Arriving home from #flightfreescandinavia2023 . Basic summary:

1) I enjoyed this trip a lot, on all aspects (seeing my friends most of all, but also the landscapes, fresh air, wind, silence, rocks, water)

2) #Interrail was just the way to do it. I spread 10 travel days over 18 days of absence, and this worked well

3) Actual rail travel: 8326 km, plus some buses and boats

4) Planning of rail travel should and could be a lot easier in Europe (others have written about this already)

80/80

No need to show additional pictures of a TGV on #flightfreescandinavia2023 . The one from Metz to Valence TGV was just fine. In my experience, on-board personnel is mostly very friendly on TGVs, but this day they showed a particular sense of humour and just created a pleasant atmosphere.

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One more country to visit on #flightfreescandinavia2023 - can you guess which one ? Very comfortable regional train, then due to upgrade of the high-speed line, a bus to Metz in 🇫🇷.

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A nice little detour towards the end of #flightfreescandinavia2023 was a day of cycling on the #Moselradweg and a short ride on the little train from Traben-Trarbach to Bullay.

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To conclude the reporting from #flightfreescandinavia2023 : I really hate #bahnbashing in Germany, but every single leg with DB (Hamburg-Berlin, Berlin-Hengelo, Arnheim-Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf-Koblenz, Koblenz-Trier) created major problems. The advantage with train travel in 🇩🇪 is that, much of the time, there is another, equally delayed, train that might take you where you need to go.

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No interesting views on the last leg of day 8 of #flightfreescandinavia2023 from Hamburg to Berlin (2 trains cancelled, the third delayed - but I got there). So the summary of that day is 6 trains, the Danish ones clean, comfortable, on time, the cross-border train overloaded): 896 km (total 7057).

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The train from Copenhagen not only was completely overloaded, it also was the bumpiest ride I have had for a while. We accumulated some delay for #flightfreescandinavia2023 but not too much. In Hamburg, they did not actually allow the train into the station, but the weather was fine and everyone had another walk.

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And then just a 10 minute ride on #flightfreescandinavia2023 to Kolding, in order to catch the train from Copenhagen.

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Next change, effortless, on #flightfreescandinavia2023 in Fredericia. Note that there would have been a better connection from Hirtshals, but it is the one I missed - this one is the second best.

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The next easy connection on #flightfreescandinavia2023 (as I missed the first morning train) in Aalborg. Not many people on any of these trains so far, everything rolls just nicely, the wifi works much of the time - but for me now, there are "far too few" rocks and water falls outside the window...

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Stepping over in Hjørring to the next train further southwards - easy for #flightfreescandinavia2023

What a wonderful morning - it is supposed to become a hot day today in 🇩🇰.

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Even with perfect on-time arrival, it was naive to hope that I might reach the 7:49 train from Hirtshals south for #flightfreescandinavia2023 - it's actually a 4 km distance from the pier to the station and there is a bus (although nobody from the ferry company tells you about it, and consequently we were only 3 travellers on the bus, one of us clearly a regular passenger).

But there is of course a later connection which should be ok for the rest of my plan today.

69/...

After the morning walk in Bergen, #flightfreescandinavia2023 continues (not really reassured by its three green chimneys) by ship to Stavanger and Hirtshals. Even in the most maritime part of 🇳🇴, you can see the snow from the sea at this time of the year.

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Obviously, walking is a part of #flightfreescandinavia2023 and Bergen is the perfect place for an early morning stroll.

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Arrival in Bergen (perfectly on time) concludes day 7 of #flightfreescandinavia2023 : 5 trains today 1250 km from Trondheim to Bergen (6161 km in total) - despite the hickups in the night train a fantastic day and night.

#staygrounded

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But even that winter experience on #flightfreescandinavia2023 ends in spring and early summer.

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The real "problem" for #flightfreescandinavia2023 with the night train on Bergensbanen is that you don't actually want to sleep.

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But on this #flightfreescandinavia2023 I do not stay in Oslo, however much it could be tempting on such an evening. Instead I am stepping straight into a night train heading west.

I shall be gentle and spare you the details of the ridiculous "check-in" process on this train ... and rather praise the comfortable cabin on this sleeper (no tap water and no wifi, though).

Today's summary will come tomorrow.

63/...

Arrival in Oslo S 20 min late (no big deal) on #flightfreescandinavia2023 . If you stay here then downtown Oslo is really only 50 meters from where you're off the train (rather than a long ride on airport trains and buses).

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Between Lillehammer and Oslo you must sit on the Western side of the train, as you travel along the huge lake Mjøsa, this time of the year appropriately illuminated by the late afternoon sun for #flightfreescandinavia2023

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