After exploring Salzburg, it was time to move on and head south into Italy to spend time with family. As mentioned in the previous post, the German Railways website DB Bahn provided me with the itinerary I needed to get from Salzburg to Tarquinia (in Northern Lazio) – in just under 12 hours, using four trains. On paper, one connection looked tight, but it was another which would nearly prove my undoing!!
08:57 Salzburg to Innsbruck. The first leg used a German ICE train ICE660, taking me to Innsbruck, about 190 km, in one hour and forty nine minutes. [I note, with interest, that four years later, this daily trip is now an Austrian Railjet instead of an ICE]. Naturally, I was on the platform at Salzburg, with plenty of time to observe activity.
11:27 Innsbruck to Bologna. I was really looking forward to the second leg of this journey, as it would take me from Innsbruck to Bologna, passing through the Brenner Pass. However, the time in Innsbruck proved to be an interesting distraction itself. The best spot for train watching is the platform from which the train is to depart! This is especially so when there are several train movements before my inter city train EC85 is due!
The Innsbruck station is overlooked by the Bergisel Ski Jump built for the 1964 Winter Olympics, reused for the 1976 Winter Olympics, and most recently updated in 2003.
The next surprise was to notice that the famed Orient Express was in the station. Presumably, it did not appear on the departures indicators because it was en route from Paris to Venice and would not pick up, or set down, passengers.
In due course, my train pulled in, a few minutes late, but not enough to cause concern. We settled back for the scenic journey through the Dolomites. With several stops, including about 15 minutes in each of Bolzano and Verona, we covered nearly 400 km in about 5 hours – a relaxing pace.
I am not sure why I try to take photos from moving vehicles. Just as the photo is framed, the train will dive into a tunnel, or a mass of posts and wires will come between the train and the scene! Sometimes, I do get a shot of a river, distant mountains or castles, or even the ubiquitous Golden Arches of McDonalds on a local delivery truck.
Have we left anyone behind?
I was really intrigued by this ‘folly’, (photos below) which was spotted near Trento, and captured in the distance from the station.
16:47 Bologna to Rome. According to timetables, the connection in Bologna was to be rather tight – eleven minutes. However, it proved to be easy, as switching platforms left me with a few minutes to catch my breath. The platform was becoming busy! It was Friday afternoon. The Frecciarossa, Italian Eurostar train designated ES9557, scheduled 4:47 pm service to Roma Termini, was going to be quite crowded! Ah well, we would be travelling, at up to 300 km/hour, to cover the 400 km in two hours – one of my fastest train journeys.
I never quite established if they were Romans, who work in the north, going home for the weekend, or Milanese and Bolognese heading south for a Roman holiday, but a crowded train soon seemed to be an understatement. With sign language, I was persuaded to swap seats to allow a family (work group?) to be together. Our one stop, Firenze, came and went. I don’t recall anyone getting off. From there, some locals stood for the entire segment (on a train that has ‘compulsory booking and seat reservations’).
My first experience of Italy’s newest, fastest train was somewhat spoiled by the crowd, the heat they generated, and the noise of too many loud conversations. But I was, after all, now in Italy! Ten hours after leaving Salzburg, I was tiring rapidly by the time we reached Rome. I regret to say that the camera stayed in its case for the rest of the day.
18:50 Friday, Roma Termini, commuter rush hour. I had a comfortable nineteen minutes to make my connection to the next train, or so I thought. There were two catches, and this is where I nearly came undone. The first – I had no ticket as the local trains could not (then) be booked in advance from outside Italy. The second, I was on the wrong end of the Frecciarossa (furthest from, and five minutes walk to, the booking hall), and the regional train platform was over 400 metres from the booking hall. Add to that I had a fairly heavy suitcase (presents etc.) and Roma Termini was crowded with people heading in all directions.
19:09 Roma to Tarquinia I boarded the last carriage of Regionale R3268 as the train was about to move, breathless and perspiring profusely!
With just under eighty minutes to travel to Tarquinia, I was now in the ‘home stretch’, with around 90 km to go. The train stopped at four ‘city’ stations, including Roma Ostiense & Trastevere, where more commuters piled in. I felt just a little guilty taking space for my suitcase! (Photo : Trenitalia)
Then, and only then, I made a call to my daughter to confirm I was on schedule to arrive at Tarquinia at 20:30. I remember saying that I would be ready for a nice cold beer on arrival. Would I do it again? – you bet! One thousand and eighty kilometres on four, very different trains in twelve hours, through changing scenery, experiencing an Italian Friday rush hour, and having family to meet at the end, it was a memorable journey.
