Taken For A Ride In Eastern Europe – Hitting The Roads & Rails (Eastern Europe & Me #17)
As much as I have enjoyed exploring Eastern Europe by railway, I must admit that nothing can beat an automobile for access. If you really want to see the region up close and personal than an automobile is a necessity. Anyone with an affinity for ruins, such as old aristocratic mansions, will find an automobile indispensable. Those who want to experience rural life in Eastern Europe, must get there first. The same goes for historical sites and natural areas that are not found in larger cities or towns. In such cases, an automobile offers the best option for maximum accessibility in Eastern Europe. Getting taken for a ride in a car is not generally to my liking when I visit the region. I have an American attitude to driving, one that values relaxation and leisure over speed. Unfortunately, I have never found driving in Eastern Europe to be a source of relaxation.
While the road conditions are generally much better than might be expected, the drivers have a forcefulness that pushes me close to the edge. Everyone seems to be in a hurry. Stick to the speed limits and it is all but inevitable that another automobile will appear right on your bumper. This makes any road trip more intense and infuriating. It is hard for me to enjoy the scenery when I am on edge. Being behind the wheel of an automobile was not the way my travels in Eastern Europe began. I only started driving after I had exhausted all the other public transport options. I preferred train or bus travel until I realized their limitations.
Slow & Steady – A Leisurely Pace
I will extol the glories of Eastern European train travel until my dying day. Roomy and relaxing, convenient and easy to use, national railways throughout the region are well developed. Ticket prices are modest, and most routes are rarely sold out. Even when the railway carriage is packed, it still offers the traveler more than enough elbow room. There is always the option of stretching one’s legs by walking up and down the aisles. If there is a troublesome fellow traveler on the train, passengers can find another seat or make their way to another carriage. Compared to air travel with assigned seats and cramped quarters, the worst Eastern European railway carriages are still preferable. It has been my experience that the older the carriage, the fewer the travelers. This means you just might get an entire carriage to yourself. One of my most pleasant memories was a Saturday train trip from Warsaw to Krakow where I had a compartment to myself.
The problem with railway lines in the region is that most of them are slow compared to other forms of travel. Any construction on a line can mean long delays. There is nothing quite so enervating as puttering along at speeds of no more than 20 kph. When this goes on for an hour or more, the effect can be maddening. Playing the waiting game on the railway often means moving in super slow motion. At least slow trains have plenty of empty seats. I have never seen a single person complain aboard a train. Slow trains are a fact of life in much of the region. The stoicism with which they suffer these delays is strangely admirable. There is something to be said for tolerance and patience. While it does not contribute to more efficient or effective railways, it certainly leads to less stress about something the average passenger must feel is beyond their control.
Bus Stops - The Limitation of Timetables
Those who ride buses in Eastern Europe must also practice an incredible amount of tolerance. In my experience, this has less to do with delays while in transit and more to do with the limitations of timetables. While buses cover many out of the way places, that also means travelers are at the mercy of scheduled services. I have used buses to visit castles in the countryside, but I often spent a good deal of travel time waiting at bus stops. This was quite fun when I began my travels. There was nothing quite like waiting by the roadside with a handful of strangers who spoke a foreign tongue. Much of my time was passed staring longingly at a timetable, making sure the day and time for the next departure were correct. Usually, the bus arrived a few minutes after schedule. This would be late enough for me to worry that the bus was not going to arrive. Then, as if by magic a bus would appear. The feeling at that moment was akin to the joy I felt as a child on Christmas morning. Joy followed by relief.
Conversely, there is no lonelier experience than standing alone in a small wooden enclosure hoping that a bus will arrive. Minutes can seem like hours. I begin to ask myself what if the bus does not arrive. This strikes fear into me, even though it should not. There is a backup option in Eastern Europe for those who get stranded. The last resort in my American homeland would be hitchhiking. In Eastern Europe, it is a logical choice when all other forms of travel have either failed or are unavailable. Hitchhiking is a viable alternative because so many people in the region do not own a car. Those who do are often willing to offer a ride. For a foreigner, this means relying on the goodwill of strangers. I have successfully done this in Transylvania and would do so again.
Thumbing It – Catching A Ride
Hitchhiking is almost certainly a safer option for a foreigner than driving a rental car. Riding with a local who has vast experiences on the local roads is the way to go. Hitchhiking takes courage, self-confidence, and trust in yourself as well as the driver. As I have found throughout Eastern Europe, the kindness of strangers is real. That is amplified in rural areas. Those who live in smaller towns and villages have a more pragmatic view of the world. Hitchhiking is an option many choose to take. While the traveler finds themselves at the mercy of a stranger, the same is true for traveling by buses, planes, and train. The risk is worth the reward. The traveler gets closer to their destination while having an unforgettable experience. Hitchhiking offers greater access to places and just as importantly, people.