If you were going to a different country for five months (and spanning at least two seasons), what would you pack? You will also need clothes for both work as well as for travel and sightseeing. I agree—there’s no easy answer. We decided that we would each take 2 medium-sized suitcases.
In order to save a little money, we flew into Dublin and changed carriers. According to the Fly America Act, US employees must fly an American carrier on the transatlantic portion of the trip (even if European carriers offer cheaper rates). The guidelines for luggage are different in the US and in the EU. We knew we were allowed no more than 50 lbs per suitcase in the US, and that in the EU, the maximum was 20kilos (44 lbs). We spent hours weighing the luggage to make sure we stayed within the weight limits. You have to understand that this means stepping on the scale and then off…then stepping on again, but this time WITH the suitcase. It got complicated because our house is old and the floors are uneven…this meant that the scale would frequently show a different weight…sometimes off by as many as 2 or 3 lbs. One suitcase was 7 lbs over, the other was 3 lbs. under…so we shifted items around, and started the whole weighing process all over again. Everyone in the family got in on the act…
When we arrived at Dublin airport, we were fairly confident that we were at or below the limits and would not have to pay excess baggage fees, which in the EU are extremely high. To our horror, the woman behind the counter told us that we were allowed only 20kilos per person, no matter how many suitcases we had. I explained that our trip had originated in the US, that we were going to be staying for 5 months, and that the airline’s website had misleading and confusing language. I could tell that she felt sorry for us, but to no avail…the rules are the rules and we had to pay 300 Euros excess fees. From talking to other people, I now know that this is a common occurrence…after all that effort, we could have flown directly to Budapest and have paid no more than we ultimately paid. Chalk one up to experience…If you ever go for an extended trip, make sure you read the FINE PRINT!!!!
Anyway, once we arrived in Budapest, we had to take a train to Debrecen, the second largest city in Hungary, which is located about two and a half hours east of Budapest . We had four suitcases, the laptop, my book bag, and a carry-on. Getting on the train was no problem…we had plenty of time and a young man who was already onboard, helped us lift the luggage into the overhead shelves. I started to get nervous about how we were going to get all this stuff off the train. A few stops before Debrecen, I went to use the WC. An older Hungarian couple was struggling to open the door. I tried to help, but I didn’t know you were supposed to press the green button. This well-dressed woman came to help, but by the time the old man had opened the door, the train was already moving. We had to pull him back by the scruff of his jacket. Well, the little old lady started yelling at him…I won’t tell you what she said; it wasn’t very nice either in Hungarian or in the English translation. Let’s just say my ears were burning.
I told the conductor that we had quite a bit of luggage and asked him whether we would have enough time to get it all off at our stop before the train started moving again. He assured me that we would have plenty of time. Sitting across from us was a couple. They were not Hungarian. I didn’t recognize the language that they spoke, but they were both reading books written in Spanish. We all respected one another’s privacy, despite the fact that they were seated less than 3 feet apart, facing one another directly. It’s not easy, but it can be done.
As we were getting out bundles together, the woman smiled and said that Hungary was a very cold country. I asked her where she was from and she answered that they were Cuban. Well! One of my good friends (and favorite tennis partner) is from Cuba. I mentioned Marina’s name and that she had left Cuba in 1960 following the Castro Revolution. The man took the large suitcase off the train for us and put it on the platform. We said goodbye and Bernard got back on the train to get the rest of the suitcases. I really started to get nervous….especially when a very nice Hungarian woman came up to me and urged us to hurry, because the train would start moving very shortly. Bernard was still on the train getting the last suitcase and his coat. Of course I began to imagine the worst case scenario…Bernard stuck on a train, trying to navigate his way back with no Hungarian language skills. He got off just in time. So we stood there on the platform surrounded by a mountain of luggage; it was starting to rain and there were no luggage carts porters available. Bernard said we were clown people…it was really pitiful.
Just then, the Cuban couple came back. He grabbed two suitcases, she took one, and they helped us convey all that stuff down the stairs, through the tunnel, back up the stairs, and to the entrance of the train station. The Hungarian lady came back too. She wanted to make sure that we had a cab. They all just smiled and dismissed our thanks. I don’t know their names, I don’t know if they will ever read this blog, but it doesn’t matter. Thank you for your kindness—you saved us!
Stay tuned, and best regards,
Marcsi
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