There are loads of great European main line railway routes out there, packed full of character, style and good old railway elegance, but this route is one of my all-time favourites. Passing through four countries and four capital cities, this route encapsulates the very essence of old-style long-distance international rail travel through Europe, with the mixing of cultures and train companies. Eurocity trains snake along the route complete with spacious carriages and restaurant car, with dishes cooked up in the latter to enjoy whilst savouring the mysterious scenery of the rolling central European hills and river gorges along the way. This main line artery has an atmosphere which is quite rare in a modern European main line. All Aboard for an exciting continental adventure!
We'll start in Budapest's magnificent Keleti station. This station, the Hungarian capital's most important, is one of the most interesting railway stations in Europe. For me, it's a bit like going back in time to what British railways may have been like in days gone by, complete with locomotive-hauled trains (rather than multiple units), little kiosks on the platforms serving food and drink for the journeys, baggage trolleys trundling up and down the platform, and (my favourite), old-style "flapper boards" on every platform indicating the next train. There's a Tyneside saying that "wherever you go you'll always find a Geordie", and here at Keleti that's true too, as the station facade boasts a statue of George Stephenson, standing proudly next to another of James Watt.
Trains depart this station daily for countries such as Romania, Serbia, Austria, Germany and Poland; some of them daytime expresses, some of them night sleepers, and some of them mundane local trains to the Budapest suburbs. We're taking the 09:25 Hungaria to Berlin, with its green MAV (Hungarian Railways) coaches.
And so the guard's whistle blows. The train rattles out of Keleti over countless sets of points, followed by some slow trundling through the Budapest suburbs to reach the main line heading north to Slovakia. We stop at Vac, then Nagymaros-Visegrad where the countryside scenery improves as we come alongside the Danube on the left-hand side. Keep an eye out for the great view of the Esztergom basilica across the river! As we clickety-clack along the jointed track, we pass by numerous local stations before arriving at Szob, the last station in Hungary before the Slovakian border, which we cross whilst rumbling over the Ipel, a tributary of the Danube. The next station we arrive at is Sturovo - Slavonic names abound now after crossing from the Finno-Ugric Hungary. When I was on this train, passport checks took place at this point, so it's a good idea to have them ready if you want to continue your journey!
From a generally westerly heading, we now turn to the north west, away from the Danube towards the utterly fascinating faded grandeur of Nove Zamky station. The Hungarian train guard has by this point, of course, been replaced by a Slovakian one, the uniforms of whom I love which are complete with a great cloth cap and coat of arms of Slovakian railways, which I find not dissimilar to what I see on old photos of BR workers. Fantastic!
We now have a non-stop run to the Slovakian capital of Bratislava. We rush past several Eurocity trains heading in the opposite direction, as well as local trains, some old; some spanking new. Flying through local stations at places such as Galanta and Senec, we eventually slow down as we begin to move sinuously through the suburbs of Bratislava before the guard announces our forthcoming arrival at the central station, Bratislava Hlavna Stanica! That's another really interesting station (you can tell I love these grand central European interchanges) with trains of every description. I've visited Bratislava before - well worth a look with a spectacular castle and pleasant old town, which are both around a 15-20 minute walk from the station. It's possible to change trains here if you fancy heading to Vienna.
But it's back on board for us, and the restaurant car is busy cooking up lunch. Lovely freshly prepared central European dishes, including stews, schnitzels, salads and delectable desserts are all up for grabs, but sit down early as the restaurants on these trains are popular! Outside the window, meanwhile, make sure you are on the lookout for Kuty station, our next stop, which has a lovely little old station building, before we push on northwards over the Czech border and join the line from Vienna before arriving at Breclav. We then race across to Brno, the first of our Hlavni Nadrazi stations of which there are several in the Czech Republic (often abbreviated to hl.n.; the English meaning is simply "Central Station". "Hlavna Stanica", or hl.st., is the Slovak equivalent).
Now for a treat! After departing Brno, the train begins to wind around the Moravian hills and through valleys with babbling streams. The scenery seems to be taken straight out of a Dvorzak symphony (or something like that), and looking up ahead you can see the locomotive and carriages winding round the bends pulling you along. Lovely little local stations and trains pass by, along with the odd Eurocity (Eurocity actually refers to an Intercity train that crosses borders), and we eventually reach the next stop, Ceska Trebova, from where the scenery flattens out eventually as we move forward to Pardubice.
On then across meadows and fields, and past the odd scenic river or two, heading in a general westerly direction - Prague or bust! And so we eventually reach the flagship station of Czech railways, Praha hl.n., a grand old station with an overall roof and a great mixture of trains to be seen. Prague is a very popular destination - rightly so, with its sublime castle, fabulous museums and beautiful old town square and Astronomical Clock.
Here the train is turned around, with another loco attached to the opposite end of the train for the run further north. A fresh train crew is now on board as the train eases out of the station and makes its way to the most fabulous part of the whole journey scenically, the Elbe Gorge. The train runs along this for most of the way to Dresden, and head to the restaurant car, get a table on the right-hand side of the train and order a delicious chocolate cake or something in order to enjoy the journey to the full! Honestly, you'll be enjoying yourself so much you won't want to get off...
Meanwhile, the train stops at the major settlements of Usti nad Labem (translating into English as Usti-upon-Elbe), and Decin, where the first Deutsche Bahn regional trains can be seen, a reminder that the German border is beckoning. Passing pretty little villages with oldy-worldy pubs and houses, the last CD (Ceske Drahy; Czech railways) stations and trains can be seen. You'll know when you cross the German border as an announcement in German is made for the next station at Bad Schandau at practically the instant you cross the border! Also listen out for that trademark German announcement signing-off phrase "Ausstieg in der Fahrtrichtung Links/Rechts" (Exit on the right/left side, depending on which side) as we pull into the Saxony spa town.
On we glide along the last of the Elbe gorge to Dresden Hbf (Dresden Central Station), old and classy and sleek and modern at the same time. Can't comment on Dresden as I've never visited, but heard there are some excellent museums and buildings!
A German loco is detached for the last lap to Berlin. The scenery mostly consists of fields now, as we race north via Elsterwerda for two hours to the Berlin suburbs. The first red-and-brown Berlin S-Bahn trains eventually begin to appear, and then you know the journey's almost at an end. We stop at Berlin-Suedkreuz, then whoosh into a tunnel and fly through Potsdamer Platz station before arriving at the final stop, Berlin Hauptbahnhof! With a screech of the wheels and a thud of the train doors you've completed one of Europe's most epic journeys. It's like the closing of a great concerto as you see the "Berlin Hbf" station signs, at 21:21 at night, almost 12 hours after leaving Budapest.
You'll probably want to go to a German Kneipe and get yourself a pint after that!
