Our Amazing First Day In Europe 2023

Last Updated on: 9th August 2023, 08:10 pm

Our First Day In Europe, Interrailing

I said I would write about our experience as we travelled around Europe on the train, and 4 days in, it is my first opportunity to do it. So I am coming to you from some creepy guy’s apartment, in the cellar of his house. I’m not saying it is in a bad area but the Uber driver hung around for a few minutes to make sure we were safe! But more about that later. I have so much to write about in the first few days of Europe. I have no idea how to get it all out. But I am going to give it a try.

We flew into Nuremberg and the flight was a little late, but we weren’t on a schedule and it was only a little late on our first day in Europe. Nuremberg airport to the city centre was easy enough. You just jump on the Ubahn train and you are there in minutes. We had a few hours to kill, so we went to the old town and had Bratwurst …. Oh my God, I really wanted this! If you grew up in Germany like I did, there is nothing like real German Bratwurst. And when you are in Germany, there is nothing like a proper German beer in a proper beer stein.

Munich

We took the ICE train which was a really grotty train. We had first class and we never received the promised snacks and drinks that were offered on the website – Assholes. In fact we never even had our tickets checked. Munich was a disaster! I had forgotten my raincoat and it absolutely pissed down with rain. We were soaked. So we talked our way into the train first class lounge at the station to dry off and get a drink and snacks. Only there were no snacks. Tilly was happy with her 50% off pizza slices that I bought from a random food stall in the subway. A place I would probably never buy food from at home. But on holiday, it always seems okay to do it, doesn’t it? As far as a first day in Europe goes, though – we did okay!

Munchen Ost Station

We had to go to another Munich train station after the lounge closed to get our sleeper train to Lessce – Bled. When I had booked it, There were no beds left, so we booked a seat to sleep in. I was convinced it wouldn’t be that bad. The reason we chose sleeper trains was so that we didn’t waste too much time travelling through the day. And after this trip, I would agree it is the best way to travel.

Munchen Ost train station was an experience! You know when you just want to watch people? That’s what we did and there are some strange ones about. There was a scoutmaster who kept disappearing down the other end of the platform with one of his girl scouts, and there was a young lad who asked us if we were getting the same train as him. He was drunk and needed someone to wake him up at his stop.

Then there was a bloke dressed up in traditional German clothes, he was obviously an entertainer, as he had a big instrument! I keep telling myself not to do stupid things, but I keep accidentally doing them. And as much as I told myself not to ask for a photo, I still did it! He was surprised to be asked though and was happy enough to oblige. He stood pretty close to me and I didn’t know where to put my hands, so I crossed them. I was worried they would accidentally brush his body. But it didn’t stop him though, did it? His little wondering hands cross my bum! We got the photo and stood at the right part of the platform for the train.

The Overnight Train To Slovenia

When we got on the train it was something I can only describe as chaotic. You know when you watch a movie and people are all clambering on a train or a bus to leave a city before it explodes or something? It was like that, people and their giant suitcases and backpacks pushing in to get on the train. We found our little compartment. It reminded me of the old compartments of a British Rail train. So imagine six people in there trying to sleep. There was a grumpy woman who got off at Salzburg and a nice couple from France, that were travelling to Ljubliana.

Trying to sleep on this train can only be described as an experience. It was like a bloody party train with noisy people, and people standing in the aisles banging our door. I told Tilly she had to go to sleep, and despite her insisting she wasn’t tired, she did eventually manage to sleep sitting up.

The train stopped in Salzburg for an hour, Tilly woke up and we both got off the train. The train part that was heading to Venice, separated and went in its direction and we went in ours. Of all the things Tilly was going to see on holiday, I didn’t think the uncoupling of a train would excite her!

We got back on the train, and Tilly fell asleep again pretty quickly. As the lady had left at Salzburg, there was an empty seat. It meant one person could lie down in the foetal position and sleep. My friend Eileen did this and I slept up against a window. After a couple of hours, we swapped and Eileen slept against the window and I got into the foetal position.

Losing The Will To Live On Our First Day In Europe!

If you know me personally, you will know that I don’t like being pinned down to one place. I knew this trip would be a challenge but being on the train for so long without any freedom to move about made me lose the will to live. I found it very hard and just wanted to get off.

The train stopped again for ages and it was dark, so I couldn’t see where we were. I opened the door of the train a woman came running at me. She started telling me off in some foreign language that I didn’t know and closed the door. I didn’t know there was no platform there, did I?

By now the train was still lively with people hanging around the corridors, talking loudly. The lady next to Tilly was scrunched into a tiny corner as Tilly made herself at home and stretched out. I had to keep waking her up and moving her back.

As light dawned, I watched as we travelled through beautiful mountainsides and passed picturesque villages. I truly was on holiday now and our first day in Europe turned into our second day, with adventures awaiting us.