Interrail 2013

cson · 28-02-2013 12:43am #1

Thinking of doing this in the summer. Question to any veterans of interrailling; how much could you expect to fit in in 12 days? Leaning towards Eastern Europe; thinking maybe Hamburg/Berlin -> Prague -> Krakow -> Vienna -> Lake Bled -> Venice and home from there. Any thoughts?

Civilian_Target · 28-02-2013 1:40am

cson wrote: »

Thinking of doing this in the summer. Question to any veterans of interrailling; how much could you expect to fit in in 12 days? Leaning towards Eastern Europe; thinking maybe Hamburg/Berlin -> Prague -> Krakow -> Vienna -> Lake Bled -> Venice and home from there. Any thoughts?

Your itinerary sounds about right for 12 days, although, honestly you could spend a week in Vienna alone.
Krakow's a bit out of the way of the rest of your itinerary, you could drop it, or maybe Budapest might be a better option?

Otherwise, make sure to stop in Ljubljana on your way to Bled!

cson · 28-02-2013 2:06pm

I've done a little bit of reading of past threads here and Croatia seems to be well worth a visit. I'd like to be a little greedy and have it both ways; bit of City culture and a bit of nightlife. One thing I found interesting in the zombie threads is finishing off in Pag Croatia and flying home from Zadar.

Venice appears to be pretty expensive and I do think that Italy is something you could do easily at any stage of your life. Or maybe I'm being unkind to Italy and its worth a visit?

SARAHCA · 28-02-2013 6:04pm

cson wrote: »

Thinking of doing this in the summer. Question to any veterans of interrailling; how much could you expect to fit in in 12 days? Leaning towards Eastern Europe; thinking maybe Hamburg/Berlin -> Prague -> Krakow -> Vienna -> Lake Bled -> Venice and home from there. Any thoughts?

Definitely do Berlin instead of Hamburg. I found Hamburg to be a bit sleazy particularly in the nighttime. Berlin was great, loads to do and see!

Krakow shouldn't be missed I don't think! Its a gorgeous city, and again plenty to do. Autzwich and Salt Mines a must. So cheap there as well.

We took an overnight train from Budapest to Zagreb, and then a bus to Pag. Pag was CRAZY... we only stayed one night but one night was enough! It was mayhem, "Croatian Ibiza" the locals called it!

Back to Zagreb and then to Vienna, where we flew home from. I would leave out Venice for an interrailling trip I think. Its far too expensive and although its a must-see, I think it could be done another time!

ENJOY, I'm so jealous!!! Interrailling was one of the best holidays I was ever on!!!

Slunk · 28-02-2013 6:23pm

Ill be keeping an eye on this thread as Ive recently started to look into interrailing this summer. I would be looking at a similar intinary but maybe going London > Paris > Berlin and continue on. Ive been to Berlin and Vienna already but would still go back again. Id say Id have about 14 nights. Im thinking one in London, one in paris, then get the overnight to berlin, one night there as weve both been before and after that im unsure.
The Paris > Berlin stops in Hanover before berlin, is it worth getting off there and having a look around for a few hours then onwards to berlin, and would the same ticket allow you on a later train to Berlin?

SARAHCA · 28-02-2013 6:27pm

I doubt the same ticket would do you, to be honest. Usually where you get on the train should be your starting point on the ticket. And yours would be Paris, not actually starting in Hanover if that makes sense! Try get in Krakow!! Its great

Slunk · 28-02-2013 6:29pm

Im still unsure as regards how the tickets work. I thought the inter rail ticket was like a hop on hop off ticket? So your starting point wouldnt matter? Apologies if its a basic question, I only started looking into this yesterday

SARAHCA · 28-02-2013 6:34pm

Oops!! Sorry, I completely forgot about that!!! Silly me, I am definitely half asleep! Should be no problem then, just as long as you adhere to the amount of days on your ticket that you are allowed travel. And since you would be doing Paris - Hanover - Berlin on the same day, that wouldn't be a problem!

Slunk · 28-02-2013 6:35pm

Cheers, just looking on here seems to be full of valuable information:

http://www.seat61.com/Railpass-and-Eurail-pass-guide.htm#quick guide to railpasses

cson · 01-03-2013 2:37pm

I think Berlin - Prague - Krakow - Vienna are pretty nailed on as destinations, but I am wondering what is the best route to take to Pag (fly home from Zadar) from there? Potentially via Budapest or Ljubljana? Having a quick look at the train times there and they seem pretty outrageously long.

Any ideas?

SARAHCA · 01-03-2013 11:30pm

try an overnight train? so you won't waste any days travelling? we went via budapest!

cson · 05-03-2013 2:04pm

Right spent a little bit of time putting together an itinerary for a 14 day trip. Thoughts etc appreciated!

Berlin 17/6 - 19/6
- 2 nights (4.5hr train to Prague on morning of 19/6)

Prague 19/6 - 20/6
- 1 night (Overnight train to Krakow on night of 20/6)

Krakow 21/6 - 23/6
- 2 nights (Overnight train to Vienna on night of 23/6)

Vienna 24/6 -25/6
- 1 night (3hr train to Budapest on afternoon of 25/6)

Budapest 25/6 - 26/6
- 1 night (Overnight train + bus to Novalja on night of 26/6)

Novalja 27/6 - 29/6
- 2 nights (Bus to Zadar on afternoon 29/6)

Zadar 29/6 - 30/6
- 1 night (Fly home to Dublin)

Really do want to go to Pag but its making the tail end of the trip difficult. Another option is to go to Ljubljana from Budapest and chill out at Lake Bled for the last few days and fly home from somewhere around there.

Plenty of time in Berlin & Krakow to see the cultural sites and then plenty of time in Pag for the beach and partying thing.

SARAHCA · 06-03-2013 1:29pm

You could go straight from Novalja to Pag? That's what we did, and totally skipped Novalja! Your itinerary sounds very doable though

Hope you're able to sleep on these overnight trains, cos if you aren't you will be really tired during the day! The overnight trains were so much fun though!!!

andyd12 · 07-03-2013 12:11am

Hey, im going Interrailing in a 2weeks and got my ticket last week. Just wondering is it totally neccesary to prebook trains etc considering it will be offpeak time?

SARAHCA · 07-03-2013 12:26am

andyd12 wrote: »

Hey, im going Interrailling in a 2weeks and got my ticket last week. Just wondering is it totally neccesary to prebook trains etc considering it will be offpeak time?

No need to book them. We only ever booked overnight trains a day or two before we were due to get them. Just to get a sleeper carraige

Civilian_Target · 07-03-2013 5:21pm

cson wrote: »

Right spent a little bit of time putting together an itinerary for a 14 day trip. Thoughts etc appreciated!

Berlin 17/6 - 19/6
- 2 nights (4.5hr train to Prague on morning of 19/6)

Prague 19/6 - 20/6
- 1 night (Overnight train to Krakow on night of 20/6)

Krakow 21/6 - 23/6
- 2 nights (Overnight train to Vienna on night of 23/6)

Vienna 24/6 -25/6
- 1 night (3hr train to Budapest on afternoon of 25/6)

Budapest 25/6 - 26/6
- 1 night (Overnight train + bus to Novalja on night of 26/6)

Novalja 27/6 - 29/6
- 2 nights (Bus to Zadar on afternoon 29/6)

Zadar 29/6 - 30/6
- 1 night (Fly home to Dublin)

Really do want to go to Pag but its making the tail end of the trip difficult. Another option is to go to Ljubljana from Budapest and chill out at Lake Bled for the last few days and fly home from somewhere around there.

Plenty of time in Berlin & Krakow to see the cultural sites and then plenty of time in Pag for the beach and partying thing.

Up to you, but I'd take more time and less cities. 1 day in Vienna is short - I went for a day the first time and came back for a week the second time. Similar, I'd try to leave two days in Zadar, in case you get delayed on the way. I'd still drop Krakow - you're spending 2 nights on a train seat instead of paryting in Vienna and Prague to go to somewhere that's a cheap flight from Dublin anyway!

munchkin_utd · 11-03-2013 9:14am

andyd12 wrote: »

Hey, im going Interrailing in a 2weeks and got my ticket last week. Just wondering is it totally neccesary to prebook trains etc considering it will be offpeak time?

it depends where you are going

In France and Italy (+Spain?) most long distance trains require a reservation so if you intend getting one of these on say a busy Friday or Sunday the train may be sold out so you just may not be able to get a reservation to travel on the train you want if you just turn up at the station.
For trains that require a reservation but arent sold out, you'll still need a reservation as thems the rules! (and its a handy source of income so they arent just going to let you on for free).
NOTE: on TGV theres only a limited number of reservations for rail pass holders so if you do chance it by getting on a train without a reservation then you could end up paying full fare on the train - or being kicked off at the next station if they see it as a health and safety matter.
Countries like Germany have some busy trains where reservations are recommended but not compulsorary which can cause a little confusion.
Theres a handy guide here on how to avoid reservation fees
http://www.eurail.com/plan-your-trip/train-reservations/how-avoid-reservation-fees

Europe wide its compulsorary to have reservations for sleeper carraiges and often even the regular seats on a night train but thats sortof obvious to anyone whose done the slightest bit of research I would have thought.

if you look at whatever route/ times/ trains you are taking on www.bahn.de it'll say whether that particular train requires a seat reservation (its the german rail site but has almost all intercity trains across europe on it).

cson · 11-03-2013 12:54pm

Civilian_Target wrote: »

Up to you, but I'd take more time and less cities. 1 day in Vienna is short - I went for a day the first time and came back for a week the second time. Similar, I'd try to leave two days in Zadar, in case you get delayed on the way. I'd still drop Krakow - you're spending 2 nights on a train seat instead of paryting in Vienna and Prague to go to somewhere that's a cheap flight from Dublin anyway!

I'd agree Krakow is a bit out of the way but Auschwitz and the Salt Mines are pretty high on the list of things We'd like to see.

We're considering hiring a car in Zagreb; it'd make life an awful lot easier and doesn't seem to be too expensive.

Regarding Vienna and that; I'm kind of thinking that these are Cities you'd easily be able to go back to for City breaks etc.

Thanks for your insight so far, much appreciated!

andyd12 · 12-03-2013 5:41pm

Here is the route we hope on taking, all going well;
http://goo.gl/maps/KdGUo
Starting on the 23rd of march

andyd12 · 17-03-2013 7:59pm

BUMP for this^^^^^!

cson · 22-03-2013 6:09pm

Bump indeed.

Thinking about reversing the route now because Hideout is on in Novalja the weekend we'd pencilled in to be arriving there. Impossible to get accommodation.

Zadar -> Novalja -> Lake Plitvicka -> Zagreb -> Budapest -> Vienna -> Krakow -> Prague -> Berlin -> Dublin is the new route.

Hire a car on arrival in Zadar (working out ~70 each including estimated fuel for the trip), drive straight to Novalja, couple of days there then head to Zagreb via Lake Plitvicka to catch the train to Budapest. A couple of nights in every City from there on in with Vienna the only exception with 1 night pencilled in. Reason being is that it seems expensive, plus I feel like its a place to easily go back to with the Other Halfs etc.

Looking at circa €1,400 for 16 days all in. Possibly could do it cheaper.

I'll post up the route, train times and costings once I've got it polished off.

Amirani · 31-03-2013 6:35am

I've gone interrailing twice before, a decided to go for a third this Summer. I've done all the usual places so am looking for some recommendations for less-traveled areas that people have been to. I'm thinking along the lines of Bosnia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey. Anyone been?

WittyKitty1 · 09-04-2013 10:55pm

Where are you guys buying your travel passes?

USIT are so expensive..!!!

Amirani · 16-04-2013 1:55pm

WittyKitty1 wrote: »

Where are you guys buying your travel passes?

USIT are so expensive..!!!

I generally buy online: http://www.interrail.eu/

andyd12 · 16-04-2013 6:21pm

Well back from my trip this morning, what a trip!!
Overall it was 26days on a 22day pass, flew into Eindhoven- Utrecht-Berlin-Plzen(visiting friends in the countryside, eye opener to say the least:D)-Prague-Krakow(Auswitch)-Bratislava-Budapest-Lake Bled-Ljubljana-Zagreb-Plivtice Lakes-Zadar then home.
We were in 9 countries overall, favourite cities probably being Berlin, Budapest and Zagreb.
The weather was pretty cold until Lake Bled, it then really picked up, got scalded in Zadar:pac:
I spent around 1400quid, which included plenty of boozin and late nights.

Things I would recommend are;
Thermal baths in Budapest,
Auswitch, go to both camps big and small just as a comparision alone, its crazy:eek:,
Plitvice lakes in Croatia,
Lake Bled is cool but very touristy and locals say in the summer its 95% Irish,
Berlin for the nightlife and buildings associated with Nazi's

Overall every city has at least a handful of buildings that make anything in Ireland look like crap ha.

Oh and from a fella's perspective here is the clunge list;
1. Croatia(Zadar in particluar)
2. Krakow
3. Berlin

Slunk · 16-04-2013 6:46pm

I've booked my flights anyway. Flying to Krakow and flying home from Dubrovnik two weeks later. No plan for in between yet. Any suggestions?

cson · 18-04-2013 4:59pm

andyd12 wrote: »

Well back from my trip this morning, what a trip!!
Overall it was 26days on a 22day pass, flew into Eindhoven- Utrecht-Berlin-Plzen(visiting friends in the countryside, eye opener to say the least:D)-Prague-Krakow(Auswitch)-Bratislava-Budapest-Lake Bled-Ljubljana-Zagreb-Plivtice Lakes-Zadar then home.
We were in 9 countries overall, favourite cities probably being Berlin, Budapest and Zagreb.
The weather was pretty cold until Lake Bled, it then really picked up, got scalded in Zadar:pac:
I spent around 1400quid, which included plenty of boozin and late nights.

Things I would recommend are;
Thermal baths in Budapest,
Auswitch, go to both camps big and small just as a comparision alone, its crazy:eek:,
Plitvice lakes in Croatia,
Lake Bled is cool but very touristy and locals say in the summer its 95% Irish,
Berlin for the nightlife and buildings associated with Nazi's

Overall every city has at least a handful of buildings that make anything in Ireland look like crap ha.

Oh and from a fella's perspective here is the clunge list;
1. Croatia(Zadar in particluar)
2. Krakow
3. Berlin

That's insightful, cheers mate.

Couple of questions for you cos I'm doing something similar in the summer;

Did you book ahead with the hostels?
Did you book the seats in advance on the trains or just in the station?
Price of a Pint and a Dinner in each country if you can remember?

Trying to figure out a daily budget!

I'll post up the full itinerary here once we finalise it.

andyd12 · 19-04-2013 11:17am

cson wrote: »

That's insightful, cheers mate.

Couple of questions for you cos I'm doing something similar in the summer;

Did you book ahead with the hostels?
Did you book the seats in advance on the trains or just in the station?
Price of a Pint and a Dinner in each country if you can remember?

Trying to figure out a daily budget!

I'll post up the full itinerary here once we finalise it.

Well mate,
With the hostels, we did'nt book any in advance, just turned up at a city, found the tourist info office and just went from there.
Same as with the trains, didnt reserve any seats at all. The pass says its compulsary but ignore that! We had to change seats a few times cos the seats were reserved and then the ppl would turn up. Reserving seats is alot more popular in Europe than here.
One night train we got, we paid extra for a bed(15euro or so), but the beds are like bunks and not easy sleep cos of noise from the train.

Saying all that, come summer time it will be alot busier so not booking hostels especially could be a little naive. Places like bled,berlin,auswitch etc were fairly busy for march/april so I can only imagine what its like in july/august! Most big/popular hostels were reasonably busy too for the time of year so.

Its easy to prebook hostels though, say 1-2 days in advance. Hostelworld is really easy use, you just have to pay 10% deposit online and the rest when you arrive at the hostel. So if you decide not to go to that hostel, your only after losing 1-2euro.

Beer varies,1.50 for a pint is around average across all the countries. In Budapest, the Irish bar we went to watch a rugby match charged 2.40:eek:, whereas another pub just down the street was 80cent:D for a pint ha! Oh drink the local beers only, they put Heineken,Bud etc to shame
Dinner including soup is around 10euro. Beef/Steak isnt very poplular so you will pay more for it. But stalls on the streets sell kebabs,pizza etc and they are lovely and cheap if stuck too.

Workin it out, I spent 1400 over 26days, which is over 50quid a day, which is alot and I could have prob induldged alot less but sure its split milk now and dont regret it:)

Hope this helps anyway buddy;)

cson · 19-04-2013 12:34pm

Cheers mate, appreciate that.

I was looking at a budget of €50 a day for food/drink/activities for the 16 days we'll be on the road. Wasn't sure if it was too conservative. Based on that though; 12 pints in Budapest plus food for the day would hardly push us over €30!

Not_gushansen · 21-04-2013 11:25am

Itinerary
June 27: Fly to Berlin
June 28: Berlin
June 29: Berlin
June 30: Berlin
July 1: Train to Prague
July 2: Prague
July 3: Prague
July 4: Train to Krakow
July 5: Krakow
July 6: Krakow
July 7: Train to Budapest
July 8: Budapest
July 9: Budapest
July 10: Fly home

Slunk · 22-04-2013 4:48pm

Heres what Im thinking of doing. I have 17 days.

Krakow > Budapest > Vienna > Bled > Ljubljana > Zagreb > Plitvice Lakes ( Thanks to above poster) > Zadar > Split > Dubrovnik

Possible Route Map

Interrail 2013

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