I'd never really thought about going abroad by train before so just wanted to give a heads up to those who might be interested.We've booked interrail tickets down to Marseille. Kids get their ticket for free. We leave from our local station in the morning and will be by the Med for dinner time. The interrail ticket covers our rail travel down to London and then there's a surcharge for the Eurostar. All in it's costing us the same as flying and I'm anticipating a nicer experience than being shafted by Ryanair. We can stop in Paris for lunch. Kids are psyched off their heads to go on a double-decker train. We can do a day trip to Avignon or somewhere else on the pass. There's a lot to love.Learning how to use the interrail ticket and reserving seats took some figuring out and the Seat 61 website was very very helpful in this regard.
Nice one Will!! My partner and I went to Font + skiing by train in February and I can confirm going on a double decker train is the shizzle! Also it’s soo much nicer going by train. I haven’t flown for a few years now and remember hating it the last time I did. Taking the train was so much nicer. Enjoy
Quote from: Duncan campbell on March 19, 2024, 04:57:31 pmNice one Will!! My partner and I went to Font + skiing by train in February and I can confirm going on a double decker train is the shizzle! Also it’s soo much nicer going by train. I haven’t flown for a few years now and remember hating it the last time I did. Taking the train was so much nicer. EnjoyHow was it taking all your kit on the train? Pads plus skis etc sounds like a lot of work! This is one of my major hesitances with the train, we usually fill the van when we go on holiday!
My partner and I went to ..... skiing by train in February
https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/london-to-paris-by-eurostar.htm#luggage-on-eurostarThe bloke here reckons you'll be fine but I suppose pads are conspicuously bulky so might attract a clipboard's attention. A lot of pads (Organic Full) are only just over 85cm...
It was to Moutiers but wasn’t rowdy at all tbh, was busy on the way down but was fine.
How much is an interrail ticket?
Just popping in to give a trip report from a week in Marseille for others who might be browsing for recommendations in the future.We travelled on Interrail tickets (kids under 12 get theirs free when travelling with an adult) from our local train station in the north of England to Marseille. Door to door it was 12 hours each way, so it's longer than flying but not by masses once you've considered transfers at either end and a more protracted security process. Probably a little bit more expensive after you've paid for seat reservations on French trains and a bit extra for the Eurostar, but only by a little once you've accounted for taking a hold bag on a plane (which we do when travelling with kids) and the seat reservations you have to make when flying with young kids. Train travel in the UK is included on the Interrail ticket provided your outbound trip is one continuous journey (connections are fine, but no cheeky overnight stop in London).French trains make our own look like a joke. Fast, reliable, very comfortable, no worrying about baggage weight limits or faffing with taking only certain volumes of liquids etc etc etc. If we were doing it again we'd plan a couple of days in Paris, which of course wouldn't cost any extra in travel expenses if going by train on an Interrail ticket).Getting around Marseille is cheap and easy. Unlimited travel for 7 days on all the buses, trams, metro, ferries, and local trains for £13.Beautiful weather, beautiful food, some fabulous beaches in the Calanques (and you could do some lovely walks there if you were minded to). 10/10 would recommend.NSFW specific beta and holiday snaps that you probably don't want to see: Oo la la le tren.Calanque Morgiou. About an hour's pleasant walk from Luminy University campus which has a regular bus service. There is no access via car from June to the end of summer. Popular but not excessively busy.Plage Calanque St Estève on the Frioul islands. The Chateau d'If in the back right (obvs you must read The Count of Monte Cristo before you go).Palais Longchamp. Art Museum within is not quite the Uffizi but the Natural History Museum there is fun.Calanque Sugiton. This was my favourite though a little too crowded for my wife who preferred Morgiou. Again, no access via car in the season - it's about an hour's walk from the University. Jumping in off the rock in the middle of the Calanque into deep deep water is brilliant. I gave myself an accidental sinus enema which was still leaking seawater when I lay down in bed that night.Chateau d'If. You cannot whack a good castle.Kids love getting around by boat.
In the middle of planning a Austrian Alps trip in the summer by train but the girls are whinging about a lack of beaches/sea.
This looks fab Will. In the middle of planning a Austrian Alps trip in the summer by train