Saugoti
Traveller
2 comments
Posted 11 years ago
HI! I'm new in railcc and new to traveling as it is! So generally I really don't know in witch category to put my topic in order to get the best answer/help.
So, I gona start from the start.
I'm planing to go to small trip from Leicester (UK) to Riga (Latvia). Going thrue London - Paris - Brussel or Saarbrücken - Amsterdam/Zwolle - Berlin - Vilnius (I don't want to stop in Poland) - Riga. Generally, trip back home... :D Planing it living the Leicester round about mid/end May. And planed to go through the trip about a week or tow. So I will need all the help what I can fined.
1. Expenses!
-If I'm taking a buss or the train... the amount of money what I will need?
-And the staying in the city's like Paris, Brussel, Amsterdam, Berlin and Vilnius will cost? ( Saarbrücken and Zwolle have friends were I can stay)
-I will have only cash! No cards! :(
2. Gear!
-As I leaving UK. For at least for a year or so... I gona pack light. My main stuff will be send via courier. But what should I take withe me?
-I'm a photographer! So I will take my camera with notebook, to upload the photos... Thous are the main thing what will come with me in the trip.
3. General!
-How long before the start date I would need to start planing? That would count in booking (Buses, trains, hotels/motels ect..)
-Any tips or tricks? From you own experiences would be appreciated!
Thx... in advance for a help... (I hope i wont piss off admins for not putting this post in correct topic :D :D )
P.S. - Sorry for bad language... :P
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
Hey Saugoti ...
The first thing I did, was to move your post in an other forum ... ;)
But now to you trip ... :)
The route looks nice, especially as I like the Baltic countries.
You can try to get cheap point by point tickets. If you book early (usually the max pre-booking time is 3 months), you can get really cheap tickets.
[b]Leicester - London[/b]: by train via nationalrail.co.uk
[b]London - Paris[/b]: by Eurostar train [ux]https://rail.shop/beurope[/ux] or by bus with companies like nationalexpress or megabus.
[b]Paris - Saarbrücken[/b]: special price e-tickets here: [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux]
OR
[b]Paris - Brüssel[/b]: [ux]https://rail.shop/beurope[/ux]
[b]Paris - Amsterdam[/b]: [ux]https://rail.shop/beurope[/ux]
[b]Brüssel - Amsterdam[/b]: [ux]https://rail.shop/beurope[/ux] or Thalys link above
[b]Saarbrücken - Berlin[/b]: [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux]
[b]Amsterdam - Berlin[/b]: [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux]
[b]Berlin - Warsaw[/b]: [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux]
Followed by Warsaw - Vilnius: try to get it at [u]https://rail.shop/pkpic[/ux]
The prices depends on the date you travel and how long you book in advance. But you can do everything by e-ticket. Order and print out at home. So you have the prices.
For accommodation, check the hostel booking websites like [ux]https://rail.shop/hostelworld[/ux]
I recommend hostels with a kitchen. So you can save a lot of money by cocking for yourself. As most money you spent on a trip is for accommodation and food. :)
I will write a post the next days in the railcc blog about packing a backpack - [u]https://rail.cc/blog[/u]
And as I also always travel with photo and laptop, I think we will have the same needs. :)
Don't have too much with you. Every kilogram less you have in your backpack makes it more comfortable to walk with your backpack. You can wash in nearly all hostels... no need to have 5 pants with you and so on ...
Pre-booking time: like mentioned above - as earlier you book, as cheaper the prices are. If you want to travel cheap, buy the tickets early. Accommodation: as you will know your travel dates, you can also book in advance.
If you think about buying an Interrail pass to be more flexible, I would wait with the booking of hostels. Sometimes I just book the day in advance I will arrive in a new city...
[b]Please support railcc:[/b]
- buy your rail passes and tickets here on the recommended website: [ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux]
- add locations of your home-town (bars, nice places, ...)
Thank you! :)
Peter :)
Saugoti
Traveller
2 comments
Thx... for sorting the topic out! And thx for a help...!
But there is a problem, what I can see! I don't know the dates... as it's depends of my corent work place! So I looked in-to InterRail GLOBAL pass - 5 travel days in 10 days how it's works? What counting 1 travel day ? And it's working only for trains? For accommodations, I think bed'n'breakfast will do fine! If nothing cheaper will be there!
By supporting the railcc!
It was in my intention for add locations all over Latvia. Because I saw in section countries - Latvia. Was empty. Nothing, I am to big of patriot of my countrie that I can leave like that! :D (places + photos) So my trip wount stop in Riga! It will go over Latvia...
P.S. - As a questions will come up, I will ask them. It's impossible to conceive everything. :P :)
Have a nice day! :D
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
Hey...
Would be very good if you could add some more places to Lithuania ...! :)
I really liked it there ... but only stayed in Vilnius and Klaipedia.
Okay, then have a look on the Interrail pass 5 in 10 ... you have to fix the starting date of your first day of use - from then you have 10 days until the pass ends.
Is your country of residence the UK or Lithuania? [u]https://rail.cc/en/how-to-interrail[/u]
If it is Lithuania, you can use your rail pass already for Leicester - London.
Problem: the Eurostar London - Paris requires a reservation fee of EUR 70 for Interrail travellers. So it is usually cheaper to buy a point to point ticket for it or use a bus. But do NOT use the Eurostar with Interrail !!
Then it depends on where you want to continue ... Bruxelles/Amsterdam or Saarbrücken.
In France you have the TGV which requires a reservation. Book in advance, as they are limited for Interrail travellers. Or use free local trains, but then it is slow.
Example Paris-Brussels: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/paris-to-brussels[/u]
Amsterdam or Saarbrücken to Berlin is free. You can use the German ICE high-speed-trains ... or from Amsterdam the direct IC trains.
See connections for more details: [u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u]
Berlin - Warsaw requires a reservation: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/berlin-to-warsaw[/u]
And in Poland you can travel until the border to Lithuania (Sestokai) - from there you have to pay EUR 10 up to Vilnius: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/warsaw-to-vilnius[/u]
Makes in total:
1 Leicester - London
2 Paris - Amsterdam, Brüssel or Saarrücken
(3) If you add it here for Brüssel-Amsterdam
3 Amsterdam or Brüssel to Berlin
4 Berlin to Warsaw
5 Warsaw to Sestokai - but this one is inexpensive. You can also use travel day 5 for Brüssel-Amsterdam
A step by step guide for first timer Interrail is here: [u]https://rail.cc/en/first-time-interrail[/u]
Peter :)
Saugoti
Traveller
2 comments
Wow... well it quit complicated! And I guess I will buy point'to'point! It will be beter from what I can see! :) But thx for info on it... :D
Talking about the places adding! I will add as many places as I can because I want to share with them... Expectantly in Latvia! There isn't anything on it.. And that made me sad :(
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
Yes in deed. It is sad to have no information online for Lithuania ... as it such a nice country. But I didn't stayed there the past years. :'(
Now it is your turn to solve it and present your country to other travellers. I think it is also getting very interesting when the Rail-Baltica railway is open - much more direct and faster connection then from Warsaw via Lithuania, Latvia to Estonia. :)