Sofia87
Traveller
3 comments
Posted 10 years ago
Hello!
I will do a 22 days Interrail and I am really interested to visit Italy (Milan, Venice, Florence, Roma, Napoles), Greece (from Brindisi to Patras, Atens – Thessaloniki - Alexandroupoli - Dikaia – Svilengrad (by bus??) and then Istambul.
To return I am thinking to go via Sofia, Belgrado, Budapeste, Viena and Amsterdam (by boat from Hoek van Holland to Harwich).
What do you think about this route?
I checked the connections in Greek and It seems a little bit difficult, specially to go to another country and to go from Patra to Atens.
Any suggestion?
which trains should I make a reserve? Ashford - Paris (Eurostar) and Paris - Milan (night train - thello) and the shipping connections (Brindisi -Patra and Hoek van Holland - Harwich).
I would like to travel by night as much as possible, but I want to avoid reservations and taxes as well =)
Thank you!
Sofia87
Traveller
3 comments
Is this route possible? I really would like to hear your advices to know if I will buy 22 days or 15 days (with a different route) ticket.
Thank you.
This website is very helpfull.
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
Hi.
You already said: buy special price tickets for the following trains, as you have to pay a high reservation fee for them and it is in total cheaper to not to use them with Interrail (save travel days).
Ashford - Paris: book via [ux]https://rail.shop/beurope[/ux]
Paris - Milan: [ux]https://rail.shop/omio[/ux]
In Milan start interrailing. But you can also check before if you find cheap tickets of Trenitalia ( [ux]https://rail.shop/omio[/ux] ) and save some more travel days of your Interrail pass. No need to do so, but if you like to calculate, try it. :)
Ferry Brindisi to Patras: you do not get a discount with Interrail. One-way is about EUR 40. Maybe think about a ferry from Bari (included in Interrail, but also additional fuel surcharge, etc).
Patras to Athens is easy: either by direct bus of the shipping company (maybe additional fees, check on the ship) or by free OSE bus to Kiato and the by local train to Athens. Examples here: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/patras-to-athens[/u]
Then your round trip in Greece and Turkey.
Your way back trough Eastern-Europe - read here: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/bucharest-sofia-istanbul-train//[/u]
Ferry Hoek van Holland to the UK: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/from-london-to-amsterdam-with-the-dutchflyer/[/u]
Now you have to calculate, what makes more sense... the 10 in 22 Interrail pass or if you want to include more stops!?
To support the free information and the forum on railcc, please be fair and buy your official Interrail pass via our railcc partner link: [ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux]
Thank you! :)
Peter :)
Sofia87
Traveller
3 comments
Thank you for you reply! =)
So from Paris to Milan do I have a cheaper way to go? But I will spend more time right? I checked thello's prices and willl be like around 70euros right?
Then in Italy my idea is spend the day in Milan, Venice (maybe sleep here), Florence, Roma, Napoles (sleep here) and Brindisi to Patras.
In Brindisi we have 20% of discount so will be like 37euros. In Bari is included in interrail but we need to pay additional taxes and I think will be pretty much the same price, or am I wrong??
In Greece which is the best way to go to Istambul? I checked and seems to be Atens, Thessaloniki, Alexandroupoli, Dikaia, Svilengrad and Istambul. Maybe spend the day in Atens, Thessaloniki and Alexandroupoli and travel during the night. What do you thing?
Then in Istambul i am thinking to spend the day and the night there,
To return via Sofia, Belgrad (spend the days there and travel during the night), Budapest, Viena and Amsterdam maybe I will spend day and night in each city.
The ferry in Hoek van Holland will cost like 28euros right?
So I think 22 days pass makes more sense. Is this route realistic for 22 days?
Many thanks. It is my first Interrail so I am not sure about many thinks. And of course I will but the tickes in your website!
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi!
# Paris to Milan could be done with the night train to Nice, then either via Genoa or Torino to Milan. Personally I would not go with Thello even though there are now 25% reduction on regular fares for InterRail pass holders, but since you would need to get off the train very early in Milan for me that's not worth it.
Another alternative would be to go via the Swiss Alps, first to Zürich (avoid the direct TGV Lyria services as they now have very high reservation fees), then this route (you have to spend the night somewhere along the route): [u]https://rail.cc/blog/zurich-milano-albula-bernina/[/u]
If you do decide to go with Thello, you could think about going all the way through to Venice which wont be much more expensive compared to going to Milan but you could sleep much longer. Also keep in mind that you would not need a travel day if you would go with the 10in22 ticket since you only get a reduction on Thello.
# To get to Istanbul by train you would have to travel from Thessaloniki to Sofia, then take the night train to Istanbul. There are no direct trains between Greece and Turkey at the moment. Peter already posted the link to a blog post of my trip last year.
# Hoek van Holland ferry will be something around 30€, yes.
I think that you could think about getting regular tickets to Paris and from Paris to Italy and start InterRail there. Then you could do the rest of the trip with just the 10in22 ticket and invest the money saved for the Eurostar ticket to get to Paris.
Flo 8)
Sofia87
Traveller
3 comments
Thank you very much Flo!
I am not very sure about how 10 in 22 works. But i have calculated and I think I will need to use the ticket 13 days at least (just from Italy).
So I think i will buy a 22days ticket and I will avoid Thellos train...
Well, I am really greatful for your help, and I am sure I willl have more questions very soon... ;)
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hm if you calulated 13 travel days than it would be ok to go with the 22day ticket.
The 10in22 would allow you to make use of the 1900 rule which could save you some travel days if you use night trains: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-night-train[/u]