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München➟Berchtesgaden Berchtesgaden Berchtesgaden➟Salzburg Salzburg Salzburg
Halstatt Salzburg➟Offenburg BlackForst Offenburg➟Interlaken
Interlaken Interlaken Interlaken➟ Pilatus Alpnachstad➟Rotterdam Rotterdam
Amsterdam Rotterdam➟Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Düsseldorf➟München München
München ➟ Singapore
➥Sunday
2025 Europe Travel
All Posts
Is the trip over already?
Munich Departure Gate [November 11th] Central Station → Airport (Airport Bus) From Munich Central Station, I use the QR code for the return trip I had already purchased to head to Munich Airport, 28 km away. The official name of Munich Airport is Franz Josef Strauß Airport (Flughafen München Franz Josef Strauß), which is a little difficult to read, so I looked it up and found out that it opened in May 1992 and its official name is named after Franz Josef Strauß, a politician
Mike
Nov 11, 20252 min read
A surprising tour of Munich
Munich City Hall [November 10th] Walk along this diagram, excluding the first straight section. I used the one-day pass to visit places I had looked up online the day before while sightseeing in Munich. Munich's buses and trams are well maintained and run frequently, making it easy to get to anywhere. The trams in particular were very comfortable. We took a bus from the bus stop in front of the YouthHostel to the venue near Oktoberfest, which is held every autumn, and then to
Mike
Nov 10, 20253 min read
Return to Munich (final destination)
Düsseldorf Station [November 9th] My first point-to-point train journey from Düsseldorf to Munich without changing trains. It was a rare rainy day, even though it was a travel day. The scenery is hard to see from the train window due to the rain and fog. I've gotten used to riding the train quite a bit now, and this experience has become a treasured one. summary It is convenient to have a two-prong or three-prong power outlet. I regret that I forgot to bring a simple water he
Mike
Nov 9, 20251 min read
The city of Düsseldorf that I didn't visit
Front of Düsseldorf Station [November 8th] I was scheduled to meet my daughter at 10am and then go sightseeing in Dusseldorf. Walk from Düsseldorf city center to the hotel He said he would be a little late, so we met in the hotel lobby at 10:30 and talked until after noon. I was asked if I wanted to sightsee or buy souvenirs, so I chose souvenirs. We took an Uber taxi to the center of Dusseldorf and did some sightseeing. According to my daughter, it corresponds to Ginza in Ja
Mike
Nov 8, 20251 min read
Take the bus🚍 to Düsseldorf
Maritime Museum Rotterdam [November 7th] I had some time before my 13:05 bus to Dusseldorf, so I checked out YouthHostel. After checking out, I left my luggage there until departure. As usual, I had made a list of tourist spots around the station the day before. Just like the other day, it was always sunny on the day we were traveling. This must be a sign of something. We were asked to show our bus tickets and passports to cross the border. It seemed like there was no problem
Mike
Nov 7, 20251 min read
Amsterdam, the city of canals
[November 6th] Outbound bus route I was supposed to stay in Amsterdam, but for some reason I ended up booking in Rotterdam. However, while thinking about how to get from Rotterdam to Amsterdam, I discovered that taking the bus was incredibly cheap and took the same amount of time, so I traveled to and from Amsterdam by bus. If you book the day before or earlier, there are flights that cost about 10 euros round trip, and since it would be more expensive to reserve a seat, I bo
Mike
Nov 6, 20252 min read
When you think about Netherlands, you imagine windmills.
【November 5】 I was unsure where to go, so I asked at the station's tourist information center. They suggested windmills, so I inquired about how to get there. Perhaps because my English is poor, I couldn't quite grasp the directions, but the staff kindly wrote me a note. I went to see those windmills. Kinderdijk, which they recommended, is apparently famous. There seemed to be several ways to get there—train, subway, bus, water bus—but following the memo for the fastest route
Mike
Nov 5, 20253 min read
Long-distance train journey from Switzerland to the Netherlands
Basel Bad Transfer Station (Switzerland-Germany border station) [November 4th] It's a day when I have to travel by train for nine hours, but this morning is a beautiful sunny day. Am I a rain man? There isn't a single cloud in the sky, as if mocking me. I took the train an hour earlier than planned and arrived at Basel SBB, where I was sitting inside the station, and the scenery here wasn't much different from that in Japan. The train that was an hour earlier was a blessing i
Mike
Nov 4, 20253 min read
To the mountain railway of Mount Pilatus
Due to track maintenance work, buses were used instead for transportation from Interlaken to Luzen. Lake Zernai (with the Jungfrau peaks visible in the distance) [November 3rd] I took the bus from the bus stop in front of Interlaken OST station to Meiringen station, then changed to a train to Alpnachstad station at the foot of Mount Pilatus. Alternative transport bus from Interlaken station to Meiringen station, train from Meiringen station to Alpnachstad station ➥ Hotels ar
Mike
Nov 3, 20252 min read
Just sightseeing in Interlaken...
[November 2nd] It had been drizzling since the morning and gradually got stronger, so we weren't able to go out until mid-afternoon. Our plan was to hike Stechelberg and see the waterfalls and such. Round trip from Interlaken OST Station to Interlaken West Station A little after noon, the rain was small enough that I no longer needed an umbrella, so I thought I'd go to and from Interlaken West station and explore the city of Interlaken. The rain stopped in the evening, so I w
Mike
Nov 2, 20252 min read
Jungfrau foothills
The original Mittellegi Hut (relocated in 2001) on the hiking route from the Eiger Glacier [November 1st] Interlaken ➥ Eiger This was one of the routes I had taken several times in the past, and I had planned to take the train from Interlaken OST station to Glindelward Terminal station and then take the gondola to Männlichen. When I arrived at Glindelward Terminal station and looked at the gondola operation map, I saw that the gondolas to Männlichen (see below) and First wer
Mike
Nov 1, 20253 min read
Moving from Germany to Switzerland
My friend's backyard features a spacious garden and park (complete with a pool). [October 31st] Offenburg → Interlaken After breakfast, I still had some time before my train departed, so I took a walk around my friend's house (which was basically his backyard), and as you can see from the photo, it had a very idyllic atmosphere. I was driven to Offenburg station and took the train, which was 10 minutes late. From there I had no transfers to the final stop, Interlaken station.
Mike
Oct 31, 20251 min read
Black Forest Hike
Beyond the Black Forest's woodlands, the pastures stretch out [October 30th] Black Forest Hike (Half the route by car) We had a quick breakfast at a friend's house and then took a 12-mile hike in his car on the Black Forest Trail, a spot he recommended. Although there are deciduous trees in German forests that turn yellow and brown in autumn, I have never seen the red (vermilion) autumn leaves that are found in Japan. As someone who is used to seeing red autumn leaves, I felt
Mike
Oct 30, 20252 min read
Staying at a friend's house in Germany (for 3 days)
Dinner table at a friend's house [October 29th] Salzburg → Offenburg I didn't know where the reserved seats were on the train from Saltzburg, so I asked a station attendant and found out. In Japan, JR trains generally start from Tokyo and the first car leaving Tokyo is designated as car number 1, but unlike in Japan, there does not seem to be any rule as to what number the train car number starts from. It is important to understand this and also be careful when handling reser
Mike
Oct 29, 20253 min read
Halstatt was a great place
Halstatt (from the south) [October 28th] Salzburg ←→ Halstatt To get to Halstatt, a famous tourist destination even when I was in Japan, I took a train and a bus from Saltzburg Station. I only had a few minutes to transfer from the train to the bus at the transfer station, and the train was delayed by a few minutes, so I was anxiously on the train, worried about whether I would be able to make the transfer safely. The train made up a few minutes of its delay and reduced it to
Mike
Oct 28, 20253 min read
Sound of Music Bus Tour
"Sound of Music" Bus Tour [October 27th] Bud Tour route Today we are on a long-awaited four-hour bus tour to visit the filming locations of The Sound of Music. The bus, which seats about 60 people, was almost full. The guide started off by making fun of the passengers with a self-deprecating joke, and the atmosphere quickly became relaxed. When the British guide explained the places related to The Sound of Music, many of the passengers had seen the film and naturally nodded i
Mike
Oct 27, 20253 min read
Salzburg city tour
[October 26th] Today, we changed our plans and went sightseeing in the city. It's obvious if you look at the tracker, but it's at a reduced scale so it's hard to see unless you click to enlarge. I went from YOUTH hostel to the city center to check the tour bus stop for tomorrow. The tour company I first visited was wrong. The staff there gave me directions, and I checked with the panoramic bus tour company I had researched beforehand. I made a reservation for tomorrow with th
Mike
Oct 26, 20252 min read
Travel to Salzburg
Transfer station: Bad Reichenhall Station 【October 25】 Saturday had different bus schedules, and the nearby stop had no departures. With no other choice, I dragged my suitcase through the fallen leaves to a stop a bit farther away. I later realized the bottom of the suitcase had sustained significant damage. I suppose that's just the fate of suitcases. I barely made my connecting train at Brechtengaden station, but I managed to board it and breathed a sigh of relief. The trai
Mike
Oct 25, 20252 min read
The Start of My European Trip
Jenner "1,874m" 【October 24】 After breakfast with Vhisyhny, I headed to the station. He went to Königssee, while I headed to Mount Jenner, recommended by my German friend. I could take a gondola from near the station or take a bus to near Lake Königssee and transfer to another gondola there, but to save on transportation costs, I opted for the plan to take a bus to the gondola's intermediate station and head up Jenner Mountain from there. Bus route ↑After leaving the sta
Mike
Oct 24, 20253 min read
Discover the charm of autumn travel in Europe
Confirmation of Departure Flight (SQ621) 【October 22】 To Kansai Airport Self-check-in machine After a long time, I checked in at Kansai Airport and found automation had advanced significantly. Self-service check-in kiosks and self-service baggage drop machines lined up in rows beyond them. I later realized it took less than ten minutes to complete both steps. 👈 Self-service check-in kiosk Select your airline and scan your passport. Own boarding pass will be printed.
Mike
Oct 22, 20254 min read
2025 Europe Travel
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