Burrianaorbust
Traveller
1 comments
Posted 10 years ago
Hey railccs!
I am new to this website and am planning my first interrail trip, which I will undertake alone starting in Verona, Italy, going through central and Eastern Europe and then up to Scandinavia, ending in Bergen. There are some very cheap flights to Verona and from Bergen back to London with BA, and there hand luggage limit is very generous (23kg, 56x45x25cm) + a laptop bag. A couple of questions:
Would a reasonable sized rucksack (40 - 50l) full of clothes fit within these limits?
How much to spend on rucksack, where to buy from? recommended brand / model no ?
Should I bring my new notebook (laptop), would be useful for booking hostels in advance and researching things to do if I change my route and go somewhere unplanned. Or would this be risky considering its worth (about £250)?
Travel insurance? I'm on a tight budget, how much would insurance cost, I no v.little about insurance anyway!
I turn 18 on day 3 of the 20-day long trip, will be allowed into hostels/hotels on the first 3 nights?
I know there are alot of questions! I had a quick look around the forum first, and found most answers to my questions, but the questions above I still have. Thanks for taking time to read this and helping me!
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi!
The hand luggage limits seem to be a bit small for a 55l backpack at least, the Friluft 55 from Fjällraven measures 77x39x30cm. Even the Friluft 35 would be to big: 69x39x28cm.
Please note that I just picked these examples as I have a Fjällräven backpack myself; there might be other brands with a fitting bag. An alternative to a proper backpack with less comfort (not adjustable, no hip belt, etc) might be the trolley/backpack combos which should be available in sizes that fit the hand luggage limits of airlines.
I had a very decent 65l Lafuma backpack which served me very well for seven years before the fabric at the bottom was worn through and the supporting metal structure broke through which made carrying over long distances uncomfortable. It cost just about 160€...so you dont have to spend much especially if you might not use it too often.
Last year I got a new 65l Fjällräven Kajka which is very nice: Comfortable to wear, solid with many zipers and extra bags and so on. :)
I would recommend to try a few bags in the store to check how they fit you (more important if you buy a larger one).
If you want to I see no problem bringing your laptop however if you have a smartphone this should do the job as well.
Cant tell you about insurances in the UK...I have a basic insurance covering illness, transport back home in case of accident/illness etc...usually I have to extra insurance for equipment. The only thing that was stolen was my old Nokia back in 2006 on the Paris campsite.
You have to check with the hostels individually if they accomodate minors. If they do a confirmation signed by your parents should help.
Hope that helps a bit - please support us by purchasing your IR ticket in our partner at [ux]https://rail.shop/sncf[/ux] - thank you!
Flo 8)
Burrianaorbust
Traveller
1 comments
Thanks for the advice Flo!
I have decided to leave my laptop at home and bring my phone instead, I also found some premium insurance for only £22, which covers almost everything that could happen. My budget for rucksack is lower than 160 euros, but I have tried a few on in outdoor shops and found a decent possibility reduced from £110 down to £50! I do just have a couple of new questions, but I will ask them on another section of the forum as they are not equipment-related! Thanks Again
:D