Eastern Europe Inter-rail

Garmau5

Hi guys,

Myself and a few of my friends (lads and girls) in our early 20's are hoping to go inter-railing in Eastern Europe this Summer. The countries we want to visit include Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary with possibly Austria Slovakia,Czech Republic as well. We are interested in going out at night, sight seeing (both architecture and natural scenery), beaches, theme parks and any other activities.

I have a few questions fo people familiar with any of these countries or just with interrailing.

Firstly I would appreciate any replies from people on what are the "must do" things and places to go in these countries and where to avoid?
Also in terms of inter-railing How long would be appropriate to visit about 4 or 5 of these countries, with how many stops in each? How much would one need to save for a trip like this? When would the best Summer month to go be? What must one bring?

ANY OTHER GENERAL INFORMATION OR TIPS WILL BE MUCH APPRECIATED!!!

farreJ

Hey Garmau5,

A group of six of us (all girls) went inter-railing a couple of years ago. Our route was Vienna – Budapest – Zagreb – Ljubljana (Slovenia) – Venice – Munich – Prague – Krakow – Berlin – Hamburg – Amsterdam – Bruges – Paris (I may have one or two of these out of order, it was awhile back now!) But we managed all 13 stops in just under 6 weeks. Some places we only stayed 2 nights while others were 4.

In terms of must-sees from our own trip: Lake Bled in Slovenia was probably the most memorable scenery – it’s just a day trip from Ljubljana (which is also beautiful) and really worth seeing. Look it up on Google Images – good spot for sunbathing. Zagreb in Croatia was nice but not a huge amount happening. The beaches are all further south but we couldn’t really fit it into our timetable.

I know you didn’t mention Poland or Germany, but this is where we did the most cultural/historical excursions. Auschwitz is a very difficult day and but we were all glad we went in the end. Likewise the cycling tour of Berlin’s WWII sites. In fact, cycling tours are probably the best way to see any of the cities. I hadn’t been on a bike in years and am in no way fit but really enjoyed the couple that we did. They’re really cheap too – ask at your hostel.

I could go on and on! It really was the trip of a lifetime and I’d go again in the morning if I could.

In terms of your other questions – we did it on a fairly strict student budget, spent between €1,500 – €2,000 each (I think) over 6 weeks, not including flights or interrail pass. Accommodation was the bulk of this, approx €10-15pp per night. But you can get it cheaper if you’re not fussy. As there’s a group of you I’d recommend staying in hostels with kitchens when you can and cooking. Definitely saves on eating out. Other costs are tours, entrance fees, snacks, local trams & buses and, lastly, drinking and going out was a major expenditure for us!

Go any time during the summer, it doesn’t matter really. And bring as little as possible, you’ll be carrying it a lot!

Hope that helps. Any more specific Qs just let me know

wasn't a fan of Budapest myself - very unfriendly people and shyte food. Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia all good.