Rome - Florence - Venice - Vienna - Bratislava - Budapest

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.

1) No, not too much - Interrail is a pass to make kilometres. So my personal opinion: you are fine with this route.

2) If dates are fixed, book in advance. For example the one for Rome or for Munich if it your final destination. As you travel alone, it is easy to get a bed in dorms during your trip, booking one or two night in advance. All hostels have internet access, so just book online to stay a bit flexible. You will also meet other travellers, which can recommend you hostels for your next stop.
Book via these links and you directly support railcc (same price for you): [ux]https://rail.shop/hostelworld[/ux] , [ux]https://rail.shop/hostelworld[/ux]

3) If you want, you can travel the whole route without extra fees. No reservation required for trains. You can never preview if a train is full or not. On day trains you always get a seat on the route you travel, even on trains which require a reservation if you want to use them.

4) Your ticket starts at the day you use the train from Rome to Florence. But you have to fix the first day of travel at the purchase. The 10 travel days you fill in manually during your trip.

5) Think about: Rome - Florence - to Venice in the early morning and in the evening to Lake Bled (Slovenia). Use this route: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/travel-lake-bled-train/[/u]
Lake Bled via Ljubljana/Zagreb to Budapest
Budapest - Krakow - Prague - Berlin - Munich - Vienna ... as I suppose you will fly home to the UK, thing about Bratislava as airport.

And like in the post before: support railcc and buy the Interrail pass in our partner. Thank you. :)

Peter :)

Corks118
Traveller
30 comments

Very much appreciated Peter. I'll be buying my InterRail ticket on railcc and have already been looking to finalise accommodations through hostel bookers via the railcc website.

2) I'll definitely pre-book for Rome, it's the rest I'm not sure about. I take it it's easy to book online when you're already out there (for example booking accommodation for Florence on the Friday whilst I'm still in Rome)? I've bookmarked a few hostels for each place I plan on visiting using the hostel bookers website.

3) So I don't need to reserve any trains? I believe there are supplements too, which I don't mind paying, so long as I make the train I need/want! I'm talking about just turning up for a train and jumping on, if this is not clear.

5) With regards Florence and Venice, I was planning on stopping a couple of nights in each, and I plan to include a trip to Pisa whilst in Florence. Is this recommended?

Right, so you would recommend re-vamping that part of my journey completely? To get this right, you are suggesting:
Rome - Florence - Venice - Lake Bled - Zagreb - Budapest - Krakow - Prague - Berlin - Munich - Vienna - Brastislava?

Ideally I'd like to spend two or three nights in the main cities I am visiting.

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

You can travel the way you want. You don't have to change your plans - do what you want. :)
I personally book while travelling, to stay flexible. But also your decision - some people like it flexible, some others know their exact route and pre-book some days/weeks in advance. Both is possible.

3) depends on the route you want to travel now. Just check the railcc schedules and the reservation section ([u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation[/u]).
If you final route is fixed, I can give you more details - but you should find most already here on railcc: [u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u]

Pisa is okay for a day trip. Venice: also okay for a day trip - it's full of tourists and expensive, so not a place where I personally would stay longer than one day.

Peter :)

Corks118
Traveller
30 comments

How about if I went to Lake Bled (looks lovely) on the route you suggested, then on to Jesenice; from Jesenice to Zagreb, stop over at Zagreb and travel early morning from Zagreb to Vienna (0725 train arrives in Vienna at 1357)?

That way I can carry on my original route, but get to take in Slovenia and the scenic train journey too, as well as Lake Bled (not to mention Zagreb, a place I've been trying to incorporate into my schedule!). I had planned to stay two nights in Venice but if you wouldn't recommend stopping longer than a day I can do the Slovenia and Croatia bit without losing much (if any) time.

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

In Slovenia you don't have to pay extra reservation fees.
And the direct train Zagreb to Vienna is also free: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/zagreb-to-vienna[/u]
:)
By the way, it is definitely cheaper than in Italy - just have a look at the hostel prices using the booking websites. :)

Corks118
Traveller
30 comments

Can I also just check (and this might seem a strange request!) - the link you provided me above (Venice to Slovenia via Gorizia and Nova Gorica) - how do you find that from the main website?

I'm trying to see if there are other similar pre-planned routes that are a little more off the beaten track which might appeal. I'd never have found the Lake Bled route on my own!

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

The link to the border crossing Italy-Slovenia is placed everywhere where it makes sense. It is a topic in the railcc blog. There are some other travel reports and photos as well. Just have a look: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/[/u]

If you want to travel a little bit off the beaten track, you could also travel:
Venice - Lake Bled - Zagreb ...
Then to Sarajevo ([u]https://rail.cc/en/train/zagreb-to-sarajevo[/u]).
Normal point to point ticket to Mostar (EUR 6), normal point to point ticket to Ploče: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/sarajevo-to-ploce[/u]
Ploče ([u]https://rail.cc/en/ploce/c[/u]) - Split: by bus for about EUR 10. Several connections daily: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/rijeka-to-split[/u]
Split - ([u]https://rail.cc/en/train/split-to-dubrovnik[/u]) - Dubrovnik - ([u]https://rail.cc/en/train/dubrovnik-to-podgorica[/u]) - Montenegro.
If you like with a short stop then in Bar.
And finally the amazing scenic route (use the day train even it is a long trip) back to Belgrade: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/bar-to-belgrade[/u]
Then go on to Budapest, ...
You have a lot of interesting options in this area... you could also travel down to Istanbul ([u]https://rail.cc/blog/bucharest-sofia-istanbul-train/[/u]) and back via Bucharest ([u]https://rail.cc/blog/bucharest-sofia-istanbul-train//[/u])
Just read the blog posts - there you will get some more details.
I know - it is now absolutely not the route you planed to travel - but why not ?! ;)

Corks118
Traveller
30 comments

Thanks for all your help Peter.

I have a couple more queries, not sure where the most appropriate place is so I'll keep it in here for now. It concerns what to book:

1) I'm flying to Rome and beginning from there, so I'll book my outbound flight, accommodation for Rome and for my railpass to activate when I depart Rome. I assume that's all okay.

2) Not sure how accepted flying is on here, but I'm planning on flying home. Problem being, I'm not too sure what date I'll finish or where! What is the best option: book a flight home when I'm in Europe, leaving me more flexibility or book a flight home before I leave, meaning I'll have it sorted before I go but will have to ensure I end up at that place on that date.

I'm just trying to gauge a general consensus of what other people do really.

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.

1) Yes. Select as date your pass starts the day you leave Rome. And buy it via our partner link: [ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux]
:)

2) I personally would book the flight from home to get cheaper prices.

Pete

Corks118
Traveller
30 comments

Right, think I'm pretty much ready to book my flights and railpass.

If I fly in to Rome on the 1st July and validate my railpass from the 3rd (possibly 4th), it will run out on the 25th right? There is a flight from Berlin on the 25th July which I could take directly home, simply meaning I must ensure I finish my travels in Berlin.

Sound good?

Corks118
Traveller
30 comments

Another quick query, about bagging fees: when booking a flight it asks about bags both ways. What does this mean exactly? I would assume it meant on both my outbound flight and return, but I'm only booking one way so I'm a little confused.

Also, do travellers need to check-in a bag or can you keep it with you during the flight?

Oh, and is it best to go online check-in or airport check-in?

Thanks again.

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
If the first day of your 22 days Interrail pass is the 3rd (starting at 00:01h in the morning), the last one is the 24th (ending at 23:59h at night).
I personally would stay some days in Berlin - not just arriving and immediately back home by plane.
About your questions of your flight I can't help you. I don't use planes, especially not the low-cost-airlines due to their funny rules of luggage and so on. :| Maybe someone else can help.
Peter :)

Corks118
Traveller
30 comments

Hi again.

My provisional route has now been amended slightly. I'm not planning on sticking to it rigidly, but it is something like Rome > Florence > Venice > Bled > Ljubljana > Zagreb > Budapest > Vienna > Prague > Munich > Berlin.

I was just wondering, working on the route above, is there anywhere I could go which would be coastal (except Italy)? I wouldn't mind spending a few days on the coast/beach somewhere and was wondering where my most likely destination to visit would be.

I was thinking the Croatian coast as a possibility, perhaps travelling to the coast from Zagreb?

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi.
The Croatian coast is easy to reach ... think about the night train to Split ...!? :)
[u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/zagreb-to-split[/u]

Otherwise your route looks fine ... maybe to much for 22 days, but you could also travel from Split by buses to Montenegro (stop in Dubrovnik). And then from Bar to Belgrade (by day train as for the amazing route): [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/bar-to-belgrade[/u]

Then from Belgrade via Budapest to your other destinations ...
All schedules (including the bus information in Croatia) here: [u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u]

Peter :)