Eurotrip: My Eurorail adventure around Europe

We had originally planned on leaving Copenhagen Wednesday night to take a train to Berlin, Germany.  A problem arose when we realized the train was 13 hours long with a 4 hour layover in some random city in Germany.  We decided to wait until the morning, when we could take a direct train to Berlin.  We made it to the train station at around 7am ready to board the first train and to start our journey.  After only a short time on the train, we were all told we had to evacuate the train.  Dumbfounded, we followed directions and headed towards the exits.  It turns out the entire train was about to board a ferry to take us from Denmark to Germany and passengers weren't allowed to remain on the train during the duration of the ferry ride.  I had never heard of such a thing before.  Seeing an entire train on a ferry was quite the sight.  We ventured up to the deck to gain a better view.  It was pretty surreal standing on the deck of a ship, while the train was underneath you, with nothing but water surrounding you on all sides.  This was one of the coolest parts of the trip in my opinion.  After a short time we were back on the train and full steam ahead towards Berlin.

Windmill Farm

View from the deck

Train parked inside the ferry

Also, as you can see, I discovered I can insert pictures into my blog, making it a bit more visually appealing.  I'm sure you readers will appreciate that you no longer have to attempt to visualize my experiences based off my shoddy writing ability.

We arrived in Berlin and were greeted by what has to be one of the largest train stations in the world.  There was four or five floors and it resembled more of a large mall than any sort of train station.

View from top of train station

 Next, we decided to do some sightseeing.  The weather wasn't great and we discovered a bus tour right outside the train station.  This seemed to be the most convenient way of seeing the majority of the city in the most efficient way.  We hopped aboard and were off.  The tour was one hour and forty-five minutes but we ended up getting off a few times to walk around and see more.  With the abundance of history that has occurred in Berlin, it naturally became one of my favorite stops of the trip.  I really enjoyed being in a city that had more than just cool buildings to look at.  It was rich in historical markers.  My favorite two were the Berlin Wall and Gate.

Berlin Wall

Berlin Gate

That night, we decided the "smart" idea would be to sleep in the train station because our train to Prague was at 4am and getting a hostel would be a waste of money.  In hindsight, and after a sleepless night, that may have been the wrong idea.  Anant really loved the accommodations though.

Anant was the only one who got any sleep this night

Our train finally got to the station and we received the pleasant news that it was going to be delayed for two hours.  Luckily, we could go on the train until it left and actually get some sleep on the way to Prague.

Once we got to Prague, the first order of business was finding somewhere to sleep for the night.  We didn't want a repeat of the previous night.  We were guided to a hotel about 15 minutes away that was only 20 euros per night.  It turned out to be pretty nice actually.

We all showered, thankfully, and went to get something to eat and do some sightseeing.  Prague is different that the other cities that we visited.  It had a more medieval feel to it.  There were castles and really old buildings everywhere.  Also, it was cheaper than the other cities, which was a nice feature.

You can see the castle in the background

And here it is a night.  It looks like something out of a fairy tale.

During our time in Prague we also met up with some buddies from our school in Copenhagen.  We went to their hostel and then hung out with them at a pub for a while.  We were exhausted already from the lack of sleep so we decided to call it quits for the night and head back to the hotel.

We woke up early the next morning to get breakfast and be on our way to the train station.  Our next stop, Vienna, Austria.  Each time we would arrive at a train station, our first stops were the tourist station and ticket office.  We had to get a map and figure out the time our next train left.  There was a night train leaving for Venice that night, and due to inclement weather in the forecast for Zurich, we decided to skip Switzerland for the time being and head south to Italy.  Until then, we had some time to explore Vienna.  It was probably my least favorite of all the cities we spent time in, but that's like saying you're the worst player on a pro hockey team.  Even though it wasn't the greatest, it was still amazing to be there.

Vienna

St. Stephen's Cathedral, the right side is actually under construction and covered by a picture

After a short-lived, but rewarding time in Vienna, we were back to the train station to catch our night train to Venice.

When I envisioned what a night train would entail, I pictured a luxurious bed compartment.  This turned out to be incorrect.  The beds weren't terrible by any means, but not exactly what I had pictured.  I was just happy to be able to get a good nights sleep.  We were woken up at least 3 times during the night though.  They must have some sort of sensor to inform them when I fell asleep because each time I would doze off I was abruptly woken up by an attended or police office requesting either my ticket or passport.

We finally arrived in Venice the next morning, and the train ride wasn't too bad all in all.  The weather in Venice wasn't exactly like what you see in pictures or movies.  It was raining and windy.  Weather I would be more accustom to experiencing in Superior, not in Italy.

Smile and say "rain"

After we got over the initial shock of the weather we could enjoy the beauty of the city.  This would be an amazing place to visit in the summer when the weather was better, but we still were able to enjoy the day.  It was funny to see all the tourist with umbrellas and ponchos everywhere, and some were even taking gondola rides in the rain.  I did not partake in such an activity.  Just about the time the rain began to subside, my umbrella decided to break.  Great luck, I know.  At least the rain had quit for the most part.  I added it to the umbrella graveyard.

Sorry mom and dad, I might have a new item on my Christmas list...

The wind claimed many victims on this day

Here are a few more good pictures from our time in Venice.

Cool view

Canal full of gondolas

The sun teasing us

From Venice, we left westward, towards Milan.  We never ended up seeing much of Milan, as it was more of a side-note during the trip.  Arriving late in Milan, the next city on the agenda was Nice, France and we took a train to Ventimiglia, Italy, right on the border of France, to wait for our train to Nice.  The train arrived at midnight and our next train didn't leave until 4:30am.  That night, like the one in Berlin, was sleepless.  Train stations are not an ideal place to sleep I've learned.  Also, due to a strike in France, they were running a limited schedule and our first train was canceled.  This made us nervous that we would be stranded in this city.  Luckily we ended up getting on the next train to Nice.

We got to the city very early in the morning, even before the sunrise.  We went to McDonald's, a regular stop on our trip, to eat and get wi-fi internet to find a hostel.  One was located nearby and we walked over and checked in.  The room wouldn't be ready until 12:30pm so we had a few hours to explore.  I have never in my life been to a place like Nice.  It is located in the French Riviera, right on the Mediterranean Sea.  This stop and the next one were two of the most amazing places I have ever been.

Still a little cold early in the morning, but happy to finally see some sun

Postcard material

Also, apparently a lovers getaway

At noon, we went back to the hostel to take a nap and shower.  After some much needed rest, we went back out to ensure we could see the sunset.  It was indescribable, something you have to experience first hand.  This was something I could get used to.

So relaxing

Great day

Red sky at night, sailors delight

Dinner followed the sunset and the waiter asked us frankly which state we were from.  It's amazing how much you stick out as an American when you are in Europe.  The dinner was very good and relatively cheap.  We walked around more after dinner and made it back to the hostel pretty early.  We had to figure out a way to get out of France before we were stuck.

In the morning, we went to the Train Station to discover the only route we could take was back to Milan, yippi.  Instead of going directly back, we made a pit stop in Monte Carlo, and like Nice, it was an amazing sight.

It's mandatory to own a yacht to live here

favorite picture of the trip

Resort

After our detour to Monte Carlo it was back to everyone's favorite city, Ventimiglia.  This was thankfully a shorter stay than our last time and in the daytime it's actually not to bad.

Most of the beaches don't have sand and are instead all rocks

When we eventually arrived in Milan, we it was late at night and we just wanted a place to sleep.  We got a hotel room and crashed.  We had to wake up early again for a train to Bern, Switzerland.

Even though I slept for a decent amount of time on the train to Bern, it was full of great views of what I assume had to be the Swiss Alps.  Sorry for the picture quality but we were inside of a train.

After we arrived in Bern, we stayed just long enough to get something to eat and catch another train.  This one to Basel, Switzerland to change trains to get to our final destination of Amsterdam, Netherlands.

We got to Amsterdam kind of late so we hurried to get a room somewhere.  Amsterdam is quite the experience.  There are many adult orientated activities and coffee shops galore.  That's the extent to which I'll comment on this portion of the trip.

In the morning we had the opportunity to see the city during the day, which is completely different.  It reminded me of Copenhagen with the Canals running through the city.  We also got the chance where Anne Frank hid during the Holocaust.  I really enjoyed seeing that part of history after studying it during high school.  It was overall a very interesting city.

View of a canal

Anne Frank monument

Line to get into Anne Frank's house

If you look closely, I'm sitting on the "e"

Heineken Brewery

Full view

The last train we took was from Amsterdam to Copenhagen, a short 16 hour train ride.  Trying to save money, we didn't get a cabin with beds.  This turned out to be another mistake.  In combination with my inability to get comfortable, police officers and attendants were again checking tickets and passports incessantly.  On this train, a few people were even taken out in handcuffs after not being able to present a passport when asked.  I was glad I didn't lose my passport during this portion of the trip.  Arriving back in Copenhagen was a great feeling.  After being here for so long now, it's beginning to feel like home.  My only thought was to get back to my room and sleep for three days.  I proceeded to do so, and felt much better after it.

Looking back on this trip, I am thankful.  I understand not many people get the opportunity to see half of the places I was lucky enough to see during this trip.  It's a memory that I will be able to look back on and tell my children about.

Lastly, here is the Eurorail pass.  To say we took a lot of trains may be an understatement.  I'm hoping to get in framed as a memento of my trip so that I can reminisce about my time abroad when I am back in the States.

I'm tired just looking at it...

Frankfurt/Munich/Oktoberfest

Finally getting around to blogging again after a little hiatus.

Last week, Anant and I flew to Frankfurt, Germany to visit one of my old friends from high school, Dominic Hoffman.  Our flight left Copenhagen at 6:00.  The best part about having such an early flight was Dominic was able to come pick us up from the airport.  The train system is extremely confusing, so luckily he was there to guide us.  We went back to his apartment and he headed off to work.  The next few hours we relaxed and tried to catch up on some sleep so we weren't exhausted for the remainder of the trip.  After a few hours of sleep, we made our way to the city to grab lunch with Dominic.  He took us to a fast food Italian restaurant called Vapino's.  The unique feature about this restaurant, however, was the fact they prepared all of the noodles and sauces fresh and right in front of you.  The food was delicious.  Dominic then departed to finish up his work day which left time for us to do some sightseeing around Frankfurt.  Frankfurt is know as a huge banking hub in Europe so there's an abundance of businesspeople in suits strolling around.  In addition, there are large skyscrapers along with old-fashioned architecture.  It's an interesting combination. 
When Dominic finished work, we all hopped in his car and headed to his parents house to gear up for Oktoberfest.  Oh and I forgot to mention, I was the one driving.  Scary, I know.  Magnifying the already difficult task of driving in a European country was the dark and rain.  Lets just say my first experience on the Autobahn was interesting to say the least.  We finally arrived at his parents house after an extended drive due to an abundance of traffic.  We grabbed the clothes, a few other items, and made our trek back to his apartment to get some sleep.

The next day we slept in and Dominic was able to get off of work early so we could drive to his grandparents home.  They live in a town called Aschaffenburg, which is only about 30 mins drive from Frankfurt depending on, of course, how fast you drive on the Autobahn.  They live on the top floor of the tallest building in town, providing us with a great photo opportunity of the entire city.  His grandparents and aunt don't speak much English which didn't help us in our attempt to have a conversation.  After leaving there, we went to the Castle a few blocks away.  Having not seen many castles, I was pretty impressed with the structure.  We took some more pictures and then headed back to Frankfurt.  On the way home I was able to drive about 200km/hr (or 120mph).  What a rush.  For not having a speed limit, I think the Autobahn is a very safe place to drive.  You can only pass on the left lane and not everyone drives overly fast as you may suspect.  I wish they had one back in the US.  That night we went to one of Dominic's friend's apartments for a party.

The next morning we had a 6:30 wake-up call so we could board the train to Munich.  Our timing wasn't exactly up to par as we made it just in time to see the train leave the station.  I attribute this to the train leaving early, rather than our being late, but I digress.  After about 45 minutes to an hour another train was waiting for us and we were on our way to Oktoberfest.  The train ride was pretty boring and I tried to sleep for most of it unsuccessfully.  During the next 5.5 hours, we switched what felt like 10 trains and by some miracle we arrived in Munich around 2pm ready to experience the legendary Oktoberfest.  We dropped off our luggage in a locker in the train station and followed the massive crowd to the entrance.  Walking around the town was a surreal experience.  Everyone was dressed up in traditional Bavarian attire.  From our outfits looking absolutely ridiculous in Frankfurt, or anywhere else for that matter, we fit in perfectly in Munich.  If I had to describe it I would say it was a state-fair on steroids.  There were rides, food vendors, games, and people crammed in like a can of tuna.  The amount of people walking around was astounding, they numbered in the thousands and ranged in age from infants to senior citizens.  Walking around, I tried to take it all in.  There were massive tents full of people singing German drinking songs and bands playing music.  We stood in line for nearly an hour in a half trying to get inside one of the tents, but to no avail.  Luckily, one of Dominic's friends was about to get us in to one of the Beer Gardens.  It isn't quite like the tents, so I've heard, but I had so much fun it didn't matter.  The rest of the night was filled with singing songs and meeting some new people.  Definitely one of my favorite experiences thus far on my semester abroad.

The next morning we all got up and headed towards the city.  We didn't have enough time to go back to Oktoberfest and I think one day was plenty.  We took a bus tour around the city to see the sights.  Munich is a fascinating city full of history and amazing features.  One of the most interesting aspects of the tour was learning there is a river which contains a wave machine to allow for surfing.  I wasn't expecting to see people in wet suits carrying surfboards around a city in Germany, but I wrong.  Next it was back on the train.  We made a pit stop in Ingolstadt, the city where Audi cars are made, to visit one of Dominic's friends.  The town is literally full of Audis.  They are everywhere and there is a huge Audi statue in one of the roundabouts in the town.  After eating we made our way back to the train station to finish off the remainder of our journey.  After being in Munich for exactly 24 hours, I was exhausted and ready for bed. 


Monday was a very uneventful day as we were both pretty tired from the weekend.  We went to the city center again and back to Vapino's.  It was delicious once again.  If I had the money I would start one in the US and be able to retire early.  Other than that we didn't do much and Tuesday we flew back to Copenhagen.  It was a whirlwind experience and the fact that Dominic was there to guide us made the trip much better.  Every trip we take I am always really happy to come back to Copenhagen.  It just feels like home now and the city has grown on me.


Coming up on Wednesday we are going to be leaving for a train trip around Europe.  Nine cities in about twelve days (my dad said he was tired just hearing about it ha).  We will start in Berlin, head to Prague, Vienna, Zurich, Milan, Nice, Barcelona, Paris, and finish up in Amsterdam before making it back to Copenhagen.  It should be a trip of a lifetime and hopefully I'll have a lot to blog about next time!