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we will be travelling for 3 weeks in poland, czech republic, hungary and austria. Should we purchase east european pass which gives us 5 days of train travel or wait and purchase our tickets from the different cities. It appears to be cheaper as listed in the Lets Go 2004 guide book. I realize the fares are second class. We will be travelling in november. any info would be appreciated
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I have looked at this pass before and thought the only way it would save money would be if you are traveling in Austria most of the 5 days. The other countries have much cheaper rail transportation.
Check your itinerary on www.railsaver.com and you may well find that point-to-point tickets are your more economical option.
Best wishes,
Rex
Message: we will be travelling for 3 weeks in poland, czech republic, hungary and austria. Should we purchase east european pass which gives us 5 days of train travel or wait and purchase our tickets from the different cities. It appears to be cheaper as listed in the Lets Go 2004 guide book. I realize the fares are second class. We will be travelling in november. any info would be appreciated
Author: Kristinelaine
Date: 10/05/2004, 10:27 pm
Message: I have looked at this pass before and thought the only way it would save money would be if you are traveling in Austria most of the 5 days. The other countries have much cheaper rail transportation.
I agree with Kristinelaine. In Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary domestic fares are a third as much per kilometre as international fares (except for tickets from the Czech to the Slovak republics, bought in the Czech republic). So if times are convenient you cut your fares if you buy domestic fares, and move by bus over frontiers. For example, you can take Polish trains to Krakow, a bus to the frontier town of Cieszyn, and walk or bus between Cieszyn Poland and Cesky Tezin Czech Republic. These are two parts of one former town. The border crossing station is of average size and relatively easy to cross, so no problem. Cieszyn has a beautiful city centre (rynek), you may want to stop by there and relax. Or take a train across in five minutes, from Cieszyn at 0724, 0932, 1105, 1302, and 1519. See http://www.pkp.pl, then Polish State Railways Joint Stock Company.
You can buy Czech tickets to your last stop in the Czech Republic, and a through ticket to Sturovo in eastern Slovakia. From there a local bus takes you over the Danube to Esztergom, the cathedral city in Hungary, whence trains about hourly take about 100 minutes o Budapest.
Cieszyn is ninety minutes by bus from Oswiecim (Ausschwitz). but Esztergom has a large nineteenth century cathedral, important to the history of Hungary. People go to both for day trips, so you may want to stop there for a day or half day. Sturovo is unremarkable: I should just change from train to bus.
ben.haines@btinternet.com
thanks so much for the information. we have decided to buy our tickets when we get there. How is the language problem? will we be able to manage with english and our phrase book.
Every sales agent will know the word "tickets", if written in English. Have your plan written down like this:
2 tickets
Prague -> Vienna
8:26 -> 13:02
Use a credit card. It will be clear where they want you to sign.
It couldn't hurt to smile and know how to say please and thank you in the three respective languages (not all at the same time - - in their respective countries, of course!) - - see http://www.travlang.com/languages for some help in learning some basic phrases.