The Orangeway Bus From Prague To Budapest

If you are thinking of a cheaper option to travel in Europe, take the bus. They can take you anywhere for much less than the train, comfort may be a bit behind, but value for money this is not a bad choice. For this leg I purchased the ticket on line and had it printed from the web site. Orangeway is a small coach company running bus services from and to Hungary serving the neighboring countries. The biggest company is the Eurolines which run busses throughout all the countries in Europe. In fact you can buy a pass from them and travel to as many countries you like in a certain specific period.

We found our way to the bus terminal in Prague after a change of weather from the rainy cold to the sunny warm day. The terminal was modern but very friendly, due to its small size, was not intimidating. It was around 3 pm when we boarded the bus and were surprised to be charged extra for the luggage with us, more like checking in a budget airline, but a bus? I think it is unjustified as we are on the ground and I don't think the fuel cost would be a big difference to the operator.

On the bus we were greeted by a Hungarian attendant who when making an announcement caused me to titter in amusement. Ladies and gentleman, the toilet on this bus is only to be used for number 1, if you use it for number 2, you will be fine.... Fine, so why must it be announced ? Only much later did it catch me that 'fine' was actually a lazy pronouncement of 'fined', and only then it made sense !

The bus made its way through the Czech Republic, through Slovakia where we had a short stop at the capital Bratislava. There were no border checks when we crossed the lines of Czech and Slovakia, though passports were required before boarding the bus as it is an international journey. Architecture wise both the republic still retained the ugly box shaped flats that were built during the communist time for the city people to live in. These flats are still inhabited and the scenery would very much remind a visitor this was once a country hidden behind the iron curtain. 

We always arrive early when  preparing for long journey. This is the bus terminal at Prague waiting for the Orangeway bus to Budapest

The lady who is fine with number 2

Leaving Prague and an eye catching billboard

Inside the bus.

On the motorway after getting out of Prague

When we arrived in Budapest it was already late in the evening. While on the bus I was frantically exchanging text messages with the proprietor of the apartment we had booked pleading for the waiving of the late arrival fees which she was going to impose if we checked in after 8.00 pm. It was already 10.00 when we managed to locate her apartment and there she was waiting looking quite displeased. To make up I promised to clean the flat before we leave.

We arrive Budapest after sun set and map reading skill to locate the apartment is put to extreme test

Fooling around with WW2 gas mark in the street market

And a Jap kamikaze pilot's head gear

Inside the much hyped market, selling ordinary item in a famous building

I took the opportunity in Budapest to visit a synagogue.  I felt quite thrilled to be inside a Jewish holy house for the first time in my life especially after being brought up on a diet of constant Jew bashing, to the extreme that a good Jew is a dead Jew as the Jews are the cause of all the calamity in this world. While sitting in the pew I seek forgiveness for the hatred and venom that had been spewed unfairly on these people. No nation is superior to another and no group of people is better than another, my creed is equality amongst the humanity. Let all live in peace and harmony, love your fellow being as you would love yourself. 

My first time in a synagogue, complete with the yarmulke.

Bill boards showing summer is around

Hungarian parliament from the cruise boat.

Lady of Liberty, a statue from the communist era, ironically named.

What a prize for the man hole thief from Malaysia

A pose with a bearded lass

The 10.25 ICE From Bruxelles Nord to Frankfurt-Nuremburg-Prague

Mile per mile this was the most costly journey. I never expected to pay so much for a day of travel. Tickets were purchased online from the German Rail ( Hbf) website but you should allow time for the tickets to arrive by post. On the day Raz was informative enough to tell us that we need not backtrack to South Station to catch the train as all ICE trains would stop at North Station which was a 20 minute walk from his place.

The heavy rain from yesterday had subsided and we only had the light showers to go through. Temperature was in the 15s and we arrived at the station with ample time to spare. Today the journey will take us through 3 different stages. The first was from Brussels to Frankfurt where we would have to change to another ICE connection to Nuremburg  and from there it would be by bus to Prague. Looking at the time we were a bit worried as the arrival in Prague would be around 10 pm and we were booked at an apartment outside the city. We were hoping the public transport in Prague would not go to sleep too early or else it would be an expensive night in the hotel.

Brussels was still wet on our departure, the rain continued to accompany us until we reached Frankfurt. On the train it was very comfortable and the condition was spick and span. Although the train was speeding up 250 kph we did not feel the speed as the suspension was superb and the electric engine did not produce any engine noise. The train stopped at a few cities like Liege, Aachen and Cologne. The stop took a few minutes only and passengers had to be on alert in boarding and disembarking, which troubled us a lot in Brussels as we had to move the luggage across the coaches to our assigned seats. 

May 16, and we are at Brussels Nord catching the 10.00 to Frankfurt

Inside the ICE economy coach.

We hit top speed on the straight at 234 kph

Ticket checks by conductor is still practised.

Fellow travellers, the father is French and the mother ( hidden ) is Japanese and the children are bright and adorable.

The train stops at Aachen....

.......and then Koln ( Cologne)

At last Frankfurt

Frankfurt was a busy terminal and after a wait of 1 hour we took the another ICE connection to Nuremburg. Passing through the countryside after Frankfurt I saw numerous small huts meticulously kept with beautiful small gardens. They are the summer huts, very popular with the German from the cities who like to have a country feeling on week ends. 

Then we change train to Nuremburg

The conductor on the Frankfurt-Nuremberg is in the wrong profession, more suited from her smashing look in the modeling perhaps. She can win Miss Conductor, if ever there is one, hands down.

The first vineyard, sign of hot summers seen after Frankfurt

We reached Nuremburg late afternoon and at this stage I was still looking for the train connection to Prague. What a surprise it was that Prague was not connected to Nuremburg, instead we have to take another mode of transport, a bus to the final destination, with the tickets already issued to us together with the train's.

It doesn't cross my mind that the next stage from Nuremburg will be by bus, hence the second look at the train schedule but still I  cannot find Prague on the list of the train destination.

This is the Hdb bus to Prague which we board near the rail way station. Locating the station is hard work as it is not in a terminal but just some where in front but without clear signage. We have to ask around to find it.

Right turn will take us to Czech Republic

We arrived at Prague at about 10.00 pm and were dropped near the metro station. I knew we had to take the underground to reach our apartment in Smichov but the first thing to do was to find some changes for the train fare. I managed to locate an ATM and drew a bit of Czech Koruna in small notes. Asking around I was shown the counter for the tickets and after making the purchase we made our way to the underground train which after a change took us to a station called Luka where we telephoned Petr for transport. Instead Petr gave us direction to take a bus to his house as he had taken alcohol and was not fit to drive. It was a cold night and we were glad to get on the bus and after 15 minutes we stopped at the place designated and on seeing a gentleman at the stop who turned out to be Petr, and man, we were extremely happy to be at the end of our journey, and to be taken to the warmth of the room in Petr's house.

Arrival at Prague I make my way to the metro station

Negotiating the way under ground for the first time cause a bit of  anxiety

Petr's garden the next morning

Filling breakfast is provided for a modest payment

The rest of the time in Prague was acting as tourists. We went to all the touristy places, took tons of photographs and had a good time. Petr's house was on the outskirt of the city and everyday we had to use the very friendly public transport to get to the city. The buses and metros are among the best I would rate, we had to purchase tickets denominated in time used, for example there were 1/2, 1 hour and all day tickets. We note there were no physical barriers to enter or leave the station and we could walk in and out without hindrance. There was not even turnstiles at the entrance, only a notice that we were in a ticket zone, as such the speed and movement of users were unimpeded. 

The public transport of Prague is efficient and reliable

We laze around on the Vltava river in Prague