The good thing about living in Europe, one of the very many excellent things about living in Europe, is the interconnected, international rail network. From A to B, via any other letter of the alphabet, one can travel by train. Over the last few years I have taken trains from Zurich to Berne; Berne to Hamburg. Berne to Paris, Copenhagen to Gothenburg as well as any number of shorter, local, point to point trips I love train travel.

For now I am going B to B. I am taking the Railjet from Budapest to Bratislava. Facts first. Cheapest possible ticket from Budapest to Bratislava is €14.00 This isn’t a discounted price. It is not a Special Super Pre Booked Three Month Off Peak Old Person Teenage Travel Card Special. It is the regular, normal, ordinary price to get from Budapest to Bratislava. In Normal Class. For me, I paid €25.00. First Class, Reserved Seat in the Seat I wanted to sit in. On the left hand side of the train so I could see the Danube. Also comes with a reclining seat, table, menu for table service, a two one seat arrangement and comfort. And an electrical socket for any amount of parafanalia.

From Budapest to Bratislava is around two and a half hours. Direct. A few stops along the way. The Danube floating by, the occasional castle on a hill top on the look out for invading forces or tax opportunities. And, if I am not mistaken, the EuroVelo Route 6, which runs from Nante to Constanta, runs often mid point between the train line and the Danube.

Route 6 shares some, not a lot, of the same route as Route 15, which has recently been added to my bucket list. Once I work out how to get a bike from an island, into one point in Europe and leave from a different point, back to the island, I’ll be a lot happier. Need to find some sort of box share, box swap or similar. How does everyone else do it….. ?

I digress. Bratislava. Bratislava was only a one evening stop over, to catch the 1400 Bratislava to Vienna boat. Which gave me 12 hours to arrive, eat, sleep, have some breakfast, wander, take some pictures and head to the boat…..

…. onwards passepartout onwards.