Chasing Daylight in Budapest

We boarded the last train of our two-week trip, as we were headed to our final destination: Budapest, Hungary. Parliament, its most recognizable landmark, is famous from splashing the covers of travel brochures the world over.  We are going there!

After dropping off our bags at the apartment we would be calling home for the next four nights, we got a bit of a late start. One thing I do not like about traveling during the winter is the limited daylight hours. We wanted to be along the banks of the Danube River for sunset.

Spoiler alert: this photo is our view on the wall of our apartment

On our way to the river, we had an obligatory stop to get a fresh hot chimney cake. A strip of sweet dough is wrapped around a spindle, baked, and coated with a sugar topping.

Gelateria Pichler is a popular place to get a delicious chimney cake

Contrary to common belief, or perhaps days of yore, the Hungarian capital is not a cheap city, and prices continue to go up each year. This became evident as we cut through Vörösmarty Square, at the very heart of Budapest, and slowed down to glance at its Christmas market. It was the most expensive Christmas market of the five countries we have been to.

The giant grilled sausage looked mouth-watering - for a whopping 6500 HUF/ €16

We finally made it to Széchenyi Chain Bridge and the Danube River - just in time for "sunset". Apple's weather app says it has been sunny here all afternoon … not even remotely accurate. It has been foggy ever since we got here. No sun, no blue sky, no sunset.

When the Szechenyi Chain Bridge was finished in 1849, Buda and Pest - the two halves of Hungary's capital - were physically and symbolically connected. It was the biggest bridge in the world suspended on chains at that time.

In the short time it took us to cross the bridge, its lights came on. It's 4:18pm. And dark.

Fun Fact: Until July 6,1941, Hungary operated according to a UK-style left-hand traffic order

Next up, the view I've been waiting decades for: Budapest's impressive Parliament, set on the mighty Danube River.

Even through the hazy fog, beholding Parliament for the first time is still breathtaking

Without hesitation, next we walked up the slope of Castle Hill to Fisherman's Bastion. I instantly fell in love!

Overlooking the city with its fairytale white towers, Fisherman's Bastion is one of the most beautiful sights in Budapest

Included in the iconic Fisherman's Bastion is the landmark Matthias Church, dating back to the 12th century. Its roof is beautifully decorated in Zsolnay tiles of bright orange, brown, green, red, and white.

Somehow the tiles atop Matthias Church look even more stunning in the dark

For dinner, duped by what had to have been bribed fake reviews, we tried touristy "Goulash and Langosh Bar". Don't go there!

Despite the fog, the lack of sun and daylight, and the crowds, it was still easy to appreciate the rich and impressive architecture of Budapest.

Logistics:

When looking to buy our train tickets for Vienna to Budapest two months before our trip, somehow I happened across the train company Regiojet - and was able to pay half the rate of Austrian line OBB.

Hungary's currency, the forint (HUF), has an exchange rate of .0025 USD. Conveniently they also price their goods in (and accept) euros so making the conversion in your head is simple.

24 Hours in Vienna

Having survived our night on the overnight train and checked our luggage for the day in lockers for 1/4 of the price of Switzerland, we were already feeling pretty accomplished by 8:30am. With 24-hour metro passes in hand, we left the train station ready to explore all Vienna has to offer - in a day.

Vienna, the capital of Austria, is located in the east of the country along the banks of the Danube River. As the home for the ruling Habsburg family, who became one of the most powerful dynasties of Europe through strategically executed marriages, Vienna has a mix of monumental buildings remaining from their wealth and influence.

We started on the outskirts of Vienna with Schönbrunn Palace, the main summer residence of the Habsburg emperors.  With a total of 1,441 rooms, the palace exudes the "more is more" lifestyle of impressing visitors with one's wealth.

What started as a modest hunting lodge, Schönbrunn Palace is now an exquisite palace absolutely worth a visit

Each room is pristine and uniquely decorated

The glorious Hall of Ceremonies held lavish balls, receptions and banquets

At Schloss Schönbrunn with its expansive gardens in the background

The Gloriette, built in 1775, is a beautiful focal point and worth walking out for a closer look

Vienna has numerous Christmas markets, many of which close by Dec. 26. Some markets continue to stay open, with the largest one in the front courtyard of Schönbrunn Palace.

The best sausage - encased in a baguette bun - was our favorite! 

After leaving the palace, we went to the city center. One of the most striking landmarks of Vienna is St. Stephen's Cathedral, named after Christian martyr Saint Stephen.

St. Stephen's Cathedral's massive south tower (Türmerstube) is its highest point and a dominant feature of the Vienna skyline.

Following the tower's completion in 1433, at 448 ft, St. Stephen's Cathedral is the tallest church in Austria and the 9th tallest church in the world.  It is the second highest church tower in Europe after that of Strasbourg's cathedral, which we just climbed last week.

The original roof, consisting of wood, burned down in 1945 and was replaced with a ~90-ft high roof with a slope of 80 degrees - so steep that snow simply slides off.

The new roof is made of 230,000 glazed tiles of different colors which form various mosaics and patterns. On the south side of the roof, the mosaics represent the double-headed eagle, symbol of the Austrian empire under the rule of the Habsburgs.

Next we wandered the streets to enjoy the mix of Vienna's monumental buildings and absorb Austria's rich cultural heritage. 

The staggeringly impressive buildings are so massive that pictures hardly do them justice

With most of Vienna's markets closed for the season, all that remains of Rathausplatz Christkindmarkt in front of the town hall is a very crowded ice skating rink

For dinner we had reservations at Pürstner and ate the best schnitzel we have ever had.

Logistics:

I hadn't bought our tickets for Schönbrunn Palace online in advance, as highly recommended for Austria's #1 tourist attraction, because they are only valid for the time you book and I couldn't be sure if our overnight train would be delayed. We were hoping to get tickets for the slightly longer Grand Tour that adds another impressive set of rooms worthy of seeing. Although the sign at the ticket office said that only state apartment tours (showing just nine rooms) were available, they were still willing to sell us the Grand Tour (~40 rooms).

St. Stephen's Cathedral has two towers that you can go up; you can climb up the south tower or take an elevator up the north tower. I always prefer climbing up high so chose the south tower, which was a mistake for two main reasons: 1) the south tower's platform is inside and only lets you look out its four cardinal-facing windows; the north tower has an outside platform. 2) the north tower offers a much better view of the ornate roof tiles. At 1pm on a Saturday, we had to wait at the ticket entrance for 15 minutes while they let the stairs clear out of crowds. It wasn't until they opened back up and we stepped inside that we saw the sign: cash only. They do not accept a student discount so the guy gave Chris the child rate.

Murder on the Overnight Train from Zurich to Vienna

The overnight train is a convenient way to cover huge distances in Europe

Jeremy was glad we took the night train from Zurich, Switzerland to Vienna, Austria - so he knows to never do it again.

Waking up, Jeremy asked me: 

"What are you going to write on the blog? Are you bummed all that content happened in one night?" 

"I slept great!" was my chipper reply. (6 1/2 hours of sleep is pretty good by my standards.) 

"You take that back," growled Jeremy, already somehow getting 4 standing hours on his watch, even though he never left his top bunk.

Complacently, Kate retorted, "Still better than the felucca," in reference to our overnight on the Nile in Egypt two years ago.

For the record, we raised our kids camping in tents. Sleeping on a boat or train is hardly any different.

Trying to get from the platform onto the train was immediately frustrating. Although I've been on a night train before, I immediately regretted my decision to add it to our itinerary. The small compartments are nearly impossible to squeeze into with 6 people and our small packs. We had 4-person compartments and still were perplexed how to get in. I kicked them all out so I could make the beds up and shove luggage under and over the beds.

"This is like the Harry Potter bus," Vivian texted her best friend.

Here's a quick run-down of our torturous night:

• Our train car (#305) had only one working bathroom for 60 passengers. (We snuck into the premium sleeper train.)
• There is no dining car.
• Asked for our breakfast order, Kate requested cream and sugar. No. "There's no coffee machine," the conductor flatly replied. (The black coffee is served with a creamer container but nothing fancy like sugar.)
• Only one slot of our compartment's two charging ports worked.
• The heat in our compartment didn't work. Kate slept in her winter coat.
• And last but not least - to top it all off - our cabin light wouldn't turn off. "Sorry" the conductor said, in her limited English.

Honestly, once I was in my bunk, as long as the train was moving and swaying (it has some brief stops along the way), I slept like a baby in a cradle.

Greg and Chris shared their compartment with a young German couple who crawled into their top bunks when they boarded and crawled back out after we arrived in Vienna.

Packed in like sardines 

It was a little better once I stowed our luggage and made the beds

Crime scene evidence: how you "sleep" with the lights on while earning 4 standing hours

Our tickets included a breakfast of 2 rolls, butter, jam, coffee - and no sugar

Having lived through the horror of the night train, they can now tell the tale

Note: While our train felt like it was built eons ago, OBB (Austrian train line) has updated its cars on other night train routes. Those might have a better experience.

Logistics:

Getting night train tickets was the bane of my existence every day for four months.

Vloggers Nate and Kara - who inspired our Christmas market trip - originally planned their itinerary to cover huge distances to the different countries overnight on night trains. However, for them the night train tickets were well-past gone. They sell out fast.

My go-to website for information on trains in Europe, The Man in Seat 61 says:  "I love travelling by Nightjet, a real treat - kids of all ages love bunk beds on a train."

Particularly challenging for train travel after mid-December is what is called the "December Timetable Change": for trains after Dec. 1, sales are no longer available at the normal booking window 3-6 months in advance. Planning our itinerary a year in advance, I hinged our expensive trip on getting the cheap night train tickets. So just in case, I started checking 6 months out, which is when they would normally go on sale. I checked every day, and in the end checked 3 times per day. Finally on October 16, at 4:45am PDT, I got our tickets - two hours after OBB updated their facebook page announcing the release.

Less than the cost of the day trains, and saving us on a night of hotel expenses, the 10-hour overnight train cost us €60 each for a "couchette" bunk in an upgraded compartment for four. Roomier "sleeper" compartments are available for a lot more.

At time of publication (12/29/24), today's 8-hour day ticket costs €215 with one train change. If you want the guaranteed ticket without a concern for cost, third party website (thetrainline.com) pre-sell the overnight ticket for $150.

One day after I bought our tickets, the price had already increased by €32. Two weeks later, by 11/1, they were already up to €180 each. I stopped checking but by 11/27 only regular seats were left; no sleeping options.

Lovely Lucerne, Switzerland

As we left the Lauterbrunnen chalet, owner Trudi said we are lucky people for getting such perfect weather during our stay. Yes, and we are very thankful!

Today was primarily a travel day.  We had 12 hours until we needed to get on the night train in Zurich so we made the best of our time by spending a chunk of it in Lucerne. Having been twice before, I think Lucerne has enough charm for another visit, which turned out to be a wise choice over Zurich.

On our 2 1/2 train ride from Lauterbrunnen to Lucerne, checking our train tickets, the conductor switched between the common languages spoken here: "one, zwei, merci".

Stopover in Lucerne

Trying to figure out the lockers at the Lucerne train station.  All of the big ones were out of order and we had 6 packs to store.  The sign sent us to the SBB office that charges 12 CHF per pack (minimum charge for 6 hours).  We crammed them into 3 working medium lockers instead.

Lucerne is best-known for its wooden Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrucke) built in 1333, one of the oldest bridges in Europe

The best way to see Lucerne is on foot, going along its lakeside quay, across its old squares, and through the streets of its Old Town

One of my favorite teenage memories is visiting Lucerne's Lowendenkmal (Lion Monument) with my mom when I was 16

Musegg wall and its nine towers are closed during the winter

Had it been a sunny day we would have taken the funicular to Chateau Gutsch for its view over Lucerne

View from Lucerne's other, lesser-known wooden bridge (Spreuerbrucke)

I spy the Zytturm medieval clocktower from the Old Town

Jeremy and Vivian broke off the pack to have a romantic 3-course dinner overlooking the Reuss River at Fondue House du Pont.  The rest of us had pizza at La Bestia.

Walking down Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse during our two-hour layover.  Thousands of twinkling lights hung above our heads for as far as we could see.

Charming cobblestone Augustinergasse, lined with beautiful historic guild houses. The 17th century shop owners competed to have the best facade.

Across from the train station, Zurich's Landesmuseum keeps its Christmas market open past December 23.

Our experience on the night train deserves it's own post.

An Epic Experience at Grindelwald First

"Fog," Jeremy said, looking out the kitchen window. Uh-oh, had our good fortune come to an end? I was hopeful our plan for the day would bring us above the thick layer. It sure did! As we rode the gondola up to the top of Grindelwald's First mountain at 7,000 feet, the snow literally sparkled as the bright sunshine reflected off its layer of ice crystals.

We started with a compulsory picture on the Sky Bridge, the end point of the complimentary First Cliff Walk. You can get in the bridge line most directly by walking through the gondola station's restaurant.

First Cliff Walk viewpoint with jaw-dropping views of the Eiger and Wetterhorn behind us

The walk to Lake Bachalpsee, about an hour each way from Grindelwald First's gondola station, was filled with incredibly picturesque epic views. The uphill part, in the snow, takes a bit of effort at which point Vivian realized that "leisurely", when found on my itinerary, can be a relative term. (Not that she minded.)

Surrounded by ski runs and off-piste tracks to explore, Chris was a bit tortured by the walk : "I wish I had my skis. This looks like so much fun."

These cool 'snow rollers' are an entirely natural phenomenon that occur when there's a combination of the right temperature, moisture, wind, and of course, snow

Dwarfed by the gigantic rock face

Stunningly blue Lake Bachalpsee was covered in a thick layer of white snow and ice, blending it into its white surroundings

Done with the hike, we did the short First Cliff Walk - a suspended metal walkway taking you along the edge of the mountain

Enjoying views and our super hiker prize

Near the restaurant, we went to the launching point to watch the paragliders take off. The guides were instructing their tourist to "run run run" to jump off the cliff. The daughter passenger didn't move fast enough so basically the tandem duo fell ungracefully off the cliff. Over my shoulder I heard a guide's causal "Don't worry" to the mom, who was going next. LOL!

"That was fun," Vivian said on our way back down. Having spent 4 1/2 hours at the top, we enjoyed our surroundings - arguably one of the most beautiful regions on the planet.

Greg didn't make it out with us today, staying back in Lauterbrunnen to tend to his cold symptoms. "It's been ugly cloudy all day."

About to be engulfed by the thick fog bank suspended over Lauterbrunnen valley

Greg's dark, foggy view all day in Lauterbrunnen valley

Logistics:

For 61 CHF you can buy a region "hiking and sledging" winter pass that includes traveling on most of the trains and gondolas (excludes the biggies: Top of the World and Schilthorn). We bought online tickets on our way out the door but never got the confirmation email. At the station we had to convert the website confirmation to paper passes.