Multiple flashbacks are passing along from the time I decided to take a peek back in the snow for a bit. Vibes which I had forgotten about are here again and I like them!
The hunt on decent train tickets earlier in the week. The checking of the weather and the snow forecast. Finding out where the hell I left my skis after moving two times and a pandemic with no skiing involved, and walking packed like a donkey in the Dutch train stations where everyone is looking at you because you are carrying skis in the flatland.
Taking the train is by far the most comfortable way of transportation when you have a lot of crap with you.
The funny thing why nobody thinks about taking the train to another country is that most people think it is really expensive, and rather they would buy a discount budget airline ticket and seem good with that. But that always feels like you are forgetting a couple of steps.
The first is that you also have to get to an airport. In my case that would be either 1.5 hours in the train to the airport costing me 20 bucks on traintickets, and also on arrival in Switzerland another 30 bucks to get to the mountain and 1.5 hour of travel. Another option would be parking at the airport for waaaay too much, or having someone drop me off who also has to drive 2x 1.5 hours and the price of gas is no joke at the moment in Holland.
Also timewise on an airport with dropping bags and boarding the plane and the flight alle together with these trainrides this all takes just as long as my 8 hou trainride.
Did I even mention what it would cost to check your bags in the plane on a budget charter? Well, with carrying skis an shoes and stuff this also is no joke.
So what about these traintickets then?
Most people think that traintickets are super expensive or that you have to get them months in advance. Nothing of this all is true. The only thing that matters for the perfect ticket is that you have to be flexibel in your time.
When travelling through Europe a service like Omio or trains international or when you pass through Germany taking a peek at Bahn.de is really the way to go regardless if you have other countries involved as well. These schedules of all countries are all taken in there.
Now just have your look at the timetable and you can see the differences in price already in every train. Some take a bit longer, some are a bit cheaper. And some give you the whole route back for just 12 bucks. 800 kms for 12 bucks? Damnnn.
And another one to look at. Sometimes the first class is even cheaper than second class!!. All of these trains run on supply and demand and when there is low demand for the first class, the tickets are cheaper.
For me taking all of these things in consideration there is really no reason to not go. And yes, it does help to crash at a friends place on site, which is easy after having those Swiss years in my pocket. Connections make life a lot easier as well!
All and all I am super siked to head back to the snow again and see if there are any skills left of my skiing experience after this multi year break.
What are you doing this weekend?