platonlliv
Traveller
3 comments
Posted 11 years ago
HI,
We currently plan to visit several european countries this july. And at the moment i am mostly confused by the reservations. What do you think will i have some specific problems with reservations in my route? It is high season and i am worried mainly due to the fact i am not sure what to expect - too many travelers, no free places etc. So, does it make sense to book in advance (and is it cheaper)?
Do you think there in this route will be any problems that i may not notice? Optimization tips?
Below is our estimated schedule (departures in parentheses):
09.07 Helsinki - Copenhagen (plane), arrival time 7 am
09.07 Copenhagen - Cologne (night train)
10.07 Cologne - Brussels (morning), then we will stay there for the night in Brussels
11.07 Brussels - Luxembourg - Paris (night in Paris)
12.07 Paris - Latour-De-Carole (night train)
13.07 Latour-De-Carole - Barcelona (morning), then night in Barcelona
14.07 Barcelona - Madrid (evening)
14.07 Madrid - Lisbon (night train), 3 night in Lisbon
18.07 Lisbon - Hendaye (night train)
19.07 Hendaye - Biarritz (morning)
19.07 Biarritz - Nice (night train)
20.07 Nice - Milan (morning)
20.07 Milan - Venice (evening), then night in Venice
21.07 Venice - Wien (night train)
22.07 Wien - Prague (day), night in Prague
23.07 Prague - Berlin (evening), then 2 nights in Berlin
25.07 Berlin - Helsinki (plane)
We also want to know, how it works in practice? Is there any ticket machine for reservations? And what actually happen if you are already in train without reservation.
Thank you for your help!
platonlliv
Traveller
3 comments
And also at the moment we think of what type of the ticket we choose... 15 days global sounds ok?
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hej!
Your route sounds nice however I think that it is really packed. What would you think about travelling for three weeks? This would be much less stressfull than the current planning since it would allow to include a few days to relax (not only the three days in Lisboa) and also give you a bit of added reliability in case you would miss a train somewhere (be it due to your own fault or a connection not working or strike or anything).
Reservations cost always the same, there is no difference whether you book them in advance or not. However with such a tight schedule it would be a good idea to book many reservations in advance; you might be able to do that in Finland already, otherwise you can also use the railcc online reservation system but keep in mind that these reservations can be more expensive due to added handling and postage fees.
Also, have you already booked your flights? Or would you also consider travelling by ferry/train to get to/from your start and end points - this would of course only make sense if you would travel for three weeks.
For your current route the 15days pass is OK as you are travelling really much (otherwise I usually suggest the 10in22 instead since it is cheaper and has enough travel days for most people's routes but you are really pushing it :D ).
I hope this helps you with planning your route; also have a look here for detailed connections including reservation fees for most of your planned routes: [u]https://rail.cc/en/search-interrail-route[/u]
Help us helping you and purchase your InterRail passes in our online shop at [ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux] - thank you! :)
Flo 8)
platonlliv
Traveller
3 comments
Thanks you for your advices!
Unfortunately three weeks does not work for us, as we need to go back 25 of july or earlier
About airplanes - we have booked so far only the first flight Helsinki - Copenhagen, still thinking about the return trip. I know that there are some ferries from Poland and Germany to Helsinki. In principle it would be a good option because we are all afraid to fly :)
You said that we can make reservations already in Finland, you mean by internet or may be some other way? And for example, will we be able to book sleeperettes in night trains (cheapest option) from the station or are they usually selling fast?
Below is our route with timetables, i made it with your amazing train connection service, it really helps.
09.07 Helsinki (FI) - Copenhagen (DK) 7:00 - 7:40
Copenhagen (DK) - Cologne (DE) 18:46 - 06:14
10.07 Cologne (DE) - Brussels (BE) 07:43 - 09:35
11.07 Brussels (BE) - Luxembourg (LU) 12:33 - 15:36
Luxembourg (LU) - Paris (FR) 16:11 - 18:23
12.07 Paris (FR) - Latoure-De-Carole (FR) 21:57 - 07:51
13.07 Latoure-De-Carole (FR) - Barcelona (ES) 08:48 - 11:35
14.07 Barcelona (ES) - Madrid (ES) 17:00 - 19:45
Madrid (ES) - Lisboa (PT) 21:50 - 07:30
18.07 Lisboa (PT) - Hendaye (FR) 21:18 - 11:28
19.07 Hendaye (FR) - Biarritz (FR) 12:45 - 13:11
Biarritz (FR) - Nice (FR) 19:30 - 08:33
20.07 Nice (FR) - Milan (IT) 09:55 - 14:55
Milan (IT) - Milan (IT) 18:05 - 20:28
21.07 Venice (IT) - Wien (AT) 20:57 - 08:08
22.07 Wien (AT) - Prague (CZ) 12:33 - 17:18
23.07 Prague (CZ) - Berlin (DE) 16:29 - 21:15
25.07 Berlin (DE) - Helsinki (FI)
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
OK, well in this case I think the best option is to take the plane also on the way back from Berlin; if you want to look into a ferry here is the schedule of Scandlines from Travemünde (near Rostock) to Helsinki:
Travemünde dep 0300 (0400 on Saturdays); travel time to Helsinki: 29 hours :)
Your route look good; however I would not make the detour via Luxembourg...has this a special reason (country collecting)? You can be much faster in Paris if you take the direct route via Lille; I would not recommend the nonstop Thalys trains between Bruxelles and Paris though as they require a very expensive reservation.
Do you know about the Petit Train Jaune? You could fit that in on your way to Barcelona from Latour de Carol; however it will take more time (about the whole day): [ux]https://rail.cc/blog/little-yellow-train-video/[/u]
The standard way to make reservations throughout Europe is to go to a station and make the reservation there. Usually you can also make reservations for abroad but I dont know to what reservation systems VR is connected. For instance, here in Austria I can get reservations for virtually most of Europe, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Serbia, you name it. Since you are planning such a packed route it would be a really good idea to try to get as much reservations in advance as possible; at least for the more important connections.
Copenhagen - Cologne. Online at [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux] - just check out the night train details on the connections page (click on train number) and you will find a how-to
Paris - Latour de Carol. Try to get beforehand as IR reservations are limited on French long-distance trains. :(
Night train to/from Lisbon. Definitely book in advance; if not possible at your station than via railcc booking system [ux]https://rail.shop/acprail/reservation[/ux] (if you book reservations via railcc do it at the same time as booking your IR passes to save on shipping fees).
Biarritz - Nice night train: Again, very important for you to get this reservation so try to book in advance.
Venice - Wien can be done at a station during your trip; for instance during your stay in Cologne or Bruxelles.
Flo 8)
platonlliv
Traveller
3 comments
I think you are right about Luxembourg, it was something like country collecting :)
So i understood that you mean this route via Lille [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/barcelona-to-madrid[/u]
I am sorry for asking so many questions but some things seem to be difficult to understand :idea:
Peter
Traveller
9333 comments
Hi.
[b]Brussel - Lille - Paris[/b] with TGV ([u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/brussels-to-paris[/u])is with an extra reservation. See schedule details.
Free connections are listed here: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail/brussels-to-paris[/u]
[b]Portugal and Spain[/b] in summer: the main problem are the night trains between Portugal and Spain and as well the one from France to Portugal. You don't have day train connections, only the night trains - so they easily get full. Recommended to book in advance at a station or as well here on railcc: [ux]https://rail.shop/acprail/reservation[/ux] (order it together with your rail pass to save shipping fees - of course only if you know your exact travel date).
[b]France[/b]: it is always bad to travel there with Interrail. As soon as you need a TGV train, expect not to get the standard reservation for EUR 6 in the summer months. It will be more expensive. :(
[b]Barcelona - Madrid[/b]: frequent connections - usually no problem to get a reservation even during the summer months.
I definitely recommend the Little Yellow Train... :)
And please help us to help you with the information on railcc - buy your official Interrail pass on the recommended website: [ux]https://rail.shop/interrail[/ux] - as it is not fair to ask at railcc for support and buy somewhere else. Thank you! :)
Peter :)