I'm in the last few days of my Interrail Global Pass ticket validity, so it would be nice to see some more. As if on cue, a friend from Singapore mentioned that he was going to Europe and that we could meet up somewhere. What about Oslo, where he's going to be?
I'll take him at his word. Let's pack our bags, get on the train and go north!
I leave early in the morning and spend the whole day on the train from the Czech Republic to Hamburg in Germany, where I find somewhere to sleep in the evening. Because of the Interrail ticket, it's no problem to take a well-organized suburban train service (like in almost all big German cities) a bit further away from the center, where accommodation prices are a bit better, even around 1200 CZK per night like around Hamburg-Tonndorf.
Again I leave early in the morning and again spend the whole day on the road, this time from Hamburg to Gothenburg in Sweden, with a quick change in Copenhagen.
The train from Hamburg to Copenhagen is, however, unlike many other European fast trains, packed to bursting, and so many passengers without seat reservations have to get off the train for it to leave at all. Capacity on this line has long been low and train travel between Germany and Scandinavia is thus narrow-bore, as there is virtually no train alternative on this route. So while I'm an advocate of not booking seats and freedom of choice, here reserving a seat would be advisable, otherwise one has a high probability of standing/sitting on the floor for hours at best, and not even getting on the train at worst. This is mostly true in the summer, off-season is a bit better.
The train from Copenhagen to Gothenburg on the other hand is very fine, the Swedes have the capacity of the main line trains well managed.
What to see along the way: 1) the Rendsburg Bridge over the Nord-Ostsee Canal, 2) crossings over the straits between the (semi-)islands of Denmark and over the bridge and through the tunnel between Denmark and Sweden, 3) occasional views of the coast between Helsingborg and Gothenburg
In Gothenburg, I'll make a half-day stop to explore the city and do some shopping. Yesterday I walked around the river flowing through the city, today I'll get a glimpse of the city from the heights of the Landala district, and I'll also walk past the university campus center to the train station further away.
Although the timetable between Gothenburg and Oslo showed me a compulsory reservation for the train, after some slight confusion with the impossibility of buying this reservation somewhere at the ticket office at the station (which somehow mysteriously doesn't seem to be run by them - could it be fully digitized services?) it was no problem in the end to go without a reservation, the conductor on the train didn't address the reservation.
The goal of the whole trip, Oslo. After almost three days of train travel, I'm in the capital of Norway. The đ#&}*@#Đ* expensive capital. It's expensive everything and everywhere. Cheap accommodation here is around 2500 CZK for a classic room per night. On the positive side at least, you only need a bank card to pay for everything anywhere and you don't have to change local money.
Before I start my journey back to the Czech Republic in the evening, I will spend almost the whole day with my friend exploring the centre of Oslo.
What to see in Oslo: 1) the Tiger Statue in the very center of the city, 2) the Norwegian Opera House on the shore of the bay, 3) the floating saunas in the bay and the bay itself, 4) the former Akershus Castle on the shore of the bay, 5) the Royal Palace with its surrounding parks, 6) several prominent buildings in the centre of Oslo such as the Council House in a particular neoclassical style or the Parliament, or more traditional Scandinavian neighbourhoods such as Fredensborg and Grünerløkka
Departure in the evening along the same route to Gothenburg with accommodation close to the track in Mölndal en route.
From Mölndal I continue the rest of the way to the Czech Republic. The plan was to spend the night somewhere around Hamburg or Berlin, but I eventually found a night connection from Leipzig to Linz, so I continued my journey overnight, almost 24 hours of pure time.
A hastily organised trip to Oslo by train. A weekly hurrah event, which thanks to Interrail could be considered lowcost - only tickets for 18,000 CZK round trip would be in full swing. Anyway, compared to fast air travel, if one has enough time, by train one can see many times more around the line, from railway stations, city centres, through nature, forests, meadows, coasts... Because the journey is the destination.
I'm in the last few days of my Interrail Global Pass ticket validity, so it would be nice to see some more. As if on cue, a friend from Singapore mentioned that he was going to Europe and that we could meet up somewhere. What about Oslo, where he's going to be?
I'll take him at his word. Let's pack our bags, get on the train and go north!
I leave early in the morning and spend the whole day on the train from the Czech Republic to Hamburg in Germany, where I find somewhere to sleep in the evening. Because of the Interrail ticket, it's no problem to take a well-organized suburban train service (like in almost all big German cities) a bit further away from the center, where accommodation prices are a bit better, even around 1200 CZK per night like around Hamburg-Tonndorf.
Again I leave early in the morning and again spend the whole day on the road, this time from Hamburg to Gothenburg in Sweden, with a quick change in Copenhagen.
The train from Hamburg to Copenhagen is, however, unlike many other European fast trains, packed to bursting, and so many passengers without seat reservations have to get off the train for it to leave at all. Capacity on this line has long been low and train travel between Germany and Scandinavia is thus narrow-bore, as there is virtually no train alternative on this route. So while I'm an advocate of not booking seats and freedom of choice, here reserving a seat would be advisable, otherwise one has a high probability of standing/sitting on the floor for hours at best, and not even getting on the train at worst. This is mostly true in the summer, off-season is a bit better.
The train from Copenhagen to Gothenburg on the other hand is very fine, the Swedes have the capacity of the main line trains well managed.
What to see along the way: 1) the Rendsburg Bridge over the Nord-Ostsee Canal, 2) crossings over the straits between the (semi-)islands of Denmark and over the bridge and through the tunnel between Denmark and Sweden, 3) occasional views of the coast between Helsingborg and Gothenburg
In Gothenburg, I'll make a half-day stop to explore the city and do some shopping. Yesterday I walked around the river flowing through the city, today I'll get a glimpse of the city from the heights of the Landala district, and I'll also walk past the university campus center to the train station further away.
Although the timetable between Gothenburg and Oslo showed me a compulsory reservation for the train, after some slight confusion with the impossibility of buying this reservation somewhere at the ticket office at the station (which somehow mysteriously doesn't seem to be run by them - could it be fully digitized services?) it was no problem in the end to go without a reservation, the conductor on the train didn't address the reservation.
The goal of the whole trip, Oslo. After almost three days of train travel, I'm in the capital of Norway. The đ#&}*@#Đ* expensive capital. It's expensive everything and everywhere. Cheap accommodation here is around 2500 CZK for a classic room per night. On the positive side at least, you only need a bank card to pay for everything anywhere and you don't have to change local money.
Before I start my journey back to the Czech Republic in the evening, I will spend almost the whole day with my friend exploring the centre of Oslo.
What to see in Oslo: 1) the Tiger Statue in the very center of the city, 2) the Norwegian Opera House on the shore of the bay, 3) the floating saunas in the bay and the bay itself, 4) the former Akershus Castle on the shore of the bay, 5) the Royal Palace with its surrounding parks, 6) several prominent buildings in the centre of Oslo such as the Council House in a particular neoclassical style or the Parliament, or more traditional Scandinavian neighbourhoods such as Fredensborg and Grünerløkka
Departure in the evening along the same route to Gothenburg with accommodation close to the track in Mölndal en route.
From Mölndal I continue the rest of the way to the Czech Republic. The plan was to spend the night somewhere around Hamburg or Berlin, but I eventually found a night connection from Leipzig to Linz, so I continued my journey overnight, almost 24 hours of pure time.
A hastily organised trip to Oslo by train. A weekly hurrah event, which thanks to Interrail could be considered lowcost - only tickets for 18,000 CZK round trip would be in full swing. Anyway, compared to fast air travel, if one has enough time, by train one can see many times more around the line, from railway stations, city centres, through nature, forests, meadows, coasts... Because the journey is the destination.
itinerary by Martin Konhefr
I'm in the last few days of my Interrail Global Pass ticket validity, so it would be nice to see some more. As if on cue, a friend from Singapore mentioned that he was going to Europe and that we could meet up somewhere. What about Oslo, where he's going to be?
I'll take him at his word. Let's pack our bags, get on the train and go north!
I leave early in the morning and spend the whole day on the train from the Czech Republic to Hamburg in Germany, where I find somewhere to sleep in the evening. Because of the Interrail ticket, it's no problem to take a well-organized suburban train service (like in almost all big German cities) a bit further away from the center, where accommodation prices are a bit better, even around 1200 CZK per night like around Hamburg-Tonndorf.
Again I leave early in the morning and again spend the whole day on the road, this time from Hamburg to Gothenburg in Sweden, with a quick change in Copenhagen.
The train from Hamburg to Copenhagen is, however, unlike many other European fast trains, packed to bursting, and so many passengers without seat reservations have to get off the train for it to leave at all. Capacity on this line has long been low and train travel between Germany and Scandinavia is thus narrow-bore, as there is virtually no train alternative on this route. So while I'm an advocate of not booking seats and freedom of choice, here reserving a seat would be advisable, otherwise one has a high probability of standing/sitting on the floor for hours at best, and not even getting on the train at worst. This is mostly true in the summer, off-season is a bit better.
The train from Copenhagen to Gothenburg on the other hand is very fine, the Swedes have the capacity of the main line trains well managed.
What to see along the way: 1) the Rendsburg Bridge over the Nord-Ostsee Canal, 2) crossings over the straits between the (semi-)islands of Denmark and over the bridge and through the tunnel between Denmark and Sweden, 3) occasional views of the coast between Helsingborg and Gothenburg
In Gothenburg, I'll make a half-day stop to explore the city and do some shopping. Yesterday I walked around the river flowing through the city, today I'll get a glimpse of the city from the heights of the Landala district, and I'll also walk past the university campus center to the train station further away.
Although the timetable between Gothenburg and Oslo showed me a compulsory reservation for the train, after some slight confusion with the impossibility of buying this reservation somewhere at the ticket office at the station (which somehow mysteriously doesn't seem to be run by them - could it be fully digitized services?) it was no problem in the end to go without a reservation, the conductor on the train didn't address the reservation.
The goal of the whole trip, Oslo. After almost three days of train travel, I'm in the capital of Norway. The đ#&}*@#Đ* expensive capital. It's expensive everything and everywhere. Cheap accommodation here is around 2500 CZK for a classic room per night. On the positive side at least, you only need a bank card to pay for everything anywhere and you don't have to change local money.
Before I start my journey back to the Czech Republic in the evening, I will spend almost the whole day with my friend exploring the centre of Oslo.
What to see in Oslo: 1) the Tiger Statue in the very center of the city, 2) the Norwegian Opera House on the shore of the bay, 3) the floating saunas in the bay and the bay itself, 4) the former Akershus Castle on the shore of the bay, 5) the Royal Palace with its surrounding parks, 6) several prominent buildings in the centre of Oslo such as the Council House in a particular neoclassical style or the Parliament, or more traditional Scandinavian neighbourhoods such as Fredensborg and Grünerløkka
Departure in the evening along the same route to Gothenburg with accommodation close to the track in Mölndal en route.
From Mölndal I continue the rest of the way to the Czech Republic. The plan was to spend the night somewhere around Hamburg or Berlin, but I eventually found a night connection from Leipzig to Linz, so I continued my journey overnight, almost 24 hours of pure time.
A hastily organised trip to Oslo by train. A weekly hurrah event, which thanks to Interrail could be considered lowcost - only tickets for 18,000 CZK round trip would be in full swing. Anyway, compared to fast air travel, if one has enough time, by train one can see many times more around the line, from railway stations, city centres, through nature, forests, meadows, coasts... Because the journey is the destination.
I'm in the last few days of my Interrail Global Pass ticket validity, so it would be nice to see some more. As if on cue, a friend from Singapore mentioned that he was going to Europe and that we could meet up somewhere. What about Oslo, where he's going to be?
I'll take him at his word. Let's pack our bags, get on the train and go north!
I leave early in the morning and spend the whole day on the train from the Czech Republic to Hamburg in Germany, where I find somewhere to sleep in the evening. Because of the Interrail ticket, it's no problem to take a well-organized suburban train service (like in almost all big German cities) a bit further away from the center, where accommodation prices are a bit better, even around 1200 CZK per night like around Hamburg-Tonndorf.
Again I leave early in the morning and again spend the whole day on the road, this time from Hamburg to Gothenburg in Sweden, with a quick change in Copenhagen.
The train from Hamburg to Copenhagen is, however, unlike many other European fast trains, packed to bursting, and so many passengers without seat reservations have to get off the train for it to leave at all. Capacity on this line has long been low and train travel between Germany and Scandinavia is thus narrow-bore, as there is virtually no train alternative on this route. So while I'm an advocate of not booking seats and freedom of choice, here reserving a seat would be advisable, otherwise one has a high probability of standing/sitting on the floor for hours at best, and not even getting on the train at worst. This is mostly true in the summer, off-season is a bit better.
The train from Copenhagen to Gothenburg on the other hand is very fine, the Swedes have the capacity of the main line trains well managed.
What to see along the way: 1) the Rendsburg Bridge over the Nord-Ostsee Canal, 2) crossings over the straits between the (semi-)islands of Denmark and over the bridge and through the tunnel between Denmark and Sweden, 3) occasional views of the coast between Helsingborg and Gothenburg
In Gothenburg, I'll make a half-day stop to explore the city and do some shopping. Yesterday I walked around the river flowing through the city, today I'll get a glimpse of the city from the heights of the Landala district, and I'll also walk past the university campus center to the train station further away.
Although the timetable between Gothenburg and Oslo showed me a compulsory reservation for the train, after some slight confusion with the impossibility of buying this reservation somewhere at the ticket office at the station (which somehow mysteriously doesn't seem to be run by them - could it be fully digitized services?) it was no problem in the end to go without a reservation, the conductor on the train didn't address the reservation.
The goal of the whole trip, Oslo. After almost three days of train travel, I'm in the capital of Norway. The đ#&}*@#Đ* expensive capital. It's expensive everything and everywhere. Cheap accommodation here is around 2500 CZK for a classic room per night. On the positive side at least, you only need a bank card to pay for everything anywhere and you don't have to change local money.
Before I start my journey back to the Czech Republic in the evening, I will spend almost the whole day with my friend exploring the centre of Oslo.
What to see in Oslo: 1) the Tiger Statue in the very center of the city, 2) the Norwegian Opera House on the shore of the bay, 3) the floating saunas in the bay and the bay itself, 4) the former Akershus Castle on the shore of the bay, 5) the Royal Palace with its surrounding parks, 6) several prominent buildings in the centre of Oslo such as the Council House in a particular neoclassical style or the Parliament, or more traditional Scandinavian neighbourhoods such as Fredensborg and Grünerløkka
Departure in the evening along the same route to Gothenburg with accommodation close to the track in Mölndal en route.
From Mölndal I continue the rest of the way to the Czech Republic. The plan was to spend the night somewhere around Hamburg or Berlin, but I eventually found a night connection from Leipzig to Linz, so I continued my journey overnight, almost 24 hours of pure time.
A hastily organised trip to Oslo by train. A weekly hurrah event, which thanks to Interrail could be considered lowcost - only tickets for 18,000 CZK round trip would be in full swing. Anyway, compared to fast air travel, if one has enough time, by train one can see many times more around the line, from railway stations, city centres, through nature, forests, meadows, coasts... Because the journey is the destination.
