Linda2301
Traveller
2 comments
Posted 1 year ago
Hello,
I have been given the task of trying to organise a European trip by rail for 5 (oldish) adults. We have 3 family members coming over to Scotland from Texas and would like to explore Europe in September.
The places they would like to visit are
Paris- approx 2 days
Switzerland- approx 1/2 days?
Munich or Berlin - approx 2days
Prague- approx 2 days
Vienna - approx 1 day
Croatia approx 2/3 days
Rome- approx 2 days
There is no set order and we realise we probably won’t be able to fit all cities in. What would be doable over 14 days?
I have no idea where to start with this trip and would appreciate any advice, not sure where we should start.
Many thank in advance
Linda
Arend7
Traveller
589 comments
go to www.bahn.de for an electronic timetable. It's not a perfect tool, but gives a good first impression for the possibilities.
Arend7
Traveller
589 comments
and www.eurail.com for the money
Linda2301
Traveller
2 comments
Thank you
MisterSteve
Traveller
911 comments
How does Scotland fit into this? The British rail network is coverd by Eurail passes but Scotland is at the wrong end of it if you want to go to Paris - unless riding on the trains is part of what you are looking forward to. Edinburgh to Paris would be about 9 hours with one change of train in London (almost side by side). And Eurostar trains from London to Paris are not fully included with a Eurail pass, you get a discounted fare (which they call the Eurail passholder reservation fee) which is only available in limited numbers. Looking at the numbers, do two of you live in Scotland? If so, those 2 can't have a Eurail pass, they need Interrail (from the same organisation) which is pretty much the same except in country of residence.
Linda2301
Traveller
2 comments
Myself and my husband live in Scotland. We can all fly to start our vacation (as everyone will leave from Scotland together) or leave by train from London. Really just trying to understand the art of the possible?
Arend7
Traveller
589 comments
Eurail is only possible for non-europeans. Scottish inhabitants have to buy interrail (not valid in home country)
Arend7
Traveller
589 comments
last except for first and last day when travelling to and from border (eurostar or ferry terminal)
nltrainer
Traveller
1336 comments
These sites will help beter;
seat61com- as always and community.eurail.com - the much more frequently used forum for pass-users. As UK you can use INterrail, those from USA EUrail-works the same, bur INter is only valid MAX 2 days in home country-GB for you. Hence this remark for getting up very early from the Scot to reach €* if train wanted. With this pas you sometimes must and sometimes can REServe seats-most are too frightened when they hear the risk is you may have to stand that they will never risk this- (works much the same as it does on ScotRail) and then most often get lost in the ways in howto.
How long you stay in those capital cities does not matter-and Hrvatska is not a city, its capital is Zagreb and can be surpassed without much lost.
Berlin is quite a long detour out of the way in this routing-but with that pass it does not matter, it covers all trains.
MisterSteve
Traveller
911 comments
This is the sort of idea/itinery that gets posted on Tripadvisor's forum several times a week and they just get laughed at. The travel time isn't really considered and not enough time is allowed in the places listed. I added the travel times into the itinery in the question and the 14 days were up in Croatia with no time for Italy or getting back to Scotland.
The mention of living in Scotland or UK is confusing for Interrail rules because their "country" is Great Britain which is more than Scotland but not all of UK. However for this itinery the Interrail residency rule doesn't matter because the only travel in GB is direct to/from the border (which is London St Pancras station if going via Eurostar) and that is permitted. So the only problem is ordering all five them and getting delivered in one purchase, which I suspect is impossible!
For this sort of intinery the pass to buy would be a flexible type of a number of days within a month, rather than a continuous month. These work out more per day but cheaper if you consider the days when you wouldn't be travelling. The flexi passes are basically the same price whether marked Interrail or Eurail, the longer duration continuous passes get cheaper for Eurail.
Flying from Edinburgh (for example) to Paris is theoretically faster by about 4 hours once you consider check in times, waiting for luggage and travelling into Paris from the airport - but the departure times mean you have to start really early to get any benefit in Paris from the saved time.