Hi All,
I will try to keep this short..my wife and I are doing a tour of Europe with Insight Tours, and then we have 3 weeks on our own using eurail global pass won in a competition. We wanted to do Spain, and then over to Slovenia, Prague, Budapest, but the distances (and train times) to and from Spain are huge and consuming a large amount of our time (when planning). It appears all trains in and out of Spain are of the slooooowww variety. We are now considering skipping Spain this time around, and leave from paris to Vienna, and then do that area (incl Slovenia where relatives are). Any tips?
Thanks
Dave
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Actually, you really don't have to skip Spain. Vueling, a Spanish budget airline has great budget flights to many other European destinations. I see Budapest and Prague out of Barcelona. In 2.5hrs, you're in Eastern Europe.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32352 posts
David,
As Larry indicated, you don't necessarily have to skip Spain as budget airlines provide good connections. You could fly to Spain, then to Vienna (or wherever) and then resume travel by train.
A few points to mention. I'm assuming your Eurail Global Pass covers two people, or do you each have a Pass? Note that Rail Passes DO NOT include reservation fees that are compulsory on some trains (usually the "fast" trains). You'll have to pay these separately. Don't be caught without a reservation on a train where this is compulsory, as you could be "nicked" with a fine on the spot!
A point on the budget airlines. Often they use a "sliding scale" to set ticket prices. As the flight fills, the price goes up. Tickets are usually non-refundable and non-changeable once booked, and some budgets have VERY tight luggage limits.
Happy travels!