Our European Adventure, Day 15

I felt like we woke up at the crack of dawn this morning because I had trouble sleeping last night. It was really already 6:30, but still, that’s incredibly early. We packed up our things, checked out of the hostel, and headed over to the train station to purchase some snacks for lunch before finding the platform for our first train of the day.

Immediately upon stepping on the train, we realized the difference it the older trains we’ve been taking for the rest of the trip and sleek, faster express trains that we took today. Instead of private cabins of six, today’s trains featured airplane-like seating only roomier with a table every few seats. The dining car was also more luxe.

The inside of the first express train - they looked the same

We toiled away the train rides by playing cards, reading, and sleeping. The switch between trains was a pretty high stress event though because our first train ended up getting stuck working its way around construction and we were running about twenty minutes behind. Originally, we had only had about twenty minutes to make our connection in Frankfurt’s Main station. However, our train pulled in two minutes before the second left and we would have needed to run across the station. People sitting in our train car persuaded us to wait until the next stop because they said our second train would be there also, but on the same platform. Luckily, they were right and we stepped off one train and directly on to the next. I did have to kick someone out of our seats though because he thought we weren’t coming we didn’t get on at the right stop.

After we settled in and a round of cards was played, we ordered our lunch from the dining car. I ended up getting a hot ham and cheese sandwich with chocolate cake and an ice cream bar for desert. It was actually really good. I’m surprised at the quality of the food that they sell on those trains. It was really easy to find something on the menu that I would like too.

We pulled into the Amsterdam station about half past four and put our luggage in storage lockers before adventuring into the city. We didn’t have anything specific to do, so after exchanging currency (for a really crappy rate, it would have been cheaper to do at the airport), we wandered throughout the souvenir shops looking for things to spend our money on. I ended up buying quite the collection of things, including a change purse, scarf, t-shirt, calendar and mug. I’m happy with the purchases that I couldn’t make as freely before because I didn’t have a credit card after it was stolen.

We found a Argentinean steak restaurant for dinner. The service was so slow and, while the meat was gigantic, it wasn’t that great tasting. It might not have been the best meal but Madeline and I definitely agreed the bread with garlic and butter sauce was really good. We made sure to order a second round.

Since the restaurant didn’t have a very big drink selection, we decided to get chips at a Mexican restaurant after dinner and try out their cocktail menu. We ended up making friends with the bartender, Victor and he gave us a few free sample drinks. I didn’t really like his mixing as much as everyone else, but maybe I just ordered the wrong things. They just all tasted rather strong to me and I wasn’t in the mood for that. Then Matt, Ben, and Madeline went back to the train station to wait for the next train while I sat outside a McDonald’s and stole their WiFi.

The four of us cheering to Victor's specialty on our last night in Amsterdam - notice Matt looks better today

We took the 12:45 train to the airport and we’ve been waiting there ever since in the downstairs area. Not getting a hotel was a good choice, but at the same time, I’m kind of tired.

Our European Adventure, Day 12

After getting ready this morning and taking some bread from breakfast for sandwiches on the train, we headed over to the main train station and found our platform. The train was there before us so we were able to board right away. It was strange though because when we found our seats, other people were already in them. Some elders had just sat down in our seat. They moved, but it was still weird.

We sat down in our cabin with two Canadians who have been travelling around Europe for about the same amount of time as us. We talked about where we had been and things like that for awhile before napping. I got woken up though because Matt and Ben decided to play cards practically on top of me as I didn’t want to give up my window seat so they could use the tray tables.

The train ride was about six hours. During that time, I wandered all over the train investigating the dining cart and finding the only remaining bathroom with toilet paper. Madeline played her ukulele and Ben and Matt played numerous card games with the other people in our cabin.

Czech "fairy cakes" - my train feast

Disko - a shortbread cookie with cookie frosting inside, similar to a backwards Oreo

When we finally got to Munich, I had us turn the wrong way out of the train station and we walked a little bit out of our way before finding our hostel – Jaeger’s Hostel. The place is fairly nice. You get a shot of Jaeger after checking in, but none of us took ours. The internet connection is really spotty all over the hostel though and I couldn’t get my computer to connect at all. My phone worked though for some reason.

They showered and napped when we got in while I worked on the budget and then we went out to dinner at a nicer place down the street for burgers, pasta, chicken, and drinks. I had this fantastic chocolate ice cream desert that was actually really cheap, just under 4 euros.

The fantastic dinner at 35mm

Followed by a perfectly chocolatey desert

After dinner, Matt and Ben wanted to nap some more, so I went back over to the main train station and wandered around by myself. I found some souvenirs and bought a cone of fries that looked good. I even found a UK version of Cosmo, which is great because I’ve been looking for one during this whole trip. I didn’t get to go to any of the souvenir shops outside of the train station because they had all closed by the time I was done.

When I came back, Madeline was at the bar in our hostel ordering a drink, so we decided to hang out downstairs for awhile and watch the people staying here make drunken fools of themselves. This hostel is pretty rowdy on the main floor, but thankfully it’s nice and quiet near our room.

Our European Adventure, Day 4

Once we checked out of the hostel and stored our luggage, we walked around the city. We went back to the church we visited on our first day in Amsterdam and walked through the red light district during the daylight so that Matt could take pictures.

After our walk around the city, we picked up our bags from the hostel and headed to the train station to catch our train to Berlin. We bought dinner at a small grocery store, Hema, that was inside the station. Everything was actually pretty reasonably priced, so it worked out well.

I screwed up through and got the train for the train wrong. I thought we were supposed to leave at 5:19, but that’s actually when we’re supposed to arrive. I got so confused with military time.

It’s a good thing that we got the station early though because we had to ask to find out where our train would be leaving from. We also had to get our passes validated at the ticket agent since this is the first time we’re travelling by train. We had a minor heart attack though when Ben couldn’t find his rail pass. We had to run across the train station to try and buy another before our train came. It turns out he had just dropped it on the floor when I asked where to get on the train though. Relieved, we had his pass validated and raced over to the platform only to realize that I had the time wrong and we still had twenty-five minutes before our train arrived.

The train is rather cute. It’s cramped quarters, but we have four beds in a six-bed room. I have one of the top bunks, which is nice because I get to look out the window and watch the scenery go by.

Our train cabin
Ours was the first stop of the train on its journey through Europe, but we met our two roommates when we picked them up in Cologne. Zack is from Nebraska and travelling on weekends while working in Europe. Jean is from the northern part of France and going to Berlin to learn German. They’re pretty cool, both were very considerate when they got here since we completely rearranged the cabin, taking out the bunk ladder and putting up the table.

Gaggle Splat

The trip to Europe this August is pretty much all set, thank god. I think this is the first trip that I've planned completely on my own and, while I love planning and think I would make a terrific travel agent, I can definitely see why people pay extra so someone else will do all the work. This trip has been like my full-time job the past couple of weeks.

A couple of recommendations for other travellers:

• Don't work with Susan at Breakaway Travel in Ypsilanti, MI. She's annoying, very slow, and adds hidden surcharges to your total for all of her "hard work". On second thought, I guess if you're rich and have all the time in the world, you could work with her, but still...
• Buy stuff through STA travel! They're super nice!
• Allow three hours every time you call Rail Europe (and trust me, to get your seat reservations right, you'll have to call multiple times). You will be on hold for AT LEAST an hour, unless you manage to time your call just right smack in the middle of the day.
• And that reminds me... make sure to allow room in your budget for seat reservations in addition to your EuroRail passes. Someone got smart and decided to charge the tourists for both their discounted passes and an additional price for their actual seat, lucky us.
• Remember to breathe... just because the one perfect hostel is booked doesn't mean there isn't a cheaper, nicer hotel available that happens to be closer to the train station.

EuroRail

The passes are here! The passes are here!

The trip feels so much closer now that I've received the EuroRail passes from STA Travel. Now I just have to make sure all the annoying, expensive seat reservations go through.