Some years ago, I vowed to never again use a plane within Europe when back from my international assignments. I could not have known then that train travel today is considered the modern thing to do. Over various dinners in the past couple of weeks in Sweden, train travel was THE topic. And with the topic came the laments: delays, cancellations, missed connections, dysfunctional replacement arrangements with buses, overcrowded coaches, etc. And of course, also the lament over politicians who just do not seem to get it right (not exactly news). Then followed the praise how well trains work elsewhere: in Switzerland and, obviously, in Japan. If a Shinkansen is late by a minute, there is a national emergency, or so the rumour goes.

Now that I sit on my last train back to Salzburg, I contemplate about these laments – and have decided not to lament, but to dream:

A few days before I set out on my next trip, I visit my local travel agency and ask them to arrange a ticket for me to go to Sofia via Belgrade and back via Budapest, and to spend a day each in the capitals of Serbia and Hungary. After we agree on dates and times, the agent promises me all reservations and tickets within 24 hours.

On the pre-dawn morning of my trip a shuttle arrives, the driver picks up my luggage, tags it and promises that I will receive it when I check in at the hotel in Belgrade. Then he takes me to the station and the Trans Europe Express train (TEE). There are no changes of platforms or coach sequences and no delays. The driver takes my suitcase to the railroad luggage service, I find my seat and shortly after settling in I am offered a light breakfast and coffee.

The atmosphere on the train is calm, the train runs on schedule, the facilities are clean, lunch in the dining car is reasonable and delicious. Over lunch I enjoy an inspiring conversation with three fellow travellers from Oslo, St. Petersburg and Barcelona. Having admired the scenery, read a book, browsed the internet and taken notes on my computer, I relax in the recliner seat and reach Belgrade in the evening. The border formalities were done on board. A shuttle takes me to the hotel, where, as promised the receptionist informs me that my luggage has been taken to my room. The train from Belgrade to Sofia is as punctual, clean and almost as comfortable as the TEE, it’s a sub-regional train covering the near 400 km in just under three hours.

On the way back, I take a sleeper car from Sofia to Budapest. The bed is comfortable, the service leaves nothing to be desired and in Budapest I enjoy a wonderful tour of the city while my luggage is checked all the way through to Salzburg.

If you think this is a pipe dream and crazy, it may well be crazy today, but in the past this mode of travel existed – without the internet, I admit, but with faxes on board, even across borders throughout Europe. But I admit, at this stage it may well be a pipe dream…..

I will embark on a trip to Belgrade, Sofia and Budapest for real later this month and will duly report how well-aligned my dream is to the real world.