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Alpe Adria Trail by Bike
  • Matthias Paul
  • Giacomo Fiamenghi
settembre 2023

Alpe Adria Trail by Bike

Two friends - Matthias from Innsbruck (AT) and Giacomo from Crema (IT) - connecting the Austrian Alps with the Italian seaside by bike. Fueled by muscle power and the drive to create memories. And yes, lot's of cereal bars😉 Leggi altro
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  • Inizio del viaggio
    11 settembre 2023
    Alpe Adria Trail by Bike
    Booking the return ticket
    Visiting the city center of Innsbruck - mountain view included

    Coming Together and Last Preparations

    10 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    In the afternoon Giacomo arrived by train in Innsbruck, where we made last preparations like buying our "return ticket" from Trieste or checking the route again. After a very short sightseeing tour he was introduced to a traditional Austrian dessert - homemade Sacher Torte! But before, we enjoyed a delicious chicken with vegetables cooked by my mum to gather strength for tomorrow's journey.Leggi altro

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    Leaving for the train - our first kilometers together to the train station in Innsbruck
    Second breakfast

    We are going on an Adventure

    11 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Today's the day - we are going to Salzburg by train and from there set out to reach the sea in Trieste by bike.
    After breakfast and last minute packing (one thing that was a "just in case" item already proved to be indispensable on the very same day!) we boarded the train - not so easy, as it turned out, as the Railjet was certainly not designed by cyclists (hardly any space and the bikes are stored by hanging them up, which is troublesome with all the bags attached).
    To make up for the stress we treated ourself to a second breakfast with croissants.😁    Leggi altro

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    One happy "cowboy"😜

    Between Mountains and the River

    11 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    In Salzburg, Austrian landscape was showing itself from it's best side - mountains under an (almost) cloudless blue sky, green meadows and the river Salzach with a stunning color - and more bridges crossing it than we could count . We stopped several times for photos, but apparently the impression that fascinated Giacomo the most were the "outdoor" cows, free to roam in their designated space in the fresh air...Leggi altro

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    Lunch Break

    11 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    After completing our first climbs (which Giacomo managed without any visible difficulty but really challenged me), we rested and enjoyed our sandwiches, which we had prepared beforehand - and we savored the cool apple juice, which was a real refreshment in the noonday heat!Leggi altro

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    Gathering Strength for "The Monster"

    11 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Before tackling the toughest climb of the day - dubbed by us as "The Monster" - with 13% incline we gathered our strength in Schwarzach and refreshed us with an Iced Coffee. After riding several hours, it tasted like the best Iced Coffee we had ever had!
    We also stopped by a supermarket to buy our dinner (wholegrain bread, cheese and salami) and some fruit, as it was the last opportunity to buy anything before reaching our apartment in Lend.    Leggi altro

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    The Golden Hour

    11 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    After attacking the incline "The Monster" with everything we had, we finally reached the highest point - and were awarded with a truly spectacular scene, as the Golden Hour had come upon us! We had a formidable view of the surrounding mountains and valleys, bathed in the warm light of the dying day, indicating that our first strenous day was coming to an end.
    According to the map, this was supposed to be the last climb of the day, so relieved we started our descent, passing farmhouses and fields in the countryside - we did not yet know that we still had struggle ahead of us.    Leggi altro

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    An Unpleasant Surprise

    11 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Our apartment for the night was situated in Lend, not directly on the Alpe Adria Cycle Path but on the bottom of the valley - so we had to give up a good portion of our elevation gains. There, just a few kilometers short of reaching our destination, we found an unpleasant surprise: because of construction work, the only road in the valley leading to the village was blocked! (Marked red in the image)
    Although we kindly asked, the road workers wouldn't let us pass, so our only option was to get up to the main road again and come to Lend from the other side, from "behind" (the west), so to speak. Hence, we had another grueling climb and more kilometers before us until we could have dinner and retire to bed - worst of all, this exertion was not planned, so it threw us off balance, as we expected just a couple more "easy" (level) kilometers to the apartment.
    I was already struggling with cramps at this point (despite taking a substantial amount of magnesium) but this final and steep ascent finished me off and I had to push my bike up, while it was already getting dark - we wished for nothing more than to get off the road and to our accommodation. Still, there was no point in lamenting, so we pushed on with fairly good spirit.    Leggi altro

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    Finishing Day 1

    11 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Finally we reached our accommodation - the kitchen was designed weirdly, as there were shelves for giants, yet the handle for the fridge was on the very bottom...
    However, we didn't care, as we had brought our own food and were much more interested in the shower - and the bed!

    After getting the stats from Giacomo's Garmin watch, we were confirmed in our feeling that the day's efforts had really been strenuous (and not just felt like it): we had covered 91, 3 km of distance and climbed a total of 2166 meters in altitude! Even his watch was impressed, as it told him that today had been the most demanding day it had recorded so far - and this bike trip is already his third😅    Leggi altro

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    Setting out in the morning

    Day 2 - Next Stop: Bad Gastein

    12 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    The first thing we had to tackle the next morning was to get up to the cycle path again - a pitch of 15% that we had gone down just the evening before. But first, we had breakfast, prepared by the "culinary specialist" (me): coffee and porridge with banana.

    Thus strengthened - and knowing that we had survived the last, very strenuous day - riding felt easy and we made good progress. We rode in the wide valleys and apart from the occasional ups and downs through the villages it was quite relaxed - at least, until we got to Bad Gastein, where we once again had to prove our strength and endurance to climb up! However, we got rewarded by the view of the waterfall passing right through the city center and we dismounted our bikes to take a closer look and hike up a bit. Afterwards we had a light lunch in a bakery, before climbing up again - Bad Gastein is really not kind for cyclists, as the streets are crazy steep!    Leggi altro

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    Getting off the train at Mallnitz
    Waiting for the ticket with other cyclists

    The "Tauernschleuse"

    12 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Our next stop was the so called "Tauernschleuse", a train that would take us from Böckstein to Mallnitz and thus spare us many meters in altitude - it is actually meant for cars, but very popular for cyclists, too.
    The train leaves every hour and has space for 50 bicycles, yet it was not possible to reserve a space beforehand - but we got lucky, and we not only got a ticket but also arrived just in time to catch it!
    Loading the bikes was much easier than on the train to Salzburg (though the waggons on the Tauernschleuse are designed specifically for bikes, so they better be!) and after a short 15 minute ride we arrived at the other side of the mountains, leaving behind the province of Salzburg and entering Kärnten.    Leggi altro

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    Only the Brave...

    12 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    ... Can ride down this road without constantly using the brakes! It goes on and on and you gain speed without any effort. As it turned out, I am not one of the brave, as I was already afraid at a speed of 40 km/h, while Giacomo reached a speed of more than 60 km/h! Fortunately he is not only brave but also patient, as he had to wait for me for quite some time at the bottom😉

    Enjoy the video of Giacomo's ride down!

    Music used: Don't Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult    Leggi altro

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    Through the Countryside

    12 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    After our ride down from Mallnitz it was mostly flat again and the weather was sunny - so we seized the opportunity for a little rest next to a stream where we also enjoyed some cool water.
    Giacomo saw some more cows, so he was happy, too!Leggi altro

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    A Beacon of Kindness

    12 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    On our way we encountered a lovely surprise - a station specifically for bikers, to nourish them with fruits and snacks and provide them useful gear like chain lube, rain ponchos and rubber straps!
    We stopped at the charming snack-bar where I indulged in a delicious tomato while Giacomo was happy to find a rubber strap to keep his top tube bag secured. While enjoying some fresh peaches we wondered about the origin of this well-stocked "oasis"; we settled at the finding that whoever is maintaining this station must certainly be a kind human being, a real hero who loves bikers and probably has experienced the hardships of cycling him-or herself!
    Since we didn't expect anything like it we were especially grateful and took it as a gift we could truly cherish; unfortunately, we had no way to show our gratitude save leaving some money.    Leggi altro

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    The First (Well-Deserved) Schnitzel

    12 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    After some more kilometers and ups and downs we set up our tent and set out to Seeboden to get Dinner - after our spartanic meal yesterday (bread with cheese and salami) we wanted to eat out - and to eat Austrian food, as Giacomo had not tasted it yet (except for the homemade Sacher Torte). We found a great Restaurant where I introduced him to the Austrian cuisine - Wiener Schnitzel with Preiselbeeren - while I opted for a Cordon Bleu. For dessert we shared a Palatschinke with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce - and whipped cream, because otherwise it would have been too healthy, apparently 😉
    After a saturating meal there was only one problem left: to get back to the camping place, with a quite steep climb 😬

    Today's effort in numbers: 76, 5 km total distance, 1136 m of elevation gain, 5 hours of moving time    Leggi altro

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    Day 3 - But first, coffee

    13 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Today we had a long day ahead of us so we wanted to start early - and I once again prepared a nutritious breakfast, this time without using any infrastructure (except for the sink for washing the dishes) - our first camping breakfast, so to speak! I finally got the opportunity to use the newly bought esbit cooker which worked quite well and was simple to use - and perfect for bike packing, as I could easily fit it into my mess kit.Leggi altro

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    The Last Austrian Meal

    13 settembre 2023, Austria ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today we would be crossing the border to Italy, so we wanted to use the opportunity and have another taste of Austrian food. Giacomo at some point stopped because he was so hungry (we had been on the lookout for good Austrian restaurants, but had not come upon any and it was well after noon), after some "first aid" with a cereal bar I found a promising option on Google Maps to have lunch. The only problem: it was almost half an hour away!
    Google Maps suggested a route which would take us off our original path and instead lead us on sidestreets through the countryside - but there were other restaurants also laying on this route, so if we were starving, we could also stop earlier - at least so I thought, because all the other options were closed or not very inviting. For some reason Google Maps wanted to take the scenic route so badly, it kept leading us on the most rural roads possible which slowed us down tremendously - although there was a bicycle track on the main road, so it would not have been dangerous at all to take the direct route.
    After a little discussion we decided to ignore Google maps and to return to the main road in order to not lose more time. Even though the restaurant I had chosen was also on the main road, Google Maps kept leading me to the country side, but I brushed it aside and we did reach the restaurant - and it truly made up the sweat and the patience, as it was serving not only high quality food, but also offered local dishes. Giacomo treated himself to a Gulaschsoup and a mixed salat with the traditional "Backhendl" (with pumpkin seed coating as a twist) while I indulged in a Zwiebelrostbraten (Roast Beef with fried onions). After the delicious (and very saturating!) meal we were ready to leave Austria behind us and enter Italy.    Leggi altro

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    Bye Austria, Hello Italy

    13 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    In the afternoon we crossed the border between Austria and Italy - so I now passed the expertise in food and language on to Giacomo😅

    Italy welcomed us with headwind, which slowed us down tremendously - which was a shame, as the cycle path was not only slightly downhill but also in very good condition, so without the wind we could have made good progress without much effort. Instead we felt as if we had a flat tire: we kept pedaling but were not picking up any speed, instead moving at a crawl speed of 15 km/h. It was a very strange feeling, to be going downhill and getting slower instead of faster!Leggi altro

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    Following The Old Train Line

    13 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Eventually the head wind ceased and we could finally pick up speed again - it was now easy to, on the newly paved cycle path (even with road markings, the region of Friauli truly invested some money!) going slightly downhill, so without much effort we were cruising at a speed of 25 km/h and had time to marvel at the scenery. The cycle path in this part of the Alpe Adria Radweg used to be a train line, passing through short tunnels and over riverbeds, being lined by trees, shrubs and occasionally an abandoned house that lost its purpose when the train line fell out of use. And most importantly, it was detached from every other sort of infrastructure (namely, the highway) so it felt like we were in another world, lost in time.
    We hardly met any other cyclists here, so we enjoyed each other's company, riding next to each other and taking photos whenever we were amazed by the view (which was often!).

    We spent the night in the little village of Dogna, which was next to the Cycle Path and despite it having been the longest day in distance, we were already at 6 pm at the accommodation - the earliest we would ever be this week! Staying at the hostel was very relaxed as it was the off-season and there was only one other guest, a Polish women who also travelled by bike and took advantage of having an Italian at hand to help her with the maze of Italian transport.
    For dinner we were relieved of having to decide anything as the options were very limited, there was only one restaurant on the country road and on this evening it was just offering two different choices for dinner. We both opted for what was supposed to be potatoes with onions, cheese and a sidedish of polenta, but turned out to be lots of cheese with some pieces of potatoes and onions - we didn't complain, though, as we could use the calories and the pan fried cheese was tasty; only the short climb up to the hostel again was a bit though after this ample meal.    Leggi altro

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    Getting ready to ride again
    Next stop on the train line: a cafePassing through VenzoneOur lunch - sandwich with a very generous piece of cheeseA rest in the woods

    Day 4 - Our "Lazy Day"

    14 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Today would be our "relax day", with only 66 km ahead of us, so we enjoyed our breakfast in the hostel without hurry before we got on the cycle path again. Unfortunately, the cycle path on the train line ended and we had to join the cars on the highway - there was a designated lane for us cyclists, but having the cars pass us by after the total placidity of the train line was a shock.

    We passed through the village of Venzone, which was structured just like a middle aged city - with cobble stoned, narrow alleys, a market place with cafes, a fountain and buildings in the unique Italian architecture.

    We didn't join the flocks of tourists though, who had coffee at the main square, as it was still too early for us to stop. Fortunately the way lead us away from the highway again and onto empty side streets through the backcountry, where we found the perfect place for lunch: a little grove that gave us shade and had even a big trunk that served as a bench. We enjoyed our sandwich and rested in this placid place, surrounded by trees and birds and only occasionally being passed by other bikers or cars.    Leggi altro

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    Udine

    For a coffee to Udine

    14 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    After our rest we set out again, leaving the woods behind and exchanging them for the fields of the lowlands.
    In the early afternoon we arrived at our B&B, where once again Giacomo proved his unique talent of choosing the accomodation with the most ascent possible - we saw it as additional training.
    Because today's distance is so short, we decide to leave the baggage at the B&B and visit Udine, about 20 kms south of our accomodation. This way, we can quickly pass through Udine tomorrow, saving time on our final day to Trieste.
    While Udine is stressful to get into with the busy streets, the inner city is well worth a visit, the architecture reminded us of Venice and the little cafes were very inviting - so we rewarded us with some calories.
    On the way back darkness fell upon us, we were prepared and had brought our lights, but the exhaustion of the day was beginning to show. As it was already getting late we changed plans and got dinner on the way instead of first returning to the B&B for a shower - fortunately, we weren't thrown out, so apparently we weren't smelling as bad as we had feared.
    As we were far off the "tourist route" the menu was only in Italian but Giacomo did his best to translate and gave me an introduction to the Italian cuisine, reaching farther than just pizza. On the bright side to being off the "tourist highway", the restaurant offered local dishes (there seems to be no limit to the different shapes of pasta!) and as we had "primi" and "secondi" we also had plenty of opportunity to try it.
    After our saturating meal we returned back to the B&B, where we finally took advantage of the shower - a true highlight after our long day. We had - with our visit to Udine - covered more than 100 kms and spent almost 6 hours on our bikes - so much for our lazy rest day!    Leggi altro

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    Day 5 - A little bit of Sunshine

    15 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We were lucky with the weather, as we only had a few drops of rain on our whole trip - the rain jacket that I had bought was only needed as a windbreaker.
    While the intensity of the sun had us longing for shade and a refreshing beverage in the treeless plains, it also made us appreciate the short passages through groves even more, where the sunshine was limited by the canopy and thus made special by it.

    In order to enjoy some summer vibes, makes sure to turn on the music when watching the video!
    Music by OneRepublic, videos by Giacomo.    Leggi altro

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    If you're eager to drive here, I have bad news: this easy-to-spot sign says that the road's closed!
    The view from one of the preserved trenches

    Crossing the Isonzo

    15 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    On our last day, we had quite some distance ahead of us (more than 110 km), so we were glad that we could quickly pass through Udine - the path was now very familiar to us! - and not have to spend time on sightseeing.
    We were now leaving the well-signposted Alpe Adria Cycle Path (CAAR) and switching to the AIDA Cycle Path, as we had exchanged Grado (the final destination of the CAAR) for Trieste, as the train connections home were better suited for us. Unfortunately, on the change-over we got a bit lost, but that's also part of the journey.

    The open country was now completely flat and monotonous, which on the one hand enabled us to ride faster as there were no climbs, but on the other hand didn't offer much variety in view. Additionally, the heat was now getting much more uncomfortable, as there was no shade whatsoever. We stopped in a park for lunch and to fill our water bottles, before crossing the Isonzo River. Shortly after, we visited the War Memorial in Redipuglia, which is the biggest war memorial in Italy and the final resting place for more than 100,000 Italian soldiers who fought and died in World War I, more than half of them unidentified.
    This is truly a somber place, built in the 1930s, the sheer dimension makes one despair and feel very small and vulnerable. As there are no descriptions or explanations whatsoever, it enhanced my feeling of being lost and out of place. The memorial is structured like a gigantic flight of stairs, leading up to three simple crosses and the graves holding the unidentified remains of over 60,000 soldiers. On each step the names of the dead are engraved, and above, one word, repeated again and again: "Presente (Present)", a roll-call of the dead, led by Prince Emanuele Filiberto, the Commander of the Third Army, who wanted to be buried with his men after his death in 1931. The memorial offers no hope or solace, but an affirmation: "We are here". And maybe that is the only comfort of the dead: that they - and their suffering - will not be forgotten, a reminder of the cost of war.
    It made me think that if Giacomo and I had lived a hundred years earlier, we might have still met - not to do a bike trip together, but on a battlefield trying to kill each other, to shift an arbitrary line in a map some meters.    Leggi altro

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    Monfalcone

    And then, there was the Sea...

    15 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Finally, we caught the first glimpse of the Adriatic Sea in Monfalcone. Unfortunately, the path led us away from the sea again, but we were soon compensated as we followed the coastline on the last 20 km to Trieste.

    Song used: Sunroof by Nicky Youre
    Videos by Giacomo, Photos by me    Leggi altro

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    High Five! We did it!

    Final Destination: Trieste

    15 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    After a badly needed (though short) cooling break, we arrived at our final destination - Trieste!
    After all our hardships we were relieved to finally be where we wanted to be, as the 400+ km of the last days were taking a toll on us. However, our joy was marred by the thought of what was still ahead of us: to get to the campsite in time, that was - how else could it be? - on a hill and even had a warning for cyclists on the website that it was a steep climb!
    We enjoyed a bit of the architecture and after a misunderstanding in communication settled for a beverage, but the last distance yet to come loomed over us and we soon mounted up again. And what a run it was! It took us over an hour to cover the 10 km to the campsite, and despite the impressive view of the town and the sea (after all, there has to be some upside to going uphill!) it called for all of our endurance (at least mine, Giacomo made it look like just a normal bike trip). It was a continuous uphill battle and darkness eventually caught up with us; to offer us a bit more adventure, the last part (though level) was more of an MTB trail than a cycle path but we managed and reached the campsite.
    Once again I was very glad to have a "native" with me, as Giacomo effortlessly took care of the registration, while I tried to catch my breath. Thankfully our tent site was not far from the gateway and the sanitary area - and the small ristorante, which we already had set eyes upon, as we were ravenously hungry! But first, we set up camp and took a shower that was badly needed (my jersey was soaked in sweat).
    Giacomo inquired if there was still space for us to have dinner, and we were lucky, as there was - though they warned us, that there was only one meal option left, as it was already pretty late. We saw it as an advantage, as we didn't have the energy to choose between several options anyway, we just wanted something to eat - anything! And most importantly, we didn't want to go (or bike) anywhere, just to sit, eat and drink - and collapse into bed.
    The "leftover" option turned out to be a delicious seafood dish with gnocchi, which left us wondering how to eat the crabs but otherwise satisfied - though we enjoyed our meal with a bittersweet feeling, as we knew that our trip was coming to an end and it was our last dinner together.    Leggi altro

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    Yes, Giacomo held the camera level - the road really is that sloped!

    Day 6 - Heading for Home

    16 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Early in the morning we broke camp and headed to the train station in Trieste. The way down from the hill was in stark contrast to the way up, as it was pure pleasure - due to the incline we didn't need to pedal at all, the pavement surface was new and smooth without any potholes, and as it was still early in the morning there was hardly any traffic. While on the evening before we had struggled for more than an hour, we now arrived after a 15-minute ride at the train station, feeling refreshed. We treated ourselves to a coffee and croissants and found our train coach for the first leg of our journey back home - from Trieste to Venezia, where we got another chance to see the Adriatic Sea pass us by.

    In Venezia we changed trains - the next one would take us to Verona - which was stressful as we didn't know how the "bike situation" would be and unlike in Trieste we only had a short time window to board the train and get settled. On top of that, we started to regret to be traveling on a Saturday, as the train station in Venezia was bustling with people, unlike the quiet and placid Trieste (though maybe this was also due to the time of day).
    Unfortunately, not only the train station was packed with people, but the train, too! We had a hard time even getting on the train (although the trains themselves were very comfortable - with a low floor and a "bike station" to just park them, without having to hang them up), in fact, it was so crowded that the doors almost wouldn't close. We had bought a ticket specifically for the bikes, but the bike station was already full - not with other people's bikes in that case, but with huge suitcases that exacerbated the whole misery. On the next station, we switched train coach, but the situation was hardly any better; we were glad that the total train ride was only an hour!    Leggi altro

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