Not being one for doing things the easy, or sane way, I’m a sucker for using the railways to cover massive distances in Europe. This January, I embarked upon a 15 day flexi Interrail pass, and while I was usually keen not to cover too much distance in a day, following lessons from previous trips (where tearing through Central Europe in 96 hours followed by screaming at Spanish Railways for nine days is probably one of the largest regrets of my life so far), I couldn’t resist a trip on the NightJet sleeper train, and naturally that meant eating up an absolute ton of miles in a short period. And so, the plan formed. It was to be Czechia to Switzerland via Austria and Italy, in less than two days.
I set off from my (rather oddly decorated) room at the Ibis in Prague’s Mala Strana district shortly after 5:30am and set off for the Metro from Andel station, which was weirdly like a second home by this point. Every time I stay in Prague, I always end up staying in the same hotel; it’s cheap, in a nice area set back from the tourist areas, and has plentiful public transport. I was also impressed by the ability to now quickly pay contactless at a separate machine, which self-validates a ticket for you (a single 30 minute ticket costs around £0.85), and descended into the Metro for a weirdly complicated trip to the Main Station (Hlavni Nadrazi) which involved using every single line on the network (admittedly, there are just three). What struck me most was the revenue protection block at Mustek station, circa 5:30am, which for us in the UK would seem to be excessively early, but the Metro was already busy at that hour, and the staff were easily picking off people to issue fines to.
The concourse at the main station however was a little quieter, and I was in fact stopped by a rather shady bloke on my way to the platform (who seemed to think getting right in my face was a great way to scare me) who I managed to pretend I hadn’t noticed and paced up to the far platform for the 06:01 train to Linz Hbf via Ceske Budejovice. Naturally, one might assume I was heading for Linz, but I was in fact embarking on a far more complex route through the backwaters of South Bohemia, Vysocina and South Moravia before heading into Austria, so it was first stop Ceske Budejovice for me.
I wrote in my details for the day on my pass, and a ticket check followed shortly after departure, by a rather unfriendly young bloke. Despite me filling in the date properly on my ticket, I’d accidentally written yesterday’s date in the travel diary against this journey. An easy mistake to make, but one that didn’t quite warrant his response. He threw the ticket back onto the table and started screaming that my ticket wasn’t valid and he would fine me if I didn’t change it “RIGHT NOW”. I obliged but told him that his absolutely stank and I didn’t appreciated being spoken to like that before sending him on his way. Thankfully his (much friendlier) colleague was at my service for the rest of my journey, and I was presented with the usual continental first class offering (Well, most common in Czechia) of a bottle of water and newspapers.
The lights flickered on and off through the journey which was actually rather peaceful as it allowed me to watch the sun rise above the horizon as we made rather painfully slow time on our way south. I had a pretty tight connection so wasn’t particularly impressed with this, but it really just is the Czech way. Thankfully, connections generally wait, and my sprint onto the Osobni Vlak (stopping train) to Ceske Velenice wasn’t really required, but it warmed me up as geez, it isn’t half colder down south! The sun was just about fully up as I sat in the tiny first class section on this “RegioPanter” (Regio Panther) train through the fields of South Bohemia, accompanied by a rather excessive three conductors who took it in turns to dispatch the train.
Ceske Velenice is also a border station, and one can change here for services towards Gmünd NÖ and Vienna. It was a remarkable sign of integration as I noted the Vienna train being formed of Austrian stock and powered by a locomotive from the Hungarian National Railway: “Magyar Államvasutak” (Or MAV-START if like me, your Hungarian is a bit hopeless), quite a contrast to the inward looking times of Brexit. I had a look at the rather impressive, if small, station hall here, which had a rather pretty looking board detailing arrivals throughout the day. Pre-Schengen, and indeed during the time of Communism, one can imagine this station being a rather different environment to the sleepy border halt it is today.
I now needed to head due north again, as I’d dipped down a little too far. The stopping train to Veseli nad Luznici took around an hour to reach there, and it was a fairly sedate, if rather bouncy, trip through the “Chráněná krajinná oblast Třeboňsko” (Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area), complete with very friendly conductor, with the view out of the window alternating between rather frosty looking bare forests and rather lush looking fields between the villages as the sun continued to try to raise the temperature above freezing. The train this time was a RegioNova railcar, formed from the refurbishment of many comical-looking Iron Curtain-era single carriage railbuses, built by Vagónka Studénka between 1973 and 1982. They certainly retain their lively ride, that’s for sure.
Veseli nad Luznici is back on a mainline route, so I was looking forward to something a little more comfortable for the long journey eastwards towards Moravia. This station was rather disappointingly bare and windswept, and the service I was catching, bound for Brno, was losing some time for reasons unbeknownst. One thing you have to be mindful of in Czechia is that short-term, short notice engineering works are common, and there was work today which seemed to be causing delays. Eventually though, my train emerged, hauled by a rather antique-looking Skoda locomotive, dating from the era of Czechoslovak Railways. It was certainly a return to the old-school as I found an empty compartment to watch the scenery go by.
The plus side of trains like these, now extinct in the UK, is the chance to spread yourself out and make yourself a wee home for a few hours. Every time we arrived at a station, I would go out into the corridor, pull down the window and watch the small bustle as folk would jump across the very low platforms, into the train, followed by a hasty dispatch by the conductor in his haste to have us make up some time. He was also very keen to make sure that I knew where my station was, which was just as well because on the approach to Okrisky I managed to fall asleep. I was jolted awake again, thankfully, by the sound of the compartment door banging open and an “Okrisky will be next sir”. It had been quite a while since I’d boarded in Veseli, and with the heating blasting, I naturally was seeking some shut-eye!
Okrisky station baffled me as there were no real discernible platforms. The slipways had gradually merged in with the mounds of earth around them, and the random platforms the other side of the station building appeared empty. I didn’t have a particularly generous connection, and with 5 minutes until it was due to leave, I had a panic. Thankfully, the train simply hadn’t arrived yet, and with a minute or so to spare, my train to Znojmo, the penultimate Czech destination on my trip, arrived, being another bouncy RegioNova.
It was school kicking out time seemingly, as we gained and lost a fair few kids along the way (I say kids, some looked older than me), and I’m sure the conductor wasn’t quite expecting me, almost blending in with them, to produce an Interrail pass! It was a fairly pleasant trip through rural South Moravia, into Znojmo, which is yet another opportunity to cross into Austria, this time via Retz. I, however, was holding out for one final journey with Ceske Drahy, as I boarded the already waiting service to Breclav. It was a busy train as we were hitting the start of the peak, though “peak” in these parts usually means that there’s few seats to spare, rather than the British “someone’s just elbowed me in the nuts”. It also occurred to me that I could reach Vienna earlier by using the private company RegioJet from Breclav, which would be quite a new experience, as they had only recently started to accept Interrail passes.
As darkness started to fall, I leapt off at Breclav just as the train to Vienna was arriving, and I decided to follow official advice and approach a host to show them my ticket. See, every carriage seems to have a host dressed in a gaudy pink shirt, so there were plenty to choose from. Naturally, I headed for Business Class (corresponding to the First Class on my pass), expecting to just have to pay the 10eur reservation fee. What I didn’t expect was “NO NO NO WE ARE A PRIVATE COMPANY, NO” as a response from a woman who refused to even look at me.
Okay then, next host. “Where is Regiojet?” she asks, pointing at my pass. I’m not sure where she expected a massive list of companies to fit on my pass (it’s valid in most of Europe, all the way to Turkey), but she said she would “deal” with me later, and I took a seat in Business, getting my wallet out ready to pay. Apparently that was also wrong, as I was chased out of there by her, and a third person saw to me before we had even departed. He promptly decided that I was to sit in the lowest class possible (low cost) despite there being multiple classes between that and Business and seemed to find the whole situation a lot funnier than I did. I wouldn’t have minded, personally, if I’d been spoken to like an adult, but I was incredibly irritated by the time I sat down in a filthy, albeit fairly modern carriage. It seems that the woman who’d yelled at me didn’t even speak Czech, nevermind English, and that Regiojet appeared to just be an amateurs play trains operation. I’m sure it isn’t, but I was angry enough to make a complaint (surprising response at the bottom of this post!)
Arrival into Vienna was at least on time, and I went off to feed myself before pondering how to kill the two and a bit hours I had before the 21:26 to Venice. Naturally, being the railway nerd that I am, I decided to try out the so-called premium CAT (City Airport Train) service out of the Airport. This required a short journey by conventional railJet train out to there (covered by Interrail passes), before crossing over onto the dedicated platform.
A single ticket for the CAT will set you back 12 euros (11 euros online), which is steep for a short journey, but there are some things to consider if you’re travelling to the Airport, at least. First of all, the trains arrive and depart from Wien Mitte (Centre) rather than the main station, which is set away from the main attractions. If you’re not connecting in from another train, then Wien Mitte is more likely to work for you. The trains themselves too are more suited for Airport passengers, with plenty of luggage space, and indeed space in general, along with TV screens, newspapers and power sockets being available. It is also possible to check-in your luggage at Wien Mitte with certain airlines, meaning that there’s not even any need to worry about luggage space on the train! The killer addition however is the guarantee that the train will not be more than 30 minutes late, and that if a delay of more than 30 minutes causes you to miss your flight, then you will be reimbursed for the cost of your new ticket, simply by sending in all of your tickets. Hotel costs are also covered if you need to stay another night.
I was impressed myself by the train, with many many announcements about how any ticket other than for the CAT wasn’t valid, before the hosts came through and checked tickets and passes pretty quickly. It was spacious, and indeed pretty quick, arriving in Central Vienna in 15 minutes. In my opinion, a worthy Airport train, unlike the rather comical Gatwick “Express” back in the UK.
Back at Wien Hbf, a trip under the city later, I set up camp for a wee while in the OEBB First Class lounge, open to all sleeper passengers, and made use of the refreshments (including a nice bottle of Almdudler). It’s a pretty impressive lounge, with loads of natural light, looking out onto the concourse of the station. Indeed, the inclusion of a “Main Station” in Vienna is fairly new, the station having largely replaced the 50s-built Wien Sudbahnhof, demolished in 2010, and representing an ability to unite railway lines from across Austria and beyond. A statue of St Mark now lies on the station too, having been relocated from the Sudbahnhof, to commend the restarting of services to Venice.
Most fitting too, as I made my way to the Venice train, which was now ready to board. I had booked a solo en-suite cabin for tonight’s journey, which costs around £130 for the 11 hour trip if you already have a pass. I was waved aboard by platform staff, and found my cabin, which was already prepared for the night, complete with welcome amenities (and a few treats, which, as you can see, I promptly discovered).
After we departed, I had my ticket and passport taken off me by the attendant (who returned them the following morning, thankfully), along with my breakfast order, and I decided to give the bathroom a try. Granted, it is a novelty to be able to shower on a train, but when the water temperature seems to have a life of its own, and you have to press it on again every 30 seconds, you become very keen to be done with it! On that note, it was time for bed, and I was knocked out fairly quickly after a long day.
I was awoken by some shunting at Salzburg and Villach (1am and 4am respectively) but didn’t wake up properly until we were in Northern Italy, and I was up and ready for 7am to be served breakfast. With this, you have a choice from a list of items, and pick up to six, with additional charges for more. I went for some bircher muesli, yoghurt, bread and meat which were accompanied by a peppermint tea. It isn’t substantial, but it was certainly a good start to the day, as we rolled over the Venetian Lagoon into Venice’s Santa Lucia station, on time.
Nothing quite prepares you for Venice, but I had just under three hours before my train to Milan, so decided on a long walking tour in a nice loop. I don’t need to describe Venice to you, because it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, but I can certainly recommend the sort of whistle-stop tour I did, between around 8am and 10am. The streets of Venice, while magical, are narrow and winding, and I can imagine, fairly chaotic, during the bulk of the day, so it’s certainly a sensible idea to seize the chance to visit when it’s quiet. I’ll leave you with some pictures:
My next train was to be the Frecciarossa service to Milan, in Business Class. The journey takes around 2hr 30min, and it’s a pretty lively, and quick journey. It was however rather busy, but the carriages were spacious so this wasn’t much of a problem. A friendly service was also offered by the hosts, who provided everyone with coffee, water and a choice of a sweet or salty snack. In fact, I was feeling pretty optimistic as we approached Milano Centrale, the absolutely gorgeous main station in Milan.
“Cancellato”
“Cancellato”
“Cancellato”
Oh.
Obviously the Italians, at least at Trenord (the Lombardy variant of TrenItalia) were on strike until the evening peak. It was currently 1pm. Passengers were seemingly just rather baffled, to be honest, and I can only assume that it wasn’t really announced with much notice as there were insane queues at the information and ticket office. Thankfully, I had a rescue plan for myself, but needed to join those queues first. Eventually, having spoken to a rather uninterested man who was handing out tickets for people to be able to queue at either the Trenord or Trenitalia desks, I was managing to get a little old woman who barely spoke any English to get me a reservation on the EuroCity train bound for Zurich via Lugano, which was the only thing running over the border.
I then had a long wait until 15:30 before boarding was called, having had myself some lunch and spent some time people-watching before the service arrived, and everyone launched themselves into the rear set of the train. In true disorganised style, the rear set was then detached and everyone held up departure in running to the front one. That said, I was now on my way to Switzerland, and following brief stops in Monza and Como, we reached Chiasso, where the customs officers did a sweep of the train. Up until this point I had also questioned why I’d even bothered buying a reservation, but the conductor, on the approach to Lugano, had a glance at my pass before asking “can I see your reservation too?”, as not having one for this journey would have had me in deep kack.
I then left the train at Lugano, and remembered what all the strike related hassle was for. This gorgeous lake:
I whiled away my time until the sun went down sitting down by the Lago di Lugano, before catching the little funicular railway back up to the station (the hills here easily rival Sheffield, and the way up and down from the town itself is basically one long version of Conduit Road).
I concluded my evening with the only real thing I could justify in the dark, which was a nice trip with some dinner through the longest railway tunnel in the world, and back. That being, the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
It was then a short trip to Locarno, where my hotel awaited, 39 or so hours after departing Prague.
Oh, and what did RegioJet have to say about my encounter with their “professional staff”? I must say, I was pleasantly surprised, even a little taken aback…!
Dear Mr Green,
thank you for your patience while verifying your complaint.I have carefully examined the matter in collaboration with competent people and I would like to sincerely apologize for absolutely incompetent and inappropriate behavior from our train crew of the connection RJ 1035 from 7th of January. We are deeply sorry that our employees have treated you with such disrespect and apparently did not know the terms of travel with the INTERRAIL pass.
Although you did not have the seat reservation purchased in advance, the train crew still could have sold you seat reservation in Business class for 10 €; the given train had more than enough vacancies in this class, so we are extremely disappointed with how you were treated.
I would like to assure you that we certainly do not take the situation lightly. I have already forwarded your email to the direct superiors of the train crew for an internal resolution and the stewards concerned will bear the consequences corresponding to their misconduct.
To be sure, we also let all our train crews remind the rules for traveling with INTERRAIL passes.
Next time please consider purchasing the seat reservation in advance, at any of our RegioJet selling point. In case the train would be fully sold out, you would be traveling without any seat which is highly inconvenient.
We cordially hope, despite this appalling experience, you will use our services again. I am sure this was only exceptional situation and if you choose to travel with us again, everything will be all right.Thank you for your understanding.
The Czechs certainly don’t fuck about.
The Lone Bon Voyager 