Planning for trip to Slovenia

[philjo]

I'm planning a possible trip to Slovenia at the end of August.
I'v checked out the excellent seat61.com site for a lot of details but need a few gaps filling in so I can decide which route I want to go.

I have 2 options: I would be met at either Jessenice or from Venice (as some others in the group will be flying to Venice & picked up at the airport)
If going to Jessenice, I intend to use CNL sleeper Paris-Munich then the 08:27 to Villach where there is a 10 minute connection for the onward train into Slovenia. THe online Villach departure boards suggest that this is a cross platform change when I checked last week - is this is always the case, and is this connection guaranteed as 10 minutes seems a bit tight to me ? (there is a 4 hour wait for the next train if the connection is missed! or the next train is a through one from Frankfurt so could spend the morning in Munich)

If going to Venice I think I would use TGV to Zurich then next day Zurich-Milan-Venice or is it a better route/scenery to use CNL to Munich then the direct Munich-Verona-Venice service?

not decided which route to take yet!

Coming back I would use the direct train Jessenice to Salzburg & stay there for 2 nights.
THere now 2 options for return to UK. both look like using the 07:51 EC departure from Salzburg.
EIther, Salzburg-Frankfurt (EC) then Frankfurt-Brussells (ICE) & Eurostar
or Salzburg - Stuttgart (EC), Stuttgart-PAris (TGV), change stations then EUrostar. not much difference in overall timings.
Any recommendations on which is the better route in terms of scenery, ease of connections with luggage, trains, cost, etc?

Many thanks.

 

[burns20]

Salzburg to London via Frankfurt and Brussels using Deustche Bahn reiseaunkft (sp) can get fares 92 days in advance for €59 including Eurostar

 

[181]

I made that change at Villach in February 2012, and it was a bit of a trek through the subway to a platform somewhat remote from the rest, but there wasn't any difficulty making the connection (and I don't recall feeling particularly worried about it).

Last September I boarded what was supposed to be the through Munich-Zagreb train at Villach, but on that occasion it wasn't in fact a through train -- the empty stock arrived in the same slightly remote platform a few minutes before the arrival time of the train from Munich, and then most of the passengers appeared a few minutes later having presumably had to change trains. I don't know whether this is a common occurrence, but presumably the connection would be guaranteed if it did happen.

Villach is not an unpleasant place if you do find yourself with a few hours there.

Once you're in Slovenia, if 'real' non-preserved working steam interests you, there is a fireless locomotive probably still working at a power station in Ljubljana -- see http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/europe.htm#Slovenia.

The scenery down the Rhine gorge from Frankfurt to Cologne (as distinct from the modern high-speed line) is worth seeing, although that would extend the journey time somewhat, and I don't know how easy it is to get the DB website to give you the cheap through fare for that route.

From the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord in Paris is only a few minutes walk, although the route that looks easiest on the map involves a flight of steps.

 

[30907]

If going to Jessenice, I intend to use CNL sleeper Paris-Munich then the 08:27 to Villach where there is a 10 minute connection for the onward train into Slovenia. THe online Villach departure boards suggest that this is a cross platform change when I checked last week - is this is always the case, and is this connection guaranteed as 10 minutes seems a bit tight to me ? (there is a 4 hour wait for the next train if the connection is missed! or the next train is a through one from Frankfurt so could spend the morning in Munich)

If going to Venice I think I would use TGV to Zurich then next day Zurich-Milan-Venice or is it a better route/scenery to use CNL to Munich then the direct Munich-Verona-Venice service?

not decided which route to take yet!

Coming back I would use the direct train Jessenice to Salzburg & stay there for 2 nights.
THere now 2 options for return to UK. both look like using the 07:51 EC departure from Salzburg.
EIther, Salzburg-Frankfurt (EC) then Frankfurt-Brussells (ICE) & Eurostar
or Salzburg - Stuttgart (EC), Stuttgart-PAris (TGV), change stations then EUrostar. not much difference in overall timings.
Any recommendations on which is the better route in terms of scenery, ease of connections with luggage, trains, cost, etc?

Many thanks.

I actually did a variant on this last April, including Venice-Bled by rail (ask if interested, or read Seat61 which gave me the idea, but no point if you're being collected). Depends a little on your destination in Slovenia but....

We (my wife and I) went out Munich-Garmisch-Innsbruck-Brenner-Venice
and returned Lesce-Villach-Salzburg-Munich.

1. I'd be pretty confident of the connection in Villach TO Slovenia, but not coming back. Not sure about the connection CNL-EC in Munich though, as sleepers generally are not renowned for on-time arrivals.

2. I'd certainly recommend taking different routes out and back.

The Brenner is very scenic and we'd never been that way, but there are lots of new tunnels on the Italian side. The Tauern and then the Salzach(?) gorge
are superb too (but parts of the Tauern have been upgraded in tunnel too)
The Gotthard hasn't had upgrades like that and I would say beats both (but you then have more of the Lombardy Plain to cross).

You could try going through SE Switzerland over the Albula and Bernina to Tirano, and on to Milan - it would take an extra day but otherwise cost very little more with clever ticketing (ask!)

Through Germany on the way back I'd go Salzburg - EC - Munich - ICE - Frankfurt - IC via Rhine Valley - Koeln - ICE - Brussels if time permitted for the best scenery and some high speed.

In terms of cost, almost certainly the combination of two DB tickets - a London Special and a Eurospecial Slovenia would be cheapest. You can incorporate your 2 nights in Salzburg in that, and 181's suggestion of the Rhine Valley too ("via Koblenz" should do it!). Where you split is trial-and-error, but if the Slovenia section throws up First class for not too much more, take it and use the OeBB lounge at Salzburg (plus DB at Munich, Frankfurt, Koeln.... but Salzburg is particularly good)
The new ES German fares might be worth checking out too.

Via Paris-Zurich-Milan-Venice I think you'd have to split in both places but haven't checked.

The International forum might get you some more responses BTW.

 

[simonalexander05]

Hey,

I live in Ljubljana, and have done the Villach connection countless times without problems. They'll hold the train (especially inbound to Slo.) if the connection's not too late - and it's easily do-able in 5 minutes, even with the subway. Because it's in Austria you can check the platform numbers ahead of time. If in doubt, ask on board the train and they can advise.

By the way, it's Jesenice (one s - pronounced yes-eh-knee-ts'eh), so people know what you're asking for :P

I've also done the Stuttgart-Paris TGV in the past, and found the scenery incredibly boring - miles and miles of flat fields...

Hope that helps!

 

[181]

Not sure about the connection CNL-EC in Munich though, as sleepers generally are not renowned for on-time arrivals.

In the current timetable you have just over an hour to make the connection. I've been on a couple of dozen or so night trains on the Continent over the years, and as far as I can remember most have been reasonably punctual and none have been as much as an hour late (the Paris-Munich one was once cancelled altogether due to a strike in France, but I was in time to get the evening ICE to Frankfurt and actually got to Munich an hour earlier than planned, albeit with less sleep than I'd expected).

I've also done the Stuttgart-Paris TGV in the past, and found the scenery incredibly boring - miles and miles of flat fields...

The bit through the Vosges isn't too bad (assuming the LGV hasn't been extended that far yet), but what you see from the LGV between there and Paris is rather like what you see between the Channel Tunnel and Paris.