The summation of the day is the train was tired and so are we!
Today's blog actually starts at Day 2 and 21 hours as we wait to board the 21:22 European Sleeper from Rotterdam to Prague. This is a relatively new service that initially ran from Brussels to Berlin, but from March 2024 was extended through to Prague. It operates six nights per week, alternating between heading east on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday and then west on a Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. I'm not certain, but I believe the trains on Sunday and Monday were cancelled, so I was quite relieved when it left Prague on Tuesday and then departed from Brussels whilst we were still enjoying our dinner in Tilburg a little earlier in the evening.
Having used the excellent Man in Seat 61 website to research the train before booking and again before setting off on the trip, we knew that there was little on offer for breakfast so stocked up with some supplies from Rotterdam station to keep the troops sustained for the journey ahead. We also made sure to get plenty of water, knowing that we would be in a couchette without air-conditioning for the next 14 hours on one of the hottest days of the year!
The train was 12 coaches long and we were right at the back in, obviously, coach 5. There seemed to be very little logic to the numbering, but they do advertise the full formation on their website so we did know in advance that we'd need to be towards the back end of the platform for boarding. After the long day at Efteling the kids were both shattered so we quickly set up their top bunks and they tucked in for the night.
European Sleeper are a new open access operator with strong ambitions to disrupt the current monopoly that Austrian state operated NightJet have on overnight journeys in Europe. These include modern new trains, but for now they are reliant on leased rolling stock that they cobble together to make a train. We had an ex-Slovakian railways couchette that I believe dated from 1970 and was last refurbished in 1998 and it was certainly showing signs of its 50+ years of service and 25+ years since any form of modernisation. Both toilets in our coach were also out of order, as was the closest one in the next coach, so it was quite a walk when anyone needed the loo, plus it did require a chaperone or a leg against the door as that loo had no working lock! Also, as mentioned earlier, there was no aircon, so it took a fine balance to open the windows enough to let in some cooler air whilst not blowing everything including the curtains around the berth. We also had to contend with endless rattles and a door that would often stick and not open.
We had booked a private berth for the four of us and with the kids at the top, we set up our beds at the bottom. The couchettes are designed for up to six and in hindsight after Amber had a snooze up on Paloma's bunk in the morning, we should have set up the middle bunks for us instead of the bottom that double-up as the day seats, and didn't provide the most comfortable place to sleep. Everyone is provided with a pillow, blanket and a clever sheet that is like a sleeping bag that you lay inside.
The kids woke up around 7am, not too long after leaving Berlin, and after some protestation from Paloma, we agreed that once we got to Dresden we would set up the couchette for the day part of the journey and have breakfast. The journey from Dresden to Prague is next to the River Elbe and provides lovely views from the train. I don't believe the windows had been cleaned for a very long time, but fortunately being in such an old coach there were large opening windows that allowed for the views to be taken in, albeit having to stand or perch on the seat to properly see them.
Soon we were on the outskirts of Prague and expecting to arrive just 15 minutes or so late when we stopped at a red signal. More and more trains passed us on different tracks whilst we just sat there with no announcements for the delay. Then, almost an hour late we started moving and had a clear run through to Prague central station. I can only assume that we had missed our slot in the station and had to wait for it to become available again the following hour. Unfortunately, the delay was 57 minutes, so 3 minutes away from being able to claim a 25% discount on our fare!
We hired a car from Sixt at Prague station and had a mainly uneventful drive to the village where our friends live around an hour from the capital. Heading straight out in to the chaotic traffic in central Prague is certainly a good introduction to a car you've not driven before on the wrong side of the road.
The kids enjoyed playing with their friends and having a swim, whilst the adults had a chance to catch-up. I also enjoyed a short(ish) power nap on a real bed that was a lot more comfortable than the train!
Blogged by Matt.
