How do they do it?

June 14, 2025

We were running on adrenaline when we got up this morning. The alarm wasn't needed as suspected and we sat drinking tea at 6:45 contemplating the myriad of scenarios that lay ahead of us today.

We were packed quickly and efficiently with a skill born from growing experience of living out of a couple of panniers. All our worldly needs clipped into a couple of panniers and a bar bag. Kate is now so skillful that she can include three dresses and some mini hair straighteners. The sat nav chirruped away happily as we set off through early Saturday morning streets that were so quiet we could listen to the birdsong as we followed an intricate but beautiful route through the city to the Westbanhof train station.

We were so early we could have just caught the previous train - if we wanted to pay €120 instead of €46.

So we waited an hour, watching nervously as more and more cyclists appeared wanting to catch the same train. At last the time came to board the train. I made for a carriage which was, thus far, unoccupied and tried fitting the tandem into the bike slot. It didn't fit. I stood there puzzling over the problem whilst imagining a train guard sucking his teeth and saying, you can't leave it sticking out like that. Not insured. Then, I suddenly wondered if the two adjacent seats lifted up. They did. Leaving JUST enough room for a tandem with the handlebars turned. As it was, no staff of any sort ever turned up. It was the usual case of 'I needn't have worried'...

Now here's the thing. We caught four trains. Some of them had pretty tight change overs. All of them were organised so that changing over was as simple as it could be. All four trains were the 'every gap in the hedge' variety meaning we probably stopped at around 40 stations in all. And every train ran TO THE SECOND. Sometimes, I would think, why isn't the train leaving this station? Then I would notice that it wasn't due to depart for another 30 seconds.

So what's the difference between German and English train systems?

Surely we have as much brain power when it comes to working out timetables and routes etc? I can only think that money is involved somewhere. Or lack thereof.

I'm not saying it was all plain sailing. Never before, has our tandem been on an escalator. Or in a lift which is too small for it. And having to take it through the length of a carriage because the train door was broken was quite a challenge too.

The thing is, if it all worked according to plan, we would be back in Passau by 14:22. It all worked according to plan. We were back in Passau at 14:22.

Has anyone ever said that after a four trains journey in the UK?

The woman in the ticket office had sold me these tickets almost begrudgingly because she thought the journey sounded so awful. She should try taking a train from Leeds to Manchester one day. (And I don't mean with a tandem)

The temperature in Passsu at 14:22 was 30 degrees. We cycled along a very short distance of Danube which made us feel really quite sad that this bit of the holiday has come to an end. When we cycled through Passau a week ago, it was cold and lashing us with rain. Today, Passsu showed its true colours as a very attractive and characterful little town.

We stopped for coffee. Yes, the first coffee of the day at very nearly 3pm!

We are now back at the hotel we stayed at when we arrived. It's still lovely. The staff are still rude. They're also run ragged because it's so popular.

The car is still here, waiting patiently. We have taken our suitcases out of the boot. We are wearing clean clothes. I have shaved, at Kate's behest.

We have had a meal, degrizzled and spruced up.

Here endeth the more adventurous part of the holiday.

Reverse order photos again...