Travel Start: Bad Saulgrub, Frankfurt, Heidelberg – Thank you for travelling with Deutsche Bahn

After a cozy farewell beer with the Hein Bros, the journey starts around noon on May 31, 2022. The basic tone for the next few days is already being set right here in Vienna. The first route with the ICE in the direction of Dortmund is delayed by 30 minutes because the train comes from Germany and turns in Vienna. Well, no big deal. The first part of the journey on Austrian ground goes quite well despite the high number of passengers. After a good two hours we are approaching Passau. Barely two meters across the border, the train stops: "Ladies and gentlemen, since there are queues of trains on the tracks, there will be a brief delay." The first grin appears on my face. How long it took for something to happen on German tracks to go wrong. But little did I know, that was just the beginning. Some more major and minor delays and I finally arrive in Bad Saulgrub, southern Bavaria, two hours later than planned.

Unfortunately the only photo from Bad Saulgrub, but at the same time a not so bad description for southern Bavaria - the absolute potato hell down there

It will continue in the same manner for the next few days - delays, track swaps are the order of the day. The ordering of trains is basically very creative and spontaneously cobbled together - the advertised plan is apparently not even considered a recommendation here. Nevertheless, trains are stuffed with passengers - the 9-Euro Ticket is on everyone's lips and is used ad nauseum. My current balance (as of June 15th) of punctual : delayed trains is 4:15 - if you omit the Warnemünde-Rostock S-Bahn connection it is 0:13. Ladies gentlemen, Thank you for traveling with Deutsche Bahn!

The first days on the road feel a bit weird. Hostels are fully booked, the only alternative of single rooms is expensive and a bit lonely. I find it difficult to socialize and build up the traveler feeling. Free tours are either canceled or I have to leave at short notice before they take place, since you have to leave in time with the DB if you have plans for actually arriving. Nevertheless, I was able to visit two good friends, Kathi and Nadine, who I hadn't seen for ages - and Luki as a bonus as well. Thus, it was still a reasonably successful start - and the traveler feeling is still to come...

Frankfurt Römerberg

Heidelberg castle and view over the old town