From London to... three options: 9, 16 or 24 days

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

bump...

I will be really thankful for your lines dudes :) Need to work out quickly ;)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi,

I can come back at you only in the evening, sorry! ;)


Flo 8)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

[quote]Hi,
I can come back at you only in the evening, sorry! ;)
Flo 8) [/quote]
Hi mate! Sounds brilliant anyway - looking forward to getting your feedback :)

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
If you want to travel cheap, go to Eastern Europe! :)
And I recommend three weeks interrailing - it is a good time. Not too short, not too long - if you can, do it. :)
Peter :)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hi, thx for ur opinion.
Yes I will try to get three weeks(24days) done. Need to manage days off.

Id like to visit west Europe, how do you cost my journey assuming cheap options? £900(without the ticket) can be enough?

And what do u mean by cheap being in eastern?

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Just compare hostels: Amsterdam and Prague or Budapest - [ux]https://rail.shop/hostelworld[/ux]
Save most on money on accommodation and on food!
Calculator here: [u]https://rail.cc/en/overall-costs[/u]
:)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi!

I think all three routes (well #3 is yet to be defined...) are valid options:

1) You probably will be better off with regular tickets. Book a Eurostar to Paris (InterRail just offers a discount: 75€ one way/150€ return)...check rates also at rail.shop/beurope
Then by regular TGV to Luxembourg: [ux]https://rail.shop/sncf[/ux] or [ux]https://rail.shop/omio[/ux]
From Luxembourg to Bruxelles: [ux]https://rail.shop/beurope[/ux]
Then, for travel within Belgium use the Go Pass 1 which you can buy at the regular SNCF website belgianrail.be/en
From Belgium to Amsterdam: [ux]https://rail.shop/nsinternational[/ux]

By buying through the railcc links you directly support railcc: Same price for you, a little money for us to keep the servers running and helping out travellers. :)

2) I really like Portugal and especially Lisbon so I would recommend this route. ;)
This would be perfect for a 10in22 IR pass:
1 Lisbon - Madrid
2 Madrid - Barcelona
3 Barcelona - Lyon
4 Lyon - Paris
5 Paris - Luxembourg
6 Luxembourg - Bruxelles
7 Bruxelles - Gent
8 Gent - Brugge
9 Brugge - Amsterdam

This would leave you with one spare travel day. You could use it for instance for a trip with the Petit Train Jaune in the Pyrenees: Barcelona - Latour de Carol - Perpignan, sleepover, then to Lyon the next day. :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/little-yellow-train-video/[/u]
While in Belgium, you might also think about staying at Bruxelles for instance for several days and visiting the other cities as day trips (distances are very short). Also, maybe visit Antwerpen on the way from Brugge to Amsterdam.

3) The above route would work of course with more time as well. Another option would be to head east as Peter suggested. Maybe something like Paris - Zürich - Ljubljana - Budapest - Vienna - Krakow - Prague - Benelux (you could include Lyon as well on the way from Paris to Zürich).

Depending on what route you finally choose we can surely help out regarding what reservation costs you will have to expect on some of the routes or where you could travel with night trains.
Moneywise, I would calculate with about 30-40€ per day if you stay in hostels and stay more on the cheap side during the day. It is diffiucult to tell more exactly... ;)


Flo 8)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hi! Thanks a lot guys for the help.

// argh! what a shame! First time clicked Ctrl+R instead of Ctrl+T and lost all the long post content. Wrote it again and... Ctrl+Q instead of Ctrl+W! Again! Normally it doesn't happen...

1) I think I'll choose the 24 days option traveling around West Europe this time using 1 month or 10in22 ticket [probably the second one] (btw, I lived in Krakow 1 year, I'm Polish).
Assuming €40(£35) a day * 24 days = £840, so up to £900 is acceptable. If €30, then £25 * 24 = £600. Fair enough! 8)

2) Need to plan the trip on the map and decide how many days I want to stay over each city.
Starting from Lisbon I would have to take a flight from London which will be around another £100.

3) Have a look at this:
a) Lisbon - 4 days
b) Madrid - 2 days
c) Barcelona - 6 days
d) Lyon - 3 days (have a family there that haven't seen for a long time)
e) Paris - 3 days (Eiffel Tower, Louvre, other places and just the city)
f) Luxembourg - 1 day
g) Belgium - 2 days (Brussels, Gent, Bruges, maybe some other town as well)
h) Amsterdam - 3 days

5) I think maybe it could be possible to add some new city/country[?] by decreasing num of days in some cities, for instance:
a) Lisbon - 3 days
b) Madrid - 2 days
c) Barcelona - 4 days
d) Monaco - 2 day
e) Genoa, Italy - 2 day
f) Lyon - 2 days (have a family there that haven't seen for a long time)
g) Zurich - 2 day
h) Luxembourg - 1 day
i) Amsterdam - 2 days
j) Belgium - 2 days (Bruges -> Gent -> Brussels, maybe some other town as well)
k) Paris - 2 days (Eiffel Tower, Louvre, other places and just the city)
But not sure if it's a good plan (too many places? too much on train? too short in all cities? too expensive?).
//edit: see some inconveniences, like journey from Barcelona to Monaco is 14h :O


Cheers!

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

I would go with an adapted route 5)... ;)

If you have a 10in22 pass I would recommend to use at least eight, better nine or ten of your travel days - that's the way to go on an InterRail trip...staying longer at certain places might be tempting but you will reach a point where it might be cheaper travelling with regular tickets (bought a while in advance of course).

Route 5) seems to be a tad bit too ambitious as I count 10 travel days already which would make the Benelux part a bit difficult but not impossible: If you travel Amsterdam - Gent - Bruxelles on one day, then visit Bruxelles and travel Bruxelles - Brugge - Paris the following day it should all work out with 10 travel days.
Also, you need to rearrange a bit and travel Genoa - Zürich - Lyon (sensible connections on the direct route via Mont Cenis are nonexistant).

Lisbon - Madrid :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/night-train/lisbon-madrid-th-335/72[/u]
Madrid - Barcelona with an AVE (10€ reservation)
Barcelona - Monaco...long trip. :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/barcelona-to-nice[/u] then from Nice to Monaco it is just half an hour by local train
Monaco - Genoa by local trains via Ventimiglia and Savona
Genoa - Zürich: First to Milano by IC (3€ recommended reservation, then to Zürich :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/milan-to-zurich[/u]
A really nice alternative would be to go via Bernina and Albula passes however it is a full day trip: :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/milan-to-zurich[/u] During winter it looks like this (and winter lasts long on the mountains..) :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/zurich-milano-albula-bernina/[/u]
Zürich - Lyon: IC to Geneva, then local train (TER) to Lyon, do not use TGV on this route.
Lyon - Luxembourg...best way via Belfort - Mulhouse, travel time around 10h, no reservations. Faster with TGV via Paris, but reservations needed (6€ each...TGV reservations for 6€ are limited, if all are sold, the price is 18€...)
Luxembourg - Amsterdam either via Bruxelles or Liege, avoid the Thalys on the route Bruxelles - Amsterdam
Amsterdam - Belgium: again, avoid the Thalys
Belgium - Paris: First to Lille, then TGV to Paris

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Cheers mate! I'm really grateful. Need to consider it now and rethink. Probably I should switch some places (Monaco & Genoa?) to some different cities due to journey time...
I would like to see a bit of Italy and the sea, but from the other hand it doesn't seem to be simple as you've noticed...

or maybe I should just get rid of Luxembourg (is it must seen?) and get day extra to spend within Genoa/Monaco/Zurich?

btw, what is better? going Lyon -> Paris -> Lux -> Amsterdam -> Belgium -> London or Lyon -> Lux -> Amsterdam -> Belgium -> Paris -> London?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

It doesnt really matter if you end the trip in Paris or Bruxelles...I would check rates for getting back home and then decide what is better.

Barcelona - Cote d'Azur - Italy - Switzerland is quite a distance but if you want to go there I would not hesitate.

Luxembourg is not really a must see. Really. I mean it is quite cool to go there just for the fun of it (to have been there) and to check out the EU quarter...the old town with its fortifications is interesting; but I have been to more exciting places. :)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hmm... checked more google images and I think I'd like to visit Luxembourg ;) But not sure if 2 days for Belgium is required as at least? Maybe 1 day would be enough for Bruxelles, Gent and Bruges and also 1 in Madrid?

So it would be like: (all routes within Barcelona <-> Monaco <-> Genoa <-> Zurich <-> Lyon are really long!)

a) Lisbon - 3 days
b) Madrid - [b]1[/b] day
c) Barcelona - 4 days
d) Monaco - [b]3[/b] days
e) Genoa, Italy - [b]3[/b] days
f) Zurich - 2 days
g) Lyon - 2 days (have a family there that haven't seen for a long time)
h) Luxembourg - 1 day
i) Amsterdam - 2 days
j) Belgium - [b]1[/b] day (Bruges - Gent - Brussels, maybe some other town as well)
k) Paris - 2 days (Eiffel Tower, Louvre, other places and just the city)

need to calculate the time on train also.
About Monaco/Genoa/Zurich - you know, it's not like I want to go there, it has just come to my mind, it's just idea, I'm open for suggestions :)
Thx

PS. maybe removing Zurich would be a good decision?

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
If you travel Genoa to Zurich, you will have to go via Milan. I think Flow already mentioned this scenic route (I like it!):
[u]https://rail.cc/en/train/milan-to-zurich[/u]
In Genoa, you could have a day trip by narrow gauge railway - scenic but not included in Interrail (I like as well!): [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/genoa-to-casella[/u]
:)

And if you want to support railcc, buy your official Interrail passvia our partner link [ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux]
Thank you. :)
Eurostar also available via link supporting railcc: [ux]https://rail.shop/acprail[/ux]

Peter :)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hey, thanks for the proposition. I'll try to include them. What do you think about my routes? Not too ambitious and too much for 24 days?

PS. Sure, will buy through railcc as mentioned before o)

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
Definitely possible! I didn't followed the whole topic. But personally I would not stay 3 days in Monaco, better in Nice and have some day trips around. Zurich (like the whole Switzerland) is expensive.
Peter :)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hey,

I've just put 3 days both Genoa and Monaco coz journey time will be really long so it looks like one-two days spending on train. (and that's the reason i'm still confused about those locations)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

As Peter mentioned, I think three days in Monaco is a bit over the top. I'd definitely visit more places around there, trains run at least every 30 minutes (up to every 15 minutes at peaks) along the coast so you can easily fit in more here - and since distances are short you can do this with regular tickets bought at the spot as well.

Also, from what I've heard, Genoa is not that beautiful...you could think about visiting the villages along Cinque Terre which are not far from Genoa (also possible with regular tickets if needed).

Monaco - Genoa is not that long: ~3h40 with local trains; ~2h40 with local train to the border, then IC (3€ reservation recommended) to Genoa
Also, Genoa - Milano is just ~5h30 if you invest in the direct Milano - Zürich EC train (11€ reservation)
Zürich - Lyon is ~4h50 which is also really bearable.

I would start talking about long trips from 10h onwards... ;)

Just 1 day for Belgium seems a bit short...I would calculate with two day: 1 day for Bruxelles (although I dont think it is as attractive as the smaller cities it is bigger and you might need more time to explore) and 1 day for Gent and Brugge (I think Gent is more interesting although Brugge is really beautiful...but small).

If you want you could skip Zürich, yes. Then go Milano - Brig - Geneve - Lyon. There are possibilites to avoid the direct EC trains Milano - Geneve (11€ reservation) by using local trains and change in Domodossola and Brig.

Where are you looking for schedules?

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Oh, yes, Milan is must see as well, can't miss it when it's on a such good way to Zurich.

Hmm... need to recheck times of links. I was checking using official interrail website.

Monaco looks really beautiful: [u]https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=monaco&rlz=1C1DSGP_enGB487GB487&aq=0&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&authuser=0&ei=c0RlUfqoL47EPYulgIgK&biw=1525&bih=937&sei=dURlUYeBIav60gX-r4CoDA[/u]

Also Genoa: [u]https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=genoa&rlz=1C1DSGP_enGB487GB487&aq=0&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&authuser=0&ei=xERlUeysM4XXPJmqgKgK&biw=1525&bih=937&sei=xkRlUe38FYnE0QWg6IGQCQ[/u] (I'd like to see a seaside city in Italy, any other good idea?)

Ok, so assume 2 days for Belgium, 1 less for both Genoa and Monaco, 1 for Milan[?]. And Maybe Paris after Lyon, then Belgium at the end where I can decide 1 or 2 days there (in case of any shifts).
Also maybe 1 day for Nice (before Monaco)? [through Avignon?]

Geneve and Brig - just in train, or maybe few hours for them, then continue going to Lyon? What do you think?

Hmm...need to plan days again :)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Are you using the schedule planner - this is just a link to ÖBB website which uses HAFAS database that is good for most European countries.
:arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u]

If you want to stay flexible during your route and depend on info by staff from railway stations you might also want to get the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable. If you know how to use it you are definitely faster and get more helpful results than with a stupid online schedule planner.

Also have a look at the railcc schedules :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u]

Check out the following villages around Nice/Monaco: Grasse, Antibes, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Menton, Saorge, Èze,...all within a few minutes from Nice/Monaco (well, Saorge is a bit further away but still just over an hour from Nice).
Around Genoa, check out Rapallo, Portofino...all villages of Cinque Terre about 30 minutes to an hour from Genoa.

In Brig there's not much to see, just change trains there. You might stop in Geneve for some time, why not. :)
If you dont want to go to Zürich, maybe Luzern would be interesting which would include some bits of rather scenic railway lines as well.

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Wow, all those places look so beautiful! Really confused what to choose and how to plan all the days correctly :)
Will use schedule function then :)

PS. What do you think about Genoa -> Milan -> Luzern (Lucerne) -> Zurich? Just to see Luzern for few hours?
Not too much in my time slot? :)


PS2. what insurance company do you recommend? Hope it's not too late to apply?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Humm...maybe you should just fix Nice and then Genoa and visit the smaller villages around each city as you please/time allows while you are there.
It might also help to fix for instance the day you should arrive in Lyon, and splitting your route in two legs. You could then travel rather freely on both the first and second leg and still have enough time to visit enough places before and after Lyon.
Maybe plan with 13 days from the departure in Lisbon until the arrival in Lyon, then 3 days Lyon and 7 days for the remainder of the trip (just to give an idea).

Genoa - Milano - Luzern - Zürich should be possible within one day although you will have just maybe three hours for each Milano and Luzern:

Genoa 0816 - 0955 Milano
Milano 1310 - 1500 Bellinzona
Bellinzona 1506 - 1706 Arth-Goldau
Arth-Goldau 1714 - 1741 Luzern
Luzern 2010 - 2056 Zürich

I cant recommend an insurance as I am Austrian... ;)
I just have my regular health insurance plus a travel insurance from Alpenverein that covers some additional stuff.

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Thanks flow for your proposition. Sorry I didn't get back earlier, was really busy. Still didn't managed all the stuff, but want to do it this weekend.

At work I got a feedback about my days off. There are two options:

1) Will get three week holiday as planning (May 4 [Sat] - May 27 [Mon] = 24 days)
2) Will get only two weeks (May 4 - May 19 [Sun] = 16 days)

Anyway I'm starting in Lisbon (want to book a flight today/tomorrow), but I need to make two plans (how many days in each city, which cities I can skip in case, etc).

About insurance: I ordered (for free! just half a minute online!) European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) - [u]http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx[/u] . Hopefully it's enough.

About splitting the trip into two stages (Lisbon <-> Lyon and Lyon <-> London). It's not a bad idea, but since I don't know those places, maybe it's better to plan everything before as detailed as possible? From the other side, having not too specified plans makes a journey more adventure ;) hmm...

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hey mates! Flight booked on Saturday 4th May , arrival at 8:30 at Lisbon Airport

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

OK, nice! :)

It is your choice how to do your trip - we just make suggestions. ;)
Of course you dont have to plan and can travel as spontaneously as you want. You should be prepared to maybe not see all the places you want, due to a train being full or delayed or because you prefer to stay longer at another place...these are possibilites that can, but dont have to occur. ;)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hey @flow. I know, I know. ;)

Today I've got a feedback that I can go for 3 week holiday, so the longest option will happen! :)

Will try to make a precise plan (hours, ways, cities for short and long stay, and eveything else).
Also need to consider which ticket I should buy and will do that tonight.
I think 10in22 or everyday in 22. Since the second one is just £50 more expensive, I think it's much better to choose it. ;)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Great! :)

Well...with the 10in22 you can travel almost every second day, do you think you will need more travel days? If yes, will they cost you more than the 50 pounds extra?

Just ask if you need help planning. :)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

10in22 is £233, everyday in 22 is £298. So £65 more :)

According to the plan:
a) Lisbon - 3 days
b) Madrid - 1 day
c) Barcelona - 4 days
d) Monaco - 3 days
e) Genoa, Italy - 3 days
f) Zurich - 2 days
g) Lyon - 2 days (have a family there that haven't seen for a long time)
h) Luxembourg - 1 day
i) Amsterdam - 2 days
j) Belgium - 1 day (Bruges -> Gent -> Brussels, maybe some other town as well)
k) Paris - 2 days (Eiffel Tower, Louvre, other places and just the city)

One day - Lisbon->Madrid
Another (2nd) day - Madrid->Barcelona
Another (3rd) day - Barcelona->Monaco
Another (4th) day - Monaco->Genoa
Another (5th) day - Genoa->Zurich
Another (6th) day - Zurich->Lyon
Another (7th) day - Lyon->Luxembourg
Another (8th) day - Luxembourg->Amsterdam
Another (9th) day - Amsterdam->Belgium
Another (10th) day - Belgium->Belgium(different cities) ; Belgium->Paris
Another (11th) day - Paris->London

(+maybe some more, like towns around Monaco area, etc...)
So I think it's much more safe to but the everyday in 22 ticket.
(but maybe my calculation is a bit not real?;-) and i can do it with less days)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Well...I think you could do fine with the 10in22 if you'd purchase a regular advance fare ticket for the Eurostar back home. Check for rates at rail.shop/beurope (to support railcc) and/or Eurostar website.

For possible day trips along Cote d'Azur around Monaco use regular tickets bought on the spot.

:)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hey.

Paris -> London St Pancras on 27th of May starts from 133 EUR for 2nd class. So...I think I need to buy everyday in 22 ticket then.

btw, it's really expensive :O in the winter it was around £30

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Humm...you could try Brussels - Paris then. 84 GBP for the 1856 departure on 27th May, two seats left. ;)

Then go Lyon - Paris - Luxembourg - Amsterdam - Belgium/Brussels instead.

EDIT: Keep in mind that you will need to use the ferry (~30€) and then regular tickets within the UK to get home otherwise.
EDIT: Several trains for 90€ Brussels - London for 27th May at rail.shop/beurope ;)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

1) 27th of May is Monday so it's my day to come back to London, not to Paris :)
(or maybe I didn't get you?)

2) why would I need ferry btw? ;) (Paris->London or Brussels->London trains should be included for free in the ticket, shouldn't they?)

3) €90 is £75, so it's better to buy everyday in 22 which is £65 more that 10in22 (so I save £10 and don't have to worry about buying another tickets). Am I correct? :)

thx again mate

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

1) I meant Brussels - London, sorry. ;)

2) No. InterRail is not valid in the country of residence. :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/how-to-interrail[/u]
Some railway companies offer a discount in their country however ATOC (Association of Train Operating Companies) does not offer a discount - you need a regular ticket in the UK.
Eurostar reservation for passholders is 89€ from Paris, 75€ from Brussels... see 3).

3) No. You would need an extra Eurostar reservation to get to London - see above.

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

really? Damn.. :(
I can mention that I'm Polish, but probably country of residence will be the country where I order a ticket to?

So yes, probably it's better to buy €75 Brussels->London and 10in22 in this case.
So I can change trip to Lyon->Paris->Lux.

But still - do you think it is a good deal? Since Belgium has many nice small towns really close to Brussels, so probably I will want to visit some on 27th (but I can't if I want to go to London that day), so maybe it's better to buy Paris->London (as the last day in Paris I won't be traveling to other towns, only London)?

Sorry if it's too confusing.

Then again I need to think how to travel by local trains in Monaco/Genoa/Nice area and how much they cost...

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Follow the link I posted regarding country of residence details.

In Belgium you could use Go Pass 1 :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en-ticket-offers/go-pass-sncb-rail-pass-belgium/belgium/25[/u] for trips within Belgium.

Trips along Cote d'Azur will only be like a few €€, not really much.

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hey,
I change the plan a bit:

a) Lisbon - 3 days
b) Madrid - 1 day
c) Barcelona - 4 days
d) Nice - 2 days
e) Monaco - 1 day [b](what else around Nice and Monaco? any stop between Nice and Monaco suggested? :) )[/b]
f) Genoa - 3 days [b] (3rd day, when going to Zurich, I will go through Milan and Luzern to take stops there and spend a day, planning arrival in Zurich in the evening)[/b]
g) Zurich - 1 day
h) Lyon - 2 days
i) Luxembourg - 1 day
j) Amsterdam - 2 days
k) Belgium - 2 days (Bruges -> Gent -> Brussels, maybe some other towns as well). Journey to Paris in the evening of the 2nd day
l) Paris - 2 days

I'd like to cover following routes by my interrail ticket:

1st day - Lisbon->Madrid
Another (2nd) day - Madrid->Barcelona
Another (3rd) day - Barcelona->Nice [b](Nice->[...]->Monaco using local trains)[/b]
Another (4th) day - Monaco->Genoa
Another (5th) day - Genoa->Milan->Luzern->Zurich
Another (6th) day - Zurich->Lyon
Another (7th) day - Lyon->Luxembourg
Another (8th) day - Luxembourg->Amsterdam
Another (9th) day - Amsterdam->Belgium
Another (10th) day - Belgium->Belgium(different cities) ; Belgium->Paris

The Paris booking another normal ticket for €85[?]. (I think it's better to place Paris at the end as I'm traveling two days within Belgium and pass ticket there costs €50, and another to London €75).

What do you think?

---
I've created more detailed plan. I would be very very grateful for having a look:

- May 4, 5, 6 - Lisbon. On 6th in the evening going to Madrid by night train (9h) {1,2} {1}
- May 7, 8[morning] - Madrid. Arrival in the early morning; staying over the night and going to Barcelona in the morning on 8th. {3} {2}
- May 8, 9, 10, 11 - Barcelona. Journey over the night to Nice (about 9h again?) from the evening on 11th {4,5} {3}
- May 12, 13, 14[morning] Nice. From the early morning. Staying over the two nights. Going to Monaco in the morning on 14th {6} {4}
- May 14 Monaco. (if there are some nice train stops between Nice and Monaco, I can do that as starting the journey in the morning from Nice). Staying over the night in Monaco and going to Genoa in the morning on 15th (or in the afternoon, depends how much I'll like Monaco). {7} {5}
- May 15, 16, 17[morning] Genoa. Staying over two nights in Genoa, on 17th [in the morning, afternoon probably not possible] going to Zurich via Milan (few hours stop) and Luzern (another few hours). Arrival probably in the evening in Zurich. {8} {6}
- May 17[evening], 18 Zurich. Going by night train on 18th/19th's night to Lyon, arrival to Lyon in the morning on 19th. {10} {7}
- May 19, 20 Lyon. Departing in the evening by another night train to Luxembourg. {11,12} {8}
- May 21 Luxembourg. from morning till evening (going to Amsterdam then) {13,14} {9}
- May 22, 23 Amsterdam. Going to Belgium in the morning on 24th. {15} {10}
- May 24, 25 Belgium. In the evening on 25th (or morning on 26th?) going to Paris {17} {11}
- May 26, 27 Paris. Going back home on 27th in the evening to London.

What do you reckon dude? :)

I have some questions:
1) Do I have to buy some reservations on some routes?
2) What about night routes? Are they paid extra?
3) Is traveling at night safe? (I would like to sleep and worried about my rucksack...). Also is it possible to sleep halfway well on the seats?
4) I've marked as red amount of affected days by inter rail ticket. I think I have to go for everyday in 22 one then. For example traveling from evening till morning takes 2 days from the paper perspective… am I right?
[b]EDIT[/b] ok, i've found that traveling at night counts like one travel day, so I marked in green-still more than 10 and it's the most optimistic scenario,hmm...

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
I just had a look on your route.
Did you really read the first timer guide about Interrail? It should help you understand on how to plan a trip: [u]https://rail.cc/en/first-time-interrail[/u]

Check the railcc schedules first: [u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u]
If you can not find a special connection, try an other schedule planer: [u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u]

Then you should think again about your route:
- there is NO night train Barcelona - Nice
- don't stay overnight in Monaco = expensive and not really worth (it's my personal view)
- Genoa - Milan - Zurich: travel this route, it is free and the most scenic one - [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/milan-to-zurich[/u]
- there is NO night train Zurich to Lyon
- there is NO night train Lyon to Luxembourg

So please use the schedule links given above. Think again about your route. Please don't misunderstand me, but it makes no sense to plan and plan and correct and correct if you don't take care about given information.

Thank you, Peter :)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Thank you Peter.
I looked into those pages before, but I know, I should do it deeper. Will do.
Thanks for tips, I didn't know there are no so many night trains at all.

I have just booked an eurorail ticket from Paris to London and I'm pissed off :( Tried to buy a ticket at 20:00 on 27th, but bank processing doesn't work on Chrome at all. I did it again on other browser a minute later and someone was faster than me (this was the last ticket) :( So I have a ticket at 18:00... (£106 :/ )

[b]//EDIT:[/b]
I have bought the ticket 10in22 valid from 5th to 26th. Also got ticket insurance. (obviously through railcc shop ;) ).
I have re-planned the trip now using more knowledge, railcc's schedules and DB-BAHN planner. Please have a look:

- May 4, 5, 6 - [b]Lisbon[/b]. At night 6/7th going to Madrid {1}
- May 7, 8[morning] - [b]Madrid[/b]. Going to Barcelona in the morning on 8th. {2}
- May 8, 9, 10, 11, 12[morning] - [b]Barcelona[/b]. Journey on 12th from the morning to Nice (about 9h again?) {3}
- May 12[evening], 13, 14, 15[morning] - [b]Nice[/b]. In the morning on 15th going to Genoa (plus on the way about 8 hours stop in [b]Monaco[/b]) {4}
- May 15[evening], 16, 17, 18[morning]- [b]Genoa[/b]. On 18th morning going to Zurich via [b]Milan[/b] (few hours stop), [e.i. through the route suggested by @Peter]. Arrival in the evening in Zurich. {5}
- May 18[evening], 19[morn.,aftnoon] - [b]Zurich[/b]. Going on 19th afternoon to Lyon (e.i. 15:30-20:00) {6}
- May 19[evening], 20, 21[morning] - [b]Lyon[/b]. Departing in the morning on 21st to Luxembourg. {7}
- May 21, 22[morning] - [b]Luxembourg[/b]. In the early morning on 22th going to Amsterdam {8}
- May 22, 23, 24[morning] - [b]Amsterdam[/b]. Going to Belgium in the morning on 24th. {9}
- May 24, 25 - [b]Belgium[/b]. (probably 24th Bruges and Gent, 25th Bruxelles). In the evening on 25th going to Paris {10}
- May 25[evening], 26, 27 - [b]Paris[/b]. Going back home on 27th in the evening to London.

As you can see, it's 10 travel days now :)

I've got few questions and will be really thankful for tips and opinions:

[b]1) [/b]Any suggestions to the plan? Maybe some nice route, maybe I did something which doesn't make sense, or...maybe you recommend in Nice/Genoa to spend some day to buy a local train ticket and visit few towns in this area / Cote d'Azur (just an example)? or maybe Milan is worth staying more than few hours (which would mean e.i.: Genoa till midday, then Milan the whole afternoon, evening, staying over the night, a bit of morning and then next day Milan-Zurich). Or maybe it's better to e.i. decrease 1 day in Barcelona and add it to Amsterdam? Thx!

[b]2) [/b]@Peter, about the trip Milan-Zurich ([u]https://rail.cc/en/train/milan-to-zurich[/u]) - how many changes are there? where can I check this? Also on the DB-BAHN I couldn't find those routes :O (wstaw.org/m/2013/04/24/Screen_Shot_2013-04-24_at_02.26.02.png - see screen grab)

[b]3)[/b] How can I check if a journey (checked on db-bahn website) requires reservation or extra cost? Is there icons explaination?

Thank you very much guys You both are so helpful and I'm really pleased! o)

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.

1) Looks good your route, but you miss the Little Yellow Train: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/little-yellow-train-video/[/u]
Interesting: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/scenic-train-cote-bleue/[/u]

2) Six changes in total, just count the yellow arrows. :)
You won't find this route on the mentioned website - it a special hand-crafted railcc route. That's why we run railcc, to show such routes which are not in electronic schedules. Try Trennord website to find the way up to Tirano, if you don't trust the railcc information - but you will see: the route exists! :)

3) Electronic schedules are NOT made for Interrailers - an other reason why we have the railcc schedules. If you want to use such an electronic schedules planer, you have to always compare it manually with this list: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation[/u]

Peter :)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hey mate
Sorry I didnt have chance to get back to you earlier.

Will go through the scenic route in Milan-Zurich (hope the times are still up-to-date), also will try to manage the yellow little train in Barcelona-Nice.
Need to check all the detailed schedules and train companies now (to check if I need to buy some extra reservation sometimes). Am I correct that all the extra fees I can pay on train stations?

By the way, when checking stations, e.i. checking Lisbon - Madrid, later Madrid - Barcelona, I get something like 10 stations from each city. Do you know any website where I can check best stations etc?

Feel really too less time for everything :(

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

YES the schedules Milan-Zurich are up to date!

Check the information on railcc for railway stations.
Lisbon: [u]https://rail.cc/en/lisbon/station/c[/u]
Madrid: [u]https://rail.cc/en/madrid/station/c[/u]
Barcelona: [u]https://rail.cc/en/barcelona/station/c[/u]
Nice: [u]https://rail.cc/en/nice/station/c[/u]
...

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Thank you. I have been on those pages, but was looking for something more some website/page with info like recommend this station because it's close to xxx, yyy, etc, but that's alright :) It's not very important I think.

E.i. this route Lisbon-Madrid no. 335:

[u]https://rail.cc/en/night-train/lisbon-madrid-th-335/72[/u]

[u]http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/traininfo.exe/en/581061/341738/52030/167672/80?ld=96253&L=vs_partner&seqnr=3&ident=kn.03063253.1345664975&bpls=998294&rt=1&date=06.05.13&time=21:27&station_evaId=9400674&station_type=dep&[/u]

Understand that no extra fees are necessary, but I don't see any option wheter of not it's possible to take a roomette and if so, how much it costs. Maybe there's no (according to 2nd class only seated accommodation)?

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
I don't understand your question.
A reservation is required for the train Lisbon to Madrid. All information at the link you already posted:
[u]https://rail.cc/en/night-train/lisbon-madrid-th-335/72[/u]
Peter

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Sorry for being confusing, you're right, I was looking at many of pages and I mixed everything up.

Probably I thought it's free because of [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation/spain/es[/u]

So we read Special rates are valid for InterRail tickets bought in Spain or Portugal

So on the page [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-night-train/lisbon-madrid-th-335/72[/u]
in the table we have
[quote]
category Rail Pass special
Sleeperette | 2nd EUR 7 EUR 23,30
Sleeperette | 1st EUR 10 EUR 32,25
[/quote]

I assume I can take Rail Pass for EUR 7 or 10 and I should pay for this supplement at the train station.
(and this is required at least).

sorry if my questions are annoying, just want to be sure about everything

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

No problem to ask.
Just read bellow the given prices in the box Rail Pass: supplement for Rail Pass (InterRail and Eurail) travelers.
And yes, you will have to pay 7 EUR, as you travel with an Interrail pass Youth which is only available for / valid in 2nd class.
This reservation is available at the station of departure - take care not to book too late as the train might then be full in peak season. But you can never preview it.
You can also pre-book online here: [ux]https://rail.shop/acprail/reservation[/ux]
But it will be more expensive than at a station due to handling fees.
Peter :)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hi Peter,
Sorry for delay in answering. Got really busy. Tomorrow my trip is starting! :) 12 hours left to check in at the airport.

I've planned schedules. You can have a look here:
* pdf: http://speedy.sh/PmMfv/eurotrip.pdf
* doc: http://speedy.sh/PmEDv/eurotrip.doc (for some reason, much better images quality)

Sometimes I got known about extra fees, but mostly I couldn't find this info (e.i. when using DB-BAHN)... If you could let me know which ones require extra reservation I would be grateful (at those routes when it's not marked on screen grabs from railcc website or DB-BAHN).

I was also sometimes a bit confused, like: Barcelona-Nice:
a) on page 13 there is a screen grab from railcc with schedules list
b) on page 15 I see completely different schedules from DB-BAHN (only 09:05-18:05 is the same)

[I'm talking about normal route now, not by Little Yellow Train which as you told me it's a completely different thing you guys have planned based on yours experiments]

Also still wondering whether or not Little Yellow Train is worth it, cos it would take one whole day, then from Perpignan the whole night to get to Nice. It means I should either buy just normal ticket for this night (regards to my 10 travel days limit) or buy normal tickets going later Nice-Monaco-Genoa (the question is which is cheaper? ;) ).

Thank you very much [b]Peter and Flow[/b] :) Without you guys this trip wouldn't be such good organised (heh, saying that even before my start :D )

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
Sorry, but I don't open external documents. If possible, please post the connections here in the forum to get help. Thank you. :)

Barcelona - Nice: the connection you found on Bahn ( [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux] ) is of course as well possible (dep. 09:05, arr. 18:05), but you use one Spanish high-speed-train and two TGV trains - all three with extra reservations, minimum in total you pay extra: EUR 30.
If you want to travel for free, have a look on the railcc schedules (where you will find as well the expensive one mentioned by you): [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/barcelona-to-nice[/u]

Little Yellow Train: for you to decide, if you want to spent the time and money. :)

Have a sunny trip and a lot of fun !!! :)
Peter :)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hey,
Thanks. Love sunny Lisbon so much!!!

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Great! :D
Hope your trip continues well.

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Thanks! Yes, now after Madrid Im third day in Barcelona '- pretty cool. Had a swim so I am happy :D
Ive met plenty fantastic people on my way which whom I spent lovely times! In a rush of preparing to go to Park Guell now :)

I would like to take Little Yellow Train from Barcelona to Nice. [b]The journey starting at 0933 , finishing in Perpignan
at 1935[/b]. Actually its the only one option - other schedules I found on railcc dont match times properly , I mean I can arrive at ei. 1135 and changing train is at 1120 etc..

[u]https://rail.cc/blog/little-yellow-train-video/[/u]

So if I good know I dont have to buy any extra reservation if I travel with InterRail for this trip.
But then, I have to get to Nice from Perpignan. Found following

LINK TIMED OUT

2220-0838 looks good. My question here is - do I have to buy any extra reservation for this? And if so, do you know how much is it and if it is possible to buy at Barcelona Sants station.
thx


PS. On railcc you say to double check the schedules at online planners before the journey. I have checked Barcelona Sants - Latour de Carol and dont see the same departures, is it normal? Please have a look

1. link timed out
2. [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/barcelona-to-latour-de-carol[/u]

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hej,

sounds as everything runs smoothly. Great! :D

The Barcelona - Latour de Carol - Villefranche - Perpignan timings on railcc are all up to date and correct. For this trip, no reservations are required.
And yeah, it is really a pity that the connections at Latour de Carol are so bad... :(

The connection Perpignan 2220 - 0838 Nice is ok, although both trains are night trains which require a 6€ reservation for a seat (can be 18€ if all available seats for 6€ are sold out!).
Apart from an overnight stay at Perpignan I dont really see an alternative though. Reservations should be available at Barcelona Sants, I bought them for this very train (Perpignan - Toulouse - Paris) already myself.

The Barcelona - Latour de Carol service is part of Barcelona Rodalies, the suburban railway in the Barcelona area. These trains are not included in HAFAS database used by online travel planners such as at [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux] - you will find these only on website of RENFE Rodalies Barcelona or on railcc. ;)

Have fun in Barcelona! ;)


Flo 8)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hey, thanks for the info mate.
Just realised that if i will take the tocket from Perpignan to Nice covered by my interrail ticket, i wont have enough travel days for the rest of journeys.

There are two options:

1. Buy it as normal ticket (so 18 eur, is it?)
2. Cover it by interrail ticket (6 eur) and then ei take train from Nice to Monaco as normal one and from Monaco to Genoa as well

What do you think which option is cheaper?

Thx

Ps. Just to know-If i want to use normal route barcelona-nice, does it require extra fee?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

For regular fares Perpignan - Nice check here: rail.shop/sncf

You will definitely pay more than 18€ - 18€ is the price of a reservation for InterRail if the 6€ contingent is sold out!

If you run out of IR days, I would buy an extra regular ticket for another leg of your journey. For instance Nice - Monaco - Genoa with regional trains or if you do a day trip in Belgium.

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Belgium cant happen - first day i travel from Amsterdam, second going to Paris, so i will cover it by interrail.

Option Nice-Monaco-Genoa sounds interesting, but do you know the price maybe?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Nice - Monaco 3,70€
Monaco - Ventimiglia 4,20€
Ventimiglia - Genoa 13,20€

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

That sounds good:) thank you

Could u let me know where you found those prices?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

On rail.shop/sncf and trenitalia.com respectively. ;)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

OK, thanks. Will give a try for this route :) thanks!

the last night in Barcelona, just popping out for a couple of beers with other travel mates. It is unbelievable how many people I have met and spent great times together (actually I wasnt sightseeing or going for parties alone at all! Even the first day I have met people on a street getting off at a random metro station, then went together for a couchsurfing party with 30 other travellers).
Also ei. met people in Madrid and then met again in Barcelona. The world is so small!
Also with some people I will definitely be in touch, like a girl I have met in Lisbon on a street, after that we spent 3 days sightseeing and she lives in London as well, incredible suprising is this everything!

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

You were right, the Yellow Train is pretty nice as well as the route!

Unfortunately I couldn't buy a ticket in Barcelona (I have been told that must do it in France), then in Latour-de-Carol they didnt know how to even check interrail tickets. Then in Villefranche they have said 26.50 EUR, I said it probably should be 6-18 EUR, so they recommended me to buy the ticket in Perpignan. In Perpignan I have been told that all the tickets are sold, the office is closed also and I have to catch a morning train. So spent a night at the train station ;)
They suggested a route Perpignan-Avignon, Avignon-Nice to arrive at 3pm and it would cost 9 EUR for reservation. At Avignon station I have been told that I can go to Merseille instead of Avignon and have a free journey so I chose this.

But.. everything got positives! In perpignan I met really nice and crazy students I spent few hours (they live in Paris so I am meeting them later; btw originally I was supposed to go by the same train with them). Then in Merseille I met a really nice girl on the train station and she showed me the city during the transfer time about 3 hours.
So finally I arrived to Nice at 5pm on Tuesday, and met also two crazy and nice girls on streets so I wasnt alone and could sightseeing and have a talk with some people I wouldnt met in other case I think :)

---

Got a ticket to Monaco for tomorrow, but Monaco-Genoa they said about 30 EUR :O Maybe they didnt check the route as Monaco - Ventimiglia ; Ventimiglia - Genoa.

---

PS. what do you think to spend a one day in five small towns on Cinque Terres? Is there any nice route to do it in one day? [u]https://rail.cc/blog/cinque-terre/[/u]

PS2. I assume the route Genoa-Milan is free of reservations and I dont have to pay anything?

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
That's interesting to read your experiences! :)
I looks like a lot of fun.
Just as short note: Monaco to Genoa is FREE! You could include an IC train travel a bit faster (+EUR 3), but you can travel as well for free:

Monaco dep: 0849 - free local train
Ventimiglia arr: 0913

Ventimiglia dep: 0953 - free regional train
Genova arr: 1301

Have a look here: [u]https://rail.shop/bahn?s=Monaco-Monte-Carlo&e=GENUA&l=en&d=08&y=1405[/u]
Train category in this case:
R and RE = free
IC = +EUR 3 (you can get it online at trenitalia website, select as booking option Global Pass).

Peter :)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Glad you liked the Petit Train Jaune! :)

I already got reservations for SNCF trains at Barcelona Sants (and also at Portbou station), strange you did not get them there. When we were the first time in Latour de Carol (2009) I remember having difficulties explaining that our IR passes were also valid on a SNCF that was supposed to bring us to a nearby village...it was quite fun explaining and in the end we got some kind of stamp on our tickets from the head of the station in order to allow us on the bus...you always experience strange stuff with SNCF...
Do you remember for what train exactly they wanted the 26,50€ from you? It is interesting to see what SNCF staff offers InterRailers these days...9€ for Avignon - Nice...you know, this makes it so difficult for us as well to understand how SNCF reservation actually work at the moment. It is a mess. :P
I bet there would have been a connection to Nice as well without reservation but I think the SNCF schedule planner does not show such connections especially on longer routes - you would have to check yourself either on TER SNCF website or with Thomas Cook. But nevermind, obviously all turned out good in the end, altough not exactly as planned. ;)

Yeah, I suppose they wanted to sell you a through ticket Nice - Genoa that would be 30,60€. You have to buy it separately, that way you get two tickets with the respective regional train fare which makes it cheaper in total. Buy the ticket Ventimiglia - Genova at the station (either at a ticket counter or at a machine), you must stamp it at a machine before boarding!

You can easily reach Cinque Terre cities by train from Genova, all of them have a train station served mostly by regional trains. It is possible to do as a day trip from Genova.

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hey mates!

yes, a lot of fun! By the way, it is interesting that in France I havent had any ticket control on trains (only Barcelona-Latour-de-Carol).

Peter: so I have to buy a regular ticket as marked on my interrail ticket the yesterdays date and I am ran of travel days ;)

OK, so I can try to buy those two tickets , Monaco-Ventimiglia and Ventimiglia-Genoa at Monaco station. Should be alright.

Flow: the train Merseille-Nice I needed a reservation as well, but it was free(so got a ticket for 0.00 EUR).

I was lucky in Latour de Carol, cos there is no any shop there and was hungry-but on Monday there is a market and the only option was a hot dog :) But even no option to buy a water and no vending machine at the train station. :)

26.50 EUR was for train Perpignan-Nice (the night train at 22:20 on Monday to as far I remember Merseille[?] with change at night, arrival at 08:43 in Nice Ville).

Another curiosity might be the departure on my Sundays train Barcelona Sants-Latour-de-Carol. On railcc it is written 09:43 (09:32 Sat/Sun), but it was 09:38 or 09:36 on the screen. But maybe it was just delay, who knows ;) Anyway, not a big deal :D just FYI.

PS. So Genoa-Milan is free on interrail, am I correct?

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Nono, you have to buy the Ventimiglia - Genoa ticket at Ventimiglia station. They cannot sell the ticket to the cheap Italian regional trains fare at Nice. ;)

Could you tell me what kind of train you took from Marseille to Nice? And maybe show me the reservation (after your trip)? Never heard of a 0€ reservation for a french train before and I bet you didnt need one anway...but I am very curious! :D

No vending machine at Latour de Carol? That's news...I remember getting cold Orangina from a Selecta vending machine after our 11km or so hike from Llivia in the midday sun without anyone giving us a ride... :(

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Genoa-Milan: there are as well IC trains on this route (reservation recommended for EUR 3 at ticket machines).
But as well several direct regional trains which are free.
Departure Genoa (journey time ~ 2 hours): 0753, 1201, 1341, 1544, 1743, ...
:)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hey,

Thanks for clarify.

Flow: i will send a photo of the reservation , I think the easiest option is to send by email as I have only an iphone on me.

Peter: I think I will catch the 05:43 R train :) The time is pretty similar to the IC. I ran of money so need to eat less, drink less, spend on journeys less, less everything :D And found hostels in Zurich sooooooo expensive! Trying to manage some couchsurfing, but it doesnt seem to be simple.


After Zurich I am going to Lyon. The best seems to be 15:27-19:56 , 1 change, companies: TGV
Do I need a reservation or extra fees for TGV?

The next one I could choose is 16:32-21:22, 1 change, companies IC and RE. So for IC I need some reservation to buy, but for RE not? Anyway, the previous schedule fits me much better.

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Thank you: florian at railcc dot com

1527 - 1956 is by TGV Lyria (9€ compulsory reservation) to Mulhouse, change there to TGV (6€/18€ compulsory reservation) to Lyon, not recommended. ;)

The other connection is via Geneve and free of extra reservations...

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Ok, thx.

By the way, do you know if any of them is free of extra costs?


[u]http://wstaw.org/m/2013/05/17/image.jpg[/u]

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
As long as an TGV is included, you have to pay extra: [u]https://rail.cc/en-type-country/train-%C3%A0-grande-vitesse/sncf-tgv/42[/u]
If you use [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux] to find schedules, check the buttons All without ICE or only local transport. Works for France, but there are as well slower trains with extra fees (some of the as marked IC trains, ...) - so always ask if you need help. :)

Example for this route:

Lyon Part Dieu dep: 0734 - local train - FREE
Belfort arr: 1134

Belfort dep: 1206 - local train - FREE
Mulhouse Ville arr: 1239

Mulhouse Ville dep: 1343 - IC train to Benelux - FREE
Luxembourg arr: 1659

Peter :)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

If you want to arrive earlier in Lyon, take this connection:

Zürich 1432 - 1715 Geneve
Geneve 1729 - 1922 Lyon

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

hey!!

Really sorry mates for getting back soooooo late! (was really busy and off the web).
The trip was so great! Met so many people, had so many stories and adventures, seen so beautiful places and good times at parties, pubs, couchsurfing meetings, sightseeing with just recently met people and much much more! For instance in 2 days I am meeting a girl I've met in Lisbon (she lives in London as well).
One of the best moments in my life! So happy :)

And the route Milan-Zurich - I didn't realise that it is so bloody amazing and beautiful !! Awesome experience.
By the way, didn't have a change at Poschiavo which is mention here ([u]https://rail.cc/en/train/milan-to-zurich[/u]), maybe it needs correction or it depends on day?

Flow, I hope you've received my mail with the reservation 0.00EUR? :)

PS. Genova-Milan as you did say I need a reservation 3 EUR, I was going to buy this and was told that I can buy it or not, it's my choice ;) So obviously I didn't and everything was ok. (maybe because of the fact that train wasn't too busy?)

PS2. just FYI, going from Amsterdam to Bruges, I had to change in Rotterdam instead of Antwerp. Had similar thing (also must change in Rotterdam) on way Luxembourg-Amsterdam. At least i have been told that at information points.

PS3. Brussels-Paris was a bit interesting. I took this one: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/brussels-to-paris[/u]
Went from Brussels to Gent (btw, departure was 13:59 instead of 14:05 from Central station; it was Saturday).
Went to Lille (by the way, met someone in Paris from Lille as well later on) , everything following the plan, then took a train to Amiens, but... the train stopped suddenly in a place called L... (don't remember the whole name, but it was something like around 8 letters) at 17:21 (the same time it was supposed to stop in Amiens; and in Lille on the screen it was written Amiens!). I asked then a conductor how to get to Amiens and he said I need to catch a bus and pointed the way. Instead of going by stairs I went through tracks and someone told me that I shouldn't do that bla bla, and... I noticed some train on the platform I would never seen - and, surprise -- Paris!! From Amiens at railcc we read departure at 17:50, but on the screen was written 17:41, but.. the train started 10 mins earlier at about 17:31. So normally I would be in Paris at 18:56, but arrived at 18:36 :) So if I went through stairs then I would miss this train! :)
The same day I went out just to walk around Paris and near Eifell Tower asked some people to take me a pic, and met a girl which is also traveling, she was going to London so I hosted her in my house until now when she's gone to Brusells (£33 bus, quite good value, just btw) -- just on the bus right now ;)

Thank you again [b]flow[/b] and [b]Peter[/b] for your so important help!!!!!!!

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hej!

Great to hear from you. Glad you enjoyed your trip that much and that everything went well apparently. :D

So I didnt promise to much regarding the trip across the Swiss Alps. Good. ;)
The bus replacement was only in service until 8th May, as marked on top of the timings column - but I will edit it as soon as possible.

Yeah, I received the mail, thank you! Quite interesting to see that free reservation...valid only with Eurail pass...I'll probably never fully understand SNCF. :D
For these trains are reservation would not have been necessary but if you got it for free...

PS 1) We recommend to get this reservation, it is not compulsory! The reason is that regular tickets come with an included reservation and reserved seats are not marked in the train. So it could happen that you are asked to give up a seat because another traveller with a reservation claims it. To avoid that hassle we recommend to spend the 3€ for the reservation, especially on longer trips.
Of course in can happen that travellers with a ticket with included reservation dont mind and just take a free seat or that the train is not really full but to be sure it is nice to have a guaranteed seat in this case.
Where did you want to buy that reservation?

PS 2) Where have you been told to change at Rotterdam instead of Antwerp? There are no direct trains Rotterdam - Antwerp, so you had to change somewhere - where?
From Amsterdam to Bruge you can change either in Antwerp or Bruxelles. Amsterdam - Antwerp - Bruxelles is described up to date here: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/amsterdam-brussels-train/[/u]
Luxembourg - Amsterdam depends on the route; either: Luxembourg - Liège - Maastricht - Eindhoven - Utrecht - Amsterdam or Luxembourg - Bruxelles - Antwerp - Rotterdam - Den Haag - Amsterdam

PS 3) Humm...this is a complicated route, I know. We try to show you most possible connections but we can not edit them every time a minor change of schedules appears. You probably mean Lens?
Funny thing what happened in Amiens...a bit strange though. There may have been construction works going on, I dont know.

Thanks again for purchasing your ticket at railcc! ;)


Flo 8)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Hallo!

That's funny about SNCF ;)

PS 1) - I was going to buy this reservation in Genova (main station)

PS 2) - First, when going Luxembourg-Amsterdam, I have been told in Brussels that I have to change in Rotterdam (had about 10 mins transfer time) instead of Antwerp.
Again, going Amsterdam-Bruges I've been told the same at Amsterdam Centraal station. Also this time I missed one train somewhere(Rotterdam? or maybe some other station it was. maybe I've got Antwerp as well? dont remember, sorry) and took a bit different way anyway, through Brussels-Gent-Bruges ;)

PS 3) - no Lens for sure, it was much longer, about 8 letters. Shame on me I didn't write it down.

Don't worry about purchasing the ticket at railcc - I was very glad I could support you guys for so hard and good work! I'd like to do similar eurotrip (maybe next year?) but for whole Italy, then important places in Germany and the whole Eastern Europe - but I know, probably i would have to manage about 3 months for that ;)
(but without Ukraine, Belarus I think :P ), so like:
Italy (starting in Sicily) - Lichtenstein - Germany(south/west) - Denmark - Germany (Berlin) - Czech(Prague) - Austria(Vienna) - Slovakia - Hungary - Slovenia - Croatia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Greece - Bulgaria - Romania - Poland.
Just got an idea ;)

Take care!!!

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

1) Thanks.
2) Well, in hindsight it is difficult to tell what was the issue. Maybe construction works; normally you have to change in Den Haag only when you go from Bruxelles to Amsterdam; on Antwerp only at weekends; however this all depends on the actual connection, time of day, day of week and so on, maybe there have been construction works etc... So nevermind, as long as you arrived at your destination all is fine :)
3) Libercourt maybe?

Take care and I'm looking forward to help planning the next trip. ;)

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Thanks.

Unfortunately I don't think so it was Libercourt. Leo...gnes or something like that (probably i am mixing the letters up :P ). I can add that it was a station without any office etc - more like just outside tracks.

cold__
Traveller
49 comments

Just a quick small update of my new room decoration made of post cards bought during the trip ;) think I can share it with you :)

[img:5jaa3au2]https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/p480x480/1005879_472081966216453_874905352_n.jpg[/img:5jaa3au2]

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

:)