This is the first post in my holiday blog for my 2011 trip to Berlin, following very much in the footsteps of my little jaunt last October. I’m hoping it’s going to be a different experience though, and not a complete repeat.
Yesterday lunchtime I was actually ready early, the taxi came on time, and I got a train from East Croydon directly to St Pancras (I would have taken this train last year if I’d known about it, rather than messing about with the Tube).
Getting to the Eurostar terminal ridiculously early does slightly defeat the idea of taking the train partly to avoid hanging about in airport departure lounges, but hey-ho.
The Eurostar got away exactly on time at 1502. I assume it has to hit its slot at the Tunnel, merging in with freight and car shuttle trains, and soon other continental railway operators too.
We thus arrived at the Gare du Nord bang on 1817 local time. At 2:15 that’s the fastest I’ve ever got to Paris, using the new HS1 line, and no stops at Ebbsfleet, Ashford or Lille.
It is literally a ten-minute walk to the Gare de l’Est, so I had nearly two hours to wait, as I did last year. I really should catch the later Eurostar but I’m so afraid of it being delayed or getting stuck. Obviously one cannot catch a later sleeper from Paris to Berlin!
There are very few seats in the station; as last time I wandered, went outside to smoke too many times, watched everyone (which is huge fun in stations and airports), bought and ate a ham baguette … Oh, and noted that this time my train continued on to Moscow and Belarus. Really important I get off in Berlin!
As before apprehensive as to with whom I would be sharing my compartment. Once I boarded I found I wasn’t the first in: Augustine from Argentina, an 18-year-old student travelling on InterRail (as I had done at his age) was already there, excited by his first inter-continental train. We decided that as only two bunks were made up, it would be just us. However, after a short while up turned Eric, who was booked into our compartment too. He apologised and hoped to stay with his mates further up the carriage, but might be back later.
And so it turned out. He was soon back, turned out by the slightly fearsome female German steward. So we had to work out how to move the middle bunk down a notch so as to set up the top bunk, which we managed.
Eric, who is nearly 20, is American (at school in Philadelphia, lives in NYC, but from Boston) and travelling through Europe with friends. We all got talking. Agus’s English, though not perfect, is far better than Eric’s limited, and my non-existent, Spanish. I thought of Geoff, who would have been in his element!
A funny thing: I had to literally produce my passport to prove my age, as they didn’t believe I was 44! I like Agus and Eric!!
I didn’t mention the Falklands or the Revolutionary War. I’m tactful like that.
We talked until we drifted off to sleep.
During the night there seemed to be lots of stops, as there were last time, some quite extended, and some shunting. It was a longer journey too via I’m not sure where. Overall, I didn’t sleep very well.
In the morning we remade the compartment cabin with seats; they had too much luggage for it to be entirely comfortable or practical, (these back-packers…) Breakfast was delivered, and Eric’s disorganised friends came by. I do hope they get on OK in Berlin.
Agus didn’t seem very awake. Anyway, we all exchanged Facebook details, as you do these days.
Once we’d stopped I headed straight out of the station for a smoke, saw Agus come out, look vaguely at a map printout and head off in a hopeful direction, and saw the Americans head straight for a taxi.
I wasn’t entirely with it, not enough sleep and not enough good coffee, couldn’t remember where in the Hauptbanhof to get a U-/S-Bahn/tram/bus ticket, but eventually remembered - on the platform. I may have bought a slightly too expensive A+B zones ticket when, on looking properly at the map, I probably only need zone A; but at least this time I decided that I will buy tickets daily as I need them, rather than end up with one unused at the end like I did last year.
The hotel is a little nearer Alexanderplatz and is pleasant enough, even if the room is rather too like so many of the hotels I stay in for work in the UK, but it’s friendly and has free internet, so it’s all good.
There’s a noisy building site opposite, but I won’t be in here much during the day.
I’m going to have a little kip now.
Yesterday lunchtime I was actually ready early, the taxi came on time, and I got a train from East Croydon directly to St Pancras (I would have taken this train last year if I’d known about it, rather than messing about with the Tube).
Getting to the Eurostar terminal ridiculously early does slightly defeat the idea of taking the train partly to avoid hanging about in airport departure lounges, but hey-ho.
The Eurostar got away exactly on time at 1502. I assume it has to hit its slot at the Tunnel, merging in with freight and car shuttle trains, and soon other continental railway operators too.
We thus arrived at the Gare du Nord bang on 1817 local time. At 2:15 that’s the fastest I’ve ever got to Paris, using the new HS1 line, and no stops at Ebbsfleet, Ashford or Lille.
It is literally a ten-minute walk to the Gare de l’Est, so I had nearly two hours to wait, as I did last year. I really should catch the later Eurostar but I’m so afraid of it being delayed or getting stuck. Obviously one cannot catch a later sleeper from Paris to Berlin!
There are very few seats in the station; as last time I wandered, went outside to smoke too many times, watched everyone (which is huge fun in stations and airports), bought and ate a ham baguette … Oh, and noted that this time my train continued on to Moscow and Belarus. Really important I get off in Berlin!
As before apprehensive as to with whom I would be sharing my compartment. Once I boarded I found I wasn’t the first in: Augustine from Argentina, an 18-year-old student travelling on InterRail (as I had done at his age) was already there, excited by his first inter-continental train. We decided that as only two bunks were made up, it would be just us. However, after a short while up turned Eric, who was booked into our compartment too. He apologised and hoped to stay with his mates further up the carriage, but might be back later.
And so it turned out. He was soon back, turned out by the slightly fearsome female German steward. So we had to work out how to move the middle bunk down a notch so as to set up the top bunk, which we managed.
Eric, who is nearly 20, is American (at school in Philadelphia, lives in NYC, but from Boston) and travelling through Europe with friends. We all got talking. Agus’s English, though not perfect, is far better than Eric’s limited, and my non-existent, Spanish. I thought of Geoff, who would have been in his element!
A funny thing: I had to literally produce my passport to prove my age, as they didn’t believe I was 44! I like Agus and Eric!!
I didn’t mention the Falklands or the Revolutionary War. I’m tactful like that.
We talked until we drifted off to sleep.
During the night there seemed to be lots of stops, as there were last time, some quite extended, and some shunting. It was a longer journey too via I’m not sure where. Overall, I didn’t sleep very well.
In the morning we remade the compartment cabin with seats; they had too much luggage for it to be entirely comfortable or practical, (these back-packers…) Breakfast was delivered, and Eric’s disorganised friends came by. I do hope they get on OK in Berlin.
Agus didn’t seem very awake. Anyway, we all exchanged Facebook details, as you do these days.
Once we’d stopped I headed straight out of the station for a smoke, saw Agus come out, look vaguely at a map printout and head off in a hopeful direction, and saw the Americans head straight for a taxi.
I wasn’t entirely with it, not enough sleep and not enough good coffee, couldn’t remember where in the Hauptbanhof to get a U-/S-Bahn/tram/bus ticket, but eventually remembered - on the platform. I may have bought a slightly too expensive A+B zones ticket when, on looking properly at the map, I probably only need zone A; but at least this time I decided that I will buy tickets daily as I need them, rather than end up with one unused at the end like I did last year.
The hotel is a little nearer Alexanderplatz and is pleasant enough, even if the room is rather too like so many of the hotels I stay in for work in the UK, but it’s friendly and has free internet, so it’s all good.
There’s a noisy building site opposite, but I won’t be in here much during the day.
I’m going to have a little kip now.
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