Lasse Stolley embarked on a unique adventure after his apprenticeship plans fell through. Nearly two years ago, he began living a life of continuous train travel across Germany.
Starting in August 2022, Stolley has traveled an impressive 650,000 kilometers, equivalent to circling the globe over 15 times, and has spent more than 6,700 hours on trains.
“Deciding daily where to go is liberating,” Stolley told AFP at a cafe in Frankfurt’s train station.
He enjoys the passing scenery and exploring various parts of Germany.
With just a backpack, Stolley sustains himself on free food from Deutsche Bahn’s station lounges, courtesy of his train pass.
Initially, Stolley wasn’t interested in trains; he never had a model railway and had only taken two high-speed ICE train trips before deciding to live on the network at 16.
After his computer programming apprenticeship fell through, he was inspired by a documentary about someone living on trains and decided to try it himself.
Although his parents were initially reluctant, they eventually supported him. He bought a rail card for unlimited travel and started his journey from Fockbek in Schleswig-Holstein to Hamburg and then Munich.
The first few days were challenging as he couldn’t sleep on night trains without beds and often returned home. He adapted by sleeping in baggage areas of high-speed trains with an airbed.
After a year, he upgraded to a first-class rail card for 5,888 euros annually, giving him access to more comfortable carriages and lounges.
Stolley has since become accustomed to sleeping upright in train seats and works remotely as a part-time app developer for a startup.
He frequently visits major cities like Berlin and Frankfurt, and smaller towns, including Basel in Switzerland and Salzburg in Austria. Despite delays and strikes in the German train network, Stolley has found unexpected joys, such as meeting his girlfriend at Cologne’s rail station lounge.
While unsure how long he’ll continue this lifestyle, Stolley remains dedicated to his unique way of living.