West Express. Trains in Europe

Yes, today rail travel in Europe come to naught. And everyone knows why: the plane faster. But in this case, if you rush to your destination. But the essence of travel is not always to quickly get to your destination.

From Moscow to Paris direct train. This is the longest trans-European rail route that an existing member today. Two days in transit through Belarus, Poland, Germany and France. When the target - the road and experience, no aircraft will not give you such impressions.

On this train, "Orient Express" and vice versa, I rolled out of the Russian capital in one of the capitals of Western Europe. How was it? See detailed in my photo essay.

56 photos via macos





1 The train departs from the Belarusian railway station three times a week, early in the morning. I myself have not traveled by train away, the last time - in the winter of 2011 in Minsk, from the same station.



2 A little dry facts: Train from Moscow to Paris goes for about two years, but it is not as promoted as his "colleague" next to Nice, that in fact was the reconstruction of the legendary and even pre-revolutionary train (but before he walked out of the other capital of Petersburg).

Paris train makes three stops in the capital: Minsk, Warsaw and Berlin. Actually, almost all the passengers do not go to France, but somewhere along the way. This is not a magical tourist train and shuttle ordinary. There are also other international w / d routes from Russia.



3 On the train, there are two types of cars and three classes: luxury, first and second. I have traveled in the "very, very," and I had a separate compartment. As I write this, it is rather a small room in the hotel with all the amenities.



4 Wardrobe with hangers, slippers and bathrobes. Cassette recorder - handy thing, you can put your drive, listen to the radio or turn on the flash drive with the music or video, then you will see a movie on TV.



5 Sofa turns into a comfortable semi-double bed. Buying a ticket to the "luxury" car, you pay for the room, that is, you can go to the second man is almost the same price. And still a child up to ten years. Fit the whole family: parents on the "big" bed child on the top shelf. Single occupancy, as well as in hotels, will be slightly more expensive. By the way, pensioners and passengers from 12 to 26 years put 30% discount. All rates are (http://www.moscow-paris.ru/prices.html).



6 noticed the door to the compartment? It leads to a personal bathroom. Toilet - bio, do not need to endure a last effort before the train stops at the station. Crane with a sensor, it is much more convenient than one hand to hold the button, and the other to try something to wash it. Only one wondering how to fit in the car so much water? After all toilets in each compartment and another general there.



7 Shower. This is probably one of the most enjoyable moments in the train. Vodicka warm, flowing gracefully.



8 and disposable paper towels, and napopniki. Or as they are properly called? :)



9 You choose when to turn off or turn on the light. What is most annoying even in Soviet compartment cars is the lack of a full dimming. There are three brightness modes, there is a personal nightlight. And call button conductor.

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10 compartment door locked. Again, what a contrast with the old cars come from the USSR. Personal locks are not only in the suite, but also in ordinary cars.



11 Includes a total of four compartments, the rest of the car takes a bar. As part of the Moscow-Paris two such cars, sometimes hooked third.



12 While I spent a tour of the car, we are rather far from Moscow and were in the Smolensk region. First stop - the city of Vyazma.



13 See the difference between the cars? To Brest us follow the trailer, all familiar, they are a little higher. "Paris" - a European-style and "shorter».



14 In Vyazma long stop for half an hour. Why is it necessary for such a small station? We need to change the locomotive. From Moscow we pulled this one blue, and red, in the background, already puffing ... .oy, it's not a locomotive! But still chugging along!



15 Why change a locomotive? Usually two reasons: the difference of voltage or "home port". All over the route we dragged five locomotives from Moscow to Vyazma from Viaz'ma to Brest, on the Polish "head" to Berlin, then the Germans to Strasbourg, and there took the baton has the French.



16 locomotive crews changed more often. I do not even know how many drivers changed, but much, twice as many than trains. They work "turnover", run to some arbitrary boundary and transplanted to another train, lead him in the opposite direction. Do not leave yet so far away from home.



17 And we continue to move.



18 "Ordinary" car, go here passengers first and second class. With the exception of luxury, all the rest - such. And the ticket is much cheaper here. Can get away with 10-12 thousand rubles. Against more than 40 per suite.



19 Inside almost the same couch that converts to a shelf. During the day he turns into a three chairs. Why three? Difference between the first and the second class is that in one case the arrangement for two people in another - three. Themselves with the same compartment.



20 Tea in traditional iron coasters. The most recognizable "train thing." Show someone such a thing, any person in this country, he immediately says it's out of the train.



21 In the locker carafe and three glasses. Drink for free :) No, it's not vodka, and plain water. Here are located the outlet. Includes two sockets, one here. Well, a lot of the corridor.

22 Triple compartment in "exploded" form. I think this trailer plays Soviet.



23 Here, too, have a shower, but - one on the wagon.



24 The best thing in the whole train (for me) - the router! I have already said that there is free Wi-Fi, thanks to which I did the show did not look, but you replied to the comments. Speed ​​is not very fast, but it does not expect, and you realize that mchishsya at speeds through dense forests. Technology is some super-secret, called "combined» 3G + satellite. Internet worked steadily everywhere except in Poland. There he was not working at all. Probably just so a train timetable, Poland, he rides late at night.



25 See the window more interesting than sitting on the internet :) So I will have a separate post about zaokonnyh observations. With me you will see how varied landscapes and infrastructure as we move deeper into Europe.



26 Exterior train.



27 saw the old trains cars, painted as Bank of condensed milk? So - we are in Belarus. Such ancient mammoths have already left. And yet at every station of Belarusian good-natured, but annoying aunt and grandmother who harass you, corn is hot, the beer is cold, baklava-mahlava potatoes, pancakes, vodka!



28 The first Belarusian parking - Orsha. Is changing the locomotive crew. Russian machinists return to Vyasma Belarusian hunt our electric straight to Brest. At such moments, and you know, what is the federal state with our neighbors. And then, in addition to places without borders, it is not clear layman.



29 dining car. Where do without it. Charming young ladies are orders for the cars, the car itself is almost always empty. No drunken intimate conversations with strangers, no bottles of vodka from under the counter! I forgot to take pictures of our restaurant car, and then it was too late. Because of its change in Brest on the Polish car. But here's a sample meal on a tray at the girl. Prices - Moscow, dense lunch (without alcohol) of three meals and drinks will cost you 900-1000 rubles. And here take credit cards! Poles - do not take. Well at least there in EUR in PLN.



30 My beloved city of Minsk. I do not know why I love him. It seems to be totally Soviet and boring, but very cozy and almost home. There is also a great stop for half an hour. No one changes, just a lot of passengers coming out at this station, many Belarusians get into cars. Who goes to Poland, who to Germany.



31 This time I stayed in the Belarusian capital WWTP bit. Waved handle familiar places, still see you! Next to Brest I photographed from the window, and then snored under the clatter of wheels. Pleasant case. I do not understand people who can not fall asleep on the train? It's so easy, in addition to pour out. Of course, we're not talking about the second-class car in the summer, when the two sides you walk drunk muster ....



32 Awakened by strange tremors. Look out the window - we are in a certain area. Carriages disengaged, stand apart. Is this a serious passport control, so that no one escaped?



33 No, this is a joke, of course. Border passes in two stages, but it is without tension. First come Belarusians, collect passports. They come back later. Ask to put a stamp on a certain page. Was very pleasantly surprised when printing was exactly where I asked, despite the hundreds of passports of the other passengers! Then the Poles, they are with laptop computers, officers scanned passport, something collate and immediately put a stamp. Customs of both countries look in the toilet, ask someone that carries with him. Belarusian saw the camera on the table asked whether you want to declare it. No, do not, I say, she used / y and my personal. "Well, if it costs more than 1500 euros ...." Be sure not worth it. Although in reality - more and well, he did not see another camera with a telephoto, she lay in a backpack. On the borders of Automotive such nonsense do not ask.



34 So what happens on the shop floor? Wagons disengage, raise the powerful jack and begin to "change one's shoes." Heard, perhaps, that Russia has its own special way? Here you can see on this path. In the CIS, the width of the rail gauge is wider than in Europe. Say so happened more times with the king to "the enemy did not pass." We also did not pass, so in Brest always change the truck wheelsets.



35 How curious, all passengers who do not sleep, be sure to look out of the windows and take pictures. Wagons raise with us. Go for some reason are not allowed, referring to safety, but this does not prevent all the same Belarusian aunts wear their pancakes in the bags and offer to buy their food at any price and in any currency.



36 Passengers neighboring car. Unfortunately, it proved to be very shy and did not want to be photographed. This is sad. While all the talk did not mind telling us how and why were on the train. The vast majority goes to Germany. This emigrants who sometimes return ponostalgirovat and aerophobia ... Who goes to the suites? With me to Paris, in the next compartment, middle-aged woman was traveling on a clear mind inhabitant Ruble. But in fact, was not at all pretentious and sweet and smiling, looks can be deceiving. She travels to Paris to work almost twice a month, and always the train. She already knows all of the conductors. My neighbor just because of those who are afraid to fly. Previously, there was no problem, but a year ago she was suddenly afraid of turbulence and stepped out of the plane for a minute before take-off, cause inconvenience to other passengers. And since then - the train. For such people, of course, a way out. From Paris, and Berlin, you can continue your journey by rail to anywhere in Europe.



37 Change of wheelsets takes two hours. Then wagons "collect" back into the composition. You can go to Poland.



38 In general soft bed slept so well that I woke up only once, just as the train was at the station "central Warsaw." Nothing interesting around, dark and can not see anything. Polish capital when I look at some other time.



39 Finally, I woke up at eight in the morning, already in Berlin. Noticed that here, as in Warsaw, the station looks more like something metropolitenovskoe than the traditional open-air station.



40 Here, too, changed the locomotive. I went to the last car, and was in the first one.



41 Advertising tolerance.



42 Outside, started a real beauty! But more of that later in the report on zaokonnymi views.



43 I went to have breakfast in the dining car polish. I liked him more interior, about food is hard to say, and here and there it was delicious, my request not to put greens understood the first time. Someone asked readers to tell you about the menu, what to feed? Here pomace. Fed free breakfast, you can choose from three egg omelet with ham and cheese, sausages, frankfurters, English breakfast (fried egg and it's all sorts of ham / sausage, bread and butter). But the main menu: three kinds of soups - cream of mushroom (4 euros), goulash soup with beef dumplings (5), lobster cream with sour cream and croutons (8). Meat, the most important thing! Breaded pork chop (11 euros), pork tenderloin with pesto (16), chicken breast stuffed with bacon (14), steak with vegetables (18), salmon (16). And for special gourmet eat toad foot (18 euros per serving) and a kangaroo steak for 23 euros!



44 I noticed that all the locomotives that pulled us were battered lives. What we, the Polish, the German. Light Ilyich! The French - the same thing. This is most likely because of night trains in Europe is almost gone, now there reigns high-speed ICE and TGV.



45 Frankfurt, one of the largest cities in the world of business. The station had some weak, I somehow imagined. Well, at least a match for the Berlin train station.



46 City Kel - the last before the French border. Technical parking a few minutes. Most likely, there are also changing driver. All this reminds us how in the old days changed horses, so as not to drive :)



47 The first thing I saw in France! Rejoice, fans of pictures about the "decaying Europe." And do not accuse me of bias, I show that there is. In fact, when traveling by rail through a bunch of countries, even familiar places are opened in a new way. Areas adjacent to the tracks, always some strange. Then plants, then zabroshki ... and not just here, but everywhere.



48 It's all right, Belle France on the spot! These traditional windows do not be confused with anything else!



49 City of Strasbourg. I have not yet walked here, although one of the French rooms in my collection right here.



50 The last stop before Paris.



51 Here, too, are changing the locomotive. Finish line.



52 People at the station with interest and looking at them in a strange train coloring. Three times a week, once a day - still not a frequent visitor.



53-Nosach TeZheVe stands on an adjacent track. He will travel to the beautiful city of Bordeaux, drink sweet white wines! And I want to believe that one day this will come to us. How do you like the idea, for ten hours from Paris to Moscow? But it will be more soon, the width between the rails have different again ...



54 Perhaps we should say a few words about the people who work on the train "Moscow-Paris". In the first place, of course, conductors. They are friendly and smiling, but very shy. With some difficulty persuaded two people to pose for a photo. "I'm not wearing makeup," "I do not shave", "My husband zarugaet" - and so on. This is not a problem conductors, this is the mentality we are. And each of you will find yourself in a situation like this, too, is likely to be embarrassed and refused. Your right, but people who are not afraid of the camera, almost always turn out well in the photos. We, photographers, do not bite! :)



55 Even the longest journey comes to an end sometime and somewhere. My train journey in France ended in the evening of the second day on the East train station in Paris. Unloaded passengers, the train went to the depot. Guides will spend the night in Paris, and in the morning go back to Moscow.



56 tired but happy. Photographed dmitrychernycom, who met me at the train station in Paris. View photo ten seconds!

57 Going down into the ground, I got into another train. But now the story is quite different.



Finally, I want to clarify a couple of points, so as not to get the same comments. Yes, the route "Moscow-Paris" - not the cheapest of the road grid Railways. This is the "flagship" train "high comfort". I want to go from luxury coupe Vydropuzhsk in Urjupinsk, but who will they go? So far no one. And to Peter and Yekaterinburg similar cars already go.

Yes, traveling by train to Paris - is something special. And it makes no sense to argue and argue that "plane is cheaper." In some cases cheaper in some more expensive. If we talk about the most expensive places in the train - it will be cheaper business class for two. But such a trip you will remember for a long time exactly. This two day experience. If you are traveling alone, as I can find time for yourself, to work, to review your favorite movies or just sleep. But much more interesting to go to Paris with his half, it will be great prelude to a romantic trip. Well, you know. And the bed in the compartment too broad :)

Finally, about "shubohranilischa". I used not to look at other people's wallets, and be responsible for their own. I can not imagine.

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