UK
citizens do not need a visa to visit Croatia or Slovenia.
Check travel advice at
www.fco.gov.uk
before going to Bosnia.
Page last updated:
13 January 2010. Train times valid from 13 December 2009
to 12 June 2010.
UK to Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia by train?
Why not? It's very easy and affordable to travel
from the UK to Ljubljana, Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik or
Sarajevo overland by train. It's safe and comfortable,
too. This page will explain the options, train times,
fares and how to buy tickets.
Option 1: Using the Paris-Munich
City Night Line sleeper train...
This is the easiest, cheapest & most time-effective
way to travel from the UK to Croatia by train. If you prefer daytime trains, or need to
travel on the few off-season days when the Paris-Munich
sleeper isn't running, see option 2
below, which uses daytime trains all the way with an
overnight stop in Munich.
London ► Ljubljana, Zagreb
Travel from
London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving
London St Pancras at 16:02 (15:32 at weekends), arriving Paris Gare du Nord at
19:17 (18:47 at weekends).
It's then a
10 minute walk
from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est. By
all means take an earlier Eurostar if you'd like to spend
some time in Paris, or if it has cheaper seats available.
Travel from Paris to Munich
overnight by the City Night Line sleeper train
'Cassiopeia', leaving
Paris Gare de l'Est at 20:20 and arriving in Munich at
07:16 next morning. This
excellent train runs daily for most of the year, but only
4 times a week in winter. It runs on Mondays,
Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays until 18 March 2010, then daily for the summer until
8 November 2010, then on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays &
Sundays again until March 2011.
It has sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments,
standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower),
4 & 6-berth couchettes & ordinary seats, see the photos & information
below.
More
pictures & information about this City Night Line train.
Travel from Munich to
Ljubljana and Zagreb on a modern, air-conditioned EuroCity train, leaving Munich at
08:27
and arriving in Ljubljana at 14:30 & Zagreb at 17:10.
A restaurant car is available from the Slovenian
frontier at Jesenice (reached at 13:30), serving drinks, snacks and
affordable full meals (treat yourself to lunch!).
The scenery through southeast Germany, Austria & Slovenia is
stunning, with views of snow capped mountains, lush
meadows & winding rivers.
Zagreb & Ljubljana ► London
Travel
from Zagreb or Ljubljana to Munich by air-conditioned EuroCity train,
leaving Zagreb at 13:00 and Ljubljana at 15:25 and arriving in
Munich at 21:33. Enjoy the excellent scenery, a restaurant car
is available until the Austrian frontier, reached about
16:29. This train usually gets delayed a bit at
the frontier, so expect a 10-35 minute late arrival in
Munich.
Alternatively, you could take an earlier train
and spend the afternoon in Munich,
leaving Zagreb at 07:00 and Ljubljana at 09:28, arriving Munich at 15:33. Enjoy the excellent scenery over
lunch in the restaurant car.
Travel from Munich to Paris by
the City Night Line sleeper train 'Cassiopeia', leaving
Munich at 22:43 and arriving at Paris Gare de l'Est
09:23 next morning. This
excellent train runs daily for most of the year, but only
4 times a week in winter. It runs on Thursdays,
Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays until 17 March 2010, then
daily until 7 November 2010, then on Thursdays, Fridays,
Saturdays & Sundays again until March 2011. The trains has ordinary seats, couchettes
(4 & 6-bunk) and
sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3-bed rooms, deluxe with shower or standard
with washbasin).
More pictures
& information about this
City Night Line sleeper train.
Walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.
Travel
from Paris to London by
Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord at
11:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 12:29.
Introducing
the City Night Line sleeper from Paris to Munich...
The Paris-Munich overnight train is one of the German Railway's excellent
City Night Line sleeper trains. Called the
'Cassiopeia', it has modern 'Comfortline' sleeping-cars
(1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower &
toilet, 1, 2 &
3-berth standard rooms with washbasin). There is a shower at
the end of the corridor for passengers in standard rooms,
and all rooms have powerpoints for laptop computers.
There are also
modern air-conditioned couchettes, choose between a berth in a 4 or 6-berth compartment,
and ordinary seats (not recommended).
Inclusive fares are charged covering travel plus
sleeping accommodation. The sleeping-car fare includes
a light breakfast.
Click for more pictures
& information about this train.
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper:
The most comfortable & civilised option, standard with
washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.
4-berth couchettes:
Ideal for families, much more space per person than
6-berth couchettes.
6-berth couchettes:
A very economical option, far better than a seat for
just a few euros more...
Above: The
'Comfortline' sleeping-car of the Paris to Munich
sleeper train boarding at Paris Gare de l'Est...
On board the
EuroCity train from Munich to Ljubljana & Zagreb...
This is a
smart modern EuroCity train, with comfortable
air-conditioned Austrian coaches. A restaurant
is attached at the Slovenia frontier for lunch, but
always take your own supplies as well. The
scenery along this route is superb, sit back with a
glass of red and enjoy it...
Above: This is
the train to Ljubljana & Zagreb about to leave Munich...
Most of the train is for Klagenfurt, with just the rear
few coaches for Zagreb & Belgrade.
1st class seats are
in spacious 4 or 6-seat compartments...
2nd class seats are
in comfortable open saloons with plenty of space and
large picture windows...
Special
fare just 29 euros (£25) one-way, 58 euros (£50) return 2nd class
if you book
in advance (limited
availability).
3. Munich
to Zagreb
£64
one-way 2nd class, £92 one-way 1st class.
£128
return 2nd class, £184 return 1st class.
Special
fare just 29 euros (£25) one-way, 58 euros (£50) return 2nd class
if you book
in advance (limited
availability).
* Savings fares =
Special cheap fares, book in advance, limited availability,
no refunds, no changes to travel plans.
Normal fare =
fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.
How to
buy tickets online...
The cheapest way to book this journey is online, as there's
no booking fees and all the cheap deals are there for you to
see. There are two ways to book it, and I'd suggest
trying both as prices vary between the two:
It's best to book London-Munich in two stages. Step 1,
book the sleeper from Paris to Munich. Enter 'Paris'
to 'Munich' and your dates of travel.
Step 2, after booking the Paris-Munich train, stay on
www.raileurope.co.uk
and click 'continue shopping'. Now book a Eurostar ticket from London to
Paris and back to connect with the sleeper. Use the recommended
Eurostar times above as a guide, but by all means book an
earlier Eurostar outward or a later Eurostar on the way back
if these have cheaper seats available or if you'd like to
stop off in Paris.
Step 3, now go to the German
Railways website
www.bahn.de, use the journey planner to bring up the
connecting trains from Munich to Ljubljana or
Zagreb (Zagreb Glavni Kolod) shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket. It
will show if any cheap special fares are available. Tickets can be sent to any address,
or in some cases printed out yourself. I
recommend registering when it asks you before completing the
purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings.
If you have any problems with
www.raileurope.co.uk,
try this option instead. It involves 3 websites, so do
a 'dry run' first on all 3 sites to check prices &
availability before booking for real.
Step 1, go to
www.bahn.de, the German Railways website.
Book from Paris to
Munich and back on the overnight sleeper train.
Availability of cheap 'Savings' fares ('sparnight' in
German) and
fully-flexible normal fares will be shown, for each type of
seat, couchette & sleeper. You pay by credit card and print out
your own tickets in .pdf format. Easy! Note that
the prices shown on
www.bahn.de are in euros, and are the total cost for
all passengers selected, not per person. I
recommend registering when it asks you before completing the
purchase, so you can easily make the next booking and
retrieve any bookings later.
Step 2, go to
www.eurostar.com to book your connecting Eurostar
tickets between London and Paris, using the Eurostar times
above as a guide. By all means book an earlier
Eurostar outwards, or a later Eurostar on the way back, if
this has cheaper seats available of if you'd like to stop
off in Paris for a while. Eurostar tickets can be sent to any UK
address, self-printed, or collected at the station.
Step 3, now go
back to
www.bahn.de and use the journey planner to bring
up the connecting trains from Munich to Ljubljana or
Zagreb Glavni Kolod shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket. It
will show if any cheap special fares are available. Tickets can be sent to any address,
or in some cases printed out yourself.
How to buy tickets
by email...
If you'd prefer to have someone book it all for you,
just click here and a booking form will appear which lists
all the
trains you
need to book. Fill
it in & email it to
sales@europeanrail.com. European Rail will make
the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.
If you're okay with the price you can give them your credit card details and
they'll send you
the tickets. European Rail is an experienced agency
equipped with the German Railways reservation & ticketing
system, so they have access to all the cheap fares for travel via
Germany. They charge a £35 booking fee which includes
postage to any UK address, or they can send to any address
worldwide if you pay the courier fee. Seat61 gets some
commission if you buy tickets using this form.
How to buy tickets by phone...
If
you prefer to book by phone, just call
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no
booking fee, 2% credit card charge but no charge for debit
cards), or a booking agency such
as
European Rail
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £35 booking fee).
Option 2:
Using daytime trains (with overnight stop)...
This option is useful on days when the Paris-Munich sleeper
isn't running, or if you prefer daytime travel.
London ► Ljubljana, Zagreb
Day 1, travel from
London to Munich by daytime trains either via Paris or via Brussels & Cologne.
See the London to Germany page
for train times, fares & how to buy tickets.
Day 2, travel from Munich to
Ljubljana and Zagreb on modern, air-conditioned EuroCity train, leaving Munich at
08:27
and arriving in Ljubljana at 14:30 & Zagreb at 17:10.
A restaurant car is available from about 13:30, serving drinks, snacks and
affordable full meals (treat yourself to lunch!).
The scenery through southeast Germany & Slovenia is
stunning, with views of snow capped mountains, lush
meadows & winding rivers.
Zagreb & Ljubljana ► London
Day 1, travel from Zagreb
or Ljubljana to Munich by air-conditioned EuroCity
train, leaving Zagreb at 13:00 and Ljubljana at 15:25
and arriving in Munich at 21:33. Enjoy the
excellent scenery over lunch in the restaurant car.
Day 2, travel
from Munich to London by daytime trains, either via Paris or via Cologne &
Brussels. See the London to
Germany page for train times, fares & how to buy
tickets.
Then use the
journey planner at the German Railways website
www.bahn.de to bring
up the Munich-Ljubljana-Zagreb train
shown above, and buy the ticket. It
will show if any cheap special fares are available. Tickets can be sent to any address,
or in some cases printed out yourself.
Option 3:
London to Ljubljana via Venice...
As
the direct EuroCity train 'Casanova' has been withdrawn
between Venice and the Slovenia frontier, this route
is no longer recommended. The incompetent Italian
Railways management have proved
more effective then the Yugoslav communists at creating an
iron curtain at this point!
Rijeka: Trains run
from Ljubljana to Rijeka
two or three times a day. There are direct trains at 06:20
(arriving Rijeka at 08:51) and 14:53 (arriving 17:25).
On Mondays-Fridays, there's also a departure from Ljubljana
at 16:53, change at Pivka & Sapjane, arriving Rijeka 19:45.
If the EuroCity from Munich is on time or only a little
late, you might make the 14:53 train to Rijeka, but 23
minutes is a tight connection in this part of the world.
You can check Ljubljana-Rijeka train times using
www.bahn.de (English button top right).
Advance reservation isn't necessary for Ljubljana-Rijeka
trains, so you can buy a ticket at Ljubljana on the day &
hop on, indeed this is cheaper than buying a through ticket
from outside Slovenia. The ticket office at Ljubljana
is easy to find and English is widely spoken. The
Ljubljana-Rijeka fare is only about 13 euros one-way, 20
euros
return.
Returning,
trains leave Rijeka at 12:57
(arriving 15:25) and at 20:45 (arriving 23:22).
Allow plenty of time (an hour or two) to make connections in
Ljubljana, and/or stay overnight if necessary.
Koper:
Trains link Ljubljana with Koper five or six times daily.
Arriving in Ljubljana off the EuroCity from Munich, a train
leaves Ljubljana at 15:40 arriving Koper at 18:10. For
other options and return train times, see
www.bahn.de.
An overnight
train (train 825) leaves Zagreb daily at 22:50, arriving at Split next
morning at 06:56. It has modern air-conditioned
sleeping-cars with 1, 2 & 3-berth compartments (see photos
below), but no couchettes.
Alternatively,
you can stay the night in Zagreb and continue to Split or
Zadar by daytime train next morning. This
is a good option, as Zagreb to Split is a very scenic
train ride: Mountains, lakes, rivers, and even
vineyards.
There are two or three fast modern 'ICN' air-conditioned
daytime trains from Zagreb
to Split, for Zadar you must change trains at Knin.
ICN trains tilt round the bends on this mountainous route,
cutting the journey time to
5½ hours
from a previous best of around 8 hours. Check train times using
www.bahn.de (English button top right).
Seat reservation is compulsory on ICN trains. If you
buy your ticket at Zagreb station, the fare is about 170
Kuna (£17), which includes a complimentary coffee &
sandwich.
Returning, the
overnight train leaves Split at
22:07 as train number 824, arriving Zagreb at 06:31 next
morning. Brand-new sleeping-cars with 1, 2 & 3-berth
compartments are available (see photos below), but no couchettes. See the
London to Zagreb
section above for the connection to London.
Alternatively, travel by fast 'ICN' daytime train and spend
the night in Zagreb, u
se
www.bahn.de to find train times from Split or
Zadar to Zagreb.
Seat reservation is compulsory on ICN trains. If you
buy your ticket at Zagreb station, the fare by ICN train is
about 170 Kuna (£17), which includes a complimentary coffee
& sandwich.
For fares
from London to Zagreb, see the section above.
To buy train
tickets from the UK to Split, either:
(a) use
this
booking form, fill it in and send it to
sales@europeanrail.com. They will call you back
with a cost and take your credit card details if you're okay
with the price.
(b) buy tickets
online from London to Zagreb
as shown above.
www.raileurope.co.ukmay be able to book a ticket from Zagreb to Split and back on the
overnight train with either a berth in a 2-berth or berth in
a 3-berth sleeper, although you will find it much cheaper to book
this ticket when you reach Zagreb.
Above:
The overnight train between
Zagreb & Split has
modern air-conditioned sleeping-cars with 1, 2 & 3-bed
compartments with washbasin. Photos courtesy of
John Allen
London to to Ancona in Italy by train, then ferry to Split...
Travel from London to Ancona by train, taking Eurostar to
Paris, the overnight sleeper to Bologna and a fast train on
to Ancona. For train times and fares between London
and Ancona, see the London
to Italy page.
Sail from Ancona to Split or Zadar
by ferry. Allow plenty of time for the connection &
check-in at Ancona. Several
shipping lines run overnight ferries on various days of the
week between Ancona & Split, including
www.jadrolinija.hr
&
www.bli-ferry.com.
Between June & September, there's also a daily fast ferry, taking 4
hours, leaving Ancona at around 11:00 and returning from
Split at 17:00, see
www.snav.it. To
book Jadrolinija ships from the UK, contact their UK
agents, Viamare
Travel on 020
8343 5810.
There are also some sailings to Zadar.
Then travel
onward by overnight sleeper train to Split, or spend the
night in Zagreb then take a scenic train ride to Split next
morning, see the London to Split section above.
Take a ferry
from Split to the islands. Ferries sail from Split to
Hvar, Vis, Korcula and other nearby islands regularly, see
www.jadrolinija.hr
for ferry times & information.
London to
Rijeka overland by train, then
coastal ferry to Hvar or Korcula...
This is a
very pleasant way to reach Hvar or Korcula. Runs
once or twice a week.
First, travel
from London to Ljubljana, taking Eurostar to Paris, the
City Night Line sleeper train to Munich and a EuroCity
train to Ljubljana.
See the London to
Ljubljana section above for full details, including
train times, fares & how to buy tickets.
Then travel
onward by train to Rijeka, see the London to
Rijeka section above. Allow plenty of time for
connections both in Ljubljana & Rijeka. It's
recommended to leave London on Saturdays to make the Monday
ferry from Rijeka, or Wednesdays to make the Friday sailing,
spending one night in Ljubljana.
Then sail
along the coast to Hvar or Korcula on the twice-weekly Jadrolinija
ferry linking Rijeka, Split, Hvar, Korcula & Dubrovnik -
see the ferry timetable in the
section below, and visit www.jadrolinija.hr
for sailing days, times and fares
. To book
Jadrolinija ships from the UK, contact their UK agents Viamare
Travel on 020
8343 5810.
London to
Bari in Italy by train, then ferry to Hvar or Korcula...
This is
perhaps the most civilised option, although not the most
frequent.
Runs once or twice a week.
First travel
from London to Bari in Italy, taking Eurostar to Paris,
the overnight sleeper train to Bologna and a fast train
on to Bari. See the London
to Italy page for full details, including train times, fares
and how to buy tickets.
Then travel
onward by overnight sleeper train to Split, or spend the
night in Zagreb then take a scenic train ride to Split
next morning, see the London to Split section above.
Then take a
bus from Split to Dubrovnik. Buses run every hour or two, taking about 4-5
hours. Bus information can be found at
www.ak-split.hr (Split bus station arrivals &
departures), www.dubrovnik-online.com
or
www.libertasdubrovnik.hr (Dubrovnik bus station
departures).
London to
Bari in Italy by train, then ferry to Dubrovnik...
This is
arguably the most civilised option, but runs only once
or twice a week.
First travel
from London to Bari in Italy, taking Eurostar to Paris,
the overnight sleeper train to Bologna and a fast train
on to Bari. See the London
to Italy page for full details, including train times, fares
and how to buy tickets.
Then sail
from Bari to Dubrovnik by ferry. Ferries sail several times a week,
Jadrolinija sailing twice a week in summer (Tues & Sat),
once a week
in winter
(Tuesdays),
see the ferry timetable in the
section below
, Azzurraline sailing once or twice a week in
summer only. See www.jadrolinija.hr
(all year round) &
www.azzurraline.com (summer only)
for sailing days, times & fares.
Above: The
Jadrolinija Ferry 'Marko Polo' links Rijeka, Split &
Dubrovnik.
Photo courtesy of John Allen.
London to
Rijeka overland by train, then coastal ferry to Dubrovnik...
This is a
very pleasant way to reach Hvar, Korcula or Dubrovnik.
Runs once or twice a week.
First, travel
from London to Ljubljana, taking Eurostar to Paris, the
City Night Line sleeper train to Munich and a EuroCity
train to Ljubljana.
See the London to
Ljubljana section above for full details, including
train times, fares & how to buy tickets.
Then travel
onward by train to Rijeka, see the London to
Rijeka section above. Allow plenty of time for
connections both in Ljubljana & Rijeka. It's
recommended to leave London on Saturdays to make the
Monday ferry from Rijeka, or Wednesdays to make the Friday
sailing, spending one night in Ljubljana.
Then sail
along the coast on to Dubrovnik on the twice-weekly Jadrolinija
ferry linking Rijeka, Split, Hvar, Korcula & Dubrovnik - visit www.jadrolinija.hr
for sailing days, times and fares
. To book
Jadrolinija ships from the UK, contact their UK agents Viamare
Travel on 020
8343 5810.
Traveller John Allen reports on the coastal ferry (2008):
"The “Marko Polo” runs up and down the Adriatic coast
from Rijeka down to Dubrovnik and then across to Bari
and back. It is a tried and trusted ship with a whiff of
the “seventies” aboard. Cabins are clean and habitable.
The atmosphere on board is good, many families
travelling from a variety of countries, Italians,
Germans, many Eastern Europeans and a smattering of
Brits. The young and Interrailers tend to sleep on deck
without cabins. The overnight portion of the journey is
from Rijeka to Split (ignoring the Italian leg) and we
would recommend getting a cabin for this. During the day
leg (Split, Stari Grad, Korcula and Dubrovnik) we would
recommend a basic ticket without any cabin. This allows
for sunbathing/sightseeing on deck and there is enough
space in the restaurant (very good food) or bar for
breaks. If sleeping on deck beware that as the ship
approaches Split from the South there is a battle to
acquire space for the night ahead."
A train leaves Zagreb daily at 08:53 arriving Sarajevo
at 18:05, Mostar at 20:43, Ploče at 22:18. The train has 1st & 2nd class seats, but
no buffet or restaurant car, so take your own supplies
of food, water and wine or beer... It's a very
scenic journey!
Alternatively,
there is an overnight Zagreb-Sarajevo train, which has
seats but now no couchette car so is not the most
comfortable or civilised option. It leaves Zagreb at
21:25 and arrives Sarajevo at 06:39 next morning, see the
photo on the right.
Traveller Neil Edwards took
the train from the UK to Sarajevo in 2008: "The
three of us who made the train journey from London to
Sarajevo can confirm that it was certainly a great
experience and worth the effort if you can spare the
extra travelling time. The Zagreb-Sarajevo [daytime]
train isn't the most decadent, modern or rapid of trains,
though in a way this adds to the charm. There's no buffet
car although a chap with a small pull-a-long trolley tried
to sell us small bottles of fizzy drink on a number of
occasions. It's a long journey and you will need
supplies for the 9-10 hour journey. Don't expect to
pick up anything decent for the trip at Sarajevo station,
there are a couple of kiosks nearby but you can only get
fluids and chocolate. Ah, and as for bathroom
facilities, go early on as they quickly become flooded or
soiled!
Traveller Phillip
Mullen took
the overnight train from Zagreb to Sarajevo in October 2008:
"There was no problem in buying the ticket from the
International travel desk at Zagreb Glavni Kolod (main
station), where a return cost me the equivalent of £40
including a couchette for the outward journey [Note:
There are no longer any couchettes on this train]. The
train had only a few passengers on it, and being so empty I
had the whole 6-person compartment to myself and was settled
down and sleeping by 10pm. I was woken twice during
the night by border guards, the first time around 11pm when
they hammered on my door , which locked from the inside for
security, as the guard had told me. I waited just a little
too long to open up because I'd been warned about beggars!
Oh well, they were a bit irate! The second time was
around midnight and I'm not sure what that was for, but they
seemed fairly content after glancing at my passport.
As I recall the train arrived on time in Sarajevo, around
6:30am. It was not possible to book a couchette for my
return journey at the ticket office in Sarajevo train
station, and I was prepared to sleep in a seat on the way
back to Zagreb. But I boarded the the train 20mins before
it was due to leave, found the guard and asked for a
couchette. He didn't speak much English, but he mentioned a
fee of €10, which I thought was a bargain for a night's
rest! Whether this was an official fee or a perk-of-the-job
I don't know, as no receipt or alteration to my ticket was
made, but it seemed a modest sum."
Ploče, Mostar, Sarajevo ► London
A train leaves Ploče daily at
06:20, Mostar at 07:36 & Sarajevo at 10:27 arriving Zagreb at 19:45. The train has 1st
& 2nd class seats, but no buffet or restaurant car, so
take your own supplies of food, water and wine or beer...
There is also now an overnight
Sarajevo-Zagreb train, with seats but no sleepers or
couchettes. It leaves Sarajevo at 21:20 and
arrives Zagreb at 06:42. However, I wouldn't
risk the connection with the 07:00 train from Zagreb to
Munich.
The Thomas Cook European Timetable
The
Thomas Cook European timetable
has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency
& climate
information. Published since 1873, it costs £13.99.
It's essential for any serious traveller
and an inspiration for armchair travellers. Still
not convinced you need one? More information
on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains. You can
buy the latest monthly edition online at
www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery or
buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the
bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria or Kings
Cross stations in London.
Or
buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with
laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:
Winter 2009/10
edition (Dec 2009 to June 2010)
Summer 2010 edition (June to December 2010)
The Thomas Cook Rail Map of
Europe is the best and most comprehensive
map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the
west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland
in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south. High speed
&
scenic routes are highlighted. Highly recommended!
Buy online
at
www.amazon.co.uk
(worldwide delivery).
See an extract from
the map.
You
should take a good guidebook. I think that the Lonely
Planets and the Rough Guides are easily the best for the
independent traveller. Both guides have plenty of
background historical and cultural information, plus lots of
practical information. You won't regret buying one of
these guides..!
My own book, an essential handbook for train travel to
Europe based on this website called "The
Man in Seat 61", was published in June 2008, and
is available from Amazon.co.uk with shipping worldwide.
Find a hotel in
Croatia, Slovenia or anywhere in
Europe...
It's
easy to book hotels online to go with your train tickets.
Just use the search box below. This links to
www.hotelscombined.com, a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms, Opodo, Venere,
Asiarooms and many
others) to find just about the widest range of hotels with the cheapest rates on the net. Set
up in 2005, it's an amazing system and probably the best place
to start for booking any hotel online in any country,
worldwide.
If you're on a tight budget,
don't forget the hostels. For a dorm bed or an
ultra-cheap private room in backpacker hostels in most
European cities use
www.hostelbookers.com.
Travel insurance & health card...
Get travel insurance..
Never go abroad without travel insurance from a
reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover loss of
cash (up to a limit) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year (I have an annual policy myself). Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
If you're a
UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free
European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or
reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in
many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with
the NHS. This replaced the old E111 forms
as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available from
www.ehic.org.uk. It doesn't remove the need for
travel insurance, though.
Get a pre-paid euro currency MasterCard from Caxton FX...
You can save money on ATM charges and exchange rates using a
Caxton FX euro currency MasterCard, or indeed the
multi-currency 'Global Traveller' MasterCard.
Find out about these cards & sign up here.
Get an international SIM card...
Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, but if you
buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company
such as
www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85%. It
cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide,
and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries. It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills
when you get home. It also allows cheap data access for laptops
& PDAs. A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't
expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some
others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone
number' for life.
If you're on a tight budget,
don't forget the hostels. For a dorm bed or an
ultra-cheap private room in backpacker hostels in most
European cities use
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the
EU, see
If you live in the USA or Canada, see
