bagelshop
Traveller
2 comments
Posted 15 years ago
im an inter rail first timer. trying to carefully plan my trip is making my head spin and i would much rather go with the flow. i am, however, a young woman of 21 and will be traveling alone. i figure i should at least get a general overview to be on the safe side. i currently hold a 10 days in 22 pass and am starting my trip on the 31st of may. im on a budget of roughly 700 pounds, but will have free accommodation in some cities and will do my best to book cheapest hostels. i clicked around the route planner and seems as if i might me able to get away with not paying any extra fees for the trains. heres my rough overview:
i reside in [b]London [/b]and my starting point will be [b]Brussels[/b], just a layover to [b]Amsterdam[/b]. stay about 3 nights.
[b]Amsterdam[/b] - [b]Berlin[/b]. another 3 nights.
[b]Berlin[/b] - [b]Prague[/b]. about 2 nights.
[b]Prague[/b] - [b]Florence[/b]. a few nights. this one seems a little complicated as there are many train transfers and a few supplements to pay. possibly another city in Italy? night train a good idea?
whatever Italian city - [b]Barcelona[/b] (maybe make a stop in the south of France? any suggestions?) 3+ nights as i will have free accommodation in Barcelona.
[b]Barcelona[/b] to [b]Paris[/b] (stay with friends) and home. wondering if adding[b] Madrid [/b]for a few nights would be reasonable? maybe throw [b]Lisbon[/b] in there? i dont want to exhaust myself, but i would also like to use the pass to its full potential.
would be very appreciative of any comments and suggestions.
Peter
Traveller
9337 comments
hej hej ...
here some information:
1) [b]London to Brussels[/b]: you can either use the expensive Eurostar followed by the expensive Thalys:
Eurostar London to Paris or directly to Brussels: EUROSTAR [u]https://rail.cc/en/london-paris-eurostar-train/f1805[/u]
Eurostar London to Paris - stop - continue by Thalys to Brussels: THALYS [u]https://rail.cc/en/paris-brussels-bruxelles-train/f3992[/u]
Other possibilities to avoid these trains:
Ferry Dover (UK) to Calais (France) - from there by regional trains to Brussels - [u]https://rail.cc/en/ferry-london-paris-england-france/f1222[/u]
Ferry Harwich (UK) to Hoek van Holland (Netherlands) - from there by regional trains and free ICs via Rotterdam to Brussels/Amsterdam - [u]https://rail.cc/blog/from-london-to-amsterdam-with-the-dutchflyer/[/u]
2) [b]Brussels to Amsterdam[/b]: use the free IC trains, not the expensive THALYS!
3) [b]Amsterdam to Berlin[/b]: [u]https://rail.cc/en/amsterdam-berlin-train/f2346[/u]
4) [b]Berlin to Prague[/b]: free day train
5) [b]Prague to Florence[/b]: the best will be to make a stop in Vienna... for example EC to Vienna ( [u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u] ) and then by night train from Vienna to Italy (Florence, Venice, ...):
[u]https://rail.cc/en/vienna-rome-milan-night-train/f1417[/u]
6) [b]Italy to Barcelona[/b]: use free regional trains along the French coast (cross the border before Italy/France at Ventimiglia). The city of Nice is nice for a stop.
Maybe have a look at the Petit Train Jaune crossing the French Pyrenees: [u]https://rail.cc/en/petit-train-jaune-latour-de-carol/f1343[/u]
You can use an the complete way from Italy to Barcelona free Regional trains !!!
Peter :)
bagelshop
Traveller
2 comments
outstanding!! very very helpful. glad i didnt book eurostar as planned.
thanks a million, peter!
SiDUDe
Traveller
752 comments
just bear in mind that if you use your interrail ticket getting accross the channel it will run out sooner - it may be worth seeing if you can get the cheapest eurostar without using interrail (cheaper than the eurostar suppliment...) and starting your pass in brussels.
bagelshop
Traveller
2 comments
[quote]just bear in mind that if you use your interrail ticket getting accross the channel it will run out sooner - it may be worth seeing if you can get the cheapest eurostar without using interrail (cheaper than the eurostar suppliment...) and starting your pass in brussels.[/quote]
yeah, now that im looking at it, i would have to use 2 travel days if i go by ferry. i can get away with the 49 pound youth deal for london to brussels. a bit of a pain, but would save time and allow me to be in amsterdam in the early evening.
thank you for your input. really appreciate it.
roryroryrory
Traveller
39 comments
Another thing to bear in mind is traveling to London to catch the Eurostar train.
Sometimes you can get an all in one price ticket from wherever to London for not much more.
I've managed to get an all in one ticket from Birmingham to London and then Eurostar to Paris for £56.
And then the reverse journey but from Brussels, for £65.
I looked into getting the ferry from Holland to Harwich but it would only be slightly cheaper but then I would have to pay for a train from Harwich.
But this is only my experience, other people's prices may be different.
Also I think that the prices are cheaper as I'm a youth.