Tips for a green and spontaneous trip from Central Europe to the Mediterranean
Do you live in Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, or another nearby country and would you like to go on a spontaneous summer-trip to the Mediterranean? It is possible in a both convenient and ecological way, even without flying or having a car. How? Read more in this special summer article.
1. Train
Probably the most convenient and ecological way of transportation is by train. Especially good international rail connections are from Germany and Austria to Italy. A direct train brings you for example, from Munich to Venice in 6.5 hours for as little as €69.90 one-way, if you book about a week in advance. After passing through the picturesque Alps, you can enjoy the Adriatic coast with peace in mind that you have left just a very small CO2 footprint. Not bad, right?
From Munich there is even a direct night train to Rijeka (Croatia) which is very close to the Istria region famous for its culinary traditions. This train is operated by the Austrian Railways and the tickets are also available on their website. Even if you book just few days before, you can get to the Adria for as little as €49.90 one-way, if you don’t mind staying in a standard non-sleeper compartment. A ticket in the sleeper compartment will cost you €119.90.
Do you live further north? There is e.g. a daily train from Frankfurt/Main to Milan. With one just one change you than be either at the Adriatic or Ligurian sea (last minute tickets available from €119.90).
Austria has got some good train connections with both Italy and Croatia. From Vienna, Austria there are even several direct daily services to Venice, starting at €49.90 even if you book for the very same day. If you really love trains, you can get from Vienna to Split with one change in Zagreb for about 60€ in 15 hours. Do you think 15 hours in train are not such a great idea? If you would like to have a real travel adventure and maybe even make new friends, then this is what you were looking for! The famous “backpacker train” Zagreb-Split has got it all. But I agree, 15 hours might not be for everyone.
Both Vienna and Munich are very well linked to other cities in the region (e.g. Berlin to Munich about 4 hours; Prague to Vienna about 4 hours). If you don’t mind a stopover, you can make it without any problem in a day even from northern Germany, from the Czech Republic, or even from Poland. Not to mention that both Munich and Vienna are worth a short visit.
2. Bus
Bus might not always be the most comfortable way of transport, but sometimes it is considerably faster than train. Take, e.g. the route Vienna-Split. Bus takes only in 10.5 hours compared to the 15 hours of train. If you don’t like sleeping on a bus, consider the daily Flixbus leaving from Vienna every day except of Friday at 09:30 for price starting at €29.99 (or €39.99 if you book just one day in advance, as of 12. July 2019).
As you might have noticed, the bus travel can offer a significant price advantage compared to the train. A Flixbus from Frankfurt to Milan booked two days in advance costs only €42.99, which is only about 36% of the cost of a train ticket. And the route network of Flixbus us just impressive. Check it out here. Enter your city to see immediately where can you get without a stopover. There are many interesting routes to Italy, France, Croatia and Slovenia.
Other bus providers, with very similar price levels are Eurolines or Regiojet. Regiojet offers a very good service including free hot drinks and monitors at every seat, but their network is only limited to connections from / to Czech Republic and Slovakia. A one-way journey from Prague to Split in Croatia will cost about €56 in last-minute and should take about 17.5 hours.
3. Carpooling
Although not as ecological as train or bus, carpooling is still a very ecological friendly travel option. The big advantage of carpool is that the offers are often coming in just few days before the trip, making it a very good option for last-minute travellers on a budget. The largest and most popular carpool portal in Europe is BlaBlaCar. A random search from Munich to Milan gives results for as little as €30 to be booked just two days in advance! If you are expecting a little chit-chat during your journey and maybe even making new friends, carpooling is the right option for you!
I hope this article has inspired you for a nice and eco-friendly spontaneous summer trip. Do you have more ideas? Let’s share them in the comments! Follow our Facebook and Twitter for more fresh news on eco-friendly travel and commute.
