Travel

Wuppertal to Hamburg

Stayed at the Wuppertal Premier which is well situated.
Wuppertal station

Nice comfortable ICE train. However as the journey progressed it got later and later, eventually arriving 25 minutes late in Hamburg.

Just about to arrive at Hamburg HBF
Hamburg HBF

The Hamburg Hauptbahnhof is probably the most impressive station encountered on this trip.

Travel

Surrey to Wuppertal

Now the international journey begins using the Interrail ticket.

Starting at a crowded Farnham.

The Interrail app is confused by the Farnham to Waterloo journey, thinking that I have to change at Woking, which I don’t, so I arrive early.

Cycle route from Waterloo to St Pancras

The cycle route was full of commuting cyclist. Some of which were very fast, some not so, and some who didn’t seem to be quite aware of what was going on.

Packed for the Eurostar.
Ready for the off at St Pancras.

Nice smooth journey across to Brussels Sud.

But things then start going awry. There is simply not enough time to make it from the Eurostar to the connecting train. A combination of being the wrong end of the train, passengers getting in the way and it being too far. Connection missed! Resulting in a two hour wait. Then the Köln train is shown with no platform and a bit of text suggesting that the train was going from another train. A quick check with the information confirms this and I am told to get on a local connecting train ton Brussels north. Not just a change of platform but a change of station.

Brussels connecting train.

Next the Köln train leaves late. So I miss another connection.

Köln

A 50min wait in Köln. I finally arrived in Wuppertal four hours later than planned.

Premier Inn German style
Room with a view