Day 8: The Ride Home
Thursday July 22, 2021
Another beautiful day to be on our bikes. In spite of the good weather, we now decide not even to cycle to Würzburg but to get the train from Wertheim. This will involve two changes of trains but it will still get us home sooner. It's probably the wise thing to do.
The train connections look feasible, we hope there will be no stairs when changing platforms and just keep our fingers crossed that it will go smoothly. In Wertheim there is no ticket counter, just a ticket vendor machine. It takes us a while to figure it out and we purchase our tickets just in time to catch the train that will be favorable for further connections. We hadn't figured out how to buy tickets for our bikes, but before the conductor can ask for the tickets, Janos explains our difficulty. Never mind, she says. The first train also has a roll-on entry. We are off to a good start.
We change trains in Lauda where we cycled through yesterday. It involves a change of platforms but with a lift. This time there is a slight step and a gap getting on the train. I need a little help and that goes well, too. We are apprehensive about the train from Würzburg to Munich. You need to reserve a place for your bike. With little time to spare Janos purchases the bike tickets while I watch the bikes up on the platform. He is informed that the bicycle contingent for today is sold out, but when Janos insists it's an emergency they find room for two more bikes.
The train rolls in, a very long train. Are we at the right place on the platform? Will there be steps? Is it going to be crowded? Yes, yes and yes. We are waiting at the correct spot, there are steps and a narrow entrance and the bicycle carriage is crowded. Then the usual flurry when several touring cyclists get off the train and others (just the two of us) want to get on. In all of my years of taking trains with loaded bikes, I have never experienced anything like this before. As soon as the cyclists are on the platform and have their hands free, they all pitch in and our bikes and bags are on the train before we know it. Road angels, or train angels. There are no free seats in the train, but some younger cyclists give us their seats and assure us that will help us when we reach Pasing, Pasing because the station is closer to home for us. From the train station we cycle another 13 kilometers and are home, back where we started a week ago.
Another beautiful day to be on our bikes. In spite of the good weather, we now decide not even to cycle to Würzburg but to get the train from Wertheim. This will involve two changes of trains but it will still get us home sooner. It's probably the wise thing to do.
The train connections look feasible, we hope there will be no stairs when changing platforms and just keep our fingers crossed that it will go smoothly. In Wertheim there is no ticket counter, just a ticket vendor machine. It takes us a while to figure it out and we purchase our tickets just in time to catch the train that will be favorable for further connections. We hadn't figured out how to buy tickets for our bikes, but before the conductor can ask for the tickets, Janos explains our difficulty. Never mind, she says. The first train also has a roll-on entry. We are off to a good start.
We change trains in Lauda where we cycled through yesterday. It involves a change of platforms but with a lift. This time there is a slight step and a gap getting on the train. I need a little help and that goes well, too. We are apprehensive about the train from Würzburg to Munich. You need to reserve a place for your bike. With little time to spare Janos purchases the bike tickets while I watch the bikes up on the platform. He is informed that the bicycle contingent for today is sold out, but when Janos insists it's an emergency they find room for two more bikes.
The train rolls in, a very long train. Are we at the right place on the platform? Will there be steps? Is it going to be crowded? Yes, yes and yes. We are waiting at the correct spot, there are steps and a narrow entrance and the bicycle carriage is crowded. Then the usual flurry when several touring cyclists get off the train and others (just the two of us) want to get on. In all of my years of taking trains with loaded bikes, I have never experienced anything like this before. As soon as the cyclists are on the platform and have their hands free, they all pitch in and our bikes and bags are on the train before we know it. Road angels, or train angels. There are no free seats in the train, but some younger cyclists give us their seats and assure us that will help us when we reach Pasing, Pasing because the station is closer to home for us. From the train station we cycle another 13 kilometers and are home, back where we started a week ago.
You hang the front wheel of the bike on a hook, an awkward manoeuvre especially with a heavy e-bike.
It seems we have embarked on a number of tours that we didn't finish. But that hasn't been the case every time. Now to get a plug in for the journal that I have just posted on CycleBlaze from our tour ten years ago when we got to Kassel and beyond and cycling 80 kilometers wasn't such a big deal: From Bavaria to the Baltic Sea and Back.
Thanks for reading along!
Thanks for reading along!