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Paris - Turku

  • 13 January 2024
  • 32 replies
  • 227 views
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Hi all,

Before buying a card, I’d like to be sure that it will be interesting for me. I understand that I have to pay for reservation and cabin in night train, so is it really interesting? I don’t know how can I calculate what I have to add ?

I would like to travel from Paris to Turku (Finland). It seems the quicker way is to go to Koeln and Hamburg in a day and take the night train to Stockholm (with a cabin booking). Then, I’ll take ferry by night from Stockholm to Turku. Is it included ?

I never used interrail and I don’t understand everything.

Thanks in advance for your reply.

Nb : I have 50 years old and can’t take train. I want to go to Turku as quick as possible and with a night in a cabin on night train.

 

 

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Best answer by thibcabe 13 January 2024, 21:00

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You're welcome. Enjoy the trip! :)

Do not hesitate to come back in case.

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My journey is all finalized. I booked all trains😅Thanks a lot for your help.

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I think I get all useful answers! 

Thanks all for your quick replies and help for my first experience with interrail pass. I’m ready to travel by train!

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You log on Rail Planner any train you'd like to take, whether it requires a reservation or not. This can be done at any point prior to boarding.

Onboard show both the app (QR-code, your pass) and the PDF/printed reservation.

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Reservations and pass are separate worlds. In the rail planner app, you can't book reservations and they won't show up there. You just have to be able to show them on paper, if they're mandatory, on your screen or in an app. Not sure if it also works with the Rail Europe app, but you can try. The Rail Europe app can't book pass reservations (yet?) but maybe it can show them if you booked them via the website.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
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or with the App rail Europe ?

 

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Next step… 😅 I add my travels in “my trip”, then in “my pass”. But how can I do with reservations? For example, if I book with OBB or SJ (cheaper) ? For the control, I have to show this reservation or is there something to add on the rail planner app ?

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No worries!

I don’t think OBB can book this train. Use DB : 4.90€ per journey → for example you can get Copenhagen - Hamburg - Cologne for 4.90€ total, even with a night stop (add a 12h stopover for example).

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Sorry, I made a mistake 🙏🏻 It’s from Copenhagen to Hamburg : direct train with OBB.

ÖBB can't book these trains for some reason. You should be able to book on www.cd.cz (~€3, use “reservation only”) or https://travel.b-europe.com/dsb-rail/en/reservation-only#TravelWish (~€4).

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
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Sorry, I made a mistake 🙏🏻 It’s from Copenhagen to Hamburg : direct train with OBB. 

It’s really not easy to book all these trains. 

Thanks a lot for your help!

 

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I do not see it. What is the train number ?

Here are trains from Hamburg Hbf to Köln Hbf according to DB :

  • 13:52 - 18:00
  • 15:45 - 19:47
  • 16:45 - 20:47
  • 16:50 - 20:57

The Flixtrain leaving at 14:48 is not included in Interrail.

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another problem… on my way back, I’d like to book a train from Hambourg to Koln. I found one at 15h26-20h04 (OBB) but impossible to book a ticket ( “not available”) even if if tried on several websites. 

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Thanks, perfectly clear

ralderton
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Yes, you can book a seat for €3, or free if you have a first class pass. Best to do it on oebb.at. 

 Worth booking if you elect the train to be busy, otherwise you just find an empty seat and/ or go and sit in the restaurant car!

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Sometimes reservations are optional (IC/ICE trains), sometimes they are not possible at all (regional trains). You are always allowed to board but at busy times you might have to swap seats along the way or stand for a bit.

Cologne - Hamburg will be by ICE so you can secure a seat if you wish :

  • 3€ per train through OBB (Austrian railways)
  • 4.90€ per journey through DB incl. seat selection

Select seat reservation only, it’s the same process whether you’ve got a regular ticket or a pass.

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Hi, 

when booking a seat is not required, are you sure to have a place the day you will travel? (Deutsche Bahn) or is it possible to book and pay a fee to secure a place? I can’t find how to do it if it’s possible.

It’s about train Koln/Hamburg on the 28th feb.

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Tallink/Silja Line gives a 20% discount so I can get Stockholm - Helsinki return for 175€ incl. cabin. Not ideal though… https://en.tallink.com/en/eurail-and-interrail-card-benefits

Let me try Viking Line a last time.

EDIT : yeah the discount doesn’t seem to work on night sailings. 133€ is quite expensive for a return journey but at least it saves you 2 nights in Stockolm or Turku...

Otherwise it might make sense to get the Travemünde (Germany) - Helsinki ferry one-way. That way you make a nice loop. There is some discount too I believe → doesn’t work and too expensive…

Viking Line remains your safest, fastest and easiest choice even without discount. It won’t be a particularly cheap trip I’m afraid.

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Thakns for your answer ralderton, but unfortunately, you can’t travel by night with the pass… Only on morning with no couchettes.

ralderton
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It looks like you can book through this link from Eurail.

https://benefitsportal.eurail.com/benefits/viking-line/

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Edit: It seems if you click all the way through that link, you find out that you just need to add the code EURAIL into the offer code. But when I do that, it doesn’t change the price for me! I don’t know about you.

It also clarifies that it’s the dreaded ‘up to’ 50% discount.

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Everyone helped me a lot but I have a last question… How to book a ferry (Stockholm-Turku) with 50% discount ? I tried different ways but I never saw a discount with interrail pass (Viking airlines, direct ferries).

ralderton
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With B-Europe, impossible to book a train to Sweden (Hamburg-Stockholm)

You need to book this one with SJ or Snälltåget. Details on Seat61. Scroll down to the “Germany > Stockholm & Sweden” section.

https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm#Germany

ralderton
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Hamburg-Stockholm by Snälltåget Sleeper - €39. 

Snälltåget doesn't have a sleeper, only couchettes and seats.

Apologies. Bad wording on my part! Yes, I meant ‘night train’ (with couchette) rather than sleeping compartment. Thanks for the update on prices. Seat61 is maybe incorrect on this one.

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Yes B-Europe works for Paris - Cologne. Please read the link ralderton provided → everything is explained. Then come back with questions.

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With B-Europe, impossible to book a train to Sweden (Hamburg-Stockholm)

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Yeah it doesn’t work for me either right now, I get in an infinite loop... Does it work for someone else ?

Either wait a bit or book through B-Europe, it’s reliable (Belgian Railways website) but there’s the 4€ fee. You may enter any pass number when it asks for one, the reservation is tied to a person and not a number. I1111111 always works.

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