IL Postcard
The Planes, Trains, and Automobiles of Central Europe
Date: 03/15/2005
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
The Frontiers of Central Europe
Dear International Living Reader,
After having visited seven Central European countries in eight days--by train, taxi, car, and bus--I consider myself somewhat of an expert in the vagaries of the transport systems in these parts. The key is to be flexible.
I highly recommend traveling by train here in Central Europe. The distances aren't usually far enough to warrant the wasted time and expense of flying, which is considerably less flexible. If distances are long, you can always take an overnight train.
That said, be prepared for the fact that most train stations in Central Europe are difficult to navigate. The countries I've just returned from use Slav languages, and the barrier is significant, especially in smaller stations. The signage is usually appalling, with few hints given about where to reserve seats, buy tickets, or indeed find the trains.
Serendipity was at work somewhere, as I struggled to find the best way to get to Slovakia by train through worsening weather. As I discovered, there is no train connection through the Tatra Mountains from the ski resort of Zakopane in Poland to Slovakia. But Andrzej (Andrew) Durman turned up just at the right time. He runs a successful driver and tour guide service aimed at English- and German-speaking tourists. His prices seem intensely reasonable at approximately 100 euro ($130) per day. Andrzej will organize your itinerary from dawn to dusk and drive anywhere you want to go. He is well-informed and knowledgeable on the history of Krakow and its region.
Andrzej took me to Poprad, Slovakia. The Poprad train station has no platform numbers--you walk across the rail tracks to where the train happens to stop! When you do finally find the right train, you'll discover that they are, without exception in my experience, comfortable and fast. I bought a 16-day rail pass covering five countries for less than 300 euro ($390). That price is for second-class travel, but you can upgrade or, on longer journeys, order tea in the civilized restaurant cars (only on "Inter-City" trains, marked IC) and sit in comfort for the rest of the journey. Some trains have six-berth compartments that may have air-conditioning and power outlets. There was a card telephone on my train from Vienna to Ljubljana in Slovenia. I bought a card for 10 euro ($13) that allowed me to talk for 20 to 30 minutes within Europe.
Major cities are well connected, but you may encounter frustrations and discomfort if you want to deviate from main routes. Because I had to keep moving to get to Budapest on time, I had no choice but to take a few buses, which turned out to be adequate, modern, air-conditioned vehicles. The hour-and-a-half bus ride from Bratislava to Vienna was 7 euro ($9), and two hours from Koper, Slovenia, to Porec in Croatia was less than 3 euro ($4).
I was offered a ride from Porec to Zagreb to be on time for a meeting, from where I could catch a train to Budapest. The car overheated on the way up the mountains in a snowstorm, and we were pummeled by "the Bura," a cold northeasterly wind that can reach 100 miles an hour. We made it, though. I had my meeting in the center of Zagreb, after which I was on the train to Budapest in four minutes from one of the main downtown hotels, the Esplanada.
For more about rail travel in Central Europe, visit www.raileurope.com. For private tours throughout Southern Poland or airport transfer at Krakow (about 50 PZN/$16.50), contact Andrzej Durman ahead of time, and he will organize an itinerary for you. You can reach Andrzej by cell phone: (48)602-243-306; land line: (48)12-411-56-30; e-mail: source@ceti.com.pl; website: www.ceti.com.pl/source.
Jocelyn Carnegie
For International Living
P.S. If your time is short, and you have a long distance to cover, a growing number of cheap flight operators cover the region. For example, I flew from Paris to Prague to start my journey with Smart Wings for about 80 euro ($105), plus tax, and returned from Budapest with Sky Europe for 50 euro ($65), plus tax. Internal flights can be had for just 10 to 20 euro ($13-$26). Check Smart Wings: www.smartwings.net; Wizzair: www.wizzair.com; or Sky Europe: www.skyeurope.com.
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