Train Destinations '08
From Macska Travel Co.
Contents |
[edit] Places for Train Passes
These are the countries we will include on our Eurail Pass Global, which will allow us 15 days of travel in 2 months time (though in our experience, this always adds up to more due to lazy checkers).
[edit] Specific Trips
[edit] Europe
[edit] Places We Went
- Geneva -> Belgium RT (2 days)
- Geneva -> Prague RT for DNA 14 (2 days)
- Geneva -> Rome RT, Night (2 days)
- Geneva -> Budapest RT, Night (2 days)
- Geneva -> Interlaken RT (1 day)
- Geneva -> Avignon -> Paris -> Berlin -> Frankfurt/O -> Geneva (2 days)
- Geneva -> Belgium RT (2 days)
- Geneva -> Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (1 day)
- Geneva -> ??? (1 day left! gotta use it, urgh!)
[edit] Places We Almost Went
- Geneva to St. Moritz -> Zermatt
- Geneva to Grenoble
- Geneva to Croatia
Good pancakes (palacsinta)! Beautiful beaches! And Dubrovnik is supposed to be very charming.
[edit] Money Saved with Passes
Passes cost about $750, and each trip involved about $75 in reservations (per person), so total cost with passes: $1200 roughly. Without the passes, each trip would've cost about $400 including the night trains (at least), for a total of: $2400 roughly. So, it's safe to say we saved bout $1,200 by using a Eurail pass!
[edit] Train vs. Car: Which is Cheaper?
Costs are for two people, round trip.
| Destination | Distance (km) | Additional Cost if Driving | Additional Cost with Train | Train Days Used |
| St. Moritz, Switzerland | 958 | $532 | $60 | 2 |
| Rome, Italy | 1808 | $0 | $100 | 2 |
| Grenoble, France | 284 | $15? (toll) | 1 | |
| Paris, France | 1080 | $15? (toll) | 2 | |
| Dubrovnik, Croatia | 2420 | $100 | 2 | |
| Total | 6550 | $562 in Fees if Driving | $160 in Extra if Going by Train |
Assuming 28mi/gal and $5.50/gal for gas ($.196/mi, $.122/km)
| Destinations | Cost of Gas ($) + Additional Costs | Cost of Train Pass ($) + Additional Costs | Train Days Required |
| St. Moritz, Rome, Grenoble, Paris | $1066 | $838 | 7 |
| Above, plus Dubrovnik | $1362 | $1038 | 9 |
[edit] Jordan
We'll probably travel by bus and car within Jordan.
[edit] Thailand
Take a train to Southern Thailand in order to get to some little island paradise. Take a train to Aranyaprathe from Bangkok for 48 baht ... US$1 :). Cross the Cambodian border by either Tuk-tuk, motorcycle, or bus.
[edit] Cambodia
From Battambang, train to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh for 25,300 riel ... US$5 :). From here bus to Saigon. Note: the Battambang train takes exceedingly long and only runs once a week. It will be more feasible to take a bus from Battambang to Phnom Penh.
[edit] Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Ha Noi! Seriously, how awesome is that? A video of the Saigon-Hanoi train
We will need to be very cognizant of our time schedule for travel overland.
Options for Vietnamese trains from Viet Rail.
| Train No. | Depart | Arrive | Total time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE4 | 23:00 | 04:30 | 1770 min | |
| SE6 | 13:05 | 21:10 | 1925 min | |
| SE2 | 19:00 | 05:40 | 2080 min. | |
| TN4 | 15:45 | 08:30 | 2445 min. | |
| TN2 | 10:05 | 3:29 | 2484 min. |
[edit] Japan
We have JR passes! Woot! Now what to do with them ...
- Tokyo to Osaka, Hiroshima
Only Shinkansen, please. The JR500 Nozomi trains run on this line!
- Tokyo to Sapporo
Perhaps, perhaps...; time is limited, but it's supposed to be beautiful up there.
