On Board the OBB Austrian Railways
On July 29, 2014, Marc and I woke up early to catch the direct train bound for Graz. We spent a total of two and a half days in Vienna and we specifically came here a few days in advance of our Balkan vacation to get over some of the jetlag we always experience each and every time we come to Europe from San Francisco. Austria is a beautiful country and I am liking it more and more with each visit.
This was the modern train we traveled on from Vienna to Graz. The first time we traveled around Central Europe, the trains were packed so tight, passengers without assigned seats ended up standing in the train's hallways. We didn't want that to happen to us and so we paid a little extra and purchased tickets with assigned seats. Much to our surprise, the train turned out to be empty for most of the trip. Had we known, we would have bought the regular priced unreserved seats. But then again, how were we to know? Anyway, the train car was clean, quiet, and elegant. How it made me wish we had trains like these ones over in California.
That's me on board.
The empty seats all around us.
The monitor inside each train car advising passengers of the stops and time travel remaining.
I must say, the view from Vienna to Graz was absolutely spectacular. The scenery was so, so pretty.
The train went up through many mountains which provided for some jaw dropping scenery.
This was one monument we passed by as we neared Graz.
There was even an old box car next to it for people to see and visit.