Europe Trains Guide Forum
General discussion => Train fares and tariffs => Topic started by: travelR on April 15, 2011, 08:08:33 am
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Greetings!
I have read much of this site and Tripadvisor, researching for weeks now all the train companies and flights, for the cheapest options available to travel Europe and I am exhausted. Today, I rang the travel agent and enquired about booking a Rail Pass (yes, I know). It just seem so much work, when all I want to do is turn up and buy a ticket OR have a pre-booked pass that allows me to go to all the below destinations.
My question to anyone, before I give up and buy the overpriced Rail Pass that my travel agent is pushing me to do, is what is the cheapest way to go traveling and include;
Rome, Beragamo, Naples, Positano, Paris, Berlin and maybe Split, Dubrovnik and Athens.
We must be at a wedding in Positano on the 30th April, so we are cutting in quite close.
Thank you in advance! :-\
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Speaking geographically the best way to travel here is Naples/Positano-Rome-Bergamo-Paris/Berlin-Croatia-Athens.
Naples-Positano: rather easy and cheap. But since there is no rails in Positano, you can catch Circumvesuviana local train to Sorrento (4 EUR one way) and then bus to Positano (which is only 10km away).
Positano-Naples: use same Circumvesuviana local train or bus to Naples, from there you can already catch discounted rail tickets to Rome. Most expensive full fare EuroStar train ticket will cost you 45 EUR per person, ticket for InterCity train only 22 EUR, while for regional train only 10.5 EUR.
Rome-Bergamo: here you actually have two choices - either fly (RyanAir low cost airline has flight to Bergamo 3 times per day, for the end of April-early May it is not a problem to get a ticket for as less than 30 EUR) or use a train (in case of use of high-speed EuroStar the full fare might go up to 95 EUR, but there are still certain amount of discounted MINI offer tickets available).
Bergamo-Paris: definitely fly, since rail ticket on such short notice will cost you a fortune. Same RyanAir company has flights from as low as 7 EUR per person for late April-early May.
Paris-Berlin: again, either fly (EasyJet, Air Berlin) or try to catch discounted international ticket (not a lot of them left, but still it is possible)
Berlin-Split: similar option as above - either fly (GermanWings, TUIfly) or there is still some discounted tickets left for Berlin-Zagreb route (http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?newrequest=yes&protocol=http:&)
Split-Dubrovnik: well, your only choices here is either ferry or bus (very frequent)
Dubrovnik-Athens: hmmm... a bit complicated, but manageable. Multiple options here:
a) go by bus via Montenegro and Albania
b) by ferries via Italian Bari
c) by bus to Montenegro, then by train to Serbia and from there already catch train to Thessaloniki via FYR Macedonia
p.s. if you have other specific sequence of destinations - let us know, so we can try to get the best from your choice as well.
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c) by bus to Montenegro, then by train to Serbia and from there already catch train to Thessaloniki via FYR Macedonia
Greece railways from 12th February canceled all international trains until further notice.
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Greece railways from 12th February canceled all international trains until further notice.
Ups... forgot that they still having fun out there ;D
Thanks for reminding. But anyway, this still a way to avoid Albania, just need to substitute train for a bus towards Greece.
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Thanks so much everybody. Really very, very helpful information! I've been looking at the train links suggested and the flights. I did just find a ferry service from Italy to Croatia, which is great! I'l keep you updated. I find the Trenitalia site to be a pain but must learn what's going on there.
Thank you again.