itsmeannie
Traveller
0 comments
Posted 13 years ago
Hello folks!
I'm currently planning my InterRail trip but I need some advice. I've never traveled by train to GB before and I'Ve never used an InterRail ticket, too.
I was thinking about buying the 10-day-ticket and my route (so far) looks like this:
I'm from southern Germany so I'd travel to Strasbourg and Calais, using the ferry to get to Dover. [b]OR[/b] I was thinking about using the Eurostar from Brussels to get to London but my guess is, that this will be more expensive as the Eurostar is not included. Which would you prefer? Eurostar or the ferry? Besides, I don't really want to visit London because I've already been there a few times :p.
Once in Great Britain I was thinking about either
a) traveling the south coast (Brighton, Torquay, Exeter) to Bath (and maybe Oxford) and some parts of Wales and then head back to London -> France or Belgium -> home
b) traveling to Oxford, Birmingham, Liverpool (or Manchester) and the Lake District to Edinburgh and using the night train back to London -> France or Belgium -> home.
or c) travel to Cardiff and use a ferry at Fishguard (or Pembroke) to Rosslaire Harbour. From there I'd travel to Dublin and maybe spend one day in Belfast (provided there's a night train available) and use the ferry from Dublin to Holyhead and travel back home.
Does anyone have any advice for me? Will a 10-day-ticket be enough? I don't mind walking some parts as well; I've got great hiking boots :p. Can someone recommend a route for this trip because I have the feeling that my routes are going to fail :p
Thank you in advance!
ben124
Traveller
6 comments
Hi itsmeannie,
Firstly, getting to the UK. The main routes are ferry or Eurostar as you say. Now if you book in advance you can get some reasonable deals on the Eurostar, especially on the youth prices, just make sure you book in advance and are willing to travel outside the busy periods. As for the ferry there is currently some confusion over the prices at the moment, but it should be cheaper than the Eurostar. More info should be here:
[u]https://rail.cc/en/ferry-london-paris-england-france/f1222[/u]
I think the best way to check the ferry situation is to contact p&o ferries directly. Also the forum is being updated, so keep an eye-out for updates. I have always used the ferry as it is cheaper but you may find that the Eurostar is more convenient and not that much more expensive.
You say don't want to visit London, but London is at the heart of the UK rail network- you can get to almost anywhere from London! So you might want to consider that in your plans. If you still dont want to go to London then Birmingham is also a well connected city, just be prepared for last-minute platform changes.
As for your routes, I think routes a and b are good and I would pick Liverpool over Manchester as it is more touristic.
A few tips for your route would be to get to Brighton (via Ashford International from Dover or stop here on the Eurostar), there is one train a day to Bath from Brighton (around midday and about 4 hours long). From Bath you can get a train to Bristol (15 minutes) where you can catch a train to Exeter, Torquay, South Wales, Birmingham and Scotland. If you do visit the South West I would recommend St Ives, also the train journey past Exeter to Penzance is very scenic and worth a trip in its own! You can catch direct services to Scotland from the South West, but they are very long and there are no direct sleeper services, so stop for a day along the way!
I hope this is not too much information for you. There is more information on where to visit here:
[u]https://rail.cc/en/england-scotland-ireland-what-to-see-train/f1968[/u]
And one last piece of advice, when you get here you may change your mind on what you want to do, so just think about what you'd like to do when you travel here and plan your first couple of days and go from there, that way you can be more flexible if you don't like somewhere or get bored. If you travel in the peak period you might have to think about accommodation more, but try to enjoy yourself!
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
Hi,
some things to add.
You could think of getting the London Spezial by DB for one way, including the Eurostar trip. Prices start at 49€; including ICE Köln - Bruxelles, Eurostar Bruxelles - London and transfer with local trains to the ICE
On the way back you could use the ferry Dover - Calais and then travel either via Paris - Strasbourg, Lille - Luxembourg or Lille - Liège back to Germany. Due to the time difference it might be better to use the ferry on the leg to London and finish with the London Special.
I think going to Ireland might be a little overambitious with a 5in10...better stay in the UK; if you want to save money for hostels, definitely try out the night trains: London Paddington to Cornwall or London Euston to Scotland. If you have enough time I'd certainly recommend to go all the way up to Fort William, really nice train journey! Maybe go London (you dont have to stay there but it is the main hub in southern UK) to Edinburgh via ECML, stay there and then go to Fort William; back to London with overnight train, and make a trip around the western part of England and Wales.
Anyway, I think with a 5in10 the trip is possible but you might not be able to go to all places you want to visit...difficult. ;)
Flo 8)