€9,00 And They Will Come

From Starbucks Salzburg Hbf--

Germany announced an "anywhere for €9,00 Rail Sale", which includes Salzburg Austria, and that is "bringing them in from the fields of sin", i.e. the Autobahn. Of course, gas at $7.98ga helps the cause.

The Times has reported on this development.

So riding from Munich yesterday, the train, an Austrian RailJet, was so packed. people were sitting in the vestibule - including one kid sitting atop the buffer plates. I saw it and ran him off saying to someone who sort of knew English "American railroad", and pointing at myself, "not safe, Nien, Nicht" (pretty much the run of my German) .

No one lifted my ticket. for which I paid.€47, and it's good today. Sorry, but I'm not taking a joyride to Munich today with it, and any rides I take during the week I'm here, will be in First.

Now Spain has joined "the land of the free":

Reuters

Fair Use:

After struggling a bit with the ticket machine at Madrid's grand 19th century Atocha railway station, 26-year-old Jennifer Bernard Quintana and her sister became the happy owners of free travel passes valid from Thursday.

With inflation near record highs of above 10% year-on-year, Spain's Socialist-led government hopes to alleviate living expenses and encourage more people to take public transport by providing them with free monthly passes for all local and medium-range intercity routes. Long-haul trips and single tickets are excluded.

What's next? A free "Continental Pass"?

Funny though; I PAID - and plenty! - for my 1000 miles (Munich-Salzburg X 2; Salzburg-Bolzano) or so of riding last month.

!/2 price commuter rail and buses /ferries here in NZ. Hoping to take the kids on an extended joyride on mysons' birthday in a couple of weekends.