Travel day- Vienna to Budapest

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Well today required an early rise and trip to the beautiful new Vienna Station.

Enjoyed my last best gluten free breakfast so far with fruit, yoghurt, scrambled eggs and an assortment of warm gluten free European sweet buns with home style pear jam. Oh how I will miss this.

Just as well I’m one of those people who are always early as so was my pickup. Checking out I was gifted with a small jar of their branded jam for the journey ahead.

Being a Sunday and early, Vienna was a quiet as a church mouse. My driver was jovial and dropped me off at the door. The station was just as quiet which meant an easy bathroom stop- if you have a euro! I have learnt to keep my 1€ for such important occasions.

Security at the station were on the ball and checked the papers and ID of anyone who looked like a vagrant. Clearly there were not going to be any train gypsies at Vienna Station. It was pristine and appeared to run like clockwork.

Mmmmmm! Until my train was delayed. Had found my way to the platform along with many others. English speaking international train travellers have a comeraderie and rend to look after one another. Met a lovely US couple of Indian and Turkish origin and we chatted away the time. I knew more about how the trains worked than they did.

Then the second message came up that we would now be delayed for 49 minutes due to engine problems. The US wife then realises she left her phone in the hotel room. US husband chases it up. All good and sent forward.

As the train pulls in the scrambled begins. Carriage numbers never match and you need to check the SMALL piece of paper with carriage numbers as the trains whooshes past you into the station. A large number of us are running up and down try to find the same carriage. Seats on these trains are pre-allocated. Our carriage didn’t exist!! It was the one causing the delay. Conductor told us just to get on. So we did! Found seats and all took a deep breath. Originally, I was in a smaller cabin with 3 giggling, excited you g girls on their first trip away together, a grumpy looking woman and Alan the much older Aussie. Alan’s wife was in the next cabin so I offered to swap with her. His wife, let’s call her Mary, was quite stressed by the chaos earlier. So I moved and end back my my US couple and 3 Japanese Uni students doing a day trip, yes! A day trip to Budapest before flying back to Japan than night. We were a jovial lot.

Stopping in Hungary along the way, passengers boarded and it seems we were in their seats. Don’t blame them being annoyed but we had been in the same situation. Aggressive yelling occurred telling us to move but we held our ground and they went to another carriage. The conductor also told us not to move. And so the journey continued until Budapest where teamwork came into play again as we disembarked down 3 steep, narrow steps with a MIND THE GAP scenario at the bottom.

Pick up waited in Budapest, lovely fellow, but a speedway ride to accommodation as he needed to be at the airport.
All is well! I’ve arrived

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Comments

[ThomasTravel]

Which city do you like the most?
So, which city do you like the most, Budapest or Vienna? I guess you have spent some time in both cities by now!

[Suz on the Go]

Vienna or Budapest
They are very different cities. But for I think Budapest comes out the winner. The diversity it offers in terms of exploring the history, architecture and culture is wonderful. It is a very picturesque city.

[Anne Elizabeth Doyle]

Travel day - Vienna to Budapest
Surviving the train travel. Oh what a hastle - you are navigating great. Pictures conjuring in my mind of the running to find your carriage. The Mind the Gap step looks a real challenge. A relief that your speedster driver got you safely to your accommodation. Honestly Suzanne, I wouldn't be able to travel alone. I would have been left, got lost, etc. You know my limitations with navigation (even Melbourne CBD). haha. Cheers. Anne