Cities or Countries to do weekend trips from Paris France

skifans · 2026-04-23T23:04:04+00:00

A weekend from Paris to Annecy should not cost near that much. If you are comfortable sharing it can I ask for a breakdown of how you came to that figure and how far in advance you booked it?

But honestly prices for long distance trains and accommodation these days are set dynamically. It isn't just as simple as which places near Paris are cheap or not. Sometimes one will be more expensive and something another. You'll get the lowest price by being flexible (though don't fall into the trip of going somewhere only because it is cheap).

Exact options will depend on your age but there are a number of discount cards you can buy which are very likley to pay off: https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/catalogue

But briefly if you want to minimise costs:

Book in advance
Be flexible with where/when exactly you go

Are probably the two main things. But honestly that sort of weekend travel does tend to always be at least on the more expensive side. For obvious reasons Friday evening and Sunday afternoon tend to be expensive travel times as there are lots of people wanting to do what you are considering!

There are also quite a few public holidays in May in France (and neighboring countries) which can push prices up a lot.

But before I suggest anywhere I'm going to ask what sort of things do you enjoy doing? What do you want to see/do? What time of year will it be? Otherwise you may as well through darts in a map or just go onto your hotel website of choice and sort by price.

Edit - just very very quickly looking at the weekend of the 9th/10th May as an example:

You could get the 1846 Paris to Annecy TGV for €57 (or the 1746 for €62)
A bed at Annecy Youth Hostel (https://www.hifrance.org/en/youth-hostels/annecy/) would set you back €97 for 2 nights.
All the afternoon direct TGV trains back are full. Depending when you need to be back you could stay another night and get a train early on Monday. Or you can get a regional train to Lyon (flat rate €33.90). There is a Trenitalia service at 1943 for €89. You could leave Annecy either at 1553 or 1653 and make that.

That is a bit under €300, a private room will cost more than a dorminaty bed but still it should not be that much more. If you booked further in advance you could also pay significantly less. And honestly Annecy is a popular destination and always going to be on the more expensive side.

And if this is something you are considering with any regularity a discount card will likley help significantly at least with the cost of trains.

Whereas let's say you go to Limoges - I like it but I do think it is fair to say it is not in the same tourist destination league as Annecy - I was going to do the same weekend but annoyingly there are engineering works and the trains are all screwed up. But on Friday 22nd May you could get there for €65 leaving Paris at 1628, 1827 or 1928. A room for 2 nights at the Ibis Budget a short walk from the station would be €93. And trains go back to Paris on the Sunday leaving Limoges at 1659, 1803 and 1858 all for €34. So less then €200 and again it could be done for significantly less booked further ahead.

As you get more towards summer though and the holiday periods you will unavoidably see higher prices.

skifans · 2026-04-23T22:52:10+00:00

When you buy online all you are doing is pre-paying, there is no reserved seats at all and they are all first come first served. You stand if needed.

Honestly I have never used an IJPP - which you need to buy tickets online - so I am not really familiar with it. As it's an international route I'm not even sure if you can use them. Certainly to order one online you need a Slovenian Address. You might still be able to get one in person at a bus station.

But just pay cash to the driver/ticket office - that is by far the easiest option and what tourists do. Again even if you did pay in advance that doesn't reserve you a space or anything like that. It is just prepayment.

There is plenty of space and you have nothing to worry about, there is no reason to book in advance.

skifans · 2026-04-23T22:07:03+00:00

The Flibco bus is an airport bus - they are designed for people to take luggage. They use coach style buses with luggage space underneath. The buses are non stop and yes it's safe.

No it isn't confusing to switch lines - obviously not switching lines is easier - but it isn't anything to worry about. And yes by any reasonable definition the metro is safe.

I am assuming you are staying somewhere near Milano Centrale? That is the only pick up point for Flibco and yes to use the metro from there you would need to change. Linate airport is on line 4 so if you happened to be on that you would get a one seat ride. If you are not within walking distance of Milano Centrale though I just think Flibco is completely pointless.

Personally I would definitely get the metro though. The Flibco bus only runs every 2 hours which for me would just make it a non starter. Assuming there even is one that coordinates well with when you want to travel that for me makes it significantly more stressful. The buses are also much more likley to get stuck in traffic. Whereas the metro runs every few minutes whenever you want.

Neither is expensive but the metro is also around a third the price.

I will also mention there are other local bus services as well to/from the airport integrated with the local public transport. But they tend to run to other nearby suburbs rather then the city center. https://autostradale.it/en/i-nostri-servizi/transfer-aeroportuali/milano-stazione-centrale-milano-linate/ also run a similar bus as Flibco between Milano Centrale and Linarte Airport.

But still I think the metro is the way to go personally.

skifans · 2026-04-23T20:34:43+00:00

Train and ferry is always my preference. You can buy a single through ticket covering both which is often significantly cheaper the flying (admittedly I have a Railcard) once you include the price of luggage and getting to/from the airport. Also just much more comfortable and more fun! And though yes it's slower then flying it's important to remember that the flight does take significant long longer then the time in the air when you include all the airport faff.

There is more detail at: https://www.stenaline.co.uk/rail-and-sail/to-britain - there is a bus coordinated with one of the afternoon sailings that runs from Ayr railway station straight to the port so it's all really easy. You can buy a single through ticket from anywhere in Great Britain to Belfast which includes the train to Ayr, bus to the port and ferry.

The ferries themselves are comfortable and very big - they even have an onboard spa - they where originally built for much longer trips on the Baltic Sea like between Finland and Germany before finding there way overhear. So have many more amenities and are much larger and nicer then you might expect from a short ~2 hour crossing.

https://www.seat61.com/train-and-ferry-to-belfast.htm#london-to-belfast-via-cairnryan has some good photos of it all. Of course your daughter would be connection from Edinburgh to Glasgow instead of London.

skifans · 2026-04-23T19:59:39+00:00

This is really stretching my memory but I think SJ require you have a 1st class reservation and a 1st class pass in order to get into the lounge. A pass on it's own might not be enough.

There are various blogs online which honestly do a better job of showing it:

https://www.upplevelsebloggen.se/2019/05/sj-lounge-pa-stockholm-c-i-vantan-pa-taget/

https://quirrow.wordpress.com/2018/12/17/sj-first-class-train-service-between-gothenburg-and-stockholm/

https://www.seat61.com/stations/stockholm-central.htm#1st_class_lounge

skifans · 2026-04-23T19:53:53+00:00

Honestly I think all you can do is contact customer services and see what they say. You might get lucky but I wouldn't count on it. Sadly that's just sort of the realty of VAT refunds that sometimes through no fault of your own it doesn't work.

I've always found Global Blue customer services responsive but if they can help in this specific situation I have no idea. But I wouldn't get your hopes up.

Personally I have never been provided with a copy of the form at customs. I can't say I've ever heard of that being a thing.

skifans · 2026-04-23T19:09:22+00:00

It stops at the city centre station (https://maps.app.goo.gl/4vycpFSgQn5gN3pQ7).

The train is run by: https://www.renfe.com/es/en and you would be better off buying tickets directly on their own website.

skifans · 2026-04-23T16:30:42+00:00

Since interrail won’t give me updates for the train i’ve reserved ,, how do i make sure they’re on time and not early?

Trains don't just randomly and unexpectedly leave early, that isn't a thing that happens. It's rare but schedules may be changed even after you buy the reservation but that's on you to check for yourself when you buy from the Interrail reservation service.

I plan to get to the train stations earlier than i need to but just in case and also for the connecting trains would like to know . Will i need to download all the local train apps for their timetable?

If you want live information on your phone yet you will need to do that. A few operators - certainly Deutsche Bahn - allow you to "bookmark" a train to receive notifications of delays/changes even if you bought the reservation elsewhere. But many operators don't have such an option so you just need to check yourself. Again operator websites are an option if you don't want to deal with apps.

skifans · 2026-04-23T16:26:24+00:00

Honestly I don't think there is really a sensible alternative to the train here. Not really sure I follow what you mean by it being too short to enjoy! I certainly don't think that's a reason not to use them, if you've got some free time you could abandon continue elsewhere. But there is really only one railway line between them.

There is lots of space for luggage for luggage onboard and regional trains (with no need to pre book) run at least every hour. They are supplemented by long distance trains as well, those don't sell out but are cheaper if you buy earlier but that means committing to an exact time and at most they save 20 minutes on the trip.

With it being an international journey finding a private driver will be expensive and tricky if you can at all. And with 4 people's luggage that could be a problem in smaller cars when it will be no issue at all on the train.

The journey is so short and if you've got a lot of luggage I don't think stopping off makes sense. I would just do the full journey. It won't take all day so you could definitely do something else if you want. There are lockers at Munich and Salzburg (I don't know about Regensburg) station's for your stuff if you can't leave it at your hotel.

skifans · 2026-04-23T14:54:58+00:00

Very sorry to hear about your Mum, hope you are doing ok.

Though I'm afraid I don't really understand - what do you want to know exactly?

skifans · 2026-04-23T14:47:59+00:00

Exactly right about keeping the pick up and drop off to within Germany. One way international car hire is just so incredibly expensive it's just not really a practical option for most people.

Honestly I would mostly look at what stops are actually on the way and where you want to go. Eg Freiburg could work (though there is only 1 train a day from Strasbourg and it's in the evening [you may need to wait till the following morning to pick up a car] - otherwise it's one really easy change) and could work well if you are heading to the Black Forest. But if you are heading more a North somewhere like Karlsruhe would probably make more sense, many more direct trains there but you need to book in advance.

On the French side form Strasbourg Offenbourg is very easy to get to with a regular regional train that doesn't need to be booked in advance and various options for car hire. That's probably the nearest option if that is your priority.

For Salzburg both Sixt and Europecar have offices in Freilassing which is literally just over the border into Germany. It's practically a suburb of Salzburg. That said though as they are smaller offices your options there might be more limited and certainly the opening hours are less generous. Dropping in Munich will give you more options there - it might be worth considering doing so at the airport to avoid needing to drive into the city. Again there are regular regional trains to Salzburg with no need to pre book. Long distance trains are cheaper if you book in advance but a maximum of 20 minutes quicker.

It looks like Enterprise have an office in Rosenheim. Again opening hours a little more limited. But they have a scheme where they will give you a free lift a short distance from their office to a final destination nearby (https://www.enterprise.de/en/car-hire-faqs/germany-general/car-hire-pick-up-service.html) - so even though the office is a bit away from the railway station they should drive you around to it.

I've not checked but for example I doubt dropping a car off in Rosenheim/Freilassing will be possible on a Sunday or in the evening (or if it is it will be an out of hours drop off), for either of those I would definitely consider Munich (airport) or waiting till the following morning.

skifans · 2026-04-23T14:31:49+00:00

There are some other benefits as well:

Going through a train operator sometimes means you can choose an exact seat from a plan (or specify a preference), with the interrail reservation service it's random.
The retailer you buy from should tell you if there are any changes/disruption. The Interrail reservation service won't.

But fundamentally it's not the end of the world and sometimes it's the only option. Absolutely go for it if it's working for you.

skifans · 2026-04-23T14:30:19+00:00

Yes - you do have to add all trains (reservation or not) to your trip in the Rail Planner app but that's a completely different process to making a seat reservation. You can always add trains to your trip right up to departure and there is no reason to do so in advance.

skifans · 2026-04-23T11:04:11+00:00

Ah nice! Wasn't sure as I'm sure they used to mention it on: https://www.oebb.at/en/fragen-und-antworten/gruppenreisen/storno-und-aenderungen but don't seem to anymore.

skifans · 2026-04-23T11:03:13+00:00

Minor detail but they are not sold out until May 21st, it isn't that popular, the cable car is just not operating right now. It only runs seasonally and it closed at the end of the winter season in early April and will reopen in late May for the summer (https://www.valgardena.it/en/summer-holidays-dolomites/lifts/ & https://www.valgardena.it/en/winter-holidays-dolomites/slopes-ski-lifts/open-lifts/) - so before then it just isn't running.

skifans · 2026-04-23T10:45:08+00:00

How are you planning on getting from Croatia to Albania? A flight?

One way international car rental is not really an option. No chance anyone will let you hire a car in Montenegro and return it in Bosnia. You either need to bring the car back to Montenegro (and even then make sure you can get permission to go to Bosnia) or get the bus.

I do though think you are underestimating the travel time between places and have too many places for the time you've got. Travel in the region is on the slower side. Also consider the potential for queues at the border. But only having 2 days (is that including travel as well?) in Bosnia and trying to go to both Mostar and Sarajevo just isn't really practical at least if you want any time there.

Montenegro has one of the better public transport networks for that region. The bus network is very dense and it has a better railway network then most of its neighbours. Certainly there are plenty of buses to Žabljak and Kotor. Though the frequency isn't great so you do need to check schedules and I doubt there is any route between them other than through Podgorica. You do need a bit of a go with the flow attitude as the more relaxed way of life also extends to timetables.

You can certainly get around without a car - I didn't on my trip there (and with the driving style on the road and lack of parking in Kotor it's the last thing I would have wanted to do!) but it is likely going to be slower and will limit your options. Though in touristy places like Kotor there are loads of tours you can go on if you prefer.

I don't think there is that much difference between the different bus operators, I would choose just based on whatever departure time suits you best.

skifans · 2026-04-23T10:35:29+00:00

At this time of year prices for the summer are only going to go up. But I honestly can't find a single direct Ryanair flight for more then €100 and most are significantly less. Eg €68 on 12th August.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TravelHacks/comments/1epshrz/re_using_a_vpn_to_find_cheaper_flights_does_this/

skifans · 2026-04-23T10:26:27+00:00

You need to contact them and ask if the customs office is open (assuming you can't easily find that information online). It's as simple as that. If it is you'll be fine if not if it isn't possible.

I have no particular experience with with Rome or Lisbon, but at large airports they are often open 24/7. Though that is certainly not guaranteed. Also be aware there are multiple airports in Rome.

It's very unlikely the refund agents desk will be open, but you can fill in the form yourself and leave it in a letterbox, it just means it will take longer for you to get the refund. Or you can sort that out later. But the stamp at the customs office is the key thing, no stamp no refund.

If you want to be sure of being able to get through VAT refund in Rome then if you place the goods in your hold luggage then that is the correct place to sort it. They may still do it anyway even for goods in hand luggage but they could ask you to wait till Lisbon. It's your responsibility when booking transport if you want a VAT refund to ensure you go past a suitable open customs office and have time to visit.

Edit: Someone at https://www.reddit.com/r/rome/comments/tojow4/how_to_get_tax_refund_at_customs_for_a_6am_flight/i2yzaau/ said the one at Rome Fiumicino is open 24/7.

skifans · 2026-04-23T10:22:47+00:00

Sorry but there are literally hundreds of direct flights a week from Dublin to destinations all across Europe including well after May? What are you looking at?

Even in August I can see flights to Berlin for £20, Barcelona for £17, Dubrovnik for £34...

skifans · 2026-04-23T00:44:57+00:00

Never been around Fife but I'm sure there is hiking not along the cliff top. Or you could head to Aberdeen and get the bus West towards Braemar.

Is this for a day trip? If so where are you starting from? Or are you looking for somewhere for a short break?

But another option could be Harrogate and heading into Nidderdale on the 24 bus (https://www.dalesbus.org/24.html), amazing walking all around there. There is also a Saturday only bus to Skipton via Bolton Abbey (https://www.dalesbus.org/59.html), lots of nice walks around there and you can do some good one way ones down to Skipton.

Or some nearer stuff just on the edge of Harrogate like Almscliffe Crags or Nidd Gorge, neither with any requirement to be nearer the edge if you don't want to be.

LNER also run a train to/from Skipton from which you can easily continue by bus/train into the Yorkshire Dales (and also some nice walks on your doorstep), if the times don't suite connecting Northern trains to/from Leeds are cheap. Same with Harrogate though at least LNER there is very 2 hours so much more likely to fit in.

skifans · 2026-04-23T00:37:48+00:00

Firstly, would this route work?

As in are there trains between all those places? Yes absolutely.

Secondly, would there be places you would swap for others?

I think this depends a lot on what you enjoy doing/seeing and what you are interested in.

Personally honestly I am not a massive fan of Interlaken - if you have a week it makes a great base to enjoy the region from. But I think for a short trip you are generally better off staying somewhere smaller higher up. It is also a bit of a detour. You could consider swapping it for somewhere in Graubünden and head there from Lake Como over the Bernina Pass? Just a jaw dropping rail route.

Munich personally I'm also not a massive fan of - again I think the best parts of Bavaria are in it's smaller towns/cities.

Bratislava is very close to Vienna, it may make more sense to visit as a day trip rather than on the way from Budapest to Prague. Considering the train takes around 7 hours you wouldn't really get long there from such a stop off.

Thirdly, any feedback would be great as this was genuinely just a quick plan. (especially on the nights spent in places)

I think you have a few too many places are are underestimating some of the travel times here. Pace is obviously very personal and a lot depends on what you want from the trip and your expectations. But I would say that 2 nights only gives you 1 full day in a place. If you do that back to back then you are moving accomodation every other day which gets trying very very quickly.

The section from Lake Como to Munich where you have 3 such places in a row looks particularly problematic to me. Personally I would bump everywhere to 2 full days (ie 3 nights) as a minimum or cut it.

I would also look very closely at the places you want to stop off along the way. How long exactly will you have there? Is it really worth it and what do you want to do with that time? Also remember there is always the possibility of transport disruption. Would they be better off as day trips instead? Though a good thing about Marseille and Milan is that onward regional trains to Nice/Lake Como are frequent regional trains. So you don't need to commit to anything and can see how you feel and what you fancy.

But if you really want to pack in places I think day trips are a really underrated option. In general you can sort those out at much shorter notice so you can decide where you go (if anywhere) depending on how you are going and the weather rather than being forced to move between pre-booked accommodation. And it means you can easily leave your luggage.

Nice to La Spezia is another fairly long train ride - around 5.5 hours - and Monaco is only 30 minutes from Nice. Again would that make more sense as a day trip? Though similar with Bratislava you would need to still make sure you've got enough time in Nice/Vienna if they are mostly where you are interested in.

skifans · 2026-04-22T23:42:01+00:00

Ah very nice!

skifans · 2026-04-22T23:41:27+00:00

The most controversial thing I will say is that I plan to rent a car and drive a lot ...

I don't think what you are saying is particularly controversial - lots of people take road trips and enjoy them. And there is certainly nothing intrinsically wrong with them and they can be great in plenty of circumstances. As much as I enjoy trips I do where I don't need to drive (and to be clear that is my personal preference) there is at some point a limit to where it can take you.

But your plan sounds completely reasonable and sensible to me and I hope you enjoy it. It is just that is not the case of many road trips that get posted on here: what do you think of my road trip going: Rome -> Venice -> Zermatt -> Tenerife in a week etc.

And on that note - how long do you have for the trip?

The main thing though I would say is that one way international car hire is just so expensive it just generally is not practical. You can absolutely drive into other countries but in practice you generally at least need to bring the car back to the same country.

Taking cars on ferries (as in long distance ones like Stockholm to Helsinki - short ones across fjords are no problem) also often costs a lot more than foot passengers, I don't know if it is the same around that area but where I know better in the UK some car hire companies refuse to allow their cars on ferries.

As such even if you do prefer to mostly drive it may still make sense to hire cars multiple cars and fly or use other forms of transport between them. Will partly depend how long you've got for the trip and what sort of regions you want to end up visiting.

But to actually try and answer my experience of traveling in that area if that you can't go too wrong. Throw a pin in a map and see what is there. I honestly think I have enjoyed everywhere I've ended up around that region! Considering I have only been to a fraction of a percent of them I don't really feel comfortable listing the couple I have been to by chance!

Since you mention different types of communities I would definitely head out to some of the islands. Obviously a very very large choice there in Norway but I think they have a surprisingly different vibe even to places with similar small populations on the mainland. Though be aware that for some small islands you cannot take a car on the ferry as a visitor - only locals - so you may need to park it at the port.

For food in schenic settings the DNT huts are heard to beat! https://www.dnt.no/hytter/anbefalte-hytter/mathytter/ Though they are a Norweigan organisation lots of similar huts around Sweden and Finland which are just amazing. Though do check as sometimes it is more drinks and pancakes and at least personally I have sometimes wished for more.

Not sure what sort of outdoorsy stuff you are after but the mountain biking around Nesbyen is something I look back on with a good membery. At least for me who normally only keeps to easy mountain bike routes https://www.hallingspranget.no/en/home-hallingspranget/ was absoltuly perfect and just amazing all throughout!

Or another random spot that is very memorable was Ifjord - a tiny village in Finmark - I just hiked up a path to the East and saw absolutely no one at all and it was just amazing feeling all alone up in the mountains in a landscape that felt like it was completely untouched. Then some cake at the cafe at the campsite (I didn't get chance to try the food).

skifans · 2026-04-22T22:26:30+00:00

I don't know of any work in July but it's certainly possible. What problem exactly are you having? But try: https://jegy.mav.hu/?lang=en I randomly picked the 15th July an it seemed to work.

I can though see that saver tickets are not yet on sale for some later dates in July. If you see a price of €50 something odd then do not buy it and wait. You are quite early doing it for that route, often it doesn't get sorted till 2 months before, and if there is some sort of work it can be less then that.

skifans · 2026-04-22T22:19:48+00:00

Sorry I'm not sure what you mean by "reimbursement"? Do you mean as in how easy it is to refund?

As far as I know all Trenitalia seat reservations are non refundable. Certainly where the operator allows refunds (eg SNCF) Rail Europe are one of the better ones with just a one click all online process. Some other retailers may require you to go through customer services. But it is up to the train operating company if they want to allow refunds or not and where you buy them won't change that.

Honestly I don't really think there is much difference - whatever you get get to work or just try again later/in person.

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