Today marked a somewhat dramatic change from the previous 5-1/2 weeks (I can’t believe it’s already been that long). Before we left the States, we bought Eurorail passes. These are valid in 22 countries, for unlimited travel during a 3 month period (yes, I am doing my bit to help the economy recover). To save money, we bought a “saver’s pass,” that is, if we travel together at all times, we can get about a 25% discount. Even though they are 1st class tickets, with the discount, it was still less expensive than buying two regularly priced 2nd class tickets. We waited until this week to validate them so they would be in effect from now until the end of May–it just so happens that May 31 is our last day in Hungary.
Up until this time, we have been traveling on a pay-as-you-go basis. So every Wednesday, for example, it cost us around 8000 HUF (which is the equivalent of about $40) to travel round-trip to Miskolc. MAV is the name of the Hungarian Railway Line. We have been back and forth to Budapest twice and done the trip to Miskolc 5 times (that means 12 separate train rides). Every time we traveled, we ended up assigned to car #21, in the 2nd class. Most of the time, we were also assigned to seats that were facing backwards. So far, we haven’t been able to figure out the secret to requesting seats that face in the same direction as the train is heading–we thought it had to do with odd and even seat numbers, but that didn’t seem to make a difference.
Traveling on trains has been relatively painless, but not necessarily hassle-free. On the first trip to Miskolc, for example, 2 students were sitting in our seats. You must reserve a seat on the so-called Inter-City lines. There is a nominal surcharge added for this mandatory service. At any rate, I politely informed them that they were sitting in our seats. Of course we compared tickets. We were both right! How could it happen that the computer assigned 4 people to the same 2 seats? Because the cashier had given us tickets for a later train. By this time, the conductor had joined us. The train was crowded and we were blocking the aisle. The compartment was overheated, as was I. Anyway, the conductor simply shrugged and commented that the cashier must have been sleepy. He told us to take 2 vacant seats. “What if someone gets on at the next station who was assigned to those seats,” I asked. He shrugged again and answered, “then you move.”
What are the odds, you might ask. Well, it gets better. When we arrived at Miskolc, we had to board the bus heading towards the University. I bought individual tickets. If you don’t have a monthly pass, you must insert the ticket in the slit where it is stamped. It worked just fine for me, but when B. tried it—the machine wouldn’t stamp. He repeated it 3 or 4 times, to no avail. The line was starting to back up behind him. The bus driver finally just told us to go sit down. It’s the whole clown people thing all over again.
Some of you may be familiar with this from previous travels, so bear with me. Travel on buses throughout most of Europe is on a kind of honor system. Most cities sell monthly passes. As long as you have it on your person, you can use the buses or trams without restrictions, getting on and off as many times as you want. Periodically, an inspector will get on and demand to see everyone’s pass or validated ticket. I think in my entire year in Fribourg, it only happened once. (My pass had expired the previous day,but that’s a story for another time). Of course, that day the inspector boarded our bus.
Everything was fine until Bernard showed him his unstamped ticket. What’s this?, he growled. I explained that the meter didn’t work. Why did it stamp yours then? He gave us this really cold, suspicious stare. (Violations are taken very seriously; they impose stiff fines on scofflaws). I could feel B. getting tense. The inspector clearly suspected B of trying to pull a fast one. After our earnest protestations that the machine had malfunctioned and that he should ask the bus driver (of course we were seated near the back of the bus), he finally rolled his eyes, ripped the ticket in half, and moved on. We were somewhat shaken by our brush with the authorities, even with someone who was obviously suffering from a- big- fish- in -a -little- pond syndrome. Bernard commented that he was probably a communist… What are the odds of that inspector getting on that bus on that day?
But wait, we’re not done. That afternoon, we boarded car #21 for the return to Debrecen. At least the cashier gave us tickets for the right train–I checked. Once again, there was someone in seats that were assigned to us. This time, however, it was a big burly Hungarian with a huge neck. He was uninterested in the fact that he was in the wrong seat, insisting he had been sitting there since Budapest. Bernard and I sat in some vacant seats across the aisle, and when the conductor came, we pointed out that he was in our seats. Just then, some others boarded the train and came to where we were sitting. The conductor told the guy in our seat to move. I didn’t think he would, but he did. (He did glare at us for the rest of the trip.) Bernard just kept muttering swears under his breath…they were our seats, he kept reminding me. Last week it happened again, but I didn’t bat an eyelash. I told a young French student in both Hungarian and French that he was in the wrong seat and that he needed to move. He didn’t argue (he must have seen something in my eyes).
So, today we started traveling with our passes. The seats are wider, there’s more leg room, and the cars are less crowded in the 1st class compartment (this will be great when we do some of our 6 and 7 hour trips, such as when we go to Croatia (that will be on a night train…a new adventure…hopefully no one will be sleeping in our berths!) Today, we were assigned to car#18 for both legs of the journey. We rode backwards on the way there and faced forward on the way back. Go figure! By the way, both times, there were people sitting in our seats; but each time, they very courteously rose and moved. So there you have it–I think we’re done with car 21, but you never know.
Thanks for tuning in and best regards,
Marcsi
PS: You might remember the matter of luggage? Well, I ocassionally wake up in a cold sweat thinking about how we’re going to get all those bags on the train on the return trip to Budapest in May. The Intercity only stops for 2 minutes before moving on to the next station. Then I remember that the kids will be there and I am able to get my heart rate back to normal.
Leave a Reply