Europe - Itinerary
 

Dear Friends

I want to travel to the following places during the month of October and have accordingly prepared the following Itinerary. I have a few questions.

9.10.2015 Sofia - Ljubljana Night Train
10.10.2015 Ljubjana - Bled Morning Bus
11.10.2015 Bled Free Day
12.10.2015 Bled -Ljubljana Bus
12.10.2015 Ljubljana Free Day
13.10.2015 Ljubljana-Innsbruck Train
13.10.2015 Innsbruck Free Day
14.10.2015 Innsbruck - Vienna
15.10.2015 Vienna Free Day
16.10.2015 Vienna - Bratisalva
17.10.2015 Bratisalva Free Day
18.10.2015 Bratisalva - Budapest
19.10.2015 Budapest Free Day
20.10.2015 Budapest - Prague
21.10.2015 Prague Free Day
22.10.2015 Prague Free Day
23.10.2015 Prague - Amsterdam Flight
24.10.2015 Amsterdam Free Day

1. Should I go to Innsbruck via Ljubljana or via Vienna. Is there a train from Ljubljana to Innsbruck?
2. How do I visit to Tatras Mountains from Bratisalva?
3. Is there trains available from Bratisalva - Budapest and also from Budapest to Prague?

Please feel free to tweak / provide your inputs on the Itinerary

to check schedules of any train in Europe go to www.bahn.de/en - the German railways pan-European schedule site - put in From and To and a date and you'll get all the various rail links so you can see which is the best way to Innsbruck.

For lots of great info on European trains check these informative sites: www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com. You are traveling enough on trains to look at railpasses - especially the European East Pass covering trains in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Hungary - trains in Slovenia are cheap so just buy those tickets as you go.

"We are flying in Geneva (October 1st evening)and fly out from Basel (October 3rd evening)"

2 days ./. travel time from Geneva to the hidden place of Lauterbrunnen and from there to Basle = 1 1/2 days.

If you must arrive at Basel airport before 5pm, you have to leave Lauterbrunnen at 13.33

Sorry for the wrong answer. I should be:


1. Have a look at a map
2. Have a look at a timetable
www.bahn.de/p_en/view/index.shtml

Sleeping cars and couchettes:
Sofia dp 20.30 - Beograd ar 4.56am
Zagreb dp 18.37 - Ljubljana - Bled - Innsbruck - Zuerich
Zagreb dp 21.20 - Munnich ar 6.10
Couchettes:
Sofia dp 11.55 - Budapest ar 8.15

I've taken literally hundreds of overnigh trains and always slept well but there are more than a few who cannot - there is a modicum of noise always - from wheels on the tracks to loud speakers in stations, etc. So if a light sleeper night trains may not be a good solution - but otherwise save travel time and th4e cost of a night in a hotel.

Ljubljana to Innsbruck is just over 6 hours by train: For example leave Ljubljana at 9:22 am and with just one change of trains in Schwarzach-St. Veit, you arrive in Innsbruck about 3:30pm. European East pass would cover most of the fare as the train runs thru Austria most of the time.

3. Is there trains available from Bratisalva - Budapest

Beautiful train service with a great restaurant cart. Take the Eurocity direct train (runs every 2 hours or so), takes 2hrs 42 mins, costs 16.50€.