Anyone who has read my trip reports knows that they aren't good. Mostly play by plays.
I am heading to the town where the kings were once crowned. Google it for more. The reviews are good, and it sounds fascinating. I stopped here for lunch once but didn't spend any time. So, pretty much a first.
I wrote the city name and the proniucination in American on a piece of paper in my pocket. I practiced saying it last night but doubt anyone will understand me.
I have zero planning for this trip other than how to get from the train station to the old town. I only bought the tickets yesterday.
Departing Deli station at 10:35 for a 45 min ride. I'm an old fart so I could have ridden free, but I chose to pay 1.200ft ($3.30) RT to be able to pick a seat. Tickets loaded on my MAV app, which is important when the conductor comes thru.
From my home near the Opera, it took about 20 min, including a 3 min walk, a few minutes on the M1, and about 10 on the M2.
Deli isn't a grand old station. It's 12 tracks in a suburb with no real station building, no covers over the tracks, and only a covered vending area.
One side of the tracks is a horrible Cold War building, the other some nice period architecture.
No number on the train. You just have to make sure you are on the right platform as posted on one of the displays and at the end of the track. The car numbers are little pieces of paper on the doors.
This train goes on to Lake Balaton, so it's pretty full.
I boarded to find an American girl in my seat and her bag on the adjacent seat. I showed her my seat assignment, and she moved with a huff.
2nd class seats are more than adequate. I got a window but should have gotten an aside so I can move around. Windows are very large. Car is fairly new and clean
Someone posted that their luggage got nicked off the overhead, so do keep an eye on it till the train moves. But I think the odds are somewhat remote that this happens often.
We left 6 min late.
Do get a seat reservation. 5 min into the trip, people are still looking for seats and running people out of reserved seats.
Like every train I have been on in Europe, the views are not remarkable. No one wants the sound of the train so the tracks have walls on both sides when the train goes through villages and towns. In the country, they let the vegetation grow tall on both sides to dampen the sound.
more to come.