pguerrero
Traveller
15 comments
Posted 13 years ago
HI there
ive been on a tour in summer 10. It was awesome. However, we thought that these supplements are quite a pain in the ass. We don't mind to pay the extra 3 euros supplement but we always thought that you buy the ticket and then just hop on ANY train and go somewhere. This is what spontanious and flexible travelling is all about.
is there no way of getting around places without paying supplements? I know that there are some trains where you do not have to pay extra but there is a HUGE number of trains where you have to pay it.
do you recommend to buy one or two country passes? I don't think it is worth it as in some countries you have to pay expensive supplemtents and the normal train ticket isn't even that expensive (spain) and then there are countries that have a bad trainsystem (croatia). in croatia you are better off traveling by bus.
many thanks in advance :D
pguerrero
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi!
- The reservations can be rahter annoying, I know. But this isnt specifically an InterRail problem but a problem that concerns current rail travel in general. For all those trains where you need a reservation with InterRail you would need one too if you were travelling with regular tickets.
- There are still countries where you can hop on all trains as you like - UK, BeNeLux, Germany, Austria and most countries in Eastern Europe (or the reservation fee is really small and can be paid on the train as well); Italy, France and Spain are certainly the worst countries in that regard but there are still ways to work around the issue, at least partly.
In France, get your reservations as described here: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation/tgv-sncf/42[/u] This should still work...although the last time I was in France was last summer. In Italy you can get by rather well with faster regional trains as well as with the IC trains where reservation isnt compulsory.
- On night trains, I understand that you need a reservation even for a seat (at least in Western Europe) - they still provide a smart way of moving around, considering you can save the money for a hostel.
- In Croatia you can still experience a lot by train - although the network has some gaps, that's true. But there (and in the rest of Eastern Europe) travelling by train still is kind of an adventure, as it was in other countries many years ago.
- I would just try to make the best out of the situation as it is - we cant change the minds of the railway chiefs who want all those compulsory reservations but an InterRail trip still is (and will be) a unique experience. Seeing different landscapes passing by the window, talking with fellow travellers, experiencing different countries and cultures in such a relatively short period of time is rather nice, isnt it? :)
Flo 8)
pguerrero
Traveller
15 comments
yes you are right. I really enjoyed my trip and i will definately do it again. I hope you didn't get me wrong. :)
your list of countries where you can travel easier might help as i am planning to go to either spain or slovenia and croatia..
thanks a lot.
pguerrero
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Glad you enjoyed your trip. Didnt get you wrong I can understand that the reservations are an issue - but we cant do anything about.
Just to add: I did a trip in France, Portugal and Spain last February (10in22 days ticket, I was away 16 days) and made a comparison afterwards:
InterRail plus reservations and tickets within Austria: 517€
Regular tickets: 1142€
:idea: I looked the prices for the regular tickets up after I returned but always searched for the same amount of days in advance as I got my relevant InterRail reservation. :)
Flo 8)