Travelling Europe Route - 6Weeks - July&August

Faltermyer

Hi, im finishing college this summer, and planning 6weeks interrailing.
Please, no suggestions of "You should go longer" or "you should go further" etc. I have a job i cannot afford to /do not want to lose so this is the maximum I can arrange off.

Ive interrailed twice before, but stuck mostly to eastern Europe.

Ive been to:

Belgium: Brussels,
Germany: Hamburg, Berlin.
Poland: Warsaw, Krakow, Zacopaine.
Hungary: Budapest,
Slovakia: Bratislava,
Czech Republic: Prague, Czesky Krumlov.
Croatia: Pula, Zagreb, Rijecka(sp?), Cres Island.

This is my planned route for this summer, starting in Lisbon(the white blocks along the black line are the stops.):
http://www.redbrick.dcu.ie/~blade/Interail_Route.GIF
With one change - Im going to go from Madrid to Pamplona (for the Bull Runs).

Im aiming for all July and first 2weeks of August.

Looking for suggestions/criticisms/opinions on the places ive picked, and also suggestions of other places to visit along the way.

Lisapeep

When you're in Naples you should spend a day in Pompeii. It's an amazing place!

jrey1981

Interesting looking at your route. I'm thinking of interrailing myself if I get the money together. Starting in Lisbon is a good idea...however I'd probably go down and around the Spanish coast along south of France down round Italy, then up via prague to Denmark, Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo and back to Ireland.

Whether this is practical and actually possible, I have no idea! I have a feeling I might have to cut out Portugal and Spain and maybe start from Paris and go down to Toulouse then round the coast.

HarryD

If coming to Budapest in end July/August, check out the following:
www.sziget.hu
www.hungaroring.hu

idontknowmyname

Cool route, when your going from milan down to rome. stop off in Florence.....amazing city, me and my boyfriend went there for the day and its such a compact city that you can see everything in about 6 hours if you take your time. Take the trip up to the top of the dome and see the amazing view.
Florence is 3 hours from Milan and Rome is two more after that.
Go see the statue of David and be in awe.......

Superman

defo check out Munich, real nice city,

I also suggest that you go in a kinda circuit , this way you never have to back track and your always somewhere new!

Faltermyer

Superman wrote:

I also suggest that you go in a kinda circuit , this way you never have to back track and your always somewhere new!

A circuit would be cool, but there are some places on the route that I defo want to get to- that combined with having been a fair few places already dont really make a circuit practical. Oh yeah, and to make the bull runs I have to start in Portugal given my start date and I want to finish in Budapest to wind down in the Thermal Baths - aah, the Thermal Baths - fan-bloody-tastic they are! Dont think ive every been so relaxed!

drrnwbb

jrey1981 wrote:

Interesting looking at your route. I'm thinking of interrailing myself if I get the money together. Starting in Lisbon is a good idea...however I'd probably go down and around the Spanish coast along south of France down round Italy, then up via prague to Denmark, Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo and back to Ireland.

do helsinki or oslo, not both. aint worth it really considering the distances and time involved. (i interrailed up here a few years back, im now living in helsinki.. also, helsinki is hosting the world athletics in august, so avoid it then)

dw

jrey1981

Thanks for the advice. Will probably just do Oslo in that case...that's if I manage to actually go!

drrnwbb

bergen (west of oslo) is really cool too, as is malmö and göteborg (both on the route between copenhagen and oslo)

dw

Jambo

Forget interrailling too restricting and expensive took 9 weeks travelling by land from athens to the greek islands then ferry to italy then up along italy by train to naples , rome , florence , pisa , cinqueterra ( riomaggiore - best highlight of trip), genoa,barcelona all the spainsh coast , algarve , lisbon then
on to madrid before home cost me 3000 including trains busses hostels and 1 or 2 hotels and only managed 2 nights not getting drunk. I would well reccomend IOS-Greece , Riomaggiore-Italy , and Lagos/Tavira - Portugal

Jivin Turkey

angel_of_death wrote:

Forget interrailling too restricting and expensive took 9 weeks travelling by land from athens to the greek islands then ferry to italy then up along italy by train to naples , rome , florence , pisa , cinqueterra ( riomaggiore - best highlight of trip), genoa,barcelona all the spainsh coast , algarve , lisbon then
on to madrid before home cost me 3000 including trains busses hostels and 1 or 2 hotels and only managed 2 nights not getting drunk. I would well reccomend IOS-Greece , Riomaggiore-Italy , and Lagos/Tavira - Portugal

Restricting and expensive? A couple of my mates did it last year for five weeks, spent 1200 for everything, hit about eight or nine different countrys and got leathered every night.

Faltermyer

angel_of_death wrote:

Forget interrailling too restricting and expensive took 9 weeks travelling by land from athens to the greek islands then ferry to italy then up along italy by train to naples , rome , florence , pisa , cinqueterra ( riomaggiore - best highlight of trip), genoa,barcelona all the spainsh coast , algarve , lisbon then
on to madrid before home cost me 3000 including trains busses hostels and 1 or 2 hotels and only managed 2 nights not getting drunk. I would well reccomend IOS-Greece , Riomaggiore-Italy , and Lagos/Tavira - Portugal

How is 3000 expensive? 9 Weeks in Europe for christs sake? You couldnt really expect it to cost less? Most people run 1500 or more on 2weeks package holidays in Spain etc

As for €1200 - that must have been scrimping, always eating in and drinking from off licenses? and in Eastern Europe only? though even there costs are increasing at an alarming rate.

My month last summer ran me about €1800 in the end I think(spent about 150 more than planned), with €400 being for the global pass, €160 for flights, and the rest on accomodation / food / entertainment. Ate out at least once on most days though.

Jivin Turkey

Faltermyer wrote:

As for €1200 - that must have been scrimping, always eating in and drinking from off licenses? and in Eastern Europe only? though even there costs are increasing at an alarming rate.

It involved a lot of camping, lots of cans, little eating out, little fancy accomodation, flights for 50 or 60 euro. And mostly in Eastern Europe.

They didnt blow money on anything, but they claim they were never "scrimping" either.

Faltermyer

Jivin Turkey wrote:

It involved a lot of camping, lots of cans, little eating out, little fancy accomodation, flights for 50 or 60 euro. And mostly in Eastern Europe.

They didnt blow money on anything, but they claim they were never "scrimping" either.

Yeah, that makes sense then. Even just the camping and eaiting in would have saved a fair bit over hostels/eating out.

Any more suggestions on my route?
May have to cut it down to a month if I cant get the time off work,&ive stuff I wanna do before going into full-time employment. If I cut to one month I think Ill drop Madrid,Andorra,Luxembourg,Stockholm&Copenhagen-some of them wud only have been 1-2day visits anyway.

Jambo

well it involved few cans and bottles - to the bar every night we planned to camp it all but only done just under 2 weeks ate out all but twice so 3000 was still cheap !!

Faltermyer

Have changed the route a small bit in parts, it now looks like this:

http://www.faltermeyer.net/interail_route.GIF

Looking like Ill fly into Faro,Portugal as Ryanair dont fly to Lisbon.
Anyone flown in their? Whats it like to get to Lisbon?

I assume buses are regular enough between the two?

Also considered renting a nice convertible and driving up to Lisbon ... though that would be costly and ill probably be on my own at that stage too ... found 206cc ~€380 for 3days (prefer Jap cars but it is the contenent so...).

Any other advice/suggestions on the route/stuff to see in the various stops? Or alternative stops?

Faltermyer

Well, Thunderbirds are go on the trip!
Booked my flight to Lisbon yesterday, I fly out a month from today... at 7:30am on a Sunday morning

Still looking for suggestions on unusual places to visit other than:

• Pamplona - San Fermin festival(Running of the Bulls) -managed to secure accomodation n all for this!
• NurburgRing racetrack in Germany - looks like Ill be renting 2.4L Audi A6 & hitting the track!
• Andorra - Caldea Health Spa's - one of largest in Europe.
• Copenhagen - Legoland.
• Budapest - Thermal baths Thermal Baths Thermal baths!

chillywilly

just out of curiosity, how much is it costing you??

Faltermyer

chillywilly wrote:

just out of curiosity, how much is it costing you??

Eh, well, given the unusual stuf that im doing, im reckoning on about €3000-3300 all in(flights, accom, interrail train passes, spending money)

Accomodation in Pamplona during SanFermin is €80/night!!(many places are charging €130/night, with proper hotels charging €200-400/night!). Im spending 3nights there so theres €240
Car rental for the Nurburg Ring will prob cost ~€200 for a couple of days, €60 per 5laps on track.
Flight out cost me €169, flight back, which I havent booked yet will prob be similar.
The health spa's will be expensive ish also.

A month last year with 3weeks of it in central/Eastern europe(Poland, Czech,Croatia,Slovakia) cost me €1850 but flights were only €160 total, &there were no unusual stuff like above.

Its probably possible to do 6weeks for a lot less if you booked flights early, dont do unusual stuff like I am(Nurburg/pamplona), and if you always eat in/get cans/bottles et, and if you were not making so many stops you would have less train journey's and therefore could possibly do it cheaper than with Interrail pass(€400 for month global, ~€210 for 16days 1zone).

Im borrowing the money anyway, so id rather borrow an extra €500-1000 and do everything I want on the holiday than scrimp the whole way

randomfella

Hey looking for some help on Interrailing, any contribution to this thread is welcome.
Firstly i'm digging up this thread cos there have been a few on it and i've read them all.

I'm hoping to go interrailing with 2 friends prob late Aug/Sep. I'm 17 and won't be turning 18 til' early september. Both friends are 18. Is the legal age limit 18 in all Eu countries for drinking? Do u think this will be a problem in general me being only 17?

We have nothing planned, but will prob opt for the 21 day global pass. Which is the best way to plan? planned down to last detail or rough guide?

Obviously everyone has there own preference for destinations (including ourselves, something we need to fully agree to soon, a comprimise of some sort) but we are staying clear of eastern europe. Might visit Prague. I've heard lots of figures thrown round about costs. We are planning to stay in Youth Hostels or travel at night to avoid costs, is there any specific advice u have on them. I heard some have times u have to be in at or something. I'm a bit ill-informed, i know!

So far, it looks like buying a 'lonely planet' guide thing is the way to go.

Really rough plan is
Dublin - Paris (fly)
Paris - Lyon
Lyon - Milan
MIlan - Venice
Venice - Prague
Prague - Munich
Munich - Berlin
Berlin - Amsterdam

As i mentioned earlier, it'll be a comprimise between us about the route but we'll all get to see something we'll like.

randomfella

Anybody? At least 20 people have viewed this and haven't contributed. i'm grateful for any advice no matter how smal or insignificant u think it is.

Imposter

Some small info

randomfella wrote:

I'm hoping to go interrailing with 2 friends prob late Aug/Sep. I'm 17 and won't be turning 18 til' early september. Both friends are 18. Is the legal age limit 18 in all Eu countries for drinking? Do u think this will be a problem in general me being only 17?

Legal age for drinking varies but i think 16 might be the norm for beer and wine and 18 for spirits. That's the way it is in Austria (and I think germany at least).

randomfella

Thanks Imposter!

Has anybody taken the same route as i have? I've heard that Lyon isn't that great. Is there any city here that you feel i'm missing out on big time (apart from eastern europe)?

Faltermyer

Wouldnt worry about the drinking age.
Things are much more lax on the continent due to a completely different attitude to drink.

On my previous trips we went out in tshirts and shorts and still never even had a word said to us and despite being 20 & 21 on the two previous trips Im not that tall and usually told I look young for my age but I had no problems.

There is no 21day Global pass.

There is:
1 Zone 16day
2 Zone 22day
Global 1 month.

As for are you leaving anywhere out...

How long do you want to stay in each place?
If you are going for a month then that looks like a good list for the countries youre going through, and if you want 4nights in each place.

If however, you were happy with 2nights in some places and 3 in others, You could see a lot more, but it is quite tiring doing it that way, especially if you want to go out at night & get up late.

Personally I recommend aiming for 2nights in most places, and then if you like somewhere/get particularly tired you stay an extra night or two in some places.
But thats purely because I like to pack as much as possible into the trip, visit as many places & see as much as I can, that and you never get bored when you are only in a place for 2nights so it keeps the travel buzz going.

I leave Sunday week, July 3rd, flying out to Lisbon, manged to make it almost 7 weeks off work (took me 3&1/2 months to arrange that with holidays, &shift swaps with colleauges though!)

Faltermyer

Berlin is great btw, vibrant city I thought, & lots of history too.
Check out the "free"(as in you tip at the end) walking tour that goes from the Sparbucks at the Brandenburg gate. Look for Christian(i think that was our guides name), he was very good, interesting to listen to, and the tour takes in a lot.

Btw, have a search for other posts by me in this forum, ive commented on the cities ive been to in them, too busy right now to type further, sorry!

randomfella

Thanks i appreciate the advice.

UPdate is we are going to 2 zones for 22 days.

ZOne C Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Austria
ZOne E France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg

we really wanted
Zone G with Italy and Greece but felt that the other 2 were better suited to us overall.