keiether

Hello all, I'm planning my Christmas trip, the places include Vienna, Salzburg, Hallstatt, Prague and Ljubljana (with day-trip to Lake Bled). The departing city is Berlin and I'll be relying on public transport, so i'm hoping you guys could help me plan an itinerary that would cost me the least. Thanks so much in advance!

PalenQ

Berlin
Train to Prague
Train to Vienna
Train to Salzburg
Train to Ljublana
fly back to Berlin or go via Munich by train but a long slog - there is a night train between Venice and Munich and between Munich and Berlin.

For schedules see www.bahn/de/en and fares for trains involving Germany with sweet discounts available if booking in stone weeks early. There is also a European East Railpass good on trains in Czech Repulbic; Austria; Hungary; Slovakia and Poland that may benefit you especially if you want to chose which train to hop once there - a fully flexible pass can hop on any train anytime - first class would be my recommendation and the pass is even a better deal vs first class fares.

Great sites for planning the rail part: www.seat61.com - wowing info about discounted tickets for each segment; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. trains usually run on Christmas day too.

PalenQ

Are you departing from Berlin at the end of your trip or departing from Berlin at the beginning - are you flying in and out of Berlin - if not consider open jaw - fly into Berlin and out of say Ljublana or even bop over to Venice for the flight back.

Fussgaenger

Ummm... How many days on the ground do you have for all this?

"...help me plan an itinerary that would cost me the least."

What sort of lodging expectations do you have? Hostel bed in multi-bed room? Single room in cheap hotel? Private B&B?

keiether

@palenQ: thanks so much for your detailed reply. I'm actually departing from Madrid but i'm going to Berlin first and from there to other cities.

@fussgaenger: with "help me plan an itinerary that would cost me the least" i mean the transportation cost.

I think someone've said that it's cheaper and more convenient to go from Vienna to Prague, then back to Salzburg. Thoughts?

pariswat

When young, I did a lot of hitch hiking, that was defintely the best cost approach.

Fussgaenger

"I think someone've said that it's cheaper and more convenient to go from Vienna to Prague, then back to Salzburg. Thoughts?"

Since you don't yet have the resources or the wherewithal to figure out the transport details yourself and still need some advice...

Again, how many days on the ground do you have for all this?

There's no good way for anyone to provide specific itinerary advice without this information. You should also provide your travel DATES if you know them - then someone clever about the transport options might be able to research specific fares for you.

PalenQ

"I think someone've said that it's cheaper and more convenient to go from Vienna to Prague, then back to Salzburg. Thoughts?">

Well it is longer to go Vienna-Salzburg-Prague than to go Vienna-Prague-Salzburg IF you are going south to Slovenia afterward which I believe is shorter from Salzburg than Vienna - look up schedules at www.bahn.de/en - the Wunderbar German Railways pan-European scheduling site.

Salzburg is about two hours closer to Ljubjana than is Vienna so that would be a logical routing. (just over 4 hours from Salzburg; just over six hours from Vienna. Both routes are scenic though the one from Vienna may more scenic by a bit.