Dalin7
Traveller
1 comments
Posted 1 year ago
Hi! I have never travelled with train before, so I am new at this. Got an spontanious idea to maybe leave from Sweden in May and be gone for a month. The places I so far think I'd like to visit is Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, France and maybe Greece. I will be travelling alone so therefore I have no clue how to think or plan.
1. How many traveldays do i need, is it better for me to cut it down to 7 traveldays for a month or pay the double price and travel whenever I want for a month?
I like the idea to be able to catch the next train at any day, but I don't know if it's too short time to travel to unnecessary many countries, that when you're out there you'd wanna stay longer to actually enjoy the trip and not constantly be on a train.
2. Also, is it safe to do a trip like this as an alone 22-year old girl?
3. What other things do I need to think about or can't miss?
4. How big does my budget need to be?
Thankful for any answers!
MisterSteve
Traveller
901 comments
There are two problem areas in your list.
Greece can't be reached by train as all international routes have been suspended for some time, and one has problems on the other side of the border as well. With Interrail it can be reached by ferry from Italy but obviously that is slower and eats into your time - amd not all the Greek ports have a rail connection.
Spain is a nightmare. Almost all fast trains require advance reservation and that is almost impossible outside of Spain. For Barcelona, Bilbao, Santander you wouldn't need any fast trains as they are easy to reach from the French border by local trains (but Barcelona to Bilbao is not!)
Without experience I would take those countries of the list. Of the others, France can be difficult for compulsory reservations but it is possible, Italy has compulsory reservations but they are much easier to get.
Travel from Sweden to Germany by train is only possible via Denmark and Hamburg. Interrail is accepted by SJ and Snälltåget subject to reservation. The Interrail rule is that the departure time sets the pass date for an overnight train so if you don't continue on the day it arrives it only need one day. So if you used a direct overnight train to Berlin and then spent time there without travelling the rest of arrival day it would need one day of the pass. But if it was a night when the train only ran to Hamburg and you wanted to continue to Berlin by a connection it would need two days of the pass.
The safety problem mainly occurs off the trains. Don't plan to arrive in a strange town late at night and then have to wander around to find a place to stay. Make sure you know where you are staying and get there earlier the first night. Don't, as at least one person asking questions on here did, plan complicated overnight travel that requires you to wait hours on your own at a station in the early hours of the morning and then find out that the station has nowhere to wait.
Don't think you can travel all night in a seat and still be awake next day, you will fall asleep and miss the views if you keep travelling that day!
Be aware of which trains you can't use Interrail on. In Germany the few Flixtrains don't accept it, in France the more common Ouigo doesn't (even though it is part of SNCF), in Italy you can't use Italo or any regional trains which are NOT operated by Trenitalia or Trenord. The private Czech operator Regiojet DOES accept the pass and in other countires their trains go to but not on the direct train to Split.
Regiojet (Czech) is not the same as Railjet (Austrian)! The latter is only a brand name of state operator OBB and does accept the pass.
Budget depends on where you stay, hostels or hotels or private rooms (these might be OK if on a reputable website or travel office list but avoid people hanging aorund stations offering rooms).
MisterSteve
Traveller
901 comments
I forgot the important bit:
use www.bahn.com to check schedules. It covers most of Europe for trains, but in Germany may also confuse things by offering buses which don't accept the pass.
Dalin7
Traveller
1 comments
Thank you so much for the infomation, really helpful! Thought it sounds too easy to just hop on a train wherever, whenever. Do you have any other tips on where to go? Or other tips at overall. I am open for anywhere. I was thinking about staying on cheap/average hostels or rooms and bring light package. No more than a big backpack and a small waistbag for passports, money etc.
As a person I'm not that big of a planner, I am pretty impulsive and spontanious, sometimes too much for my own good (without being stupid) so I try to find information and learn as much as possible to avoid unnecessary problems.
would 1500-2000 euro be to small as a budget? Will I get more out of the trip to have longer stays and explore the destinations rather than short stays?
MisterSteve
Traveller
901 comments
big backpack and a small waistbag is a good start. The small bag should also include your travel insurance policy and your Europeiska sjukförsäkringskortet (E111). You did think of those didn't you....
Budget is difficult because prices will vary even within one country. Prague will be much dearer than other Czech towns and cities. Venice and Verona may be frightening compared to the towns north of Verona towards the Austrian border.
Actually it is easy to hop on and off trains - in most countries with notable exceptions Sweden (!!) and France, Spain, Italy.
Germany, BeNeLux, Austria, Switzerland (most), Czech (CD and Regiojet), are easy. Danish DSB only needs reservations for the trains to Hamburg (which are not good enough and often crowded!).
If you speak German there are some good TV programmes about young people discovering Interrail on Youtube. Avoid the short videos from people you've never heard of!
https://youtu.be/ksTb7aW9KoA
and if you can keep up with Swiss German three parts beginning with https://youtu.be/MaO5FnUGauQ
You don't have to plan everything in advance but you do have to learn how to plan. Think of something random now and try to plan it using www.bahn.com and https://hihostels.com/ (note that the reliable hostel chains have a membership system). Also www.booking.com isn't just for expensive hotels, they have small places as well. I don't trust AirBnB because of what they offer near me! That's my first rule of testing websites, check what they advise or advertise in your home town - if it seems poor don't use the site for places you don't know about! And be wary of fake reviews, TripAdvisor is not reliable - not just fake bad/good reviews but in many cases reviews left for different places with the same name!
argon
Traveller
347 comments
The prices for ÖBB-Nightjet (München -Venezia...) are realistic , with Interrail-Discount you pay from 13,60€ (Seat) over 33,00 € (Couchett) to 52,30 € (berth in puplic compartment and 139 € for a complete private compartment ). You can book it on the offical Nightjet-Website : nightjet.com/en .
Best regards