We boarded our train this Sunday evening at 19:29 for our night ride to Rome. Meidling is being used at this time apparently because the Sud-Bahnhof Wein is under re-construction, not surprised it was fairly old, 1950 vintage full of big staircases, no escalators and no elevators, try managing that with luggage. Meidling is modern, well organized and is also connected to regional train lines and the S-Bahn (subway). This being Sunday night, Vienna is fairly quiet, so we bought our dinner to go at NordSee which deals exclusively in seafood and fish, very fresh and so good. We got 2 tuna wraps and 6 giant shrimps with cocktail sauce, and then we got some nougat and nuts at a shop next door. Vienna has little to offer on a Sunday night so you have to plan ahead. The overnight train to Rome does not have a restaurant car but the Steward can bring you, wine and schnapps, beer, coffee, tea, juice and water. They will also serve continental breakfast in the morning.
Our suite on board the train is very comfortable and private, we have a small sit-bedroom, full bath with shower, towels etc. Lots of young Austrian soldiers on board tonight, they are probably going to Klagenfurt or Villach in southern Austria, very polite in their uniform. We will cross the border into Italy at Villach, which is a very small village with the sad distinction that it received more bombs in the final days of the Second World War than Berlin, incredible but true. The reason being that much of the German army retreating from Italy made a desperate last stands there to no avail. Then we enter Italy at Tarvisio Boscoverde, unto Venezia, Ferrara, Bologna, Firenze, Orvieto and finally Rome.
We had a great vacation in Austria like always but we are looking forward to coming home to our puppies Nicholas and Eleonora who will be two years old in February.
traveling by train throughout Europe sounds charming. I would travel this way if ever I got to Europe.
ReplyDeleteIts the only way to go, relaxing and fun.
ReplyDeleteIt seems so much more civilized than highway driving.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine dotes on train travel; but is it slow, expensive and not convenient. but he states 'getting there' is not the point anyway.
With the High Speed trains at 300Km per hour you get there pretty fast. Other trains in Europe like the EC are fast and convinient. So it beats the car.
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