After taking my first overnight train from Berlin to Prague,
I thought that I would never do that again… Then came Prague to Budapest, where my top bunk was too short to accommodate my modest height… which
or course reinforced my notion of not wanting to ever do that again. Then came the overnight train from Madrid to
Lisbon, where I did not have a bed, and instead sat upright in a non-reclining
chair, which again further supported the insanity of the overnight journey. Then
came the overnight train without a bed, in a cabin that smelt like urine, with
tracks that did not align, hence creating a constant screeching noise, which took
me through 2 border stoppings in the middle of the night to check my passport, on
my way from Romania to Bulgaria, which was scheduled to leave at 10PM, but actually
left at midnight, and instead of taking 10 hours it took 12 hours…
…That is when I started to love the overnight journey, and
fell in love with waking up in a new city or country . With this new found comfort I took an
overnight bus from Kosovo to Montenegro,
racing through the mountains, to a city
I didn’t know, with an arrival time of 4AM, and no place to stay arranged (once
I arrived, I enjoyed meeting the locals at the bus station who were offering
rooms in their houses for a small fee). Glasgow to London was an upright seat on a
bus. London to France was a bus also (with WIFI! Wow!). A few more overnighters popped up here and
there. Bosnia to Croatia was my last overnight bus during my Europe trip, and Rome
to Venice was my last overnight train.
Rome to Venice finished in good fashion, with a bed in a nice 4 person
compartment which I shared with Karen, and a nice Italian father and son.
Waking up as the sun rises, after meeting strangers on a cool
adventure, and arriving in a foreign city is an experience I highly recommend.
