OBB Train Ride from Vienna to Budapest

Day 3 – OBB Train Ride from Vienna to Budapest

Beautiful statues and buildings in Vienna

This morning the temperature was at around 20 degree, a much more comfortable weather for us.

Yesterday, especially in the afternoon, the temperature must have reached close to 40 degree! We did not do much as any movement would cause a huge sweat.

The courtyard where we had our breakfast each morning while in Vienna

We had the buffet breakfast at the hotel and our visit to Vienna sadly ended.

What a beautiful and glitzy city!

Every building in the city has been beautifully restored to its original glamour and things are run with  efficiency and order.

No wonder the city has been chosen as one of the best cities to live in for a number of years.

When we were there, we noticed that the newspaper kept a tally of the number of  medals won by the different countries at the Olympics.







Unfortunately, it has been zero for Austria everyday. We wish the Austrian athletes all the best in the Olympics! They indeed have so many things to be proud of in their country!

We took the OBB train from Vienna in the afternoon  to Budapest. ( 29 Euro per person.) The train was right on time, not a minute late at 4:09 pm! The train was busy, packed with travellers, with the first class people boarding at train number 1, while people with mobility issue boarded at another train with staff ready to assist them. A thoughtful idea indeed!

We boarded and were seated at the regular train. The train ride was relaxing and comfortable allowing us to take in the scenery as the train sped along the countryside. One thing I enjoyed looking at most was the row upon rows of windmills standing proudly on the farmers' fields stretching their mighty hands harvesting wind power to be used. 

We saw many wind power farms while on the OBB train

 A train hostess with a trolley filled with sandwiches, snack food and beverages came along for any customers wishing to buy something to eat. Or if you felt like stretching your leg, you could nimble over to the dining train and order from the menu listed with a variety of food.  The train is a good way to travel in Europe.

We met a couple of German travelers on the train, a mother and daughter, who were exceedingly friendly, chatting us up throughout the entire train ride. The mother’s name was Bianca and the daughter – Jacklyn.  Both were heading to a small town in Hungary to attend a festival there.

 I have often been told that Northern Europeans are a little aloof, not very warm people.So don't be offended if they don't talk to us. But Bianca broke that stereotype as she was very friendly and warm towards everyone. There was a young couple travelling with their 4 month old baby; Bianca tried to talk to her and was delighted when the baby smiled back at her. We had a really interesting exchange of conversation and I found out that Bianca loved music, kind of a hippie, and Jacklyn , besides going to school, also worked at a school with young children.
There are people who we may meet often but our conversations could never go beyond weather. Then there are people whom we have just met and we can talk about anything and everything as if you have known them for a long time. 

Bianca and her lovely daughter were just these kind of people. We were on the train for  two and half hours going to Budapest and talked almost non stop. It was experience such as this – meeting people along the way that made traveling interesting and exciting.

 All the best to you, Bianca and Jacklyn, the friendly people from Stuttgart, Germany. Hope you have a great time at the music festival in Hungary! 

R.T.
Vienna enroute to Budapest

August 7, 2012