Thread by @jonworth

So @OceanKnigge asked me if I could help @OceanUnger get from Berlin to Lisbon for the UN Ocean conference there, and to arrive on 26 June - this challenge is called #TrainToUNOcean

Here is how I would do it. There may be other ways, and #BahnBubble might help further!

🧵

First take the @unsereOebb #NightJet 471 Berlin-Zürich and get out in either Offenburg (for possibly safer connections) or Basel SBB (for more sleep - I'd go for that)

D. 20:54, 24 June - Berlin Hbf

Book this one on the ÖBB site

Then switch to @SNCFConnect and search Offenburg to Barcelona Sants, or Basel SBB to Barcelona Sants - these are the options

For some reason you can't buy the Offenburg-Strasbourg part on the SNCF site, so buy that from DB. Basel-Barcelona you can buy on SNCF

Then you need to switch to the third site - @thetrainline - to check all providers for BCN-Madrid

There is no late Renfe train (hence why DB's site shows no connections) but there are late OUIGO and Avlo trains

Welcome to liberalisation and bad data! 🎉 But it's cheap

The problem of course with all of these steps so far is the absence of passenger rights

If the #NightJet to Basel is >90 mins delayed, connection missed in France, and no right to compensation or be re-booked

Same FR-ES - miss the last Avlo to Madrid and you're screwed

Anyway, with enough padding in the timetables this all ought to work to get to Madrid, and then spend a night in a hotel there

But @OceanUnger you thought this was hard? Wait for the next bit!

The main line into Portugal is at Badajoz (which is actually still on the Spanish side) - but no trains on the Renfe site 🤪

You can only book 60 days ahead, and we're further ahead that that still... But even under 60 days it looks hopeless - the train is too late!

But there is a solution

Renfe's website - for reasons that are beyond me - assumes passengers don't want to change

If you search Madrid-Puertollano, and then Puertollano-Badajoz you get a workable connection (note I am searching a generic Sunday here)

And then the last bit - Badajoz to Lisboa Santa Apolonia, changing in Entroncamento - that's with CP

A. 20:20 (or 21:20 CET), 26 June - Lisboa Santa Apolonia

Total number of trains: 9
Total websites used: 6 (DB for timetables only, 5 more for bookings)
Total bookings needed: 6 (or 7 if via Offenburg not Basel)
Total trip time: 48 hours 26 minutes

On the upside: it'd be an epic trip! 😜

And I am doing some of the parts of this on my own #CrossBorderRail trip in June-July too... but not in one go!

/ends

P.S. @moritzkraehe asked me why I didn't use Omio or Trainline for more of this. I tried if Basel-Madrid would work... but even though Trainline can sell all the tickets for this route, it can't combine them 🤦‍♂️