We took an overnight train from s-Hertogenbosch to somewhere in northern Italy quite a few years ago now. It was advertised as the luxury way to travel and take the hassle out of having to drive. Initially our enthusiasm overcame the surprise at how old and dilapidated the rolling stock was. The toilet at the end of the carriage was a circular tin affair which opened directly onto the track, and the beds were bunks which lifted out from the cabin wall and hooked into slots to keep them up. And they were four high !
Every time we crossed a border there was a delay of various numbers of hours while the train company from the next country hooked up one of their own engines to continue the journey. The ‘luxury on board evening meal’ in the restaurant carriage didn’t occurr because the cookers wouldn’t fire up, so the staff (all Uni students on mid term breaks) just plonked a few cases of beer on the table and we got pissed and ate peanuts instead. I wasn’t shocked to find on our return that the company, Euroslaaptrein or some such, had gone bust and couldn’t refund a duplicate payment they’d taken.
Still, on the upside we did manage to pilfer a slack handful of really useful small webbing loops, which I still use to tie the bike down now.
