Pancakes
Traveller
1 comments
Posted 14 years ago
Hi,
My friend and I are planning on doing an InterRail trip in July, celebrating our graduation (-> we're 18).
We're from Austria and we are interested in visiting a LOT of cities, but we want to do it in one month. This is our list of cities we want to visit, but we're not sure whether it's actually possible to do that (as in enough time, enough money, our budget is average): Milano, Lyon, Paris, Amsterdam, London, Liverpool, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Oslo, Stockholm, Kopenhagen, Hamburg, Berlin, starting and ending the trip in Vienna. We like music and going out but we want to see sights too.
What we are having problems with is that we don't really know where to start. We know what we want to see, and now we're trying to figure out which trains to use and when to depart where, but this is incredibly difficult. Actually, we never wanted to plan it from start to finish, but if we just do it all spontaneously we might not be able to visit all the cities because we'd be probably losing track of time and we'd be wasting a lot of it waiting for trains. So now we want to really plan it all (also because on most trains reservation is needed?) And we're a little overextended.. Is there any kind of route planner we can use? plannerint.b-rail.be/bin/query.exe/en?L=profi& this one doesn't seem to work.
We'd like to stay in hostels mostly, do you need a reservation every time? (It's July, so maybe..)
And what if we ever miss a train and we can't make the next in time? What about the reservations on the following trains? Will we be able to find seats?
Thanks a lot in advance!
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi!
I always use the schedule planner of our trusted ÖBB ;) - here's the link to the more user friendly version: [u]http://fahrplan.oebb.at/bin/query.exe/dn?L=vs_call[/u]
You have set up a tight schedule - it's doable though but my advice is to seriously think about skipping one or two cities and go there the next time. I'd say skip Oslo and Stockholm for now since they are pretty much off route and you'd need some time to get there and away. Of course, if they are the cities you absolutely want to visit now, go for it and skip Dublin and Belfast for example.
Some advice concerning your route - if you need further help for planning in detail let me know. :)
- To gain some extra time you could get ÖBB SparSchiene tickets from Wien to Milano and activate your InterRail pass only when you leave Milano for Lyon.
- Go to Amsterdam after you've visited the British Isles - have a look at the link: [u]https://rail.cc/en/london-amsterdam-train/f3989[/u]
- Getting to the UK from Paris: [u]https://rail.cc/en/paris-london-ferry-calais-dover/f1442[/u]
- If you want to go to Ireland, use the ferries of IrishFerries - you'll get a 30% discount with your IR pass...to get the discount, book online (and pay full fare), then write them a mail where you provide your IR pass number together with your booking data and you'll get the 30% discount refunded on your bank account. If you want to save one night in a hostel, use the night ferry operating from Holyhead to Dublin - there is a connecting rail service operating to Holyhead and on board you can sleep for instance on the top floor of the staircase. [u]https://rail.cc/en/ferry-uk-france-ireland/f1401[/u]
- Belfast - Scotland: There's a StenaLine ferry operating to Holyhead where you have a train connection up to Glasgow. Again, you'll get 30% discount, but only if you buy your ticket at the ferryport!
- Another way to save one hostel night in the UK are the sleeper services Scotland - London. You only need a free reservation. [u]https://rail.cc/en/london-scotland-night-train/f1840[/u]
- Amsterdam - Kobenhavn: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/amsterdam-to-copenhagen[/u]
- Kobenhavn - Berlin: [u]https://rail.cc/en/copenhagen-berlin-train/f2919[/u]
- Berlin - Wien: [u]https://rail.cc/en/berlin-vienna-night-train/f3738[/u]
Concerning hostel reservations I'd definitely to make reservations since you are traveling in peak time to popular places...if you want to stay more flexible make the reservations for the next place the day when you arrive in the prevoius city.
Flo 8)
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
I forgot about the missing trains part...
Well, on your trip you will be able to use direct trains mostly, this eliminates the risk of losing connections for the better part. And if you think you might be late at the station for the first train of a day plan half an hour extra so you'll have enough time if something unexpected happens. :)
However, if you really are going to miss a train, you wont get any refund of your reservations...only if you lose a connection due to a delay the railway company accounts for there is the chance you will get a refund/a new reservation for free.
Pancakes
Traveller
1 comments
Wow, thank you so much for the advice. We're gonna cut Oslo, Stockholm and Kopenhagen, probably, but we're thinking of adding Prague.
What I am having problem with is how to get from Vienna to Milano.. What's the best way to go get there? A night train would be brilliant, but maybe too expensive? :/
We talked to someone who has done IR before and he told us that they did the whole trip without making any reservations for any trains/hostels and that it all worked out alright, but I'm not so sure about that?
Peter
Traveller
9337 comments
Hi.
Think about Vienna-Prague.
Possible by night train: [u]https://rail.cc/en/night-train/vienna-berlin-en-60406/45[/u]
The direct day train is with a supplement of EUR 3.
Prague-Munich by free direct day train.
[u]https://rail.cc/en/prague-praha-nuremberg-nurnberg-munich-bus-train/f3502[/u]
Munich-Italy by night train: [u]https://rail.cc/en/munich-rome-night-train/f2872[/u]
Or Vienna-Prague-Berlin , then night train Berlin-Basel (Switzerland) and day train to Milan (~5 hours)
Peter :)