koho1968
Traveller
3 comments
Posted 14 years ago
Hello, first time poster here so be gentle :)
We - that is me, my wife and 2 daughters aged 5 and 6 (but 6 and 7 by the time we travel) would like to go to Montenegro in August next year. We're toying with the idea to do this by train (from Amsterdam which is where we live closeby to), because our kids love train travel and instead of seeing, well, clouds and air should we travel by plane, they get to see changing landscapes and real world should we travel by train.
Now, I've spent some time on the internet looking for options but frankly I do not know where to start. What was appealing was the detour via Belgrad and then have the apparently classic Belgrad-Bar railway line, but the options I've found are a drag involving many changes. Besides, it IS a bit of a detour anyway to reach Montenegro
Now I've found something about a train Amsterdam-Munich and then Munich-Zagreb which means just one change before we reach at least Croatia. That's fairly ideal. But. How to reach Montenegro, or in any case Dubrovnik, from Zagreb? Is this easy, can this be done on the internet, can this be done with 2 small kids without loads of headaches (well they ARE easy), how long does this take, can this be reserved, is the bus a better idea?
I know, the easier way is simply to fly, it's also boring. It is an option if the train plan is just too big a headache, but we'd rather use the train all the way.
Thanks :)
Koen & Renate
Zaandam, The Netherlands
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi Renate & Koen!
Certainly a good idea to make this trip by train - as you will have a much more beautiful and a little adventurous trip than when going by plane.
If you want to to this by InterRail, the obvius choice would be the 10in22 flexi pass - this would be 359€ for each adult plus half this fare for each child. On top you would need some extra reservations for example when going by night train Amsterdam - Munich. It's obviuous that this is quite some money and I think for you as a family you should also think about other options - ie the EuropaSpezial from Deutsche Bahn for Amsterdam - Munich and so on..
Another option could be the cheaper 5in10 flexi pass for 249€ (adult) and going back by plane - if you find a cheap offer, I dont know about budget airlines in that area...
InterRail pass would be the easiest way as you dont have to worry about buying tickets along the route. But to really make the most of the ticket think about adding one or two other places along the route - Vienna, Budapest, or some place in Switzerland for example. Of course that depends on your budgets for time and money - take it as suggestions. ;)
However, if you decide to go by train, I would recommend not to go the whole way in one trip - as you then rely on several connections and probably dont want to end up somewhere if your train is late.. A nice first part could be Amsterdam - Munich (by overnight train) and then continue to Wien or Budapest. Stay there for one day and then continue to Belgrad (direct overnight trains from both cities). Stay another day in Belgrad and then go down to Montenegro. I would recommend to use the day train from Belgrad to Podgorica and Bar instead of the night train as the route runs through some quite spectacular scenery. :)
On your way back you could get a bus (quite easy to find and not expensive) along the coast to Split. From Split you can go to Zagreb and then back via Munich to Amsterdam.
Flo 8)
koho1968
Traveller
3 comments
Hi Flo, and thanks for your answer.
It seems that, if we'd do this using Interrail, we end up spending much more than to do it the straightforward boring way - flying. Should we go by train direct, we'll reach Zagreb fairly easily by train (and cheaper than a flight, I think) but what follows is something I am not too sure about. The Budapest/Vienna detours most certainly sound wonderful, and I'm absolutely going to keep this in the back of my mind for a future trip, so thanks for putting that little seed in my head :D , but for this time, I think our kids are simply too small to indeed go trekking like that. I myself am absolutely up for it but there's 4 of us.
We're currently toying with the idea to fly Amsterdam-Belgrad and then take the day train Belgrad-Bar. Which is still a fairly whopping 10 hours - again keeping kids aged 6/7 (by then) in mind - but it involves something to see along the way, all the time. Whereas should we do it by train all the way from Amsterdam, by the time sights are really going to be breathtaking, we, or more specifically the kids, might become a little jaded, trainjourneywise.
So, okay, the jury's still out :)
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hej,
yeah, with two children it this age it might be a little troublesome to do such a long trip. That's why I suggested doing it in several legs - but when travelling as a family of four, that can quickly cost quite a lot, even when trying to keep costs low. ;)
I would definitely recommend going Beograd - Bar by train - it is certainly worth it. I would recommend to buy the tickets directly in Beograd. If your kids like it, you can also use the train for some journeys within Montenegro. Between Podgorica and Bar is quite a good service which runs across Lake Skadar.
koho1968
Traveller
3 comments
Yes, I think we indeed fly to Belgrad and take the train to Bar from there. That sounds really wonderful.
We can buy tickets on the spot? Is it not possible to reserve? What chances might there be that we arrive in Belgrad, we try and buy tickets and we hear sorry, no seats available until next week? Because we'll rent an apartment in the Kotor area in Montenegro and that's of course on set dates.
Again, I'd be flexible if I'd be on my own, but those days are over :)
Robert_Antonio
Traveller
53 comments
When I hear, how the long-distance journeys with children can be annoying, I always remember numerous Russian families travelling three days in a train and nobody cares about it. And yes, when I was a child, our holidays in Slovakia were wonderful not only because of location, but also because of long overnight train trips :D
Well, if you want to avoid numerous unsecure train changes at Balkan stations, you can get a direct couchette car from Amsterdam to Prague, <patriotic-advertisement> then spend a day in one of the most beautiful European city</patriotic-advertisement> and next day early morning take a train to Beograd with direct couchette car to Bar.
The cheap ticket variant can be:
SparNight ticket Amsterdam-Prague (should be available at Amsterdam station),
Czech Railways e-ticket Prague-Budapest (http://www.cd.cz/eshop)
Montenegro Special ticket Budapest-Bar (must be a return ticket, available at Budapest station, the train to Beograd stops for 30 minutes here)
couchette supplement Prague-Bar (should be available at all international railway counters)
There are of course more complicated and cheaper variants, but not so straightforward and secure for your family with two small children ;)
The only disadvantage is, that you reach the most pictoresque section from Užice to Podgorica at very early morning. But 2-3 hour delay is normal at this railway, so you have a great chance to reach it at normal time.
koho1968
Traveller
3 comments
Hi Robert_Antonio, thanks for that tip. We've actually saved Prague for another trip. Definetely very high on our list of things-to-do. As far as Beograd-Bar is concerned, our minds are pretty much made up, that's the one we go for. And we most certainly don't look up against the long train journey with kids (though Beograd-Bar, 10 hours, isn't THAT long) (I did the Transmongolian, THAT was long - though before we had kids).
I think if it was up to them, we'd spend the whole holiday in the train :D
Wesley
Traveller
25 comments
Goedemiddag Renate en Koen,
(I'll continue in English so that others can understand as well :D )
Beograd - Bar seems to be a fantastic route indeed (though I can't tell from personal experience since I have never visited the Balkans). So how about this for the return trip? Hop on the ferry to Ancona at the port of Bar (quite an event for kids, and it shouldn't be overly expensive for a family travelling without a car). It is operated by Montenegro Lines. This route seems to operate only during the summer, but since you will be travelling in August, that would be no problem. Departure from Bar is normally at 4 PM, arrival in Ancona at 8 AM the next morning. It sails twice a week. Upon arrival in Ancona, you could reach Zürich on the same day, for example at this schedule (these are 2010 times, they may differ slightly in 2011 !):
Ancona 11:27 Intercity train
Bologna Centrale 13:14 - Change trains
Bologna Centrale 13:40 Eurostar Italia high-speed train: another great event for kids
Milano Centrale 14:45 - Change trains
Milano Centrale 15:10 - Eurocity train via the Gotthard railway: magnificent scenery for kids and adults alike !
Zürich HB 18:51 - Change trains for the last time, with some time to have your dinner somewhere: Euros are accepted in many restaurants, shops etc. in and around Zürich HB.
Zürich HB 20:42 CNL night train: yet another adventure for kids
Amsterdam Centraal 08:55
All in all, you will cover the entire route in two nights and a day, with plenty of events, a relaxing ferry crossing on the Adriatic Sea, you will see the Alps, and the individual stretches between points of change are not too long. Sure, changing trains is a bit of a fuss, especially with heavy luggage, but I personally will happily pay that price in return for some time to stretch your legs, get some fresh air, and break the monotonous rhythm of travel a little. What is more, the changes in this alternative are neither too short (hurrying from one train to another, plus the possibility of missing connections due to delays) nor too long (boring).
Concerning the prices: Ancona - Bologna will not be overly expensive, and nor will the other legs of the journey provided that you book well in advance.
Just my five cents :) .