kagey
Traveller
1 comments
Posted 1 year ago
Hi all,
We are travelling to Scandanavia from Nottingham via the Hull-Rotterdam ferry.
I have read that Nottingham to Hull (and return journey) are covered by our Interrail Cards as outbound and inbound journeys, but can't for the life of me see how to book just the reservations we need! I have checked both thetrainline.com and nationalrail.co.uk but can't work out how to book just the reservations to go with our Interrail Cards. Both of their help links are pretty useless too, I'm unable to find out if we even need reservations!
Please don't tell me I have to visit a station. ;-)
Thanks for any info provided.
MisterSteve
Traveller
1090 comments
You don't need reservations. At the station they would be free of charge but they aren't generally available online, during lockdown if they were compulsory some train companies had an email option but I think that's ended. If the Governemnt want to push through their plans to close ticket offices they are going to have sort this out. There is an Interrail agent on their website who will charge you about £6 each for them but don't bother.
Just make sure you understand the bus connections at the two ports. At Hull there is a Stagecoach bus once a day in each direction form Paragon bus station next door to the railway station - if you use this bus any tight check-in times are ignored, if you get there too early a taxi is not extravagant. https://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetable-pdf?ServiceId=XGAO070.O At Rotterdam you need to follow the instructions on the P&O website , the terminal is a long way from the railway station and it isn't cheap even by bus - miss that and the taxi fare will be eye watering.
kagey
Traveller
1 comments
Thanks for that, which I sort of assumed would be the case but couldn't find out the definitive answer.
We have paid (with P&O) for bus connections at both ports (both ways) but can't find any more info than that as to where they go from/to etc. so thanks for the info with that. Presumably this will be given in more detail when we pay the balance? Who knows!
Arend7
Traveller
645 comments
According to Interrail map 2022.pdf it’s not Hull-Rotterdam but Harwich-Hoek van Holland (Stena Line) that’s coöperating with Interrail. Harwich has a train station (Harwich international) and Hoek van Holland a metro station (with connection to train station Schiedam West) as neighbour.
Arend7
Traveller
645 comments
Sorry, Schiedam West must be Schiedam Centrum.
MisterSteve
Traveller
1090 comments
Personally I would have used the Stena route but there's no reason why they can't pay normal prices for P&O, the port used for the outbound/inbound travel doesn't have to be served by a partner ferry - in fact one page on the Interrail website showing how to fill in the card actually uses Gatwick airport.
Of course I'm old enought to remember when Nottingham and directs trains to Harwich to connect to the Hoek ferry, and Hoek had direct trains to half of Europe!
nltrainer
Traveller
1404 comments
Also note that for some long time there was NO bus at all on the dutch side-and the distance there is far, far larger as in Hull. Check site-or a forum like tripadvisor for current situation.
Also note that this trip In GB also needs a travelday-it is NOT extra, as many tend to believe-which may mean an advance tikcet works out cheaper-or not.
Al in all this does indeed not look like best choice.
However, from community.eurail.com-which has far more info, it was noted that it seems Stena has stopped giving discounts to passholders since 1/1/23.
MisterSteve
Traveller
1090 comments
I know the Rotterdam bus was suspended during Covid lockdown but I think if P&O are advertising and selling tickets for it things will have restarted.
But good point about these travel days being part of the overall pass validity because it will be the only travel possible on those dates. The normal return fare via Sheffield is £56.90 and Advance tickets aren't readily available, so does one day of the pass cost less than £28.45 ?
Arend7
Traveller
645 comments
According to direct ferries for 14 february Hull-Rotterdam 20:30-8:30 = 11 hours and Harwich-Hook 9:00 - 17:15 = 7:30 hours. (Don't know where nltr. gets its information) Harwich and Hull both needs a travel day. Stena stopped discounting a couple of years ago indeed, but there site says otherwise (probebly forgotten to delete).
MisterSteve
Traveller
1090 comments
Stena is a bit of a mystery. Last year the Eur/Interrail people put a statement on their website saying that Stena were withdrawing from the arrangement. That has since been deleted and Stena appear with a full list of routes in the benefits section. But Stena's own website says "A discount for Eurail/Interrail/Britrail Pass Holders is available on all Stena Line routes (excluding Grenaa - Halmstad and Liverpool - Belfast)".