Trip to Kielci

[joebassman]

I'm looking to travel to Kielci in Poland in September to visit a friend. Although I have no issues with flying, I thought I would see if I could travel by train. At least for the out trip, as I feel trains allow a lot more opportunity to see the views of each country I travel through.

Maybe I could do the trip over 2 or 3 days and stop off in some of the cities on the way, as I've not seen much of Europe, and then fly for the return trip.

Can anyone suggest a way of me travelling to Poland by train please that wouldn't cost a fortune?

I have a disabled persons railcard, but I assume that would only be valid for UK trains?

 

[Iskra]

It would be helpful if you could post where you are starting from in the UK, as the closer you are to London, the easier and cheaper it will be.

Also check out the Man in Seat 61 website.

I’m not sure this would be the most scenic or interesting journey, but it depends what you’re into and whether you’ve done the Chunnel before. You could also consider one of the North Sea ferries to make it more interesting in my opinion.

 

[The exile]

Any reasonably direct route from the UK to Poland isn’t going to offer much spectacular scenery (with the possible exception of the Ardennes if you go that way). The North German plain is not quite like the ECML north of Peterborough but there are similarities!

 

[Peterthegreat]

Just a pedantic point. I assume you mean Kielce.

 

[joebassman]

Just a pedantic point. I assume you mean Kielce.

I thought that's what I put?

 

[joebassman]

I just noticed I put an i at the end. Yes I mean Kielce.

 

[joebassman]

It would be helpful if you could post where you are starting from in the UK, as the closer you are to London, the easier and cheaper it will be.

Also check out the Man in Seat 61 website.

I’m not sure this would be the most scenic or interesting journey, but it depends what you’re into and whether you’ve done the Chunnel before. You could also consider one of the North Sea ferries to make it more interesting in my opinion.

I'm near Stowmarket, Suffolk.

 

[joebassman]

It would be helpful if you could post where you are starting from in the UK, as the closer you are to London, the easier and cheaper it will be.

Also check out the Man in Seat 61 website.

I’m not sure this would be the most scenic or interesting journey, but it depends what you’re into and whether you’ve done the Chunnel before. You could also consider one of the North Sea ferries to make it more interesting in my opinion.

The ferry idea could be good. I could go from Harwich. I've done the channel tunnel before to Paris. I found the journey through France quite scenic. Although perhaps I'm easily pleased.

 

[30907]

Having located Kielce on the map halfway between Warsaw and Krakow, there are two fairly obvious routes: via Berlin-Poznan-Warsaw or via Leipzig-Dresden-Wroclaw-Katowice(-Krakow?). The first would be quicker, the second IMO has more variety of scenery, city stopovers and railway interest.

Your railcard is UK-only, and you're probably not entitled to any similar discounts. My default ticketing choice (or price cap) would be a 4-day Interrail Global Pass at £243 plus a Dutchflyer on the overnight Harwich boat. Alternatively going via London-Brussels which would cost an extra £50 in Eurostar supplements and an extra day on the Interrail (£30), but you've saved on the ferry. First Class is £309/348 and might be worth it. Apart from Eurostar there's no real problem over reservations, though you do need them in Poland (officially!).
You could compare a through ticket from London or Rotterdam to Warsaw on the DB International website but I suspect it would be more expensive.

You've already had Seat61 suggested - you could of course try one route across Germany out and another back.

 

[joebassman]

Thanks for the suggestions

 

[joebassman]

I did a check and to travel from Schiedam Centrum to Warsaw is €54.90 or €66.90 first class one way

 

[30907]

I did a check and to travel from Schiedam Centrum to Warsaw is €54.90 or €66.90 first class one way

Those are very good prices, assuming you are in a position to book so far ahead, so well below the IR "cap." The validity doesn't seem to allow stops of up to 48h any more, which is a shame.

I see you can actually book through to Kielce - though apparently not via Dresden-Goerlitz-Wroclaw.

 

[joebassman]

Those are very good prices, assuming you are in a position to book so far ahead, so well below the IR "cap." The validity doesn't seem to allow stops of up to 48h any more, which is a shame.

I see you can actually book through to Kielce - though apparently not via Dresden-Goerlitz-Wroclaw.

The other option to allow a longer stopover in Berlin and a stopoff in Amsterdam would be to purchase seperate tickets. One from Rotterdam to Berlin and then from Berlin to Kielce.

Which works out as €31.99 more expensive (€103.99). So not a massive amount of difference to allow more time to be spent in Berlin. Would also allow for a 24 hour stopover in Amsterdam. The other option would be to buy a ticket from Amstersam to Kielce to allow a stopover in Amsterdam and Berlin. I would also then need to purchase a ticket from Rotterdam to Amsterdam which costs £16.78, about €19.85. So a total of €91.75.

A through ticket from Rotterdam to Berlin costs €71.90 but would only allow a single 24 hour stop off in one city.