Day of Arrival

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

If you'd let me know of which hostels you're talking I can give you info on how to get there from CDG. :)

Lazee
Traveller
12 comments

Hi flo and everyone... when I last posted, we didn't have any specific hostels in mind we were just looking for some that were easy to get to from the airport.

I am currently still looking for a hostel for our first 2 nights in Paris- but at the moment we're looking at REALLY high prices.
We are looking to stay in a private room for the first 2 nights just so we can adjust to being away from home etc, but the hostels are charging up to £47 per person per night. Is that common?

I'd normally expect them to rent out the room for a set price regardless of who is staying.

Does anyone know of a cheap hostel with private rooms? Anything, any advice at all would be gratefully recieved! We're off on the 15th July, so we don't have long left to book


Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

I'd have a look at Accor, A1 etc Hotels which provide rooms for up to three perosns (usually) at a certain rate (ie 50€ for a room, no matter if 1, 2 or 3 people are staying in the room). You can find several of these hotels along the Péripeherique (the Motorway surrounding the city of Paris - quick connections with Metro to the city available).

Transfer CDG - Paris: There is a free transfer included in the IR ticket (only one way), show your ticket at the office at CDG and you'll get a special ticket (called contremarque) which allwos you to use the RER to the centre of Paris - you'll need this ticket when you enter and when you leave the RER system.

Flo 8)

Lazee
Traveller
12 comments

Brilliant... thank you so much.

I'm looking into your reccomendations now. I didn't know about the RER thing, thats excellent.

If you don't ask, you don't know!

Thanks Flow! :P

Lazee
Traveller
12 comments

Okay so here's a question...

We're going to stay at a hotel near to Gare D'Austerlitz, as thats the only station that does an easy night transfer to Madrid for us.
According to what I've found the RER has 5 different lines... does the ticket your given entitle you to one trip only? I.E From Charles de Gaulles to Luxemborg (to pick a stop on the line) Or would we be able to go from the airport and change lines to get nearer to the hotel?

Sorry to be a pain, but I am trying to get my head around this in advance so that it doesn't wind up with me and my boyfriend lost in Paris on our first night!

SiDUDe
Traveller
752 comments

You validate it when you get on, and then its valid for an hour, I think, or maybe 2, regardless of what line you go on

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Nope, sorry...the ticket is only valid up to Gare du Nord. Change there to the Metro 5 to Porte d'Italie to get directly to Gare d'Austerlitz. Cool thing btw: The metro stops directly in the station hall on the upper floor. ;)

Paris - Madrid: There's the direct but expensive Elipsos service (46€ supplement for a reclining seat); alternatively you could go to Irun and use the Alaris service to Madrid (2€ for the Corail Lunéa reclining seat and 10€ iirc for the Alaris).

Flo 8)

Lazee
Traveller
12 comments

Thats fine... thanks again. We've booked our hotel and have now established exactly how to get there so it's all good! Very exciting! :P

We'll look into the Paris-Madrid Transfer tomorrow.. so I'll be back to pick your brains on that one Flow.
I don't understand how you find out which services charge what and where to go from etc.

Cheers :P

Lazee
Traveller
12 comments

Right okay, so following on from the other night...
I have just about mastered using the train timetable thing, which tells me what trains are leaving when etc...

However all this talk of
[quote]There's the direct but expensive Elipsos service (46€ supplement for a reclining seat); alternatively you could go to Irun and use the Alaris service to Madrid (2€ for the Corail Lunéa reclining seat and 10€ iirc for the Alaris).[/quote] is confusing me.

How do you find out which ones are the cheaper ones, and when they leave etc? Obviously I'd rather travel according to the cheapest option as opposed to using the perhaps more convenient one...

I know you have to pay supplements on some trains (generally reservation of a seat etc) or pay for the sleeping seats, car, couchette etc. But I'm kind of lost from there...

Peter
Traveller
9337 comments

as InterRail is NOT an all-inclusive-holiday, you have to work a little bit by yourself... ;)

just use the travel planer: [u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u]
the link also explains how to avoid supplements - just select an other option when searching for trains.

if there are trains, compare them to the list of supplements: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation[/u]

and in general:
- Spain, France and Italy have a lot of supplements. other countries are better.
- direct high-speed-trains more often have a supplement, than indirect slower regional trains: if you want to have speed, fast travel, you have to pay - if not, it's free

Peter :)

Lazee
Traveller
12 comments

;) I know that Peter! But thanks...

It's all just very new so I'm trying to establish exactly what I need to do before we leave next week!

I think I've got my head around it now... As long as we go to the station as soon as possible and book our next train, they will tell us which ones have surcharges and which ones we need to pay for.

If we can, we can look to see which trains don't have surcharges etc and try to book them.

Peter
Traveller
9337 comments

and I know as well: on your first tour, it seems to be hard a bit to find the best trains for InterRailers. :)
at the ticket windows you have to be sometimes a bit rude and really wanting a connection with no supplements as the often offer the easiest way... not the cheapest way... always ask, ask and ask. :)
also most hostels have free internet access - so you can check it before you go to a station.
have fun... :)

Lazee
Traveller
12 comments

Thanks Peter.. you hit the nail on the head!
I'm sure after the first few trips we'll be just fine!

:P

Lazee
Traveller
12 comments

Another question

I've been looking for an overnight train from Paris to Madrid. I used the search engine provided and have found an EN409 direct overnight train. It says that reservation is required... and when I compare with the information about surcharges this train is not mentioned.. so am I right in thinking we'll have to pay a reservation for a seat/sleeper etc, but there wont be any other surcharges?

Or am I missing the point completely?

Peter
Traveller
9337 comments

The direct PARIS to MADRID train is this one: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/paris-to-madrid[/u]
:)

if you have an InterRail pass for Spain+France or a GLOBAL Pass, you will only have to pay the supplement mentioned. but it is one of the expensive night trains.

Lazee
Traveller
12 comments

I see... right thanks again! :P I'll get my head around it sooner or later!

anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments

[quote]Transfer CDG - Paris: There is a free transfer included in the IR ticket (only one way), show your ticket at the office at CDG and you'll get a special ticket (called contremarque) which allwos you to use the RER to the centre of Paris - you'll need this ticket when you enter and when you leave the RER system.

Flo 8) [/quote]

Hey, i've just noticed this. I'm using an inter rail flexipass 10 in 22 days, and i'm guessing that to get the free travel into gare du nord I will have to mark this as one of the days travel. Can you confirm this, if so, I don't believe it is worth my while, and i'll just pay for cheaper travel into gare du nord.

Thanks,

Sean 8)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi Sean!

I guess you wont need to mark an extra travel day to get the contremarque - but your IR ticket should be valid I think. However, just go there and ask - if you are lucky they dont care and just give you the contremarque. If you dont get it, use a regular ticket instead. BTW, InterRail isnt valid officially for RER anyway so instead of marking a travel day wouldnt make sense anyway.


Flo 8)