Question about my first 1 month interrail.

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi!

1) Thanks for supporting. :) After your purchase, contact Peter with your order id to get upgraded to Premium membership.
If you need a reservation during your trip, go to the town's train station and buy your reservation at the ticket desk. Usually you can also buy reservations for abroad, at least for trains in bordering countries.
Sometimes it is also possible to get reservations at a ticket machine or via the internet (at other channels than [ux]https://rail.shop/acprail/reservation[/ux]) but the regular way is at a ticket counter.

2) This depends on many factors. For instance it wont be a problem to get a reservation for the Belgrade - Sofia night train on the day, but it will be very difficult to get one for Munich - Rome.
The more flexible you are the easier your trip will get. Train fully booked? Take another one to a different city... :)
I would always recommend to get the train reservation before you book your accomodation as well.
The less trains there are on a certain route, the earlier book (for instance there is just one single train from Lisbon to Madrid, so it makes sense to book in advance).

3) As mentioned above, do it at a station. There is no official way to get train reservations for France online. Have a look for Abo Forfait on the forum though... ;)

4) Yeah, why not? :)


Save travels,
Flo 8)

antjuuhh
Traveller
17 comments

My route will be something like this. (Do i need to make sure i get those reservations fast?)

I put Reservation Y/N after the route.

Paris > Zurich | [b]Y[/b]
Zurich > Geneva | N
Geneva > Monaco | N
Monaco > Venice | [b]Y [/b](it is possible without, but this will take longer)
Venice > Ljubljana | N
Ljubljana > Zagreb | N
Zagreb > Budapest | N
Budapest > Bratislava | N
Bratislava > Vienna | N
Vienna > Prague | N
Prague > Berlin | N
Berlin > Copenhagen | N
Copenhagen > Gothenburg | N
Gothenburg > Oslo | N
Oslo > Trondheim | [b]Y[/b]
Trondheim > Östersund | N
Östersund > Stockholm | N

From Venice to Ljubljana it will take me 7 to 7:30 hours, but on the map it is only a couple hundred km. Is there no faster route? [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/venice-to-ljubljana[/u]


Berlin > Copenhagen and Östersund > Stockholm would be good two good routes to take a night train or are those routes with nice view?

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.

Paris - Zurich: buy in advance, for example together ([ux]https://rail.shop/acprail/reservation[/ux]) with your Interrail pass ([ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux]) here at railcc

Geneva - Monaco: what's the connection you want to us?

Monaco - Venice: by local trains to the Ventimiglia (border to Italy). From there us an IC train - this one is free but a reservation for EUR 3 is recommended! Buy online at Trenitalia for EUR 3 (select Global Pass option) or at the ticket machine at the station. Pre-booking not required.

Oslo - Trondheim: book in advance at the day of arrival in Oslo. Or already in Göteborg, just at the main station ticket window. Easy.

Venice - Ljubljana: the problem is the border-crossing: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/travel-lake-bled-train/[/u]
No faster option, otherwise we would publish it! ;)

And just send me your order-ID (PNR - beginning with AA) to set your profile to PLUS. Thank you for being a fair user of railcc and supporting all this information.
Peter :)

antjuuhh
Traveller
17 comments

Hi Peter thanks for the fast response:)

For Geneva to Monaco i found the following route: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/munich-to-venice[/u]

But this will take 7 hours to get in Nice, and i will arrive late in evening. Is there another way to go to Monaco?

Or is there a nice mountain scene route i can take? (I want to take one mountain track, i thought about taking a nice route in Swiss but maybe there is a nice one in the French Alps as well which i can take on the route to Monaco?)
Or do you recommend one in Swiss and get from Geneva to Monaco as fast as possible?

I looked at the website Trenitalia but couldn't find out the reservation yet. But is it possible to make a reservation in Nice (1 or 2 days before)? Or is it better to make sure to catch the train and book it online?

Thanks for explaining about the way to Ljubljana, no problem though!

No problem Peter, how long before my trip should i order the Interrail ticket?

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.

[b]Monaco - Venice[/b]:
First Monaco to Milan using one of these connections: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/nice-to-milan[/u]
Then Milan to Venice, using one of these ones: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/milan-to-venice[/u]

Is there a special reason why you want to travel to Monaco. It is expensive and no good places to stay for cheap money. I recommend Nice instead.

Depending on your route you could think about including this route Milan to Zurich or reverse. It is free of extra fees and very scenic: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/zurich-milano-albula-bernina/[/u]

Geneva to Monaco: the route you selected is optimized for Munich to Nice. So not the best one for your travel leg.
And you have to calculate 8 hours for this trip. Best connection on Monday to Friday:

Geneve dep: 1242 - TGV with reservation fee
Nice Ville arr: 1905

Nice Ville dep: 1925 - free local TER train
Monaco arr: 1947

Purchase of your official Interrail pass at railcc: [ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux]
Buy two weeks in advance, then you are fine. But depends if you order standard (2-7 business days) or express shipping (1-3 business days).

Peter :)

antjuuhh
Traveller
17 comments

Thanks,

Absolutely going to take this route, it looks amazing! I just wanted to go to Monaco to see the expensive city, and wanted to see the Monte Carlo Casino but it is not easy to travel to Monaco so maybe next time. I will just skip Monaco and take your route from Zurich to Milan (one day bernina route), should i make a reservation or is this not really a busy train because most travellers take the faster Gotthard route?

Would one week before leaving be possible with express shipping? I live in Netherlands, you will ship from Germany right? I only want to make one reservation for the first route (In France). How do i pass the information to let you know which route i want to make reservation for me?

Another thing, i read not all trains in Europe are included in the Interrail ticket (maybe because of private owned) but how do i make sure i get not in those trains. I looked up all my routes with your tool and i did not notice one train which i could not enter. I found some yellow traingle warnings signs though like those on the following page: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/zurich-to-milan[/u]
But it still says no additional charge.

JoySeeker
Traveller
77 comments

Absolutely no need to make a reservation on that route, as long as you avoid the touristic Bernina Express trains with panoramic cars and compulsory reservation. It might happen that on a sunny day the regional trains ARE rather full, but you'll still manage to find a seat for sure :) Oh and btw, in the summer season there are sometimes old, yellow open cars running between Pontresina and Poschiavo, which is about 20 minutes away from Tirano. I definitely reccommend those, they're pretty awesome :D
This connection is completely free of extra costs! The part from Chur to Tirano you'll travel with RHB, a private narrow-gauge railway company. However, RHB is participating in Interrail so you do not have to pay extra using those routes :)
Have a nice trip! :)

(and if you're in doubt about my knowledge; I live in Switzerland ;) )

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
JoySeeker already explained everything! :)
Just as note: I removed the yellow triangle in the yellow parts of the schedules. It only means change train here - and has nothing to do with Interrail valid or not.
Express shipping is within 1-3 business (!) days. If you add the Rail Protection Plan (insurance against theft and lost of your rail pass - but for you to decide if you need it or not! It is + EUR 17/19), then express shipping is for free.
Shipping is from the UK.
Have a nice weekend, Peter :)

antjuuhh
Traveller
17 comments

Thank you both, and no i don't doubt you Joyseeker;)

But what do you exactly mean by Bernina Express touristic trains? I was planning to take one of the following: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/zurich-to-milan[/u]
at this train i will look for the open cars between Pontresina and Poschiavo, sounds amazing!

Thanks for the tip.

One question peter, i go to paris without my Interrail ticket (to stay there a couple days) and afterwards i start traveling. Is the ticket from Breda to Paris with discount because i own a Interrail ticket?
And i thought about taking the Thalys to Paris but is seems a bit expensive, prices from around 75 up to 125 euro.

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
The connections you see there ([u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/zurich-to-milan[/u]) are all free to use (like they are marked) with Interrail. :)
Your Interrail pass has to be valid to get a discount from your country of residence to the border. Thalys is special, but you would also cross Belgium and enter France. So no discount. Try to get a special fare by booking early: [ux]https://rail.shop/beurope[/ux]
Peter :)

antjuuhh
Traveller
17 comments

Peter one thing before i order, i asked before but didnt get a answer.

My journey will start from Paris to Lyon, which train requires reservation (2e klas: EUR 1,50 - 25) I really want to get this first train, can i make a reservation when i order the interrail ticket? Or should i make a reservation in Belgium (if possible) when i go to Paris? This will be 3 days before i get on the Paris>Lyon train. Hope this will me enough?

The train is much faster that the route without reservation (which leaves me more time sightseeing Lyon) and i just want to experience some high speed train in France.

I will order my ticket this weekend.

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
You can never preview the reservation fee for a TGV train, as the seats for Interrailers are limited - SNCF is Interrail-hostile. :|
So it should be available for around EUR 6, if sold out for EUR 18 (which is often the case!). Try it in the railcc shop ([ux]https://rail.shop/acprail/reservation[/ux]) and get it together in one order with your Interrail pass - should be also possible at a railway station in Belgium.
Peter :)

antjuuhh
Traveller
17 comments

Just checked the online tool and it always says 13.00 for me?

Yea true about SNCF, but they are a bit right aren't they? The high speed train is just an expensive train.. So if they let everyone join the train easely with an inter(eu)rail it would cost them money. right?

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

On the railcc shop, handling fees might be added (see yellow box).

In Germany you can use the DB high speed trains ICE for free. And the big problem is: the seats for EUR 6 reservation are often very very limited (if even available on some trains - I have my doubts). So in a lot of cases you pay the EUR 18 per TGV. Even a lot of free seats left in the trains.
It is a definitely a problem the behaviour of SNCF in the past years. I often get mails of Interrailers that it wasn't possible to get a reservation at all for TGVs on a day. So Interrails had to stay one more day in a city until they could continue. And on some routes, it is simply not possible to replace the TGV trains by regional trains - like it is the case for example in Benelux, Germany and a lot of other European countries.
Peter :)

antjuuhh
Traveller
17 comments

Thank you :)

I found someting and i am not sure which one to believe.

Was looking for an altarnive route from milan to the coast (Genoa) but the online tool from this website says it is not required to make reservation:
[u]https://rail.cc/en/train/milan-to-marseille[/u]

but the DB tools says it requires some reservation:
DBahn link timed out and removed - [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux]

Does the DB tool always say this and can i just follow your tool or not?

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
The DB tool is NOT made for Interrailers!
Just click the details of the IC train and you will get this information: [u]https://rail.cc/en-type-country/intercity/trenitalia-ic/47[/u]
NO reservation required - but we recommend it. Get it at a ticket machine in Italy at a station. Select the option Global Pass.
Peter :)

antjuuhh
Traveller
17 comments

Peter i am looking at the ticket (one month interrail) and i am wondering why or if i need to fill in all the train trips... Is this really needed or is it just for tracking what/where a person did go to? If it's only needed for the latter i do it at home.

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
Officially you have to fill it in - always! Some conductors check it - not very often, but it might happen.
It is for tracking if you send it back for to the Eurail group, to distribute the earnings of the Interrail passes to the different European national railway companies.
Peter :)

ascraeus
Traveller
34 comments

Also when you sent it back to the company, they promise to send you a gift, I still wonder what it is :) they say it is a key ring or a USB memory stick.

antjuuhh
Traveller
17 comments

At first i wasn't filling it in. But found out in Eastern Europe they where not amazed about that :) They where reacting kind of angry when they saw i didn't filling in the trips. Also in Sweden one conductor reacted if i just became a big crime.

If i send it in now, they can't really track my road :P it skips hunderds of km sometimes :P

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

I like to fill in the travel report to keep track of the whole trip plus adding up the kilometre mileage. :)

antjuuhh
Traveller
17 comments

How you know the actual distance?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

You can find it for most routes in the European Rail Timetable.

antjuuhh
Traveller
17 comments

Thanks,

Absolutely going to take this route, it looks amazing! I just wanted to go to Monaco to see the expensive city, and wanted to see the Monte Carlo Casino but it is not easy to travel to Monaco so maybe next time. I will just skip Monaco and take your route from Zurich to Milan (one day bernina route), should i make a reservation or is this not really a busy train because most travellers take the faster Gotthard route?

Would one week before leaving be possible with express shipping? I live in Netherlands, you will ship from Germany right? I only want to make one reservation for the first route (In France). How do i pass the information to let you know which route i want to make reservation for me?

Another thing, i read not all trains in Europe are included in the Interrail ticket (maybe because of private owned) but how do i make sure i get not in those trains. I looked up all my routes with your tool and i did not notice one train which i could not enter. I found some yellow traingle warnings signs though like those on the following page: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/zurich-to-milan[/u]
But it still says no additional charge.