oliverlevy13
Traveller
2 comments
Posted 14 years ago
Hi there,
I am planning my first interrailing trip with a couple of others next summer (from mid/late July). As we are three 19 year-old lads, we would like to go to places with, obviously, great sights and culture during the day, but also places with a good, student-feel nightlife!
It is early days in the planning, (so any suggestions/ amendments would be great!) but we are thinking of doing a 27/28 day trip with the following, rough route in mind:
London - Amsterdam - Berlin - Prague - Krakow - Bratislava? - Budapest - Vienna? - Ljubljana/Zagreb - Venice (for the day) - Florence - Rome - London
1) Do you think this trip is feasible within 27 days?
2) Are there any places which I should cut out/ replace with better destinations (bearing in mind the criteria at the top :) )
For example, what is Bratislava like? Good nightlife?
Is Vienna worth a 2 night visit?
Are there lots to do during the day/ evening in Ljubljana, and if not, would Zagreb be a better option?
3) Are there any places I have not mentioned which fits into the route more or less that I have not mentioned?
4) Is going in a group of 3 people (rather than 2 or 4) a potential problem in terms of hostels and night trains?
5) Lastly, are there any particular festivals in Europe in the Summer period which is worth going to? (I know of Exit but I reckon I will be starting the trip towards the end of July!)
Thanks very much for your help - the website is fantastic by the way!
Look forward to hearing your thoughts,
Ollie :D
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
Hi Ollie ...
It looks like a good trip and you can do it within one month.
Vienna is definitely worth to stay 2 nights - for Bratislava 1 night is enough.
In Italy you can save a lot of money avoiding the Eurostar Italia train and instead using the free IC trains.
In Slovakia think about a trip to Lake Bled.
In Croatia you could add the coast - Rijeka or Split.
For the single trips, check the country topics with details (there are examples, you will find much more connections using the route planer).
London - Amsterdam: [u]https://rail.cc/en/london-amsterdam-train/f3989[/u]
Amsterdam - Berlin: [u]https://rail.cc/en/amsterdam-berlin-train/f2346[/u]
Berlin - Prague: [u]https://rail.cc/en/berlin-prague-train/f3361[/u]
And so on ...
Currently I don't have a festival in my mind at end of July - still a bit early... if you sleep in dorms or using couchette cars at night, it doesn't matters if you are 2, 3 or 4 persons traveling together.
Peter :)
Wesley
Traveller
25 comments
You might want to slightly rearrange your order of visits, since Vienna and Bratislava are practically facing each other (some 60 kilometres apart, with many many rail connections throughout the day. I would group the destinations like this:
... - Krakow - Bratislava - Vienna - Budapest - Ljubljana/Zagreb - ...
Vienna - Budapest runs every two hours, and from Budapest to Ljubljana (and even more so to Zagreb) connections are adequate but not more than adequate (1 to 2 trains per day, plus a night train that goes to Venice... should you lack the time, that's another option of course).
oliverlevy13
Traveller
2 comments
Hi guys,
Thanks for your replies - some very useful info! Yes, Wesley, that sounds far more logical! :)
My knowledge is very limited regarding Slovenia and Croatia. In your opinion, what would be a better trip in between Budapest and Venice ... Ljubljana (and possibly Lake Bled) or Zagreb? (and posibly Rijeka) How long would you recommend staying in Lake Bled?
Would either place offer more in terms of culture/ nightlife? Also, bearing in mind I will be there in early-mid August, will either be quiet or more busy than usual?
A couple of other questions:
1) In the regions I am planning to go to, would there be any opportunities to go hiking/ trekking in any particular mountains (scenic routes very much for 'beginners!') and if so where?
2) I noticed there are 4 bed couchettes on trains - if there is only a group of 3 of us would it cost us more individually or would a stranger take the 4th bed to make it cheaper? (My knowledge of night trains is non-existent!) Also, could we just alternatively take a 2nd class seat on a night train? How dangerous is this or is it not a big deal?
Lastly in terms of festivals - I will be on the trip between mid july and mid-late August!
Again, thanks very much for all your help,
Ollie :D
Wesley
Traveller
25 comments
I have never visited the Balkans, so others are in a better position to help you with that (nonetheless, I did see pictures of Lake Bled... seems magnificent).
1) You are sort of circumnavigating the Alps, which is obviously where you will find spectacular mountains that are relatively easily accessible. However, you do pass the Tatra mountain range on your way from Krakow to Bratislava. There might be possibilities in that area. By the way, the site of Auschwitz is quite near Krakow, it might be an option for you to visit the camp... very impressive.
2) There will be the possibility that a fourth person is allotted to the remaining couchette. Of course, if the train is not fully booked, it can remain unoccupied, but from the railways' point of view, it is the same as with seats: if you occupy three seats in a four-seater group, someone else might sit in the fourth seat. If you want to avoid that, you should buy the reservation (plus the regular fare!) for the fourth couchette. Of course, you could split the expense between your friends.
By the way, I read just now that you're planning to be in Venice for the day. I would recommend that to be two days at least. Connecting to your festivals question: the famous Biennale will be held in 2011, and that is accompanied by a host of events that are held simultaneously but are officially unconnected to the Biennale.
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
Hi.
Like Wesley said, the Alps are easy accessible for hiking.
Lake Bled is also good for hiking. So maybe for you the option Ljubljana and Lake Bled is the better one.
If you are traveling in August, have a look at the famous [b]Sziget festival in Hungary[/b] (10-15 August) 2011.
Peter :)
Robert_Antonio
Traveller
53 comments
Well, I the trip could be feasible in 27 days, but you have to really hurry up (you know, if it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium :D ) Personally I think, that this trip can take 3 months and even you'll not see all interesting sites there.
If you look for mountain hiking tips, you can hike over Western Tatra Ridge from Zakopane (Poland) to Podbanské (Slovakia), then take a bus to Liptovský Mikuláš and train to Bratislava.
PS: Peter, Lake Bled is in Slovenia, not Slovakia! :os
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
@Robert: ... uppsss ... of course ... I know... sorry. ;)