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UK to Germany 3 trips

  • 26 February 2024
  • 14 replies
  • 216 views

Hi

Heading to Germany in June for Euros,. travelling from Scotland and planing on doing 3 trips there and back.

June 13th  Edinburgh to Munich  (overnight train)  2 travel days   

June 15th Munich to Edinburgh  1 travel day

 

June 18th Brussels to Stuttgart 1 travel day  (Edinburgh to Brussels extra cost)

June  20th  Stuttgart to Brussels)  1 travel day  (Brussels to Edinburgh extra cost)

 

June 22nd  Brussels  to Cologne  1 travel day  (Edinburgh to Brussels extra cost)

June 24th Cologne to Edinburgh  1 travel day   (Brussels to Edinburgh extra cost)

 

So 7 travel days pass would be fine if I’ve done my research right

I know i have to pay for seat reservations and for the extra trips back into Europe.

If i have missed anything or there is a better way please let me know let me know

Kenny

 

 

14 replies

T
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I guess you don't have the choice to go back to Edinburgh? Those will all be 12h+ travel days so you'll be very exhausted. It'll also cost you hundreds of £ (sorry to be blunt).

Stuttgart - Edinburgh will be best done via Paris, for example :

- TGV Stuttgart Hbf - Paris-Est 06:52 - 10:12

- 10 min walk + break for passport controls, etc.

- Eurostar Paris-Nord - London St. Pancras 12:12 - 13:30 (11:12 is too tight for my liking)

- LNER London King's Cross - Edinburgh Waverley 14:00 - 18:27 (or Haymarket for Super Off Peak tickets if it's cheaper)

You have a discount on Interrail passes since I presume you're the holder of a EURO ticket, more info here : https://euro2024.interrail.eu/en/go

As your dates are set, advance tickets might be cheaper with all the Interrail mandatory reservations and such. I haven't checked.

If you choose Interrail, use the inbound/outbound journeys whenever Eurostar and LNER tickets are the most expensive. They can happen at any time during your trip.

Also note that the night train will only use a single travel day as the departure day is what matters. The arrival in Munich is pretty early so you might wish to continue until say Salzburg and come back (extra costs or second pass day in that case though).

For the long journeys I'd definitely go with 1st class for a better experience.

Questions welcome. :)

K

thanks

i know it will be long days but not too bothered with that, ideally i would stay but hotel costs have went through roof and add  in 2 weeks spending money it would kill trip for me. 

i was more checking i understood  the travel days correct and i am looking for cheap flights over channel to cut time and costs down a bit. 

Forgot ask whats the story if you miss a connection due to a late arrival of previous train?

 

kenny

 

 

K

thanks for tip about Salzburg, will  have spare travel day if overnight counts as 1 travel day, any more questions i will get back to you

thanks

Kenny

 

T
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thanks

i know it will be long days but not too bothered with that, ideally i would stay but hotel costs have went through roof and add  in 2 weeks spending money it would kill trip for me. 

i was more checking i understood  the travel days correct and i am looking for cheap flights over channel to cut time and costs down a bit. 

Forgot ask whats the story if you miss a connection due to a late arrival of previous train?

 

kenny

 

 

Honestly I'd rather go to a cheaper neighbouring city (like Augsburg or Freiburg) than spend hundreds of £ on flights or trains.

You'll barely spend 3 days at home during the 2 weeks period I mean. It'll be totally exhausting too. But it's your trip.

About your question : if it's a train without mandatory reservation, simply log the following one on the app and board it. Claim compensation if you arrive more than an hour late at your destination.

For a train requiring a reservation, speak to staff onboard the delayed train ASAP. They'll give you a proof of delay and at best a new reservation for the missed train. Then go to the informations desk at the station and gently ask to be put on the next available train (whether in 1st or 2nd class, it doesn't matter).

In practice it rarely goes perfectly so don't plan with too tight connections in the first place, especially knowing DB (German Railways) repetitive delays on long-distance trains.

K

update as i managed to find cheap options to get to Paris for 2 of my trips so updated plans

13 June  Beauvais airport to Paris then the 20:24 overnight to Salzburg, few hours in Salzburg the back over to Munich =  2 Travel days  

15th Munich to Paris  to  Beauvais airport  = 1 travel day

 

19June  Beauvais airport to Cologne  = 1 travel day

20 June Cologne to Beauvais airport  = 1 travel day

 

22 June  Edinburgh to Stuttgart = 1 travel day

24 June Stuttgart to Edinburgh = 1 travel Day

 

So total of 7 travels days 

 

kenny

 

 

T
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Okay then! :) Beauvais airport is in the middle of nowhere (Ryanair likes that!). There is a direct bus to Paris but it doesn't stop anywhere near Gare du Nord.

The easiest option to get to Gare du Nord in Paris will be : bus 6 to Beauvais center and 1h15 TER towards Paris. For example :

- flight lands at 08:40, passport control

- Bus 6 : departures at 9:09 (9:29 at the train station) or 10:15 (10:29). Also possible to take a taxi of course.

- TER Beauvais - Paris-Nord 10:40 - 11:57

- Eurostar Paris-Nord - Brussels-Midi 12:22 - 13:44 27€

- ICE Brussels-Midi - Köln Hbf 14:25 - 16:15 3€ optional but recommended

The Brussels-Cologne ICE is notoriously unreliable (technical issues) so you might prefer to go through Mannheim depending on when the game starts :

- 10 min walk from Gare du Nord

- TGV Paris-Est - Mannheim Hbf 13:10 - 16:17 18€

- ICE Mannheim Hbf - Köln Hbf 16:36 - 18:04 3€ optional

The Paris - Cologne Eurostar will probably the best way to go back too, even though it's expensive. Book as soon as possible, those trains have a limited passholder quota.

The Munich - Stuttgart - Paris route sees multiple trains too.

K

many thanks for info 

apart from eurostar  how far in advanced are the timetables updated and whens the best time to add booking to my app

 

kenny 

T
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French domestic trains will be published on 7th March but the rest should already be online or it'll be in the coming days.

Book well in advance for sure (through Rail Europe to avoid fees). I believe the 12:22 Eurostar is doable after your flight.

Get one of the direct Cologne - Paris trains for the return journey for the convenience.

Note that logging a train on the app doesn't guarantee you a seat. It only lists the journeys you're making and will give you a QR code to show to staff. Have a look at https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm

(I edited a bit my above post.)

R
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apart from eurostar  how far in advanced are the timetables updated and whens the best time to add booking to my app

There's no need to add a journey to the rail planner app a long time in advance. The only requirement is that you do that before you board.

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.
K

cant thank you enough for the help

K

Having a look for times of overnight paris to salzburg train on 12 june, the 20:24 shows on one site but not on others is it too early?

 

kenny 

T
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The 20:24 service is a TGV to Strasbourg, right?

The direct night train doesn't run daily (yet) : it would on 13th June but not on 12th June. Departure is at around 7pm.

K

That's the one,  well back to drawing board fancied a night in Austria

 

K

T
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You could spend the night in Strasbourg and continue the following morning. Otherwise you could look at a flight to Austria straight away, it would be the easier option...

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