Smelly Swiss Dilettante

[Jean]

Yes, it used to work the otherway around (train boarded after 19h could be written on the next day).
Those rule are nice. It used to be possible to travel from switzerland to bodø in only 2 travel day, but since the night train (from trondheim to bodo) disapeared, it isn't anymore.
This is just an example to show that you should check your route before choosing how many days you want to buy
Interrail is often the cheapest way around if you haven't booked in advance.
But if you book in advance, trip beetween a german train station and a station within a neighbouring country can be had for 36 euros. So you could possibly get a ticket from your western residence to travemünde and then a boat ticket for cheaper than an interrail.
But if you want a flexible travel without the expense of having your own vehicle, interrail are unbeatable.
Interrail would allow you a detour trough switzerland .

Edit: from what i see, the border are still anoying by train due to the baltic network being moscow centered.
The warsaw talinn line will really be a great thing!

[loutfard]

There is actually Warsaw -> Vilnius and Vilnius -> Rīga -> Tallinn since a few months. It's just not advertised (yet) on the large advertising company's maps. Have a look at https://bilietas.ltglink.lt/ . Annoyingly, very low frequency ~daily trains, requiring overnight stays in both Warsaw and Vilnius. That makes it slow and expensive.

Not sure what you mean with the 36€ for Belgium -> any German station. The cheapest I can find is ~60€. Could you elaborate?

[Jean]

I don't find them either. It was probably temporary and meant to encourage germans to use the train when traveling internationally.
Last year i took advantage of it a few time.
Tickets to northern germany were cheaper from switzerland than from southern germany.

I dont find connexion beetween warsaw and riga with your link. But if you need to overnight in vilnius, it might be cheaper to use the interrail up to warsaw (or vilnius or kaunas), and then a nightbus.

[zbigi]

@loutfard
There's currently a new Warsaw-Vilnus-Riga-Tallinn rail line being constructed, with planned operational speeds between 200 and 250 km/h. It's promised to be finished by year 2030. So, you just gotta wait a couple years (assuming Baltic states don't "join" Russian Federation in the meantime).

[Jean]

@zbigi
I must write to long posts, because i mentioned this future line.

[zbigi]

@zbigi
I must write to long posts, because i mentioned this future line.

Where? Do you mean this single sentence reference to it:

The warsaw talinn line will really be a great thing!

or was there something else I've missed?

[Jean]

That's what i mean.
What did you understand it was refering to?

[loutfard]

I don't find them either. It was probably temporary and meant to encourage germans to use the train when traveling internationally.
Last year i took advantage of it a few time.
Tickets to northern germany were cheaper from switzerland than from southern germany.

I explored a bit further. Belgium's railway line operator charges heavily for high speed cross-border trains. Slower cross-border trains are cheaper. The hack is an intra-Belgian ticket to the last slow stop before the border, an 8' cross-border ticket, and a cheap intra-German ticket to Travemünde. The cheapest combination I could find was 42.19€ that way, and hardly any slower. A bus is marginally cheaper even, but I love trains...

I dont find connexion beetween warsaw and riga with your link. But if you need to overnight in vilnius, it might be cheaper to use the interrail up to warsaw (or vilnius or kaunas), and then a nightbus.

You can separately book trains Warsaw - Vilnius and Vilnius- Rīga there. There's only one train Warsaw- Vilnius (7:55am, 25€) and Vilnius-Rīga (7am, 15.6€) a day . You'd have to pick a future departure day to see it. Here too, a bus is cheaper, faster and more direct.

And Rail Baltica. Switching existing lines from Russian to standard European gauge would have been much cheaper, faster and safer. Passenger trains in 2030 would be a very pleasant surprise. I'm definitely not counting on it.

[Jean]

https://youtu.be/gMgOBrhL60g?si=24L4RD5kcl6veubu

I served as a guide for a youtube video in my area.

[chenda]

https://youtu.be/gMgOBrhL60g?si=24L4RD5kcl6veubu

I served as a guide for a youtube video in my area.

Superb Jean. You would make a good you tuber.

[theanimal]

You make a great tour guide Jean. Mrs. Animal and I enjoyed watching it. I'm convinced that raclette makes up the majority of your diet.

[Jean]

@the animal,@chenda
Thank you. Maybe i should really start a youtube channel or a guiding gig.

Also, i'm in oslo, if any one wants to meet up in the next hours.

[J_]

Good to see and hear you again Jean. I could not understand all but it is an impressive introduction to your “province” and to your familiarity with it. Thanks!

[guitarplayer]

Interrail is often the cheapest way around if you haven't booked in advance.

I read that booking overnight trains requires reservation that costs extra, is this always the case in your experience?

[Jean]

Some do, some don't.
If you wan't a bed,you need to book. Some train let you sit without extra booking. Germany has a lot of night train that you don't need to book.
I try to avoid reservation, but if you wan't a seat, it's usually around 5 euros.
Some high speed train require a reservation to. They can be avoided usually, but in spain it was notably difficult.
Also, companies change their reservation rules some times. Best is to check with the rail planer app. And double check with the db navigator app

[guitarplayer]

Warsaw (Poland) - Rijeka (Croatia) connection starts on 27 June. Train ride lasts 19h (trying to shave off 3 h in the future), 4 days a week.

[Jean]

Thats a good news, there is a lack of north south connexions in the eastern half of the eu.

[Jean]

Trip to norway is going well.
My goal was to reach on foot an area where people live and drive, but where it's impossible to drive to.
I had to cross a wind turbine field and some wilderness to reach it, but the valley where i am now is stunningly beautifull.
There was no info online about this valley. Looking for beautifull places no one would tell me about is some kind of treasure hunt i really enjoy.
Unvisited beautiful places are getting rare in switzerland, but in norway, there are hundreds left.
I'm torn beetween sharing my interest and discouraging people from doing it

[chenda]

I believe there is a long distance footpath which runs all the way up the spine of Norway to the Russian border. It connects to another route running to Sicily through the Alps.

[guitarplayer]

the night train to bodo will be back on once they fetch a locomotive. I am gonna ask you about the places in Norway next time I see you, take my word that I won't contribute the locations to the open source maps I am using.