Mini- Adventure Berlin, Warsaw and Krakow, last leg.

[caravanman]

Hi,
I normaly like to include hotel and train ticket prices, in case they help others, but feel these recent posts are not of much interest to A.U. members. If anyone needs any such info, please message me.
Arriving back in Amsterdam central station, I bought a sandwich and a coffee and waited for my train to arrive. The train was rather full as we pulled out on time, but soon the crowd thinned out. I had assumed that most folk getting aboard in Amsterdam would be going to Germany too, but the train made several halts within Holland en route, where many alighted.
I have taken this route before, so I just passed the time reading and listening to my mp3 player.
I noticed an orphan backpack on the overhead racks at one point , and having asked those near if it was theirs, to no avail, I stood up and made a request for the owner to identify themselves. It was claimed by a guy at the other end of the coach, who had to move seats earlier. Fortunately for me, he spoke English!

The train stops at the main station in Berlin, and my ticket allowed travel onwards to Alexandraplatz, in former East Germany, where my hotel was.

A few days in Berlin, mooched around, ate curry wurst, looked at the remains of the Berlin Wall, and bought a city wide bus, tram and metro day pass for under 8 Euro.

Train to Warsaw was a nice Polish train, clean and tidy. Open coach with two seats either side of the centre aisle, just like Amtrak. Once again very full train, I was surprised (and pleased) to be the only person to have the two seats to myself, everyone else had a seating companion.
Toilets clean and in good working order throughout the ride. Passengers were offered a cold drink or coffee free from a cart, the guys in the seat in front went off to the buffet car and came back with fresh cooked omelettes in a take away container. Others ate in the restaurant car.

My hotel in Warsaw was the most expensive of my trip. Very handy for the train station, an American brand. Felt slightly annoyed to be charged extra just to use the wifi, considering everywhere else it had been free in rooms costing a third of this place’s price.
Room and bed was very comfy though!

Warsaw old town is remarkable, rebuilt to as near as possible as it was before WW2, the buildings look very old, although they are recent constructions.

On to Krakow after a few days. I was expecting a “Pendolino” modern train, but for some reason the train was of older traditional type, with a side corridor and compartments seating six people in each. Quite fun the older style, the only problem was that the A/C did not seem very effective, and my fellow passengers would not leave the window open.
Again, we got a free drink included. Toilets serviced frequently by an on board cleaner.

Krakow is a jewel, lots of spires and domes, a castle, and a fantastic square where a trumpet is sounded every hour from a high tower. The trumpet call is suddenly halted in mid flow, as tribute to a watchman killed by an arrow as he sounded an alarm call.

I flew home from Krakow to my home city Nottingham on one of the budget airlines, very convenient!

Some pics:

Amsterdam to Berlin: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154176117499120.1073741884.682004119&type=1&l=f53354c77c

On to Warsaw: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154176141814120.1073741885.682004119&type=1&l=e283c40270

Krakow: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154176185744120.1073741886.682004119&type=1&l=9a16f68ee5

Cheers, thanks for looking!

Ed.

 

[jis]

Very interesting.

I did a quick day trip to Poznan from Berlin on possibly the same train that you took to Warsaw, if it was the first train of the day to Poland from Berlin Hbf. The plan was to ride a steam train in the suburbs of Poznan during the day, but unfortunately it was not running that day because the engine broke down. Oh well. So I rode the entire tram network of Poznan instead , and then headed back to Berlin by the last through train. There were possibilities involving changes and local trains later, but I did not want to risk that since I had a morning non stop flight back to Newark from Tegel the next day.

If you think American airports are a disaster you have to experience trying to board a 767 flight from Tegel to see what true departure disasters look like. Meanwhile they say it will be another few years before Berlin can get its act together and inaugurate its new Brandenburg Airport at the location of the old East German Airport at Schoenfeld, which now has been under construction - deconstruction - then construction again for over ten years.

 

[caravanman]

Thanks Jis,

I thought the SFX airport was in use, although I have never used it, I think Ryanair fly there?

I think the funniest airport I ever saw was at Pagan in Burma. Just a field, more or less, then a bus turned up with tables, and we just got on the plane. Mind you, that was in 1983. Not a disaster, quite relaxing, once we got aloft!

I think there was an earlier train to Warsaw, mine was just after 9am.

You must be the most well traveled person on A.U. ?

cheers,

Ed.

 

[jis]

Yeah, there is a 7am-ish one that I took. It used to carry the through overnight cars from Paris or somewhere too. Those don't exist anymore apparently.

And yes, SFX is an operating airport, but has limited facilities. Brandenburg is supposed to be a full scale modern international airport, but it has been going through one fiasco after another for may years, including such things as forgetting to put in a certifiable fire management system and such.

I am actually an opportunistic traveler. A lot of my trips are insanely unplanned which would drive many people batty. That is because on these otherwise business trips I never know ahead of time for sure what time I will be able to dig out from the schedule. And as soon as I can dig out some time I fit something into it.

There are other trips that are planned, like the Singapore - Kuala Lumpur - Butterworth (Penang) - Padang Besar - Hat Yai - Bangkok trip I did in Sleeper. Apparently with the completion of electrification all Sleeper service has been withdrawn on this route between KL and Butterworth.

 

[snvboy]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[caravanman]

Cheers, snvboy.

I like the way you can make the most of your time out from official duties, Jis.

Back in the day, 1984, we took the "International Express" the other way, from Hat Yai to Singapore. I seem to remember we had to detrain and walk across the border into Malaysia. I can't remember if the train continued, I think it did, but we may have changed to a Malaysian train on reboarding? I do remember the open windows and flaming woks in the pantry car as we trundled past the palm trees. Stopping over in K.L. we had a cheap hotel where the doors did not reach the floor, told later it signified a former brothel! Happy days!

Ed.

 

[railbuck]

Great photos! Thanks for the report.

the only problem was that the A/C did not seem very effective, and my fellow passengers would not leave the window open.

This reminds me of taking the IC from Amsterdam Centraal to western Germany last summer (connecting to City Night Line to Prague). The A/C was out, and there were no operable windows. They stopped a couple times to "reboot" the A/C, which worked for a few minutes and then it was back to sweating, plus we were now behind schedule. Not the best experience.

As regards the Berlin airports, I was there just a few weeks ago and visited the Infotower near the BER terminal, a good place for plane spotting and getting an overview of the new airport. SXF's runway will become the north runway of BER, which will also have a parallel south runway. TXL is way past its expiration date.

 

[jis]

Ed, at the Thai - Malaysian border at Padang Besar, even if the train runs through, which mine did, one had to disembark on the Malaysian side with bag and baggage, go through C&I and then reboard the same train on the Thai side. The train pulled forward from the Malaysian side to the Thai side while the passengers were processed exiting onto the Thai platform. I suppose the process was reversed in the opposite direction.

 

[greatcats]

Ed- that must have been a Marriott that charged you for Wifi.

 

[greatcats]

I departed Tegel in Berlin last month on a 767. We departed on time, but the facilities, while clean, were cramped and antiquated. Barely was able to get breakfast there- one cart by the gate. Period.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Ed- that must have been a Marriott that charged you for Wifi.

All the Major Upscale places charge if you don't have Status with them.
Funny that the bargain chains include Wi-Fi and breakfast in the rate but Hilton, Marriott etc. Nickel and dime you on Wi-Fi and mini-bars etc.