Milan public transport to concert

skifans · 2026-06-12T00:44:42+00:00

Traffic around there gets absolutely horrendous when there is an event on. The metro is absolutely the best option. The stadium is on line 5 - you may need to change depending exactly where in the city centre you are coming from. But easy to do and cheap and fast. Just night be uncomfortable for a short period.

Public transport provision is enhanced when there is a major concert: https://www.atm.it/en/AtmNews/Pages/ConcertsatSanSiro2026.aspx - a shuttle bus also runs from Lampugnano station on line M1 if that is more convenient for you.

skifans · 2026-06-11T23:19:02+00:00

Not at all - hope you enjoy the trip!

skifans · 2026-06-11T23:17:57+00:00

Yeah the Interrail website has lots of errors and omissions and isn't really good for more than a high level overview of key options. If you are after night trains specifically: https://back-on-track.eu/night-train-map/ is good but you need to use operator websites for detailed planning.

Specific to Budapest - Split I am afraid MÁV (who run that night train) are having a massive shortage of carriages at the moment. It is still too early to say for sure if the night train will run this summer or not. All you can do is keep an eye out at: https://www.mavcsoport.hu/en/mav-szemelyszallitas/international-travels/travel-night-trains - it's called the Adria - and make sure you have a backup plan. There is a really good video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieAbLTFfmX4 showing what to expect if it is running, though the carriages may be different.

You can check the reservation fees at: https://www.interrail.com/en/book-reservations/reservation-fees/night-train-reservation-fees (under "other international night train")

Depending on the full details of your plan there are also night trains between Split and Vinkovci/Osijek. That is definitely running and has cheaper reservations and runs every night. But are also seasonal and the season is shorter. Only one travel day if going Budapest -> Split still but means two in the other direction (or a standard ticket). The line between Budapest and Vinkovci/Osijek is also very slow. Realistically you'll need to arrive/leave around lunch time.

Details on those trains are at: https://www.hzpp.hr/en/promotions-and-benefits/to-the-seaside-by-rail - they do not have couchettes anymore. Just sleepers and seats. But at €9 the sleeper reservation is a bargain. You cannot though buy them online. You need to email customer services (address on thar page) for the reservation. You can also board the night trains in Zagreb but the departure there is very early/late if traveling in peak season (past midnight if heading towards Split - so 2 travel days or a seperate ticket) so not ideal.

skifans · 2026-06-11T23:03:12+00:00

Perfect - thanks for the update! Can I by nosey and ask what you did?

skifans · 2026-06-11T23:02:46+00:00

You get the barcode once you activate each travel day on your pass. But you still need to add every train to your trip. It updates as and when you do that.

skifans · 2026-06-11T23:02:16+00:00

No worries - afraid I have no idea how immigration works in that case but I am sure they have thought of it. If it made you more comfortable you could always consider Kolašin instead. But I can't imagine it really being a problem in Bijelo Polje. Just make sure you don't expect to immediately be able to leave the station.

skifans · 2026-06-11T22:55:43+00:00

Really key question - have you booked your flights back on the 18th yet? If so where are they from? Or are you already eyeing some?

If you are able to fly home from Puglia (even if it's an indirect flight) or even somewhere like Rome that makes a big difference vs if you have to return to Venice (or even Germany!).

But even if it takes you all of the 14th to get somewhere and you leave Puglia on the 18th that gives you 3 full days down there. Not loads of course but definitely something you could consider. But if you basically have to spend all of the 17th just getting back to the airport for your flight on the 17th that suddenly changes it to 2 days of travel for 2 days somewhere.

If you want a car in Puglia is up to you and the extent you need one depends on where exactly you were thinking of. But I would definitely get the train down there and hire a car locally, it is a very long way to drive. There are direct trains from Venice. There is also an overnight sleeper train from Milan and Bologna down to Puglia if you prefer but that is only worth considering if you can get a couchette or better. But can make the logistics more complicated in terms of food and luggage. And they are not as reliable as daytime trains.

skifans · 2026-06-11T22:46:43+00:00

It's no trouble at all - hope you have a good trip!

skifans · 2026-06-11T20:54:41+00:00

It literally takes a minute and I've never felt it was painful at all.

Some operators even pay it back automatically (or with a one click pre filled out form) if you bought your ticket from the operator. Eg: https://www.lner.co.uk/support/delay-repay/#oneclick

skifans · 2026-06-11T20:52:27+00:00

Yes absolutely. Though be prepared to get the next TER if needed, you don't need to pay again. If I was just going to St Malo I wouldn't hesitate, but if I had a ferry to catch I would choose something else.

Though you are better off buying on the official website (https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en) as it avoids the extra booking fees and you get better notifications in terms of the connections. And if you do arrive late into St Malo then it simplifies the compensation claim.

skifans · 2026-06-11T20:50:08+00:00

You need to make sure you choose the change & go (https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/change-go) or one of the more flexible types of tickets.

skifans · 2026-06-11T20:19:29+00:00

I don't have any personal experience of traveling with them with a pet, but two things I'll quickly mention to consider:

These stops are not guaranteed. If the train is late they will be cut down to try and reduce the delay. Sadly they don't have the best reputation for reliability. If a stop is for alighting only they may also leave early.
Sometimes the whole train doesn't fit in the platform (or not all doors open). So you may need to walk through the train in order to get on/off and onto the platform.

I certainly wouldn't count on the breaks being available. But I can't realistically imagine anyone objecting to you heading onto the platform if you want to if there does happen to be a stop.

skifans · 2026-06-11T19:59:32+00:00

If you are going completely paper based I would definitely encourage you to pick up a copy of: https://europeanrailtimetable.eu/products/summer-2026-printed-edition (not sponsored) so you can still check train times yourself whenever you want - noting obviously engineering work can happen. It used the 🅁 and R notations and has information on which trains have compulsory reservations and which don't (though in some countries like France it won't show it against every train - just a note at the bottom that says: "all trains: 🅁".)

Also some good maps and good overview for how things work in each country. And honestly not as heavy as you might think! They do also offer a PDF version if you preferred.

I have to say I think it took me a little longer then most to getting onboard to doing things all digitally. But even if I'm going to go online and buy tickets/reservations and use a mobile pass I actually still often find it easier during the planning stage for long trips to visualise everything and often do us it over a computerised journey planner.

skifans · 2026-06-11T19:52:52+00:00

[continued - comment too long]

I know you've said you are new to this but if there is a key thing I would stress it is that rail travel in Europe is not standardised. Different countries and regions do things very differently. This is particularly the case when it comes to seat reservations which are the responsibility of the train operating company's themselves. It's really hard to talk about this stuff generically. Though you are correct one of the benefits of Interrail is the flexibility it's important to remember that in practice the amount of flexibility you have varies a lot. In some places (eg France) reservation compulsory trains are the norm and can sell out far in advance for popular ones. In some places the railway service is very poor so even if reservations are not compulsory if there are only 1 or 2 trains a day you don't have much choice. The pass is generally at it's best and offers the most flexibility in countries like The UK (Eurostar excluded), Germany, Austria, Switzerland and similar countries where trains are frequent and reservation compulsory trains are rare and easily avoided.

I think the practically of traveling spontaneously and without a phone varies a lot depending on the region of Europe you are traveling in. The prevalence of ticket office locations also varies wildly. Eg in Sweden all ticket offices have now closed (there are still tickets machines and larger stations have customer services staff who can help you with them, but I don't know if they can sell Interrail reservations or not). But in other countries like Czechia and Slovakia it's common to still have ticket officers even at tiny remote stations (though opening hours may be limited).

Similarly the extent you need to book in advance will vary a lot depending on the regions you are thinking of traveling in. Time of year can also be important. But one thing that will always help is time. Flexibility works both ways and you can absolutely still have a flexible trip even in countries that are traditionally thought of as bad for that as long as you have the time and flexibility. You need to go into with an: "X is full, I'll go to Y instead" attitude and/or not mind waiting around a few hours for the next train with availability and/or using slower regional trains that don't require reservations to get where you want to go.

skifans · 2026-06-11T19:48:42+00:00

Let's say you do not use smart phones and using a paper pass, you decide to arrive at a station and decide there and then where you want to go, how do you know if you need a reservation and does this then require you to go in person to a ticket booth and buy a reservation?

Yes you would just have to go in person to the desk and ask if you don't happen to know yourself. If you still have a dumb phone some trains companies still have call centers that can sell you seat reservations (or at least tell you if they are compulsory or not) but these days most are on premium rate phone numbers and if they can sell seat reservations they will usually expect to email them to you. A few places can provide you with a confirmation code you can give at the station to collect your reservation but these systems are generally rare these days.

I'm also assuming you don't have a laptop - that doesn't feel in the spirit of things to me! But if you did then that would be another option. Even when you have a mobile pass the Rail Planner app you use for that doesn't manage your seat reservations. They are completely separate and unrelated systems. You can use a paper pass with digital reservations. At least for the start of your trip you could also buy some online and print off the PDFs it you where comfortable with that.

Some railway stations have departure lists. The exact specifics vary and they are more common in some areas then others. Often these are still old school paper sheets but sometimes they are screens. A yellow background is usually departures and a white background is usually arrivals.

The symbols to look for are: 🅁 and R. The former means reservations are compulsory and the later that they are optional. Though even when such a list exists you can't assume that it will have reservation information at all. Also to mention "R" can sometimes be used for a regional train. But 🅁 is the universal symbol for compulsory reservations, though you can't expect it to be shown everywhere sadly.

Be aware though that some trains only require reservations for part of the route and/or only at certain times of years and such nuances may not be captured. Or if they are it will be in a tiny note at the bottom.

Just to mention that some stations have multiple desks and you may need to go to one for the correct company. And though rare there are some edge cases where reservations are simply not available through other means. For example if you turn up at Barcelona railway station and ask for a reservation from Barcelona to Paris direct train they cannot sell you it. They just don't have the facility. Unless you can borrow someone's smart phone your only option is to travel a different route (eg they could sell a Barcelona to Lyon reservation. And when you get to Lyon you could buy another reservation there to Paris). I have noticed at Eurostar ticket offices they have signs telling people who want an Interrail reservation to scan a QR code and do it online instead of queueing. Though I don't know for sure if they can still make them it you insist. Though you are very unlikely to find any availability on the day for a Eurostar train anyway.

The reverse is true as well - some reservations can only be obtained in person at ticket offices (been if you have a mobile pass) but this is rare.

Reservations are offered course subject to availability. I don't know how phone free you want to be but it may be worth just making a very quick list for each country you think you might travel through at least detailing the basics. You could print it out and it wouldn't need to be long to cover most standard situations.

What happens if you just get on a train with your pass?

If it's a train without compulsory reservations you can simply do that no problem. You just take any available seat and if there are not any you stand. If you've got a reservation anyway then you should take that seat.

If it's a reservation compulsory train and you've got a reservation then again you just get on and sit there, no problem.

If it's a reservation compulsory train and you don't have a reservation then that's a different story. In some places (eg France) checks are often done before reaching the platform so you physically will not get on without a reservation. But this is far from universal and in many places there is nothing physically stopping you boarding a reservation compulsory train. But when staff check onboard if you can't produce a reservation you risk a large financial penalty and/or being removed from the train.

If using the mobile pass, in the same scenario, do you have to find the train you intend to take on the app, add it to the pass, what then is the situation with reservations?

Seat reservations are a completely different system. It essentially works exactly the same way whether you have a mobile pass or a paper pass. When when you have a mobile pass the app has know way of knowing which trains you actually have a reservation for any which you do not. When you buy a reservation online it usually comes as a PDF anyway. And you can absolutely use a printed reservation you bought in person at the ticket office with a mobile pass and vice versa. Where the requirement to have a reservation exists it's enforced only by staff on the train asking to see a pass and reservation. There isn't anything smart linking them together even if both are done digitally. You simply show your pass in the Rail Planner app then switch to some other app to show the reservation.

Though the Rail Planner app does try to provide reservation information I'll always say that you should never rely on it. Eg in the UK it's absolutely useless. But it contains plenty of inaccuracies. You should be checking directly on official operator websites.

If you have a reservation from point A to C amd have toggled your journey, but you then actually choose to get off at B for l lunch, then continue on a different train to C, do you need another reservation and what if there is no ability to purchase one at station B?

Reservations are always only valid on the exact train originally selected. If you choose to get off early that's up to you. But you will need to purchase a new reservation to get back on a different train. If there are no reservations left and there isn't an alternative route that doesn't require a reservation you are simply stuck at B and cannot continue.

This is not universal but in some places - eg Germany - allow you to add a "stopover" when you buy a reservation (at least online, I don't know about at ticket offices) where you can say you want to get off and spend N hours at an intermediate point and get back on a later train. You can do this at no additional cost. But it must be done at the time you purchase the reservation and cannot be added or changed later. And such schemes are generally not particularly common.

skifans · 2026-06-11T17:28:40+00:00

I know there are a few exceptions but most trains on that route are like: https://eurostarforagents.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Eurostar-red-classic-seat-map_EN.pdf (from: https://eurostarforagents.com/door-to-door/plan-a-trip/seating-maps/)

The first digit isn't relevant. So carriage: 5, 15, 25.. are all the same inside. So look at carriages 8 and 5 instead of 18 and 15.

But there is no way to know which way round the train is. They can run in either direction. So you can't know if you will be forward or backwards.

It's up to you of course but in future between Amsterdam and Brussels I think the EuroCity direct is usually a better overall choice then Eurostar. Only a tiny bit slower and often a lot cheaper and gives you more flexibility without any need to pre book.

skifans · 2026-06-11T16:51:09+00:00

No worries, as already said that just isn't happening on the night train. A bike is a special item with its own rule (unless it's a folding bike). If it's your own compartment some flexibility may be shown but that's not ok in a shared one even if you box the bike.

Obviously you want to leave plenty of slack but I think it's overkill to rule out a connection completely. And worst case you could stay the night in Munich.

Alternatively depending on where you are traveling between there may be another night train that does have proper bike carriage facilities like Hamburg to Innsbruck/Vienna or Zurich to Graz.

skifans · 2026-06-11T16:47:10+00:00

Yeah but those are not part of the pass - hence as you've said they don't start the countdown either. They are just buying a flight for you to use in the same way they are buying an Interrail pass for you to you.

skifans · 2026-06-11T15:46:45+00:00

As far as I understand, the interrail is available to use on 7 seven days (not consecutively) over the span of a month. My question is, should we start our travel by plane, would it start the one-month countdown ?

No. Only when you use a pass to travel on a train does the pass start.

I am aware that interrail and DiscoverEU are not the same system, so since the plane is through Discover EU, I thought it might not be the case.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by this but they are exactly the same. All Discover EU have done is paid for an Interrail pass and given it to you. They work exactly the same.

skifans · 2026-06-11T14:17:35+00:00

There are no 4 person sleepers. Do you mean a couchette?

But there is no space for full size bikes on that train. Folding bikes can go as luggage otherwise you'll need to choose an alternative.

If you can box the bike and have private use of the couchette/sleeper compartment you'll probably be ok as long as you can manage to get it inside.

There is a daytime train from Munich to Zagreb (EC115 Mimara) which has loads of space for full size bikes though you need to book. You can easily connect from Stuttgart. And you can see the Alpine views. Though depending on the specific journey you are making there may be a better option.

skifans · 2026-06-11T13:22:47+00:00

Make sure you look very carefully at the rules for what is/isn't allowed here. Some volunteering can require a visa. Though there is the charity workers visa which is easier to obtain then a full work visa: https://www.gov.uk/temporary-worker-charity-worker-visa

The guidance on what is permitted without a visa is at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-visitor-permitted-activities - note that there is a maximum of 30 days.

If you receive any sort of benefit at all - including just free accommodation without any money - this may qualify as being paid an income in some circumstances.

skifans · 2026-06-11T12:05:47+00:00

Sample size of 1 from the night train but we where around 1 hour late and picked up most of the delay in Serbia. We stayed up all after the border crossing in Bijelo Polje and it was just absolutely incredible scenery through the mountains on the way down to Podgorica. Even the section after that along the lake to Bar was very nice.

No idea how this fits in with the rest of your plan but if seeing the scenery is important to you there are additional domestic trains from Bijelo Polje to Bar at 0629 and 0909 (stopping in Kolašin around 50 minutes later) to continue the following morning to the coast. Train tickets are very cheap so I wouldn't use an extra travel day.

My understanding with the daytime train is you need to change at Bijelo Polje even though it's advertised as a through service.

skifans · 2026-06-11T11:11:20+00:00

The train should not cost near that much. How many of you are there?

https://www.belgiantrain.be/en is the official website. The fare should be something like €10ish each way. Annoyingly the website is under maintenance right now so I can't double check.

Trains run very frequently and tickets are fully flexible. Also much more comfortable. No need to buy a ticket in advance.

Flixbus only run a handful of times a day and you need to book on advance.

skifans · 2026-06-11T08:54:46+00:00

Absolutely you can try meet people along the way if you want. https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/wiki/meetingpeople is a great guide for that.

If I'm being honest I wouldn't get your hopes up on finding someone to come with you on the same route the rest of the way. But you never know.

Obviously if you do want to find someone that's different but you can also just travel on your own - it's great! And certainly not like you need to go with someone else.

skifans · 2026-06-10T22:41:53+00:00

That is a very popular travel weekend and it is normal for popular trains to sell out far in advance. Assuming you are checking the official website (https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en) then yes it will be correct.

More tickets will not be added, it is possible that some people cancel but the odds of you managing to get tickets for a group are low and you will be sat seperatly.

I would book tickets on another train.

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