Inter railing

lochie

I'm heading inter railing in less that 3 weeks,I've read the other threads but just have a couple of extra questions, we are going for a month, itinerary is looking like this - Austria,Slovenia,Croatia,Bosnia,Slovakia,Hungray,Czech Rep,Poland,Lithuania,Latvia and Estonia. (last three are not included in the ticket so we are doing it ourselves) Just wondering if you think 2-3days in each place will be enough??
Also what size of a bag would you recommend?? Think mine is 60L, might be too big?? Any non-obvious essentials that I should bring?

Thanks so much!

Right_Side

lochie wrote:

I'm heading inter railing in less that 3 weeks,I've read the other threads but just have a couple of extra questions, we are going for a month, itinerary is looking like this - Austria,Slovenia,Croatia,Bosnia,Slovakia,Hungray,Czech Rep,Poland,Lithuania,Latvia and Estonia. (last three are not included in the ticket so we are doing it ourselves) Just wondering if you think 2-3days in each place will be enough??
Also what size of a bag would you recommend?? Think mine is 60L, might be too big?? Any non-obvious essentials that I should bring?

Thanks so much!

Don't go without a credit card to book your hostels in the next city the night before you leave the current city.

Trust me; the absolute last thing you want to do when you get off a hot, sticky, long train trip is go hunting for places to stay.

Also, I could be wrong here but doesn't the train from Poland to Lithuania go into Belarus. Visa Problems!

lochie

Think we are gonna bus it from Poland to Vilinius...Thanks! Ya got the credit card sorted...

lochie

bump

breadmonkey

Right_Side wrote:

Don't go without a credit card to book your hostels in the next city the night before you leave the current city.

Trust me; the absolute last thing you want to do when you get off a hot, sticky, long train trip is go hunting for places to stay.

Nooooooooooo! I couldn't imagine how much hassle it would be to book everywhere in advance. You don't even get to see the room before you book it. Granted, looking around for a hostel isn't much craic, but at least you aren't constantly wasting your time booking your next hostel.

60L is more than enough. The biggest sin is to overpack. This is extremely important. I would advies to bring absolutely no more than this:

2 pairs of shorts
1 pair of swimming shorts
4 Tshirts
1 shirt (maybe 2, but you'll get used to seeing all your mates in the same clothes every time you go out!)
Sandals (essential)
Some sort of runners you can get into a club with
2/3 pairs of socks (no more)

internet cafe closing, ill finish this tomorrow maybe.............

lochie

So you wouldn't recommend bringing a hair straightner then??!!:D

My boyfriend thinks I'm mad at the thoughts of bringing it but is an essential!

Setun

lochie wrote:

So you wouldn't recommend bringing a hair straightner then??!!:D

My boyfriend thinks I'm mad at the thoughts of bringing it but is an essential!

Wudja go way outta tha! Drop the straightener, use an iron or something if yer stuck. Or lie your hair flat out on a table, then put a really heavy book on it.

PS Interrailing in three days.
PPS Should I bring a light rain jacket at all at all?

breadmonkey

Oops, sorry Lochie, I assumed you were a guy (usually a fair assumption when it comes to the internet!). You'll have to modify my list accordingly.

Anyway, I'll continue my list........

2 pairs of shorts
1 pair of swimming shorts
4 Tshirts
1 shirt (maybe 2, but you'll get used to seeing all your mates in the same clothes every time you go out!)
Sandals (essential)
Some sort of runners you can get into a club with
2/3 pairs of socks (no more)
1 small-medium sized towel (not a big mongo one that takes up half of your bag and never fully dries)

Pen knife
Duct tape (if you bring nothing else, bring a roll of duct tape!)
Twine

60L is plenty big. Weigh it before you go and try and get it down to around 10kg if at all possible. Bring a small bag for bringing around with you during the day. One between the two of you (just you and your bf?) is fine.

lochie wrote:

So you wouldn't recommend bringing a hair straightner then??!!

My boyfriend thinks I'm mad at the thoughts of bringing it but is an essential!

Funny you should mention that. Normally I would have laughed and shunned you! But actually, I'm travelling in SE Asia at the moment and we met up with another couple, friends of ours, about 2 weeks ago. They were interrailing last year and the girl actually brought a GHD with her over here because it annoyed her too much last time around not having one! Her bag was still very very light so I think it might actually be managable. The only thing is, they often don't work very well in other countries so.......

lochie wrote:

we are going for a month, itinerary is looking like this Austria,Slovenia,Croatia,Bosnia,Slovakia,Hungray,Czech Rep,Poland,Lithuania,Latvia and Estonia.

I really think that is a totally insane amount of places. You really should cut it down, otherwise you'll be spending most of your time either on a train, booking the next train, or recovering from a train journey. We went to 7 places in a month and it was way too much.

Daddio wrote:

Should I bring a light rain jacket at all at all?

Tbh, I wouldn't bother. There were times in Munich and Amsterdam where I could have used one, but it's not worth the extra weight or the space it takes up.

Sylvie Casey

Going interrailing in a week!just wondering is it worth it booking trains in advance?I have to get a train from slovenia to prague for example, and I haven't been able to find a site anywhere that will give me info on it!

breadmonkey

Sylvie Casey wrote:

Going interrailing in a week!just wondering is it worth it booking trains in advance?I have to get a train from slovenia to prague for example, and I haven't been able to find a site anywhere that will give me info on it!

We never booked any trains in advance. Just go to the station when you get a chance and find out the times.

Try this (the site isn't in English but you'll probably be able to manage it).

And here for other countries.

solice

Went inter-railing in June for 3 weeks. Use http://www.bahn.de for all your train timetables all across europe. Its easy to use and very accurate!

Do not book your train in advance if you have your inter-rail ticket, it will cost money and you already have a valid ticket. You may need to pay a surcharge of 2-3 euro though so get to the train station early. The first journey we took was from Budapest to Split. We asked if we had to pay the fee and were told no. We didnt bother checking any other time, we just got on the train, there was no hassle!

On the train, there are signs on each carriage indicating where the specific carriage is going. The trains split up, carriages are taken off at various stations and new ones added. Make sure you are on the right carriage, if in doubt ask the ticket conductor. They are mostly very nice and will try to help, language may be a barrier though.

If in a group smaller than 4 get a cabin on a train with other travellers who can speak the same language. Night trains can be very dangerous! People came into our cabin on the Zagreb-Split journey and when we were in Poland two people followed me, scared me a little but all was good.

Also be ready to jump off the train when it is your stop. 3 people we met on our travels were heading to prague and were in the cabin next to us. They had to catch a connecting train at some place in the back of the beyonds. Train stopped, they got up to get ready. By the time their bags were on their backs the train had started again. They got off at the next station. Missed their connection, havent heard from them since.

Definitely book the next hostel you stay in before you leave the last. Saves on so much hassle. Also the people in the hostel (guests and people working there) will be able to recommend somewhere to stay. Gomio.com is a good site for booking them.

Keep things seperate, keep passport, credit card, atm card and money all in seperate locations. I lost my passport and thankfully that was all i lost.

Best thing about inter-railing, you meet the most interesting people in the most bizare of situations.

solice

Went inter-railing in June for 3 weeks. Use http://www.bahn.de for all your train timetables all across europe. Its easy to use and very accurate!

Do not book your train in advance if you have your inter-rail ticket, it will cost money and you already have a valid ticket. You may need to pay a surcharge of 2-3 euro though so get to the train station early. The first journey we took was from Budapest to Split. We asked if we had to pay the fee and were told no. We didnt bother checking any other time, we just got on the train, there was no hassle!

On the train, there are signs on each carriage indicating where the specific carriage is going. The trains split up, carriages are taken off at various stations and new ones added. Make sure you are on the right carriage, if in doubt ask the ticket conductor. They are mostly very nice and will try to help, language may be a barrier though.

If in a group smaller than 4 get a cabin on a train with other travellers who can speak the same language. Night trains can be very dangerous! People came into our cabin on the Zagreb-Split journey and when we were in Poland two people followed me, scared me a little but all was good.

Also be ready to jump off the train when it is your stop. 3 people we met on our travels were heading to prague and were in the cabin next to us. They had to catch a connecting train at some place in the back of the beyonds. Train stopped, they got up to get ready. By the time their bags were on their backs the train had started again. They got off at the next station. Missed their connection, havent heard from them since.

Definitely book the next hostel you stay in before you leave the last. Saves on so much hassle. Also the people in the hostel (guests and people working there) will be able to recommend somewhere to stay. Gomio.com is a good site for booking them.

Keep things seperate, keep passport, credit card, atm card and money all in seperate locations. I lost my passport and thankfully that was all i lost.

Best thing about inter-railing, you meet the most interesting people in the most bizare of situations.

breadmonkey

Definitely book the next hostel you stay in before you leave the last. Saves on so much hassle. Also the people in the hostel (guests and people working there) will be able to recommend somewhere to stay. Gomio.com is a good site for booking them.

Why is everyone so bent on booking hostels in advance? You don't even get to see the room ffs. You could end up in any sort of sh!thole.

lochie

Thanks for all the replies, I think 2-3 days per place should be okay, obviously that is only an idea and all the plans are flexible...

Sev

Is booking a hostel in advance really necessary?

I travelled around South America last year in September in a sizeable group, and we never bothered booking hostels, it was no problem. We would just arrive in La Paz for example.. take a look at our rough guide Bolivia, pick a hostel, go there.. sorted. We arrived once at 2-3am in the morning in Puno, to be greeted by people at the bus station offering us hostels.

Should I expect it to be any different in Europe? It seems like unneccesary hassle booking a hostel in advance.

Maybe its the season? Is this something I can do in September, but not perhaps in July?

Btw, I'm planning an interrail trip this September around Switzerland, Italy and Greece.

ScumLord

You don't need a credit card to book hostels I used to look up the hostel in the next city I was going to the day before I got the train there then ring them on the train they'd always keep me somewhere if I was only going to be a few hours. Most hostels keep places for walk ins. It only backfired on me once in Amsterdam but I was traveling at the end of the tourist seasion.

Just wondering if you think 2-3days in each place will be enough??

I spent at least 4 days in each city I visited but I had no plan at all I was just turing up at the train station and buying a ticket for the next train out of town. I never paid more than €78 for a ticket and that was from Barcellona to Paris. The traveling is the worst part for me so I like to stay in each place for around a week.

If your going to Prague go to Cesky Krumlov as well it's a really cool medievil town.

Agent Smith

another trick is to try and Get some overnight trips,

can save money on a hostel!

ScumLord

Ya as long as you don't meet anyone inbetween carriages drinking and smoking spliffs and stay up all night with them.

lochie

how much would you recommend as a daily budget when travelling around Eastern Europe, I have been reading travel books and it doesn't sound as cheap as everyone makes out......

ScumLord

€50 -€60 a day is normal but you should over budget to be on the safe side.

You can cut out accomidation cost altogether by using couchsurfers.com you stay on a locals couch and they show you around.

lochie

Thanks for that but I don't think couchsurfers would be for me....

solice

lochie wrote:

how much would you recommend as a daily budget when travelling around Eastern Europe, I have been reading travel books and it doesn't sound as cheap as everyone makes out......

For me it was a case of going as cheap as I wanted. Accomodation costs were a max of 20 euro a day, 13 to 15 was the norm. Food, drink and sight seeing would end up coming to a total of 25 euro a day. Obviously a certain amount of budgeting is required but money you save on one day you can spend on the next. Most hostels provide a breakfast, usually bread and cereal. Buy lunch in a super market, shouldnt cost more than 2 euro for a sandwich, snack, drink and something to nibble on later in the day. Dinner can be waht you want, go for a pizza and spend 5 or 6 euro, go for local food and spend less.

Paying to get into the historical places of interest can be the pricey things! Particularly in places like Prague.

lochie

I think I can afford about €70 a day budget but obviously if I could get away with less that would be great, I think that should be loads and we should be able to spend a bit more to do the sightseeing things.....

besty

I'm going to Croatia on the 5th August. We are planning to go to Prague/Budapest and back to Italy somehow for our flight home from Bologna on the 31st. I'm quite worried that I'm only going to have €50 a day. That will not go far in the likes of Italy I fear!

lochie

besty wrote:

I'm going to Croatia on the 5th August. We are planning to go to Prague/Budapest and back to Italy somehow for our flight home from Bologna on the 31st. I'm quite worried that I'm only going to have €50 a day. That will not go far in the likes of Italy I fear!

I was in Italy last year and you can eat quite cheaply over there if you want to but accomodation and getting into touristy things can be pricey. If you go to Florence you should go on a day trip to Siena, it is fabulous!

breadmonkey

Yowza! When I went 2 years ago I think I had around E40 a day. With 70, you'll be living it up!