jpcosta
Traveller
1 comments
Posted 14 years ago
Hi there!
I'm a student, 18 years old and Portuguese.
I'm planning to do a trip next summer (in August 2010) and my route will probably be this:
Lisbon -> Rome-> Venice -> Jesenice -> Ljubljana ->Wien -> Prague -> Salzburg -> Interlaken -> Monteroux -> Colmar -> Amsterdam -> Bruges -> Paris -> Madrid -> Lisbon
1- What do you think about this route?
2- In 30 days do I have time to visit London before going to Paris?
3 - How much money should I save? (I'm thinking to save about 1000€ - interrail pass included)
4 - What would you do differently? (What cities would you visit or not)
5 - I still don't know if some friends of mine come with me....but if they don't, will I have fun if I go by myself with no friends?
6 - Do I really have to reserve the places where I will sleep or can I just arrive to a city and get worried with the place where I'm gonna spend the night at that time?
7 - Camping: good option?
Thanks for help :D
João
Head
Traveller
101 comments
1 - not bad
2 - London requires several days, I should say at least 4-5. And it's expensive, so it can take a substantial part of your budget. Moreover, InterRail doesn't provide free crossing to UK from the continent. So if you finally include London, put it either at the very start or finish, with flight to/from Portugal, so it will be outside railpass validity period.
Another option - have a separate trip to the UK some time, probably with a BritRail pass.
5 - Travelling with a companion is definetely better and sometimes cheaper. But going alone is also fun.
6 - You seem to be on a tight schedule, so you won't like to spend a couple of hours after arrival at some city looking for accomodation. Still, if you don't find a good place, the pass gives you the possibility to ride away to some other city at any moment and probably return later, having reserved a bed. You can also set a base in some nearby town if it's cheaper or less crowded (say stay in hostel in Rotterdam or Antwerpen and ride daily to Amsterdam and Bruges, returning to hostel by some evening train).
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
hi João...
some additional information:
[b]1)[/b] a good route.
[b]2)[/b] yes you will have. calculate some extra money.
one way can be from France to the UK either by EUROSTAR 8expensive but fast) or by ferry:
[u]https://rail.cc/en/paris-london-ferry-calais-dover/f1442[/u]
[u]https://rail.cc/en/paris-london-eurostar/f1806[/u]
an other option - depending on the way you travel is by ferry Netherlands-UK or return:
[u]https://rail.cc/en/ferry-netherlands-england/f1659[/u]
[b]3)[/b] mmmh... 1000 EUR for 1 month including the pass ... better to calculate 1200 or 1300 EUR.
[b]4)[/b] cities of Western Europe are expensive. think about Bratislava, skip Montreux, add Zürich. think about doing it the way like head wrote in (6): set up a base 8where you have a cheap hostel) and visit cities which are close - easy possible in the Netherlands and Belgium.
[b]5)[/b] with a friend it is more comfortable - for example one can go to the supermarket, the other one pays attention to the bag pack. traveling alone: you will get into contact with much more persons especially in hostels.
[b]6)[/b] you will save a lot of time when reserving a bed in a hostel already at least one night before. do it online via [ux]https://rail.shop/hostelworld[/ux]
[b]7)[/b] depends on where you stay. you will have to carry the tent with you (+ 3 kg)... and hostels are in city centres - camp sites outside.
Peter :)
Head
Traveller
101 comments
[quote] think about Bratislava, skip Montreux, add Zürich. [/quote]
Yeah, but skipping Montreaux as a town doesn't mean you need to skip Golden Pass line to Montreux... )
goldenpass.ch/default.asp?OrgID=6
jpcosta
Traveller
1 comments
Thank you for your help!
I will think about what you have said.
:D
anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments
Well, if you need some tipps for interlaken - i live here.
just send me a pm if there's anything you wanna know or if you get bored when you're here ^^