A diagram showing the train times between zoo cities. The train times are generally the average I found but some may be a bit optimistic and add-ons for customs etc have to be taken into account. Hope this is helpful in some way .
NB: 4.12 for example is 4 hours and 12 minutes, not 4.12 hours.
@amur leopard good map, but I'd like a rectification about the route time between Vienna and Budapest. With Railjet the travel time is not 1h 7min, it's at least two hours.
I am looking at doing a week long tour of european zoos this July. What route would yall choose? Berlin and Zurich both look like the cheapest starting points. I am on a pretty strict budget, so public transportation and cheap hostel stays are the ticket.
@DelacoursLangur are you sure Zurich is the cheapest starting point? It is notoriously the most expensive city in Europe, or thereabouts… even if you have found a cheap accommodation, everything you do/eat there is horrendously expensive - if you are on a budget, perhaps better to stick to further North. As for your main question it’s a little too complex to answer just here, but Kudu21’s thread has a lot of advice on that very same question so maybe check that out. Enjoy your trip, and if you have further questions feel free to drop me a message.
@DelacoursLangur If you are serious about this, I would suggest you start a thread, instead of filling up a comment section.
But I would seriously reconsider in general. Is flying in and out for a week really worth it. You will spend a serious amount of money, tons of carbon emissions for a very tiring week in which you will see ±5 zoos. There is a 10 hour time difference, so for the first 4-5 days you will have a serious jet lag. Traveling cheap, often means uncomfortable travel times and hostel dorms aren't the place for a perfect night either.
@lintworm Oh no, a comment section with comments in it. The horror
I am planning on making a thread, just replying to a post in the meantime. This trip is a stopover on my way to a new job I am starting in Tel Aviv... I save significantly on air fare by stopping in Europe, and this gives me an opportunity to do this trip. As for hostels being imperfect, I have stayed in them exclusively for months on end traveling much less developed countries. I think I can handle a week in Prague.
I believe there are sleeper trains on several European routes now, so that is worth investigating. I think you should decide which zoos are your priorities for visiting.
