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zidonio
Traveller
1 comments

Posted 13 years ago

Hello guys,

I'm planning an Interrail trip (our first!) with some friends (maybe 6 of them) for the next Summer (starting on the last week of August and ending in the middle of September).

I'm planning to use the FlexiPass of 10 travels in 22 days (the 239€ one, as we are all aged under 26) and the course I've been analysing is this:

- Lisbon -> Barcelona
- Barcelona -> Paris
- Paris -> London
- London, (Harwich) [b][Ferry boat][/b] -> (Hoek van Holland), Amsterdam
- Amsterdam -> Berlin
- Berlin -> Prague
- Prague -> Katowice/Auschwitz
- Katowice -> Vienna
- Vienna - Venice
- Venice -> Florence
- Florence -> Rome
- Rome -> Bari
- Bari [b][Ferry boat][/b] -> Patras
- Patras -> Athens
- Athens [b][Flight][/b] -> Lisbon

I know this can be hard to manage with 10 trip days (impossible perhaps?) and this is why I need your help and experience. I think the key points in this trip will be Paris, London, Amsterdam, Katowice, Venice, Rome and Athens however I would love to visit the others as well...

Please let me know what would you do and what can I do to make this the most amazing trip of our lives!

PS- Is there a way to go to Ireland and then get a ferry to Amsterdam or Rotterdam? That would be lovely!

Many thanks in advance mates!

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Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

replied 13 years ago

Hi.

I already answered your email... so here some more details.

It is definitely a big trip for 22 days ... and not possible with the 10 in 22. You will need either the 22 days continuous or the 1 month ticket. Or you skip some places... maybe end up in Italy and not in Greece!?

Concerning your route, have a look at the country topics. Most connections are explained there (but I am sure you know it already). :)

[b]Lisbon-Barcelona[/b]: is via Madrid. Pay attention to the supplements in Spain.

[b]Barcelona-Paris[/b]: travel trough the Pyrenees. It is cheaper and much more adventure in the Petit Train Jaune:
[u]https://rail.cc/blog/little-yellow-train-video/[/u]

[b]Paris-London[/b]: avoid the Eurostar trains and use the ferry if you want to save money.

[b]Ireland[/b] directly to the Netherlands by ferry isn't possible as much as I know - at least there is no discounted one.
Think about skipping Ireland - it is worth to visit - but you will lose two travel days.
[u]https://rail.cc/en/ferry-uk-france-ireland/f1401[/u]

[b]London-Amsterdam[/b]: [u]https://rail.cc/en/london-amsterdam-train/f3989[/u]
[u]https://rail.cc/blog/from-london-to-amsterdam-with-the-dutchflyer/[/u]

[b]Amsterdam-Berlin[/b]: [u]https://rail.cc/en/amsterdam-berlin-train/f2346[/u]

[b]Berlin-Prague[/b]: [u]https://rail.cc/en/berlin-prague-train/f3361[/u]

If you travel from Prague in direction of [b]Auschwitz[/b], you can use the night train Prague-Krakow, leave at [b]Oswiecim[/b] 04:36h in the morning.
I know it is early. But you could have your visit in Auschwitz and continue in the evening to [b]Krakow[/b] to get a cheap hostel.
[u]https://rail.cc/en/prague-krakow-night-train/f4027[/u]

[b]Krakow-Vienna[/b]: by day train

[b]Vienna-Venice[/b]: by night train - [u]https://rail.cc/en/vienna-venice-night-train/f3671[/u]

In [b]Italy[/b] pay attention to the supplements. You can use the IC train which are slower than the Eurostar Italia trains, but free of supplements.

Peter :)

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zidonio
Traveller
1 comments

replied 13 years ago

Thanks for your response!

Yeah, I was also thinking that it would be impossible in 10 travel days...

An alternative would be the 15 day pass. In this case, what's the course you'd recommend me? I'm thinking about skipping Barcelona, Prague and maybe Athens (Is it a must visit place? Have you been there?).

So, it would be Lisbon-Paris-London-Amsterdam-Berlin-Katowice-Vienna-Venice-Rome-Athens. What do you think?

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Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

replied 13 years ago

Hmmm...

I would skip[b] London[/b], as you have to pay a lot of extra money for the EUROSTAR train from Paris to London (or you loose a lot of time using ferries), the same for London to Amsterdam.
Keep the 10 in 22 days InterRail pass, simply skip London (do it by an extra trip with a cheap flight directly from Lisbon and back).

[b]Lisbon to Paris[/b] is possible by train: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-night-train/lisbon-hendaye-th-310/74[/u]

As well forget about [b]Greece[/b], there are no trains running this spring: [u]https://rail.cc/en/new-trains-from-thessaloniki-to-skopje-belgrade-and-sofia/f5508[/u]

Think about a trip like:
[b]Lisbon - Paris - Amsterdam - Berlin - Prague - Krakow (Katowice) - Vienna - Budapest - (Zagreb - Ljubljana - Lake Bled) - Venice - Italy - flight back home[/b]

Some extra links to the one I already mentioned...

[b]Paris - Amsterdam[/b]: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/paris-to-amsterdam[/u]

[b]Vienna - Budapest[/b]: [u]https://rail.cc/en/vienna-budapest-train-railje/f1999[/u]

[b]Budapest - Venice[/b]: [u]https://rail.cc/en/budapest-venice-night-train/f1387[/u]

[b]Budapest - Zagreb - Ljubljana[/b]: check the country topics for details.
Cross the border [b]Slovenia-Italy[/b] like this: [u]https://rail.cc/en/ljubljana-venice-night-train/f1388[/u]

Peter :)