A city break turns into a rail celebration.
It all started with a last-minute trip.
Fingers on buzzers, who was one of the lucky ones to score a ticket to the Vermeer exhibit? Not me! At least not through the Rijksmuseum, which sold out every one of its 450,000 tickets in just two days.
So when I found a package deal that didn’t look too scammy, I knew I had to act quickly. Eyes watering at the prices for a last-minute flight, I looked at rail options.
The train
The InterCity Express (ICE) runs 5 times a day between Berlin and Amsterdam. 6 hours and change on a comfy train compares well with the time-suck of to-and-fro airport transit, arriving at the airport 2 hours early (ridiculous!) as well as flight time.
And you’re saving on carbon. Electricity powers the high-speed trains.
Plus, it’s cheap! Even though I booked late, the round-trip journey was only about €100, including a reserved seat.
Booking
If you’re new to taking the train, look for a direct connection. These sell out quickly during peak times. Book early to save on tickets, via Deutsche Bahn or NS International. DB’s website is a bit clunky, and the English very Google Translate-y. NS International’s website is beautifully designed and easy to use, with clear English designed for international visitors. The NS app also provided me with updates and platform info. Handy.
Tip: Spend a little extra for a reserved seat. If you book in advance, this almost always guarantees a window seat. Plus, you’ll know exactly which car to board, won’t have to wander the length of the train, looking for an available spot. Definitely worth 4 euros.
Boarding
Booking a train is easy, but boarding can be scary in a foreign country, especially if you’re new to international train travel. My nearest train station relies heavily on broadcasts that would be challenging for anyone to understand in any language through its shabby speakers. (Better in other stations, but never good to rely on quality audio in a big barn, especially in a foreign language)
Departing from the tiny Ostbanhof in Berlin, it was easy to find my platform. ‘Amsterdam’ doesn’t change in German, but the names of some cities may look very different in different countries. Example: Cologne is Köln in German. Note: For Berlin to Amsterdam, if your train has a stop in Köln, you’re on the wrong train.
Tip: Can’t understand the language? Look around! At 5 minutes to boarding, are you the only person waiting on your platform? If so, check the board.
Charging and discharging
WiFi is free and fairly quick on ICE trains, but finding a place to charge a gadget can be a challenge. Coming from Berlin, the only available outlets in second class were at seats with tables, one table per coach.
This may not seem important during the first few chapters of a novel, looking out the window at (whee!) 200 kph, a wee, a trip to the cafe car, but as the destination looms, you need your GPS! I got lucky, the nice ladies enjoying their train-table picnic let me use the plug for an hour.
If your train ticket is digital, make sure you have enough juice in your phone to show it. A common courtesy: have your ticket displayed and your passport open to the photo page before the inspector arrives. You’ll know the train inspector is coming due to the sudden drop in travel atmo as people scramble for documents.
Toilets on a train are evidence of fluid dynamics; never expect a tidy toilet or a wealth of paper for hands or otherwise. BYOTP.
Tip: Equip yourself with a secondary power source and a primary hygienic source for a more comfortable trip.
Enjoying the ride
Despite the heady pace of 200kph, my mid-March views were gorgeous. Lush fields, cows, horses, sheep, farmland, forests. This city gal got her eyes rinsed with green! Hit the cafe car for some joe, made with a proper coffee machine. Result: a reasonably-priced, very good cappuccino, any way you sort it. Next time, I’ll sample the beer, served in half-litre glasses to all, no class distinctions. Take that, airlines!
Still not sure if the gloopy pasta and microwaved wurst others were gobbling in the cafe car hit the mark- I returned to my seat as we hit the Netherlands.
About an hour outside of Amsterdam, I heard an announcement in 4 languages to watch my belongings carefully. Spent the last 59 minutes of my train ride thinking about clever pickpockets and bag thieves who jump on a train outside of town, steal stray valuables, then hop off with an unsecured bag on a whistle-stop just before reaching the big city. Am I depressed or impressed by this ingenuity?
Tip: For overhead or larger bags, thread a thin cable lock through zippers and luggage rails to secure your luggage to deter easy snatching. Don’t leave anything valuable unattended.
Arriving
Coming into the heart of a city on a train allows a passenger to absorb reckless suburban development, failed or successful urban renewal, and more. Graffiti often offers a visual guide, beginning with tags on the outskirts and moving to more nuanced art as you get closer to the city.
Tip: a still photo through a smudgy window doesn’t convey the stream of outsider art, meant to be seen at speed. Skip the photo shoot and enjoy the kinescope of spray paint.
