Today I'm attempting #Heidelberg-#Madrid by #rail in one day. 6 trains from #tram to #TGV. Made train no 1 at 6:39. ETA in Madrid is 23:45.
Biggest challenge might be the regional train to Mannheim. Due to illness of personnel at least 1 of the 3 trains I could take simply isn't running, which means that one of the others will be crowded and hence delayed ...
1/
Made #train no 2, yes, not quite as full as expected, but with 200 ppl changing platform 5 min before departure.
Arriving in #Mannheim. 15min to catch my #ICE to #Strasbourg.
2/
Wtf #DeutscheBahn, #Mannheim is literally the 2nd stop on that #ICE. My transfer in #Strasbourg (and the rest of the trip) seriously endangered.
3/
Now in the #ICE, 20 min delay due to problems with a track switch.
Full speed towards #Karlsruhe and #Strasbourg.
5/
#Karlsruhe has passed, a friendly voice is announcing #Strasbourg and 20min delay in three languages - no word about connecting trains.
Got to search for a Zugbegleiter now.
6/
Not going to make the #Strasbourg connection. #TGV waiting for us? No way!
So I'll go to #Paris, take 2 Metros, and catch a TGV to Lyon from Gare de Lyon.
"Do I need a new ticket" "No, should be fine." "Seat reservation?" "Maybe talk to the conductor there."
We _definitely_ need a much better integrated #rail system in #Europe. And #Germany.
7/
Funny that you should mention "announcements in the train" (none about connections) bc announcements on the platform would obviously be too late if I'm supposed to stay on this train.
Anyone not deeply train-literate would stand no real chance I guess :-/
#failacrosseurope?
#railacrosseurope
8/
Ah, now comes the announcement, I can already see #Strasbourg station...
Anyway, if this alternative works then it will only cut short my planned lunch break in Lyon
9/
#Paris drawing closer, with ~35min delay. But we cracked the 300km/h (I've seen 308), which of course I will do several times again (hopefully) today.
Soon Metros 4+14 and then we'll see.
10/
Navigated #Paris Metro in no time, stood at the gate to the #TGV that would get me to Lyon Part Dieu in time and ... "go to customer service, you need a reservation".
Of course the train was gone after that. Fuckers?
Now I'm on a TGV that only runs to Lyon Airport (30min train/taxi to Lyon Part Dieu) and also stops at Valence, like my onward train to #Barcelona. But: one train stops at Valence Ville, the other at Valence TGV, 20min distance.
11/
But only about 20min changeover time in Valence. Great! ☹️
So based on delayed #ICE and bad info from the conductor plus unwillingness to let me on the only feasible train without standing in line at a "customers" center for 15min I'm probably going to not arrive in #Madrid today.
Of course there's a direct train #Paris-#Barcelona, which arrives the very same minute the last train to #Madrid leaves.
No-one in this whole chain cares, at all.
#railacrosseurope
#failacrosseurope
12/
Taxi drivers ftw! Valence Ville to Valence TGV is normally min 12 km and 17 min. Taxis can use bus routes and so my train doors opened at 14:46 and I was on the platform at Valence TGV at 15:05...
And that is the story of how I did eventually catch my booked train.
13/
Today's detour via Paris actually increased my rail travel distance by almost exactly 400km. And 42,10€ in Metro and Taxi costs. Now it's going to be 2310 km by rail today - which I think is the longest I've done so far.
14/
Dinner was had, people are sitting outside, it's still above 20°C, now off to the final 2.5 hours to #Madrid.
With an #Iryo high speed train, for 24.17€ first class...
15/
Guess which days I am _not_ travelling back? Correct 😁
(Looking at burned-out personnel and not really competitive salaries, German train people definitely need proper raises!)
👉https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/gdl-bahn-warnstreik-102.html
16/
And I made it. Punctually 23:25 I arrived where all the high-speed trains go to sleep, #Madrid-#Atocha. And I myself not too far away.
#railacrosseurope (a small part that is)
17/
That was ~1400km as the crow flies, but 2300km by train. Not more than 3.5% around the globe, but on the other hand only 29 days at this speed would wrap around Earth once.
It's a small, fragile world!
18/
Aaaand two days later, after a very worthy meeting on #ESAEuclid at #ESAC I'm now starting my way back home.
Zeroth leg: chartered bus to #Madrid (30min), then a few stations #Metro. I did bring a Metro travel card from 2019 and found 6 more trips on it...
Walk to #Atocha and now boarded a quite packed #Ouigo to #Barcelona.
19/
Btw, #Madrid has the most colourful selection of high-speed trains: #renfe, #Ouigo, #Iryo, #Avlo
They are leavin towards #Barcelona every about 15min
#railacrosseurope #rail #trains #ZugBubble
21/
Queues at security check in #Barcelona Sants, makes people nervous, because it's not clear if this will take 5 or 25 minutes. Took 5 in the end.
Then queueing to get to the platform - not without ticket check!
Also note: huge ads for heat pumps. Probably not the worst audience for this.
22/
Up to now the return leg has been so much more relaxing than my outbound leg ("ida y vuelta" so much more concise and elegant in Spanish).
It's pretty clear advice (which I knew before): if you have #international #rail connections that are crucial, plan 45+min for transfer. I think planning for 1h delays and more isn't really useful, but 10-20min can always happen.
Oh: and have some breakfast before boarding, onboard #coffee usually isn't that good...
23/
Route-wise I can only recommend the coastal passage between #Montpellier and #Perpignan. #Pyrinees, #Etangs with lots of wildlife including, yes #Flamingos!
25/
And after nature and the #Mediterranean sea, scenic places like #Beziers and #vinyards directly off the waterfront, I've now arrived in #Nimes, after which this sight-seeing trip will turn into a high-speed ride - with the #AVE to cover the remaining 40% of distance to #Lyon in 25% of the travel time.
26/
#Lyon - and it's not a good sign if upon arrival my continuing train is 30min late due to an "unaccompanied object" and me having only 60min in #Paris to connect. Incl. transfer from Gare de Lyon to Gare del Est using 2 Metros.
#SNCF staff here didn't even consider checking alternatives directly via Strasbourg. "Talk to someone in Paris". Customers? Never heard of.
27/
I did already buy a #Metro ticket for this transfer on my outward leg. That will save about 2 min on that route...
28/
Very very much so! All trains but 1 were punctual to the minute.
Thank you for this little travel blog 
I did. A small room 5min walking distance from the station. Now sitting in a meeting with ~50 people that usually meet at 10:00 online 😁
Yes, indeed, and yes I used bikerouter with the rail parameter and manual adjustment of which route was taken. It doesn't always choose the high-speed tracks.
Backwards as well as one-day-travel-fun-adventure?
No, with an overnight in Barcelona. Only 1-day connection was fully booked.
I don't think that will be much of an issue. Starting in Barcelona in the morning gives me 40min transfer time in Lyon and 1h in Paris. That should be fine.
Very nice price!
There are ~4 companies running at 5-15min intervals overall. Competition, still full.
Today same connection but later: 2120-2350 would be 27,40 first class - seem to be high competition there...
Yes, very much.
HH - Berlin tonight would be 77,90 2. Class or 109,90 in firstclass - arriving at almost the same time, as the Barcelona-Madrid-Train but 4 times the price.
(All checked with trainline - never used it before)
@knud crazy. Did you tell the taxi driver he needs to outrun a TGV? I‘d think their lot tends to accept such a challenge.
🤞 for the rest of the journey!
I asked him to be trés rapide (I don't speak Frech!), and after I said when my train would leave he said no problem, but noticed he did go quite fast, but more importantly, he knew all the traffic-light and traffic-jam free routes.
30% tip was absolutely worth it!
He didn't drive like this, though: 😉
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0152930/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_6_tt_8_nm_0_q_taxi
Exactly my point: no way. And DB doesn't care, and SNCF doesn't care, and renfe doesn't care. Also, you can't buy a through ticket, so no-one is responsible if you incur extra cost. No-one!
Funny that @chillicampari actually is on the same track, but a different TGV today. :-)
@chillicampari @knud @FrauNaja
I'll have a Pastis in Avignon before I come to the station then...
@chillicampari @knud @FrauNaja
I mean, this might be a very German question: Is there decent Wifi on the TGV? Or G5?
@chillicampari @mfeilner @FrauNaja
Ok so far on all ICEs, TGVs, AVEs.
I had tickets from trainline, bits and pieces to Madrid. DB to Strasbourg, SNCF to Lyon, renfe to Barcelona. The lady in Paris was very nice, trying even to rebook me on SNCF to Barcelona. Which I declined since that train arrives too late. But I convinced her to give me a reservation for the not-quite-connecting train and I said I'll figure it out.
Did you check the interrail possibility?
4 Days out of 1 Month Global pass is first class 328 € + Reservation (didn't check prices, maybe it's no bargain)
I don't know, if you can change the connections during the trip....
Just checked out trainline - HH-Madrid in middle of january - don't know, what they are looking for - but the fastest I found was 35h and DB says fastest is 24:30h
Do you search there just leg by leg for prices?
It's quite absurd. One train stops at Lyon airport and Valence city. The other at Lyon city and Valence TGV. To be fair, there is another TGV 20min earlier that goes to Lyon Part Dieu and a OGV train even in-between. But this still doesn't help.
And the taxi, I figured I try, in case I missed I would have tried to wiggle myself into the SNCF train to Barcelona 2h later in Valence, which doesn't stop in Lyon at all.
And I don't really think this taxi transfer is something one should try. I ran to the taxi stand, there were 2 (!) and the driver knew what he was doing and I still only had 5min left when I arrived. Not recommended as a deliberate route...
I actually had checked before and only 30min before (when I had wifi) I could have just purchased a new ticket. There were definitely seats available. 😠
Knud Jahnke
Braid in trains 
- solidarity with 
Karl Urban
zugverlæssig 
Matthijs
Project Insanity
Frau Naja
Jean-Baptiste
Markus Feilner (has moved)
DeeAnn Little
fabian
Martha
Rens
Andrew Plested