For the love of travel: Reframing expectations

Just a few days into my two months of travel, and it’s fair to say that I’ve somewhat fallen in love with the European trains and what they’re bringing to the whole experience.

Whilst we’re seeing next to none of the ‘highlights’, and undoubtedly moving at a whippet’s pace, I’m utterly intoxicated by the ever-changing landscapes, the range of architecture, and the way the colours shift throughout the day.

We’re travelling between open countryside and residential areas, among tree-covered hillsides and towering office blocks, watching people making their way to work, leading their children back from school, and walking the dog. The uncrowded carriages provide opportunities for proper conversations as we research the places we’re passing through. Have we seen Nuremberg or ‘done’ Bavaria (I do hate that term – as if any visitor has ever ‘done’ all a country has to offer!) No, certainly not, but we feel like we learned a little about both, and others, along the way.

To help set the scene, I’ll share the words that accompanied Sarah’s Instagram post at the end of our very first day:

It’s been such a brilliant day, I love sitting on a train, staring out of the window… watching the world fly by… countryside turning into suburbia and into city centre and back out again… the beautiful colours of the autumnal trees, the bonkers graffiti, the industrial areas, the many back gardens, the landmark buildings, bridges, rivers ALL OF IT… a time to listen to some gorgeous music and let my imagination fly…

Nicely summed up.

When we left Brighton, we had little in the way of absolute ‘must-sees’ for this part of the trip, and yet I feel truly fulfilled, and it’s not just Prague’s picturesque old town or the beauty of Vienna’s backstreets at the front of my mind when I say that. The light festival in Prague and the Hundtwasserhaus in Vienna were extraordinary, and both cities more than lived up to expectations, but it’s the way we’ve started approaching the journeys in the way we usually approach each destination that has made the biggest difference.

We’ve come to realise that this type of travel takes a shift in perception: we have to shape our days differently and maximise every moment. As we set out for Vienna, for example, my inquisitive self had heard whispers of a route that snaked through the Austrian Alps between Attnang Puchheim and Stainach-Irdning, via the summertime big hitter of Hallstatt. This route doubled the basic travel time, but we took the gamble and made the change. It was worth every extra moment.

Rather than counting the hours until we reached Vienna, we reframed the journey as the route to enjoyment. The views were sensational, and we changed trains in a few towns and villages that typically see little tourist footfall, taking the chance to enjoy a quick coffee in the square and soak it all in. I wouldn’t have previously imagined that extending a 4 hour journey to 10 hours could be a positive, but the impact was immediate and the outcome genuinely uplifting. At times, I didn’t want it to end.

Travel was never meant to be a box-ticking exercise of snapping one highlight before moving on to the next. At its best it’s about experiencing different cultures, seeing new sites, learning, sharing and enjoying simple pleasures. A genuinely delicious meal on board a Deutsche Bahn ICE service? Yes please.

I know that this early high won’t last to this same degree, and that there are many tough days ahead (at the time of writing, our Bratisava to Budapest departure has just been pushed back by two hours, and there are ominous signs of more to come!), but the mind shift is a powerful thing and has meant we have found enjoyment where we didn’t expect it.

Right now, it’s that spontaneously-chosen alpine route between Attnang Puchheim and Stainach-Irdning that stands out most. Sat on a simple commuter train, with the autumnal colours and high peaks (some still holding snow) as our backdrop. Magical.