signelill
Traveller
2 comments
Posted 14 years ago
Im starting my first-time interrail on this thursday, and have used some days now to search and read around in this forum .
First I have to say thanks to all of you who use time on putting up all this travel information! Its really a great site, and made my train struggle alot easier.
Then I would ask some questions about my trip that I cant figure out:
The best way to get from Prague - Zagreb by night? I found a free EN477 train that leaves Prague at 00:37 and arrive in Vienna next morning, but is there any going straight to Zagreb?
And then i had problems with a train from Zagreb to Brienz(in switzerland)? Im going to stay there with my friends family, and she told me there was a nice train trip from Milano to spiez (by Domodosala), and then you go from spiez - interlaken - brienz. I want to travel from Zagreb by night so i can sleep on the train, and was wondering how I could do that as cheap as possible?
After travelling around in Switzerland I have a week left in France, I have never been there before, but have been all mezmerized by the story of Petit Train Jaune and would like to go for a ride. So I was thinking to go from Brienz and down to Toulouse, is there any cheap way to do that by night? and is it wise to reserve tickets before I arrive to france?
After Toulouse I want to go and see the beautiful Carcassone.
And then from Toulouse to La tour-de-carol - Ville franche - Perpignan. I read about it so dont need any help, but do you need a reservation for Petit Train Jaune?
Then i was thinking Perpignan - Paris(night train), but have also heard that the west coast should be really nice, any suggestions about something to see before Paris?
And finally the last question, ive read some people had hard by getting out of france. I want to go from paris towards hamburg, is there an easy and cheap way?
That was all i had on my mind, hope its not too much:)
Signe-Lill :)
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi!
Sorry for the late answer... :)
Anyway, here's some info:
Praha - Zagreb overnight:
There's only a direct [b]sleeper[/b] (which is rather expensive), timings are as follows:
Praha hl n 1716 - Zagreb 0839
However, if you dont mind changing trains and sitting around in Salzburg station in the middle of the night you could take this option:
Praha hl n 1716 - 0014 Salzburg
Salzburg 0134 - 0839 Zagreb
The sleeper is a through car that changes from one train to another in Salzburg - if you want to travel cheaper by couchette or regular seat you simply will have to change in Salzburg. :)
Other options during the day run via Vienna - there's the one you mentioned leaving Praha at midnight:
Praha hl n 0037 - 0608 Wien Meidling
Wien Meidling 0703 - Zagreb 1259
For other connections just have a look at the travel planner: [u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u]
Zagreb - Brienz:
Best way probably is taking the overnight to Zürich and then go to Brienz via Bern and Interlaken:
Zagreb gl kol 1814 - 0920 Zürich
Zürich 0932 - 1029 Bern
Bern 1035 - 1128 Interlaken Ost
Interlaken Ost 1133 - 1156 Brienz
I would suggest to go from Zürich to Brienz this way:
Zürich 0935 - 1025 Luzern
Luzern 1055 - 1234 Brienz
Both options provide nice scenery, though going via Luzern might be a little bit nicer, and when you continue to France you're going via Interlaken anyway. :)
I wouldnt recommend going Zagreb - Brienz via Italy...it's too expensive, you would have to pay ~25€ supplements to go this way if you dont want to go by slow regional trains all the time. My recommendation would be to via the old Lötschberg route and the Rhone valley when you leave Brienz for France - like this:
Brienz - Interlaken - Spiez - Lötschberg (take care not to take fast trains as they run in the base tunnel beneath the mountains without nice scenery ;) - you have to go via Kandersteg - Brig - Geneve
If you want to go to Toulouse overnight, you can do so only on Sep 17, 19 and 26 - as the night train is only running these dates in September anymore. It's a Lunéa, have a look here for more information: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-night-train/france/fr[/u]
Possible route for next friday:
Brienz 1500 - 1524 Interlaken Ost
Interlaken Ost 1529 - 1550 Spiez
Spiez 1612 - 1724 Brig
Brig 1757 - 2024 Geneve
Geneve 2044 - 0500 Toulouse (the departure is at 0609, so you could stay in train until then - or continue further along to ie Lourdes and then go back to Toulouse, if you want to sleep longer; price for reservation remains the same)
From Toulouse, make a day trip to Carcassonne first, then go to Latour de Carol for the Petit Train Jaune. In the evening you could take the overnight Lunéa to Paris. :)
Paris - Hamburg:
Think about the overnight to Berlin and get off at Hannover for a connection to Hamburg: [u]https://rail.cc/en/paris-hamburg-night-train/f3761[/u]
Hope that helps. :)
Flo 8)
signelill
Traveller
2 comments
Thanks so much for the answer.
Im now in prague, and are taking the night train to wien. and continue to zagreb as zou said.
I already have booked a train to milano from zagreb, so im kind of stuck there.
but will the day trains to brienz from milano also be expensive, because i will be in milano at 10:45, and will continue to switzerland the same day?
Thanks for the nice recommendation for my trip to france, i will defintlz take that trip to geneve.
the only problem is that i already again have booked a ticket, this time from perpignan to paris, which leaves on the 26 from perpignan. i got it cheap. and my plan was to stay in switzerland until around the 22, since im arriving there at the 18th. the most important thing for me is that i wanted to take the little yellow train and see the pyreenes. i dont have a big need of going to toulouse, i would rather see carcassone. so i guess i could also take a nighttrain to perpignan and take the trip through the pyreenes back and forth. is there any cheap chance of that option, with the nighttrain to perpignan?
or maybe you have an better option? im open for ideas to my france trip, as said my only want is to go through the pyreenes :)
Thanks again for the answer, im learning alot for my next interrail :)
Signe-Lill
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
OK, if you have your reservation already to Milano, here's what you could do:
Go via the Simplon route:
Milano 1120 - 1353 Spiez :arr: Compulsory reservation, ~5€
Spiez 1405 - 1428 Interlaken Ost
Interlaken Ost 1433 - 1456 Brienz
Or via the Gotthard route:
Milano 1310 - 1609 Arth-Goldau :arr: Compulsory reservation, ~5€
Arth-Goldau 1614 - 1641 Luzern
Luzern 1655 - 1834 Brienz
If you have the time I'd strongly recommend going via the Gotthard - more scenic, while you'd be going through the before mentioned tunnel when going over the Simplon route. You would also have enough time to make a quick trip to the Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II in Milano. :)
If you want to leave Switzerland around the 22nd, there wont be any night train available in your direction - only from Paris but that's quite off your way... ;)
So, what you could do (including the suggested trip via Lötschberg and Rhone valley) is the following:
Brienz 0900 - 0924 Interlaken Ost
Interlaken Ost 0929 - 0950 Spiez
Spiez 1012 - 1124 Brig
Brig 1128 - 1404 Geneve
Geneve 1417 - 1735 Valence TGV
Valence TGV 1745 - 2026 Carcassonne :arr: TGV, compulsory reservation, 6€ or [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation/tgv-sncf/42[/u]
After Carcassone you could then go to Latour de Carol via Tolouse and finally end up in the evening in Perpignan for your night train to Paris:
Carcassonne 0649 - 0800 Toulouse
Toulouse 1050 - 1356 Latour de Carol
Latour de Carol 1527 - 1809 Villefranche
Villefranche 1836 - 1921 Perpignan
Flo 8)
signelill
Traveller
2 comments
Thank you so much!
I will defintly try this! :)
and also the tips about milano.
The reservation payment is also okey, since im couchsurfing all the way i dont use any money on sleeping, so i have a little extra to use.
Thank you again, im looking forward to the rest of my trip now :)
Signe-Lill