Margouchka33
Traveller
4 comments
Posted 11 years ago
Hello everyone !
I am Margaux and with my best friend we plan to travel to Istanbul. Our trip makes us very happy and we are very in a hurry to meet people, travel, discover together etc ...
However we have some questions... it's a bit difficult to plan something when you don't know the different countries we are going accross. We will take the 22 days global pass interrail !
That's why we ask you some advise and your opinion (honest opinion) about our travel :
JULY 3rd- Angers (France) to Grenoble (hich hicking)
JULY 4th - Grenoble to Milan (by train ? we didn't found any connexions with interrail) OR Grenoble to Milan via Zurich
JULY 5th Milan to Venizia (dep at 12.35 a.m arrival at 15.10 p.m, visit and stay the night couchsrufing )
JULY 6 th Venizia to Ljubljana ( dep at 14.04 a.m arr at 21.46 p.m, stay the night couchsurfing)
JULY 7 th Ljubljana to Zagreb (dep at 18.35 a.m arr at 20.55 p.m, visit & stay the night couchsurfing)
JULY 8 th Zagreb to Split (dep 22.00 p.m arr at 06H36 a.m, visit, stay the night in Split couchsurfing)
JULY 9 th Split to Dubrovnik (dep at 10.00 a.m arr at 14.30 p.m, visit & stay the night couchsurfing)
JULY 10 th Dubrovnik to Podgorica ( dep at 15.30 arr at 20.00, stay the night couchsurfing or hostel)
OR Dubrovnik to Kotor >> by bus ?
JULY 11 th Kotor to Bar >> by bus ? night in Bar
JULY 12 th Bar to Podgorica (by train dep at 14.50 arr at 15.46) / Podgorica to Belgrade (dep at 20.00 arr at 07.56 a.m, visit )
JULY 13 th Belgrade to Sofia (dep at 21.50 arr at 08.02 a.m, visit and stay the night couchsurfing)
JULY 14 th Sofia to Istanbul (dep at 18.30 arr at 07.50 a.m, visit and stay 4 nights couchsurfing or hostel)
JULY 15 th Stay in Istanbul (visit)
JULY 16 th Stay in Istanbul (visit)
JULY 17 th Stay in Istanbul (visit)
JULY 18 th stay in Istanbul
JULY 19 th Istanbul to Burgas (>> by bus, arr in the day: stay 2 nights in Burgas)
JULY 20 th Burgas stay 1 night
JULY 21 th Burgas to Sofia (>> by bus or Train by night dep at 22.00 arr at 06.11 a.m)
JULY 22 th Sofia to Belgrade (dep at 20.30 arr at 5.10 a.m )
JULY 23 th Arrival in Belgrade at 5.10 a.m
JULY 24 th Belgrade to Zurich dep at 10.30 A.M arr at 9.20 A.M
JULY 25 th Stay In Zurich
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE :)
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hej Margaux,
glad you like our website; I hope you appreciate all the info and will purchase your IR tickets at our partner to help us helping you: [ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux] - thank you! :)
You have planned quite an intense trip but I like that. :D
Anyway, I would recommend to travel a bit different at the end of the trip; instead of travelling the same way back via Sofia - Beograd - Zagreb - Zürich I would instead travel via Bucuresti (- Brasov) - Budapest - Zürich.
Also, you really should think about adding Plovdiv to your trip, it is really worth seeing! :)
From Grenoble to Milan is a bit complicated - why would you hitchhike to Grenoble in the first place? It would be possible to go to Chambery and take a TGV via the Mont Cenis route from there to Milano, however these TGV require a 55€ reservation for InterRail travellers so I dont think you want to take this option.
In fact it would be better to go via Switzerland - but not necessarily via Zürich. Instead, travel via Genève - Brig - Domodossola - Milano. There are direct EC trains on the route from Genève to Milano, but these require an 11€ reservation. You can avoid these by using regional trains between Brig and Domodossola to Milano.
Most other routes should be covered here: [u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u]
I would prefer Kotor over Podgorica for sure. ;)
Bar is not particularly beatiful as well, you might visit nearby Sutomore.
As I've said above, I would recommend to leave Sofia in the morning of the 14th and go to Plovdiv for the day, then take the night train to Istanbul from there in the evening.
From Istanbul to Burgas you _might_ think about going by train since you already have the InterRail ticket and would not need an extra bus ticket - but of course it will be a longer journey.
Then, you could use the direct night train from Burgas to Budapest: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-night-train/burgas-budapest-g-1470/294[/u]
Or you travel during the day to Bucuresti and then overnight to Budapest; or you add an extra stop in Brasov for instance.
I did a similar tour in February, have a look here: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/bucharest-sofia-istanbul-train/[/u] and here [u]https://rail.cc/blog/bucharest-sofia-istanbul-train//[/u]
Flo 8)
Margouchka33
Traveller
4 comments
Oh my gooooooddd!
Thank you so much Flo for your precious help !
We have a chance to have you :)
so your advises are sooo helpful, I don't know what to say other : THANK YOU !
I will notice everything you told me
Thanks again
:D !!!
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Glad I can help! :)
As mentioned before, it would be fair that you help us now by purchasing your IR passes via our partner - thank you. ;)
PS: And if you have further questions, just ask.
Margouchka33
Traveller
4 comments
Hi !
Ok, thank you for the info !
I have still a question, I am looking for the train connexion from Geneva ... to MIlano (even if it's not a direct connexion) I just can't find it anyway ... We would like to have the schedules because our host will be waiting for us in Milano, we just want to tell him our arrival ...
Another question : It's the first time we are going to hichhike... My question is : do you think it will be too short only one day to travel accross France, if we plan to stop in Geneva?
My friend is a little bit scared, we are both motivated but someting we doubt of this part of the travel. For me it's adventure and new horizons... but for her (she is my best friend) we will not be alble to reach our goal in time, and we are 2 girls...
What do you think?
Thanks in advance
Margouchka
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
Hi Margouchka.
[b]Hitchhiking[/b]: one day you have luck - the other not. So not possible to preview. Maybe check as well special fares - if you book early, it could be interesting, but not for free: [ux]https://rail.shop/sncf[/ux]
[b]Geneva - Milano[/b]:
- there is a direct EC leaving 13:42, arriving 17:35 - but with a reservation fee of EUR 10.
- if you want to travel for free, think about a connection like this:
Geneva dep: 1018 - free IC train
Zurich arr: 1256
Zurich dep: 1309 - free IC train
Chiasso arr: 1611
Chiasso dep: 1616 - free local TILO train
Milano Porta Garibaldi arr: 1721
Peter :)
Margouchka33
Traveller
4 comments
Hello ! :)
Thank you Peter for your advices! We will try hich hicking anyway ;)
For Geneva-Milano, I have noticed the train connexion, thank you again!
We are going to purchase the reservation tickets on your site but I do not know (just to be sure)
for which train we need reservations fee...
I have read a lot of topics on the forum but I don't want to make something wrong you know :P and I know that until now you have answered us very quickly and with precise advices so I ask you again today ;)
We want of course less as possible supplements...
We also want to use the whole duration of the IR pass (22 days) if we are travelling on July 4th from Geneva and probably be back around July 24th in Zurich... We try to spend others nights (for example like Flow said : in Bucaresti ...) but we also don't want to use more days than we have ! lol so we still don't know what to do about that...
Beograd direct to Zurich or others cities ...
I don't know if I am clear enough ahah it's a bit complicated ^^
Anyway thanks in advance for your answer
Best Regards :)
Margouchka
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Salut Margouchka!
To support us you really should purchase the IR tickets on our partner; the online reservations are just an extra offer and we only recommend it if you dont get the reservations you want at a station during your trip.
I am not sure what informations you want regarding reservations; Peter already suggested a possible route to Milano without supplements.
Have a look here for trains which require reservations: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation[/u] and here on how to find timetables: [u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u]
Flo 8)
Margouchka33
Traveller
4 comments
Thanks ok I see...
So I still try to make reservation for nights trains... but it doesn't work...
Do you know why ? I have see all the pages for night trains, reserations and supplements etc...
But I can't make a reservation for thoses trains. For example for the night train Zagreb-Split (3 euros /person/seat)
and after I click it doen'st work at all ...
can you help me may be ?
Thank you
Margaux
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
Hi Margaux.
Please read what Flow wrote: online reservations are an EXTRA SERVICE! It is NOT the standard way to buy reservations online - you usually buy them at the station - often reservations aren't available online, like it is the case for Zagreb - Split.
And please buy your Interrail ticket at railcc and let me know to upgrade your account . as it is not fair to ask here for support and buy somewhere else. Thank you! :)
Peter :)