leneeco
Traveller
2 comments
Posted 4 months ago
Hi, we are thinking about interrailing in august, 2 adults 1 teenager 1 jack russell.
Do you think we are too late?
We have 3 weeks and would buy the 5days pass.
What can be the best itinerary?
We were supposing france/germany/belgium/holland as an example. Thank you in advance
MisterSteve
Traveller
1089 comments
it's never too late to buy a Mobile Pass for a smart phone. If you order a Paper Pass for delivery to Italy today they say it will be with you by 1st August (sent from Netherlands). You might have problems getting reservations on some trains in/to/from France in August.
But you can't buy a dog pass, on the Interrail website it says :
"In many countries it's possible to bring your pet on the train. You may need to register your pet or buy a special pet ticket before you can bring your furry friend on the train with you. For more information about bringing your pet with you on the train, please check the website(s) of the railway carrier(s) you're planning on travelling with. "
which is long winded way of saying they can't be bothered to check the actual conditions but expect to pay more to take the dog than the teenager. Actually for a Jack Russell in most countries if it was in a carry box it could be part of your free luggage - but then you have the problem of what to do with the box when not on the train.
The itinery depends on how far south into Italy you live. Day 1 is home to somewhere in France. Day 2 is the move to Belgium, but if day 1 took you to Paris or further north then pass day 2 could cost more than ordinary tickets.. A transfer day from Belgium to Netherlands is also likely to be poor value. Day 5 is Germany to Italy - how far south in Germany depends on how far south in Italy you have to reach. Which leaves Day 4 as probably Netherlands to somewhere further north in Germany - but guess what the problem is if that is not at least a few hours from the Dutch border.......
Without knowing what you want from the trip (mountains, art galleries, music festivals, architecture, forests..............) we have no way of suggesting where to go.
leneeco
Traveller
2 comments
Thank you so much for your attention and feedback! Very useful information, the thing scaring me the most is about prices for my dog!
Anyway we leave from Milano and we are interested in visiting small towns with nice architetture and also big cities. I think we'll skip Paris, Alsace and Lorreine is better and maybe Bruges than Amsterdam or Rotterdam... in Germany anything would be ok on the way back to Milano. Thank you so much, again
MisterSteve
Traveller
1089 comments
This begins to fall into place. In Italy the Interrail is valid on Trenitalia or Trenord trains - which means you can reach Chiasso by regional train if the international train to Switzerland is fully reserved. Once over the border you will be early enough to take the scenic route via the original Gotthard route rather than the high speed base tunnel and go all the way to Basel. From use a French regional train (or go via Germany to Offenburg) to reach Strasbourg. Bruges is harder to reach than it ought to be, but you can save 30 minutes travel time by choosing Gent which is just as nice and not as full as tourists. A transfer day from Gent to somewhere in Netherlands may cost less than a pass day - but you could keep the room in Gent and have a day trip and come back in the evening (which also avoids dragging the luggage that day). And I counted wrong in my first reply so day 4 has to get you into southern Germany - try Wurzburg. This is in Bavaria which means you can travel on another day to another place using their bargain Bayern Ticket offer instead of an Interrail day. And for the final night (or 2 nights) I recommend the little town of Mittenwald near the Austrian border. From there you go down to Innsbruck, then the direct train to Verona, then a connection to Milan.
leneeco
Traveller
2 comments
Thank you soo much, davvero grazie!
nltrainer
Traveller
1404 comments
And a reminder/hint: for FR-esp. Paris- in August; Olympics! All full, super-expensive rooms/HTL etc. Many trains will also be booked up days advance, es these games seem to be spread out ovwr other parts of FR too.
MisterSteve
Traveller
1089 comments
Late again - and didn't read the bit about skipping Paris.