I set off early from the hotel to allow for the ongoing work on the S Bahn. Which meant I arrived well ahead of time at the Hauptbahnhof. So purchased some bread based snacks for breakfast and the journey plus some fruit.
The train was an Austrian train, OBB, starting in Germany and ending in Hungary.
The Danube
The journey
The map taken from the Interrail app shows just how far the journey was, but misses the far north line and the detour to Oxfordshire.
From the Interrail app: 5784 km distance
15 trains on the Interrail ticket, 20 in total.
Seven countries.
Weather
Sunny almost throughout, but a big variation in temperature. Highest ,around 14 centigrade in Augsburg, lowest -10 in Bucharest.
Food
The food was good, but had to get creative in the meat centric countries. I had my first experience of a Lebanese restaurant in Bucharest, the very good Coin-Vert Libanez.
I had to fight through the snow and ice to get to it. A week later I had my second Lebanese restaurant experience in Paris.
Plenty of good food on this trip.
Hotels
I stayed in three Premier Inn plus rooms, three varieties of Ibis: budget, styles and no moniker, a Radisdon Individuals Schiller Park in Linz and Ramada by Wyndham in Bucharest.
Best bed:Premier Inn plus
Best shower: Premier Inn plus
Best view: Ramada by Wyndham
Best location: Hotel Schiller Park- in central location near the railway station.
Best breakfast: Ramada by Wyndham
Best rooms: Premier Inn plus
Most expensive: Premier Inn St Pancras
Best check out times: Ibis / check out by noon.
I like the simplicity of the Ibis Budget.
Locations
Both Augsburg and Linz were amazing places to visit. Smaller and not as busy as Vienna but interesting buildings and history. Bucharest lacked the beautiful buildings but the lake was beautiful.
Travelling by train emphasised the change in landscape and buildings. Farmhouses are tiny and ramshackled in Romanian but huge and well maintained in Austria and Germany.
People
As well as meeting the natives of each country that I visited I was surprised to meet people from so many other countries. I had conversations with Qataris, Russians, Albanians, Norwegians, New Zealanders, Moldovans, Canadians, Taiwanese and probably more. Talking to Austrians in German with their local accents was a joy, including a woman in her 90s from Vienna,
Cycling
Cycling was awful in Bucharest, but faster than cars. Driving in Bucharest also looks awful. Paris cycle way provision is good in Paris, but blocked by vehicles on the Sunday. Vienna was busy, Augsburg pleasant. I heard a tram hitting a car in Vienna and saw the massive crumpled side of the car, the tram just drove off. The closest I came to an accident was Inverness, where a car was being driven at 60 mph in a 30 zone, as I was turning right. The bike gave a good way to cross cities between stations and to get to hotels. It was also a great luggage trolley.
The train I was planning to catch already was delayed by 45 minutes, which was making the next connection tight. But I had arrived early at the station and so caught an earlier train, which way delayed by 7 minutes. It arrived on time to München.
There follows a rapid set of border crossings. Germany into Austria into Switzerland. This happens skirting the edge of the Bodensee or Lake Constance.
Crossing into Switzerland
Impressive buildings in St Gallen
The next leg is the longest of the day on the very rapid TGV.
The cycle across Paris is made interesting with the cycle ways being blocked by vans being used to pack away a market.
Four countries, four border crossings.
I start the visit to Linz with some food at a nearby Korean restaurant.
The next day I explore.
Back to the hotel for breakfast.
And then more exploration.
I think I can see the top of the steeple from my hotel window.
Interesting courtyards and passages off streets
More views
Time for refreshment.
And then have a trip on the Pöstlingbergzug. This heads from the Hauptplatz to the Pöstlingbergkirche. Which appears in my earlier photos on the other side of the valley.
And then out for dinner at a pasta restaurant which makes food to order-no waiters.
Trams
The temperature has climbed but it’s foggy in Bucharest
Cycling in Bucharest is awful, but faster than driving, bus or walking. Could the tram be faster?
I am told that I will be joined in the cabin at Timisoara, where we are due to arrive at 0716. I set the alarm for 0700.
The train is late at Timisoara, so could have had a longer lay in. I am joined by three Iranian students.
There’s a check before the border. The Iranians of course attract attention and my passport is checked.
Just over the border in Hungary there is a bit of a wait.
It seems that the rail operator has built in a big pause at the border, longer than our wait, so we are back on time.
Unfortunately no time to explore- on to the next leg.
There loads of wind turbines near the border on the Austrian side.
The train was 45 mins late to Linz. I managed to complete the journey within 24 hours, just. The total time on the train 23 hours.
Insight 