With Europe (and Germany and Switzerland in particular) famous for an extensive train system, our plan was to rely on trains and avoid the need to rent cars and use taxis (both of which tend to be fairly expensive here). But here was the problem: With the business meetings in Heidelberg (there is no “business casual”; you wear suits and dress properly for evening dinners) and the need for appropriate clothes for the temple and church, our effort to “pack light” wasn’t entirely successful. Here’s a picture of our luggage (in addition to the full back packs we each were carrying).
Note that there is one more than the optimal number for schlepping by two people on public transportation (crowded local trains and buses in particular) and through crowded rail platforms and stations, escalators and city sidewalks. While Evie organized the trip to minimize hotel changes, the baggage was a real pain in the neck, but we managed and could do so walking, which made logistics much simpler.
On our maiden train voyage out of Heidelberg (a relatively small train station we had scouted out the day before our departure) with an easy transfer in Mannheim was without incident even though we really knew nothing about train travel in Europe and there were few signs in English. Then we arrived in Bern at the evening “rush hour” to a totally bewildering scene. The station has multiple levels, different trains (intercity, regional and local) constantly arriving and departing from more tracks than you could count and busy hordes rushing to get on or off each of them. We were so lost we couldn’t even find our way out of the station, let alone the street to our hotel, but we managed. The stations in Munich and Frankfurt were even larger and more confusing, but by then we were also a little less clueless.
EVIE'S COMMENT: Actually, we ended up taking a taxi to our hotel in Bern. The guidebook said it was only .5km from the train station, but we had no idea of which way to go, and I think we were still too shy to ask for directions. But as time went by, we got better at asking for directions -- and saved ourselves lots of money in cab fare (I don't want to admit how much that taxi ride in Bern cost us!).
EVIE'S COMMENT: Actually, we ended up taking a taxi to our hotel in Bern. The guidebook said it was only .5km from the train station, but we had no idea of which way to go, and I think we were still too shy to ask for directions. But as time went by, we got better at asking for directions -- and saved ourselves lots of money in cab fare (I don't want to admit how much that taxi ride in Bern cost us!).
Nevertheless, train travel in Germany and Switzerland proved to be convenient, fast, clean and comfortable (all that was promised). Between the larger cities we took the high speed [up to 300 km/h (186 mph)], sleek looking “ICE” trains (intercity express). Otherwise, we rode the “Regional” trains (a step down from ICE) or the local “S bahn” trains. To get a two country (Germany and Switzerland) Euro Rail pass, we had to purchase passes for first class seats (which aren’t even available on all trains) and so we probably saw the system at its best. Frankly, some of the heavily used local trains weren’t much different that subways in New York and perhaps a step down from BART (crowded and not all that clean). Here are some pictures of our trains:
Note the "compartment" seating arrangements with a single aisle along the side, sort of like the Harry Potter's Hogwarts Express. On some ICE trains the compartments had opaque partitions (not transparent like these). I never figured out why some had this arrangement and others did not.
