Three months before the arrival of our first baby and we were preparing for the madness to start. Before our baby arrived, we wanted to have a holiday that was still a little different from a hotel and pool break. Long-haul was out of the question due to travel time and jet lag; so, too, was the intense heat of southern Europe in August. The trip needed to be easy, close to home, and still shedloads of fun.
We opted for a three-week rail journey around Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. With a little planning, and conservative packing, we were on our way to Berlin. We booked all our trains in advance and all were, with one exception, e-tickets and very economical. The trains themselves were second to none and were always on time, with the majority of services having wifi. We reserved seats in second class on each journey; this was very comfortable and even came with a complimentary drink on some services.
The trip was relaxed, but we still did a lot of walking. We took subways, and on numerous occasions sat with our books in parks when it was too hot to walk. There was no need to see every sight in every city we were in. In three weeks we travelled to Berlin, Gdansk, Krakow, Prague and Munich, finishing up in the pretty alpine town of Berchtesgaden, on the German-Austrian border.
Our first stop was in Berlin, a city we had been to on previous occasions; we strolled between cafes along Bergmannstrasse in Kreuzberg and revisited the major sites in the city. From the huge Berlin Hauptbahnhof, we caught the train to Gdansk on the Baltic coast in Poland. The journey took six hours, with one change in Poznan. The change was quick and easy, and soon we were heading north towards the coast. The train was busy, and without a reservation we would have had an uncomfortable trip.
Our hotel was a short taxi ride away from the train station, opposite the main canal in the centre of Gdansk. With hardly a whisper of other English-speaking tourists, we strolled through the compact centre of the town, taking in the sights.
Gdansk to Krakow was a direct five-hour train journey, again with reservations. The glistening station in Krakow is a stone’s throw from the centre of town and our accommodation was a five-minute taxi ride away. The tourist volumes in Krakow are heavy, so we escaped the madness of the town and wandered along the riverfront, stopping in the numerous cafes and bars on our way to the Jewish area. We spent hours on the riverbanks with a picnic and our books.
There was no need to spend too long in the centre of Krakow, just a few hours to see some sights, then we enjoyed the blue skies and warm sun by the river.
From Krakow to Prague, the direct train took three hours. Our hotel was in central Prague and we took the subway there, followed by a five-minute walk. The old town in Prague is easily navigated, albeit a little tricky with a map. The twisting lanes and alleys lead to wide squares and parks. In five minutes you can be away from the crowds, sipping a coffee and taking in the city’s stunning architecture.
We whisked past the industrial outskirts of Prague into open farm and woodland, and headed towards the German border. The train to Munich was direct and cost €14. The spectacular Bavarian countryside raced past us, wheat and hops swaying in the breeze, soaking up the warm sun.
Our time in Munich was a delight, so much to see and do. The weather was glorious and we spent hours in the English Garden, listening to impromptu brass bands and dipping our feet in the streams and rivers. There was no need to over-extend ourselves; the English Garden on a summer’s day was perfect for relaxing. The evenings were balmy and the cafes and bars brimming with people.
Our final destination was Berchtesgaden. The town, nestled under the foreboding peaks of Watzmann mountain, is picture-perfect Germany, with frothy pints of beer (and decaf coffee) and plates of pork knuckles that crackle like a roaring log fire.
The town itself is small but had more than enough restaurants for the five nights we spent there. We went for short walks in the national park, walks with a little incline or two, but very accessible. There are other possibilities for more experienced hikers.
A free tourist bus pass is available to whisk you along the valley to Lake Königssee or to Kehlsteinhaus, the Eagle’s Nest. The latter, which was Adolf Hitler’s mountain retreat during his years in power, is not for those with a fear of heights. A steep and winding road terminates at the door of a lift, which takes visitors on the final 100-metre vertical ascent to the house, perched high above Berchtesgaden. On a clear day, you will not find a more perfect view in this corner of Germany.
Being only 40 minutes from Salzburg, across the border in Austria, we caught a bus one morning from Berchtesgaden and had a late lunch in Mozart country.
With a little planning ahead, a rail holiday in Europe is easy and stress-free for anyone expecting a baby. There was no struggling under the weight of bags or suitcases, and one large backpack was enough for the two of us. It’s cheap and easy, something I’m unlikely to be saying about life in a few months’ time.
Get there: Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies direct from Dublin to Berlin. All other journeys were booked on the national train websites (bahn.com, intercity.pl, cd.cz).
Stay: All our accommodation was central and easy to get to from each train station: Berlin, Gat Point Charlie Hotel (hotelgatpointcharlie.com); Gdansk, Hotel Królewski (hotelkrolewski.pl); Prague, Pension U Lilie (pensionulilie.cz); Munich, King's Centre Hotel (kingshotels.de); Berchtesgaden, Hotel Schwabenwirt (schwabenwirt.cz).
Eat: The best meal of the trip was in Prague, at Prazský most u Valšu (prazskymost.cz), and the crackling pork in Berchtesgaden was in Gasthaus Neuhaus (edelweiss-berchtesgaden.com/de).
