Megha ([info]meghainclouds) wrote,
@ 2006-06-21 14:29:00
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NEED TRAVEL INFO URGENTLY!
Guys, I need some help.

I am planning a Europe trip - Norway, Austria, Switzerland. As of now, the plan is to take Austrian Air from Bombay, with a stopover at Vienna. Travel is Vienna for 4 days, and then go to Switzerland for 4 days, back to Vienna, and then fly to Norway for the rest of the trip.

Slight problem - the cost is working out too high. Austrian air is coming to 49k return inclusive of taxes.

I have another option - Fly to Oslo, via Frankfurt. Then take train to Vienna from Frankfurt. This would cost me 43k. Does anyone know how far Frankfurt is from Vienna, and give me cost options (train and flight)

Also, please let me know if you can think of any way i can juggle around the iteranary, to reduce costs. My norway is quite structured with a defined iteranary, but we are backpacking in Switzerland and Austria..so we do have some options.

Need the info as fast as possible. We are planning the trip for august, but need to book the tickets soon.

Please please please drop in a comment if you have any useful info.

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[info]dilip
2006-06-21 09:56 am UTC (link)
You are talking of backpacking. And you are considering Vienna in the same trip...

You can drop your number to me at dilips_10 AT yahoo DOT com if you intend to. I can call if need be.

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[info]meghainclouds
2006-06-21 10:57 am UTC (link)
Mailed you.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]quizling
2006-06-21 10:18 am UTC (link)
Switzerland and Austria are neighbours, and bundling the two is easy, but why did you have to include Norway? It's not cost-effective if you're on a self-financed budget trip. Why not look at Paris/Bucharest/Prague and leave a tour of Scandinavia for another time?

A relatively cheap — and, in my opinion, very interesting — option would be to take a return air ticket to some city in Europe (say, Frankfurt), and spend two weeks travelling around continental Europe by train on a Eurail pass. If you plan properly, you can sleep overnight in trains and save a packet on accommodation.

However, if you've already planned your Norway itinerary and would like to use your midway stopover to see some other places by air/rail, these links might be helpful:

  • Eurail. Also see a map of the European rail network.
  • Frankfurt to Vienna by rail.
  • For competitive flight fares, try Air Ninja.

    (Reply to this) (Thread)

    •

    [info]meghainclouds
    2006-06-21 10:56 am UTC (link)
    Hey, thanks a lot for links.I will lookup for more info on these.

    As for the iteranary, I know Scandinavia is damn expensive, and its a weird combo. I guess this is what happens when 3 girls travel together - they just cant decide on one thing. Wel, not really - I dont mind just doing just europe, but this other friend of mine has already done germany, france, brussels, so Norway is for her.

    Well, to save costs, we have taken a eurorail pass in austria and switzerland, and staying in youth hostels. I am not sure if we can stay the nights on trains - the eurorail pass only allows day travel; if you need a night train, I belive you have to take a reservation, and thats expensive.

    Lets see. Am hoping the eurorail pass and hostels will succeed in keeping costs low. Fingers crossed.

    (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

    [info]sthira
    2006-06-21 11:09 am UTC (link)
    What about including Italy instead of Norway? All 3 countries that you have chosen are quite expensive. With Italy, it isn't too expensive and you can fly Alitalia which turns out quite cheap if you book in advance.

    (And you might know this already, but you need a separate visa for Switzerland since it doesn't come under the Schengen countries.)

    (Reply to this) (Parent)

    [info]rohandsa
    2006-06-21 12:35 pm UTC (link)
    Do you really want to take a Eurail pass?

    There are cheap flights all over Europe now which can work to be quite cheap if booked in advance.

    http://www9.germanwings.com/
    http://www.airberlin.com/
    http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/

    Train to Vienna
    Fast Trains cost around 130 bucks one way. Leave every hour or so.
    http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?ld=212.60&seqnr=2&ident=eb.01599018.1150893260&OK#focus

    (Reply to this) (Parent)

    [info]pratibha75
    2006-06-22 04:48 am UTC (link)
    Ditto! Am with quizling on his views on Norway. It is frightfully expensive!!

    (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

    [info]quizling
    2006-06-22 09:17 am UTC (link)
    I have no views on Norway because I don't know how cheap/expensive it is! I just felt it's a bad idea to include it along with central Europe, because of the hassles involved in travelling back and forth.

    It seemed rather like doing Delhi, Jaipur and Kerala on a budget vacation. Wouldn't it be better to do Delhi, Jaipur and Agra this time, and leave Goa/Kerala for another trip?

    (Reply to this) (Parent)

    [info]rileen
    2006-06-21 04:52 pm UTC (link)
    Well, looks like most of the useful info i could provide already here :-)

    So i'll just add to the suggestion that you choose Italy or some other place nearer Austria and Switzerland, or at any rate cheaper than Norway - how about Spain? Or perhaps Greece? Not to forget Holland .......

    (Reply to this)


    (Anonymous)
    2006-06-22 12:57 pm UTC (link)
    If you are so particular visiting Norway, then the place to visit will be Bergen and not Oslo. It is on the western cost of Norway and is really spectacular. You can see a lot of fjords out there. Of course like any other place in Norway, it is also very expensive
    (E.g 1 Veg Burger+Coke = 10Eur !!!).

    Also heard that travel in Switzerland is quite expensive.Hiring a car and driving around will be a cheaper option, if possible.

    (Reply to this) (Thread)

    (Anonymous)
    2006-07-03 04:39 pm UTC (link)
    you should consider going to budapest http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest

    in time for the beer fest
    http://4readertravel.thisisbolton.co.uk/holidayPics/beer-fest.jpg

    and take the local bus service to prague.
    http://www.bigfoto.com/europe/prague/prague-23.jpg

    from there you can take the gondola to venice.
    http://www.gondolacompany.com/g/gondola3.jpg

    once you get there you can drive to frankfurt on the autobahn.
    http://www.autobahn-online.de/gesamtnetz74n.gif

    you can then fly back to bangalore on lufthansa
    http://www.sahyadrikannadasangha.org/index_files/fund_raiser_files/image001.jpg

    if you stilll have some money, buy some gifts for your friends ..

    (Reply to this) (Parent)

    (Anonymous)
    2006-07-13 03:43 pm UTC (link)
    Take the cheapest flight and then take trains, ferries or buses

    (Reply to this) (Thread)
    great tip ^
    (Anonymous)
    2006-07-18 02:18 pm UTC (link)
    also eat at the cheapest restaurants and stay at the cheapest motels. save up to buy expensive gifts for your friends.

    (Reply to this) (Parent)

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