Tried to read through the multiple comments about cars and trains. Our dilema is: In August, we plan to go to Europe by passenger cargo ship; we should arrive in Antwerp Belgium around mid/late August; from there, we would like to stay in generally rural areas - hike the Alps (Switzerland, France and Italy) for 2-3 weeks; then we intend to go to Scotland/Wales for 2-3 weeks; we have a couple of months to roam. So, what's the best travel way to go? Selectpass mixed with plane? In Scotland/Wales we want to get to remote places for hiking etc. Should we get some type of rail/bus pass up there? We've been to Scotland before but only for 10 days - and we rented a car then. Should we lease a car if we're going to be there longer? Or is that really expensive? Thanks for any input.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
For Wales, you're going to need a car. The Pembrokeshire Coast and the Offas Dike paths are pretty much beyond the easy access of public transportation. So is much of the hiking in Snowdonia. I haven't had much trouble getting somebody to help me preposition the car so I could walk to it by the end of the day.
It's been years since I hiked in Scotland, but I always like a car there since it's easier to get into the nooks and crannies.
If you're thinking of walking Hadrian's Wall, there's a way to get back by bus, but I just turned around and walked back -- it's only eighty-five miles or so each way -- easy six days one way, moderate to hard four days the other.
Posted by
Twin Cities, Minnesota
2001 posts
I agree, in Wales you need a car. There are limited train/bus options. My mother had to hire a driver to get her around when she went to visit where her grannie came from in Wales. Both Offa's Dike and the Snowdonia area have wonderful hiking opportunities. Stay on a farm when you go to Wales, their farm stay B & B's are fabulous. I stayed in one that Offa's Dyke actually ran through their property.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17432 posts
I think a combination of train/car/plane will work best. Use the train to go from Belgium to Switzerland, throughout Switzerland, and into the French Alps. For Italy, you might need a car, but that depends on where you want to hike. The Eastern Dolomites (east of Bolzano, meaning Alpe di Siusi, Val Gardena, and Val Badia) are well-served by busses; the western or Brenta Dolomites less so. I'm not suare about Stelvio National Park and other Italian Alps regions. We found plenty of great hiking just around Alpe di Siusi and Val Badia and used only busses.
As for a trainpass, I don't think you want a multi-country pass. Those are generally first-class only (so expensive) and many Swiss trains require a supplement with that kind of pass. I suggest you buy a discounted advance ticket to go from Antwerp to Switzerland; then use one of the Swiss Flexi passes in Switzerland. This will take you anywhere you want to go and will even cover the high mountain lifts at 50%. And you can travel to Chamonix, i nthe French Alps, on a Swiss pass. There is wonderful hiking at Chamonix.
The alpine areas of Italy are not served by trains so you might want to take a train to a gateway and then use either a car or bus from there.
Then fly to Scotland. If you are walking a route such as the West Highland Way, you can find companies that will transpport you to the start and pick you up at the end, also arranging accommodations if you want that. Or you might want to rent a car, but then you can't hike an end-to-end route; you'll have to do a loop. And you'll be paying for a lot of days the car is just parked.