An incredible adventure is waiting.
As someone wise once said: I am not rich enough to buy cheap things. Keep that in mind when you travel too — the cheapest option is not always the best. Double-check everything.
And if you are unsure, Railhop is here. For about the price of a nice dinner for two, we can save you a large chunk of your trip cost — and a lot of stress.
One more thing: never blindly trust AI for rail planning. It can put you in very ugly situations on the ground. Trust me — I have seen it happen.