anonymous
Traveller
2467 comments
Posted 12 years ago
Hi
We are a family of 4 (2 children, ages 11 and 9), planning to take our first interrail trip this summer. We have 3 weeks in July, and plan to travel mostly during the first 2 weeks (staying 2/3 nights in each place). We want to finish with a week staying in Istria (flying home from there). My queries are:
1) The first part of our route is planned: 3 days in Amsterdam, then travel Amsterdam-Berlin, then Berlin-Munich night train (all taking the first 10 days or so). Then I'm stuck! Possibly Munich-Innsbruck? What are the best options from Munich or Innsbruck to to Istria without another night train or very long single journeys? And fun places to go with kids!
2) I'm thinking of reserving table seats if possible on all day trains, at least all long journeys (thinking long journeys with children....). Is this practical?
3) We will do some day trips from Munich, but all our other travel will be direct between destinations (pre-booked accommodation). Perhaps it would be better to book individual train tickets city-city, rather than a rail pass? (I was thinking of a 10-days-in-22 ticket). I can't work this out, because I am stuck on the Munich-to-Istria part of the journey!
4) Is rail travel to Istria actually an option? eg from Trieste? Split/Zagreb/Dubrovnik seem a long way away from where we want to go.
Sorry for so many questions. Would be grateful for any advice - thanks for your wonderful site!
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
Hi,
sorry for answering late, rather busy with the new site... :os
1) From Innsbruck you could take the direct night train to Venezia :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/night-train/munich-venice-cnl-40463/37[/u]
There would be a day train as well if you prefer that. However, rail connections from Venezia to the East are sparse (in fact only one night train to Budapest; which does stop in Ljubljana and Zagreb but in the middle of the night which isnt very practical with two children) Anyway, you can cross the border (although not with direct train and continue towards Istria).
Or go Innsbruck - Graz, passing the Alps...Graz is quite nice for a day or two, then proceed to Ljubljana (which I recommend too) and on to the beach :)
2) Yes, I think this is a good idea. You can do so for most trains along your route
3) I suppose you are both >26 years? Then all four 10in22 InterRail passes would be 1108€ (plus additional reservations which you [b]have[/b] to get for night trains and I'd [b]recommend[/b] for day trains. But I am not sure if you would make full use of the 10 travel days... :arr:
Amsterdam - Berlin
Berlin - München
München - Innsbruck
Innsbruck - Graz (as an example)
Graz - Ljubljana
Ljubljana - Istria
Only 6 travel days...what about a 5in10 pass instead?
Spending 3 days in Amsterdam then activating the pass:
1 Amsterdam - Berlin
2 Berlin
3 Berlin
4 Berlin and night train to München
5 München
6 München
7 München
8 München - Innsbruck
9 Innsbruck
10 Innsbruck - Graz
And the rest with indivdual tickets... Could that be an option? That would be only 778€ for the 4 IR passes.
Price comparison Amsterdam - Graz (night train Berlin - München in 4 bed couchette):
Regular prices, no advance fares: 801,30€
InterRail: 918€
So it seems on this route (via Innsbruck - Graz you are cheaper off with regular tickets. If you go via Venezia, InterRail will be a little cheaper. It depends on the exact route... However, it can be a little more relaxed if you have your ticket ready and do not have to go to the ticket booth every time. Most reservations on this route can be made online.
4) Depends on where you want to go. Rijeka is well connected from Zagreb, Istria itself has only one direct train from Ljubljana and a few trains within the peninsula. Split has direct trains from Zagreb, Dubrovnik has no rail link anymore (use buses or ship from Split)
Flo 8)
anonymous
Traveller
2467 comments
Hi, thanks for your helpful reply. Worth waiting for, no need to apologise!
We are taking your advice, and we have decided to do this:
3 days in Amsterdam, then
1 Amsterdam to Berlin
2 Berlin
3 Berlin
4 Berlin - Munich (night train)
5 Munich
6 Munich
7 Munich
8 Munich - Innsbruck
9 Innsbruck - Graz
10 Graz - Ljubljana
11 Ljubljana
12 Ljubljana - Rijeka
It seems the easiest thing to get is the 5 in 10 IR pass from Amsterdam to Ljubljana; then buy a point-to-point ticket from Ljubljana to Rijeka.
So my new question is: Can I buy the IR 5-in-10 pass + buy the point-to-point Ljubljana ticket + also reserve all the seats on all the trains in advance, all in one go through the railcc shop? Getting the pass and the ticket seems easy, but I can't work out how to do the seat reservations (I want to do this for each train, to be sure to keep the family together, and I have to do it for the night train anyway). Maybe I can do the seat reservations through other sites (eg. DB) once I have got the IR pass.
From other topics I see I can get the reservations at the train stations (hopefully I can get them all in Amsterdam for the whole trip...) if I can't do it online. But I'd prefer to have it all done before I set off.
Is there still time to do this, and get the tickets sent to me, before I leave on this trip???
Thanks for your help again.
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
Hi!
OK, you can get the 5in10 InterRail tickets from the shop - thank you. ;)
:arr: [ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux]
If you dont find all reservations needed, you can get them at [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux] - until Innsbruck that is.
For Innsbruck - Graz you can get reservations either at a station in Germany or at the station in Innsbruck.
As the standard shipping from the shop takes a maximum of seven working days, I'd recommend to order within the next days.
Reservations usually can be made at rather short notice - only for the night train I would try to get them as soon as your travel date is fixed. :)
The Ljubljana - Rijeka ticket can be had via railcc or directly at the station.
Flo 8)
nltrainer
Traveller
1334 comments
domestic tickets-and for nearby like Ljub-Rijeka (dreadfull port town-stay nearby in Opatija if you like that area) are best bought simply at station of departure-much cheaper local prices and there are no RES anyway-and no fear for 'full trains'' and all that. in SLO=Ljubljana they use the € also since a year or 2.
FROM Istrija along the coast into Split-Dubrovnik there are NO trains-that is bus only. On most sectors about hourly-buy tickets at the busstation just before. Trains run from Split and Zadar only inland to zagreb-so if you are of the train-only set, then that would mean a long inward and then change and back again trip.
There are also a few boats along that coast-a shadow of former many more-google for jadrolinija ferry.
anonymous
Traveller
2467 comments
Hi Flo (and nitrainer) - thanks for your help! IR pass and Berlin night train bought/reserved now. Will do the other reservations and ticket later. Going on to Rovinj from Rijeka, so no worries about horrid port town!
Really appreciate your advice with the procedures and routes. :)
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
Hope everything goes fine and you'll have a nice trip!
If you need a guide for Graz, let me know. ;)