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WALKING FIRST CLASS ACROSS GERMANY
Intercity Rail High Speed from Berlin to Hamburg

On a business trip to Berlin, my senior business partner and I decided at the last minute that we needed to go to Hamburg. Seemed easy enough – go to the bahnhof get a ticket, get on a train - a few hours relaxing in First Class and you’re there. Train travel in Europe is fast, comfortable and convenient. No standing in long security lines at the airport, no cramped into a seat, not wanting to have to climb over the sleeping passenger next to you. You can easily get up, walk around, get a snack, while watching the scenery roll by at 230 kph (about 140 miles an hour).

With a Eurail pass you can ride the ICE trains with no extra fee or reservation, except for rush-hour expresses in the morning and evening. Though with the convenience of last minute, sometimes comes the unknown. On heading over Berlin's Zoolischer Garten station (see Berlin Zoo), formerly the main station before the new Haupbahnhof at Potsdammerplatz opened up as we were staying in the "West Berlin" area (See Cafe Einstein), we had a choice. Take a train leaving in an hour and a half, which meant hanging out at the station or walking back to the hotel lounge. Or the train leaving – right now! We decided, why wait. We grabbed our tickets, hustled up the stairs to the platform, hauling our luggage, and there was the train on the platform, just ready to go. We hurriedly asked the conductor about first class and he urgently waved us on board the nearest car. It was certainly nice of him to hold the train and not wave us off, as the doors closed and the coach started to move just as he got the last of our luggage aboard.

Now, I’m the type of traveler who likes to go lots of places, see lots of things and not have extravagant living needs. A shoulder weekend bag and a rolling carry-on. My business partner on this particular journey is the type of traveler used to first class and preferring to have his travel all planned and arranged, to know exactly when he’s arriving, where he’s staying and preferably a car to pick him up and a porter to carry his heavy suitcases.

So, here we are on the train pulling out of the Bahnhof, on our way to Hamburg and we have boarded in the next to the last Second Class car. First Class is at the front of the train! Our relaxing journey ends up with us walking almost halfway to Hamburg - hauling our luggage from car to car to car, excusing the heavy suitcases past all those comfortable looking Second Class passengers, relaxed in their seats with the beautiful scenery rolling past the window as my fellow adventurer sweats with his bags and curses the day rail was ever invented.

We eventually got to our first class reclining chairs and to Hamburg in style. But when the kindly conductor holds a train and waves you on, make sure you’ve got on a good pair of walking shoes. © Bargain Travel Europe

German High Speed Train ICE Booking Center

Germany Rail Pass

SEE ALSO:

BEST CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN GERMANY
Geschenck shoppen till you droppen at Weinachtsmarkt

HAMBURG'S LANDMARK ST. MICHAELIS CHURCH
If it's Baroque it must be "Michel"

A TOUR WALK AROUND MUNICH

CASTLE HOTEL KAVALIERHAUSER KÖNIGS WUSTERHAUSEN BRANDENBURG BERLIN

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