chris113
Traveller
6 comments
Posted 14 years ago
Hello Peter.
Next April together with a friend I am planning to go by train from Istanbul via Sofia, Thessaloniki, Athens to Creta. In this time I will be already 29 years old. So I have to buy the adult ticket. I am planning to do the trip within 12 days so I think the Interrail ticket with 5 travel days within 10 days will be the most suitable for us. This ticket costs 249 Euros so maybe it will be cheaper to buy single tickets for each single station of our tour.
I already tried to get any price information for the different trains we will have to catch to go down to Athens. Do you have any advice where I can get more information?
Thanks... Christoph
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
hi Christoph...
it is very hard to get such information - except directly at the station in the countries you want your ticket for.
that's as well why we have this forum, to give at least a little bit of information. :)
I only have the information here at the country topics... sorry.
Peter :)
baobab
Traveller
128 comments
The shortest route is Istanbul directly to Thessaloníki - Athens - Crete
You can use Balkan flexi pass since you will move within Balkans or buy single tickets..
You want to visit Crete only or also enjoy the trip by train till Athens?
chris113
Traveller
6 comments
[quote]The shortest route is Istanbul directly to Thessaloníki - Athens - Crete
You can use Balkan flexi pass since you will move within Balkans or buy single tickets..
You want to visit Crete only or also enjoy the trip by train till Athens?[/quote]
Hey!
Our plans are to travel first from Istanbul to Bulgaria and to continue our journey afterwarts down to Thessaloniki and Athens also by train.
From Athens I plan to go by ferry down to Creta. So we will have only one part of our tour in Balkan Express to Sofia and the rest we will travel by greek railway.
Robert_Antonio
Traveller
53 comments
Do not buy IR, use ordinary tickets.
Istanbul-Thessaloniki costs about 58,60 TRY (29 €) plus sleeping car supplement 68,70 TRY (34 €). It's for two-bed compartment, I don't know whether the train has a less luxurious compartments.
IC Thessaloniki-Athens costs about 35 €.
If you want to travel via Bulgaria, buy a 5-day Balkan Flexipass for 2nd class, costs about 100 €.
chris113
Traveller
6 comments
[quote]Do not buy IR, use ordinary tickets.
Istanbul-Thessaloniki costs about 58,60 TRY (29 €) plus sleeping car supplement 68,70 TRY (34 €). It's for two-bed compartment, I don't know whether the train has a less luxurious compartments.
IC Thessaloniki-Athens costs about 35 €.
If you want to travel via Bulgaria, buy a 5-day Balkan Flexipass for 2nd class, costs about 100 €.[/quote]
Thank you very much for your information!!
Christoph
chris113
Traveller
6 comments
Hey!! Thanks a lot for your informations. Do you know where to buy this Balkan Flexi pass for 2nd class?
Do you know if it is necessary to do a reservation to go from Istanbul to Sofia by night train?
Thanks... Christoph
chris113
Traveller
6 comments
Hello!!
Our plans are to buy Balkan Flexi Pass to go from Isatanbul to Creta via Bulgaria. Does anybody know where to buy this Balkan Flexi Pass for 2nd class?
Is it possible to buy the pass within the country we would like to travel or better to buy it already at home?
chris113
Traveller
6 comments
Hello!!
I would like to buy Balkan Flexipass for my trip from Istanbul to Athens via Sofia and Thessaloniki!
Does anybody know if there is any possibility to by the pass already in germany? Or is there any other possibility? Maybe to buy the ticket after our arrival in Istanbul...
Thank you... Chris
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
You should get the pass at larger railway stations in the participating countries. I'm not convinced that you'll get it at a DB station (but it might be worth it to ask)...maybe you can get it at an official tourist office of one of the participating countries.
Flo 8)
puck29
Traveller
9 comments
[quote]
Does anybody know if there is any possibility to by the pass already in germany? Or is there any other possibility? Maybe to buy the ticket after our arrival in Istanbul...
[/quote]
Hey Chris!
Last year, I asked for the »[b]Balkan Flexipass[/b]« at a big German rail station (namely in Stuttgart), just because I was curious whether it was possible to buy it in Germany (not having planed any actual trip though). There were two very friendly railway officials who tried to help me and felt challenged by my question. Both of them seemed very experienced in finding all kind of tickets and they even consulted several manuals apart from looking in their computer system. But they did not find a possibility to sell it. As they were really eager to help me and seemed curious themselves whether it was possible or not, I guess there is no way to buy it in Germany, at least at a counter of Deutsche Bahn.
However, I am rather sure that you can buy it directly in Istanbul. The current fares are listed on the site of the Turkish railroad company TCDD . Unfortunately I cannot understand Turkish but you can get an online translation. According to this a 5 day Balkan Flexipass (2nd class) for you is [b]86,- Euro[/b].
On another forum I read that tourists are at some places sometimes told that there is only the (more expensive) 1st class pass. So make sure that you insist on getting a 2nd class pass.
[b]Forgot something:[/b] It is possible to buy the pass through different online ticket agents, but as far as I see they charge far higher prices.
chris113
Traveller
6 comments
Thank you very much! Your information is a big help for me!! :D
Christoph
nikolina
Traveller
2 comments
hi!
i'm a little bit off topic, but does anybody know how much is supplement for IC or ICE train from Thessaloniki to athens?
(sorry for grammar :) )