• Suitcases and backpacks packed
• Cat at grandson’s
• House cleaned
• Mail held
• Credit card companies notified
• Reservations made and confirmed

It must be time for another adventure! We so enjoyed our jaunt around Great Britain last summer that we decided to do another train trip.

This time, we are heading to Europe for a two-month long trip that starts (and ends) in Frankfurt. Along the way, we will be stopping in Rüdesheim, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Zagreb, Venice, Munich, Belgium (Brussels, Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp), the Netherlands (Rotterdam, Amsterdam), Cologne (with a side trip to Cochem) and finally, back to Frankfurt.

I am so excited to learn about the history and culture of the places we will be visiting. I am especially interested in the Eastern European countries. I visited Berlin and Warsaw in the summer of 1974 when they were “behind the iron curtain” and am anxious to see how they have changed. As a high school student, having armed guards point machine guns at me as I looked across the river from East to West Berlin definitely made a strong impression on me! Visiting communist countries gave me a whole new appreciation for the freedoms I took for granted as an American.

This trip took a considerable amount of planning. Besides the obvious, such as choosing an itinerary, finding hotels, and booking tours, there was the train portion. I naively assumed that this would be simple using a Eurail pass. Perhaps I have watched too many Rick Steves shows where he happily hops on and off trains around the continent. It turns out that there is a bit more to it than that! If you are interested in learning more, click here: Planning for a Eurail trip through Europe

As usual, I will try to post as we travel. This should be easier than when we cruise since we will have wi-fi everywhere we go. Of course, just because wi-fi is available doesn’t mean that it will be functional, so we shall see! I hope you enjoy reading about our adventures.