Fly into Europe from more sparsely populated parts of the world and something odd happens on the in-flight map. Suddenly the world feels smaller, more compact, with place names jostling for space.

Just hours ago you were flying over the empty vastness of Canada or the Central Asian steppe. Now the map is criss-crossed with national borders and studded with evocatively-named capital cities. This is the cradle of western culture: where empires rose and fell, where turbulent, messy history unfolded to shape the world—often against its will.

But Europe is no museum: for every castle and cathedral there is a modern and diverse city, each with its own cultural scenes and distinct identity. And away from the towns and cities are majestic mountain ranges, remote villages in rural hinterlands, fairytale forests and glorious coastlines. It's a well worn travel writing trope but Europe, truly, has everything.

Geographically speaking, tiny Europe shouldn't really be considered a continent in its own right; more a minor appendage on the great Eurasian landmass. But try telling that to a 21-year-old with an InterRail ticket and a guidebook. When you can cross a dozen national borders in 24 hours and have to cope with accents, cuisines and traditions changing every 100 miles or so, you could spend a lifetime exploring Europe and never come close to seeing and revelling in all its wonderful complexity.

When you think of Europe you might feel like you've "been there and done it". We're willing to bet that you've barely scratched the surface. Take another look. Book your train tickets and hop on board. Europe—the real Europe—is just waiting to be discovered.