Can No Longer o a Road Trip in Europe - what's a better train trip?
 

Hi everyone!

My SO and I had been deciding between a road trip down the coast of Portugal and then ending in Faro and flying over to Morocco OR Doing a road trip through Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, also maybe flying somewhere else to end the trip if time permits (we are going for three weeks) We found out through some research since neither of us have had our full license for two years we cannot rent a vehicle in Europe. Basically we would like to know if both of those trips are still worth doing via trains. Will the sightseeing be okay on the train rides? Is one of those trips more interesting than the other? Does anyone have suggestions on which we should do?

that's a good one, I haven't done those routes but you always hear about Switzerland in particular for scenic train rides. I would guess the second one.

HEre is an article and it mentions one from Montenegro to Belgrade for an idea.
https://www.roughguides.com/article/...des-in-europe/

The Douro line in Portugal is supposed to be Scenic but that isn't going to be a road trip for days and isn't on the coast. The train doesn't really run right along the coast in Portugal for the most part, just a very little bit. I don't know if the rest of it is scenic, maybe someone else will.

both can be done by trains if cities are your goal and buses pick up slack in both areas though in the latter area it depends on where you want to go. No trains go to the coast in several places but not along it.

In Balkans in summer ferries ply the coast Rijeka to Dubrovnik and buses regularly run along it.

We found out through some research since neither of us have had our full license for two years we cannot rent a vehicle in Europe.>

Is this is a European requirement, about the license snafu? check lots of car rentals -sounds like a rental policy not a EU policy though could be I guess.

Anyway for train info check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Have travelled parts of Europe every year for the last 5 by train.... Spain was fabulous by train. Madrid, down to Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Nerja, Ronda. Back to Malaga by bus and then short flight to Valencia. Peniscola, then to Barcelona, finished at San Sebastian then train back to Madrid to fly home to Australia. Absolutely stunning. Did Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Vienna, Llubjana, Croatia (Zagreb) , Plitvice Lakes National Park, Split, Hvar, Korcula, Dubrovnik, Montenagro (Bay of Kotor) then back to Dubrovnik and short flight to Venice for 4 nts on the way home. Be aware that trains are not popular in Croatian areas, most travel is by bus.... the 5 hour trip from Plitvice to Split was fine. Then ferries to the islands. We actually bargained a taxi to take us to Montenagro instead of wasting time and waiting for bus...

No problem visiting Portugal by train. Balkans are more difficult, you really need to use buses and ferries but it is still not a problem to do that. (Click on my name for my Western Balkans TR that was all public transport.)

If you are going to be using a lot of trains I recommend the site seat61.com, plus a copy of the Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe.

You are all amazing! Thank you for the info!

Is doing the Balkans via bus scenic at all? I had never thought of taking a ferry down the coast, that is such a great idea!

Definitely scenic! Just as scenic as driving, and you are free to enjoy it.

Oh, and for info on ferries go here:

http://www.jadrolinija.hr/en/ferry-croatia

Be careful with Dubrovnik, it can fill right up with cruise ship passengers. Check the schedules here:

http://www.portdubrovnik.hr/girica1.php

You should be able to visit either location by public transportation (as already noted, that would likely entail some buses and ferries in Croatia). For a sense of your transportation options, you might consult rome2rio.com -- but just for your preliminary research, as that site is not perfectly up-to-date or accurate IME.

BTW, while having a car can offer a freedom not otherwise available and a chance to see places that are not readily visited via public transportation, there are also some downsides, and in contrast, traveling by public transportation can have some decided advantages:

- For one thing, driving can be stressful – and I say that as someone who loves driving! But some roads are challenging, unexpected detours or GPS failures can be a bit daunting, and driving into cities (and finding parking) can make the last part of a long trip less than pleasant.
- Driving – or at least responsible driving – can also pose constraints on the driver. For example, the driver may be unable to truly enjoy spectacular scenery, as s/he needs to pay attention to the road -- sometimes, very careful attention! And depending on how much one eats and one’s size and and how long one relaxes over a meal, even a glass of wine with lunch may carry risks.
- While driving may give you the freedom to stop at some of those “oh, doesn’t that look charming!” places, they aren’t necessarily all that charming, and by the time you get back on the road, you can end up with less time than might be ideal for visiting the places that were your priorities.
- Driving is generally not a particularly green choice – and for some of us, that is a worthy consideration.
- And one of the best things about taking public transportation, IMO, is that it can sometimes give you wonderful opportunities to interact with people from the area, or gain insights into local norms and traditions.

Maybe you've stumbled into an unexpectedly good turn of events. ;-)

Enjoy!

- Driving is generally not a particularly green choice – and for some of us, that is a worthy consideration.>

In some of those places leave nothing of value in the car -well a general rule of thumb anywhere in Europe.

This was so lovely. Listing the benefits of public transport got us excited for our trip again! Thank you everyone for your help, we have decided to do the Croatia trip and maybe end our last few days in Portugal if time permits. THANKS!

I'm so glad you found my comments helpful! :-)

To be clear, there are parts of Croatia that are harder without a car than with one -- especially Istria, and there can also be some challenges (not insurmountable) with the Plitvice Lakes. But Sarajevo, Mostar, Dubrovnik, Korcula, Hvar, Split / Trogir, Sibenik, Zadar, and others are all easily visited by public transportation -- and, depending on your interests, that chunk of destinations could easily take your full 3 weeks. I believe I already gave you the link to rome2rio, so see what you can learn and come back when you have a plan or more questions.

NOW I see your other thread -- good idea! In case anyone else want to see it:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...montenegro.cfm