Should I change my plans?

[mslibrarian]

My ticket is booked for Halifax to London (April 29/09)and then return Berlin to Halifax (May 24) so I have my start and end location and dates. I also know I need to be in Bremen, Germany on May 15th to meet up with a friend. From there on in, I'll be travelling with her.

It's the two weeks (give or take) before the 15th that I can't decide on. I thought I had it nailed (Belgium and the Netherlands) but now I"m not so sure.

I've always wanted to visit Salzburg, Aus. and I'd love to work that into the trip. Maybe Innsbruck too.

Any suggestions?>

[madamtrashheap]

libby, what's the reason for your hesitancy on Belgium and the Netherlands? They are well worth visiting and from memory you had planned out all of the things/places you wanted to see quite well. Is there a way you can work Salzburg and Innsbruck into your travel time with your friend? I remember that you were back and forth about adding other cities to your itinerary, but time was an issue. If you really want to add Salzburg & Innsbruck, perhaps you can look at flying from London to Innsbruck (check easyJet from Gatwick Airport), travelling to Salzburg then making your way (overnight train or fly from Innsbruck - means a little backtracking - to Brussels with Transavia) up to Brussels and then spend a smaller amount of time in Belgium, quick, trip up to Amsterdam (fit a day into Den Haag if you can) then meet your friend in Bremen (it's a 4 hour train ride from Amsterdam) to continue your travels. This will mean whittling down the previous amount of time mentioned in Belgium and Netherlands, but you will still be able to fit a lot in without rushing.

For example, a rough itinerary could be:
Innsbruck (2 nights)
Salzburg (2 nights)
1 travel day/night
Brussels (2 nights + morning before travel)
Brugge/Bruges (3-4 nights, depending on day trips)
Amsterdam (3 nights, + day trip or o'night in Den Haag)
travel to Bremen.

See if that gives you something to play with. Can't recall, but where had you and your friend planned to travel after you meet up in Germany? Was it just the northern cities across to Berlin?

[herrbert]

I think the flights from Innsbruck to Brussels (or Amsterdam) by Transavia are only flown in the winterseason.

I would spend a little less time in Brugge. It can however also be a base, to visit Antwerp, Ieper, Gent.

[madamtrashheap]

Oct 8, 2008 10:18:28 GMT -5 herrbert said:

I think the flights from Innsbruck to Brussels (or Amsterdam) by Transavia are only flown in the winterseason.

I know you can only book 6 months in advance (generally) on Transavia, but I thought they flew this route all year round, albeit with only a few services per week (ie not daily). That would be a shame if it's only for Winter - well for libby anyway.

[mslibrarian]

Argh...I still haven't decided what to do.

My proposed route from London to Berlin through Belgium and the Netherlands is still in place but I still want to see Salzburg. I just don't see how I can do it in the time I want and using trains. Maybe I"ll just have to wait for another trip

It's just that I have two weeks to play with before I meet up with my friend in Germany (and there is no time to go to Austria with her, we're doing straight northern Germanya).

I"ve seen people who did like....6 countries in that time period.

Maybe I Just like to be pokey.

[Eagle]

libby, if you have two weeks to work with, I don't see any reason why you can't fit short visits in to both Salzburg and Innsbruck. I was in Salzburg in May and quite enjoyed my time there (although the smokers in restaurants, etc. was quite a problem for me - hopefully they have some "no smoking regulations" now!).

To minimize the travel time, one method you might consider is to travel from Brussels to an "intermediate destination" for one night, perhaps Koln? The travel time from there to Salzburg is only about six-seven hours using fast trains (one change at Munchen Hbf). You could use the same method on the trip from Salzburg to Bremen (although the travel time is less than eight hours via ICE train, with one change in Munich so I would probably do the trip in one day). Budget airlines are also possible, although I try to avoid them as much as possible for trips less than eight hours due to the hassle with check-in times, small luggage limits, travel to and from distant airports, etc. I find the train trips are much less stressful!

Good luck with your planning!

[mslibrarian]

Where are you getting these rain times and route Eagle. I'm not having much luck.

[Eagle]

libby, I usually use the bahn.de site to check rail trips. Although the schedule may change before next April, it provides a good approximation for now. There are always numerous trips every day, so I try to look for those with the shortest travel times and fewest number of changes (although one time in Italy, I selected a train with five changes just to see what it would be like).

If you find a journey that looks good, click on the the "show details" tab and it will indicate all the times, changes, intermediate stops and whether reservations are required. Also, note the comments on the bottom left regarding which days the train runs. Some trains only run on specific days.

Cheers!

[WillTravel]

Libby, maybe just consider adding one flight?

Flying from London to either Salzburg or Munich would work easily . If you fly to Munich, then from Munich Airport to Salzburg, you just take an airport shuttle bus.

Then work your way up from Salzburg to Benelux, maybe with an overnight train in there somewhere.

[mslibrarian]

If I do go to salzburg the flight might be the best option. British Airways will do it in 2 hours and for just under $200. I might get a better price at some point.

I just have to decide if I do it now or hold off for another trip.