Another train trip, this time to the French Atlantic coast. (So, pronounce the title of this post in French, please!) After questionable financial outcome of a similar trip 2 years ago, I gave Interrail another shot.
This time, I put more effort into upfront planning and bought the smallest Interrail pass that fit my journey. Here is how it played out:
| Product | From | To | Interrail Price * | Regular Price ** | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interrail Pass (4 days in 1 month) | 283 | 0 | |||
| ICE (train) | München | Stuttgart | 0 | 28 | |
| ICE (train) | Stuttgart | Paris | 20 | 100 | |
| TGV (train) | Paris | Bordeaux | 22 | 111 | fast, but expensive connection, cheapest was 52, average was 80 |
| TER (train) | Bordeaux | St Vincent De Tyrosse | 0 | 33 | cheapest was 25 |
| Bus | St Vincent De Tyrosse | Hossegor | 0 | 0 | Free tourist bus |
| Uber | Hossegor | Labenne | 28 | 28 | No bus service on Sundays |
| TER (train) | Labenne | Guéthary | 0 | 8 | |
| TER (train) | Guéthary | Biarritz | 0 | 3 | |
| TGV (train) | Biarritz | Paris | 22 | 134 | cheapest was 92, average was 110 |
| TGV (train) | Paris | Stuttgart | 20 | 134 | cheapest was 116, average was 130 |
| ICE (train) | Stuttgart | München | 0 | 25 | could have been 0 with my “Deutschlandticket”, but could not find a good connection |
| Total | 395 | 604 |
** prices may vary based on availability, season, time of purchase, etc.
So, it kinda paid off this time. I paid less then 400 EUR for the whole 4-week trip, transportation-wise. It would have been about 50% more without Interrail. Though admittedly, I did not do too much in-between traveling.
What pisses me off: Most of the trip could have been replaced by return flights MUC to BIQ, or similar. As I’m writing this, such flights go for about 350 EUR, about the same as the long distance segments of my trip. But I bet the flights can be much cheaper, if you book at the right time. I heard that other guests from Germany or Switzerland had paid less than 100 EUR return, with some low-cost airline. Under the current circumstances, it’s shocking that flying is still so cheep!
Then again, I find traveling by train more pleasant than flying. I’m a tall guy, so I appreciate extra leg room and the occasional walk to the bistro car. And, using my laptop computer without needing a chiropractor afterwards. The high-speed trains (DB ICE and SNCF TGV InOui) had great Wifi-Internet, too, and I found a recent Futurama season in the ICE media library.
Overall, everything worked out pretty well this time. Almost no delays and I made all my connections. Even changing to the train on the other side of the platform in Stuttgart within a 9 minute window. (Looks like construction work on the tracks means that there are no direct trains between Munich and Paris currently, and the ÖBB NightJet that otherwise services this route is temporarily suspended.)
Of course, international travel can still be confusing:
