How safe? Sleeping on Train
May 13th, 2005, 08:30 AM
#1
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How safe? Sleeping on Train
Hi, I'm newbie here. I going to Eastern europe on end of MAY. But i heard some horror and scary cases were happened in night train particularly Krakow to/from Prague and Budapest to/from Krakow. Is it not safe even me book sleepers ??
2 ) if not safe, i plan break the route into fews like Budapest to Brastilava then from Brastilava to Krakow? then how the train from Brastilava to Krakow?? Hope hear from you all soon.. Thanks.
2 ) if not safe, i plan break the route into fews like Budapest to Brastilava then from Brastilava to Krakow? then how the train from Brastilava to Krakow?? Hope hear from you all soon.. Thanks.
May 13th, 2005, 01:59 PM
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Sleeping in a public place like a train is a matter of relative safety. Your person is safe. The safety of your belongings is realtive to how well you know your companions.
If you are in a private sleeping compartment with friends your should be fine. If in a public compartment - or sleeping in a seat - no - your valuables are not safe - unless hidden inside your undies. And you other belongings ar subject to random theft. (The apartment of a friend of mine was burgled recently. they took the obvious valuables - jewely, cash, cameras, small silver pieces - AND all her high-heeled shoes!)
This is true on any train anywhere in the world. Most people are perfectly honest - but there are a few theives everywhere.
If you are in a private sleeping compartment with friends your should be fine. If in a public compartment - or sleeping in a seat - no - your valuables are not safe - unless hidden inside your undies. And you other belongings ar subject to random theft. (The apartment of a friend of mine was burgled recently. they took the obvious valuables - jewely, cash, cameras, small silver pieces - AND all her high-heeled shoes!)
This is true on any train anywhere in the world. Most people are perfectly honest - but there are a few theives everywhere.
May 18th, 2005, 11:56 AM
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The trains from Bratislava to Krakow may be unsafe during night hours. We never had trouble with the Slovakia to Polish border leg. The trouble was always near Krakow. Pickpockets seemed to have a license to operate. First class isn't safer, in fact it invites bandits. They assume that travellers have something worth stealing. We finally bought an automobile for travel and our troubles ended.
May 18th, 2005, 12:45 PM
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Jacky,
My wife and I took the overnight train from Prague to Krakow 2 years ago. The train station at Prague gives you a bit of an unsafe place to be. We had made reservations in the sleepers, so we lock the our compartments as soon as the train took off. The train agents also advise us to lock our doors for security precaution. FYI, the train stops in the border for passport check, and the inmigration officer will knock on your door. Needless to say, we didn't have any bad experiences.
My wife and I took the overnight train from Prague to Krakow 2 years ago. The train station at Prague gives you a bit of an unsafe place to be. We had made reservations in the sleepers, so we lock the our compartments as soon as the train took off. The train agents also advise us to lock our doors for security precaution. FYI, the train stops in the border for passport check, and the inmigration officer will knock on your door. Needless to say, we didn't have any bad experiences.
May 19th, 2005, 03:22 AM
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Agreed with nytraveler that likely nothing will happen to YOU. But you should be careful and lock your stuff down.
While backpacking many years ago, I was traveling on a day train from Bratislava to Eastern Slovakia. There weren't enough seats in second class for the first part of the trip, so I stood in the corridor with my backpack. A couple of shady looking guys kept eyeing my pack. For a long time. I then went over to my bag and made it clear to them (by pretending to get something from it) that I had attached my bag to the train with a cable lock. They left almost immediately.
Minutes later, the train ground to a halt for no apparent reason. It is my understanding that someone had pulled the emergency brake, and some people ran off the train into the forest, presumably with some stolen goods.
My theory is that I could have been the victim of this theft. Maybe not - maybe I just romanticized this story in my brain - but the fact remains that I was being eyed until I could prove that I wasn't an easy target.
You'll be fine on the night train. Just get locks for your bags, and lock your bag up to the train. Put all really important things in a waist pouch under your clothes.
Incidentally, my neighbors were robbed on a night train in Italy. They had a sleeper and had locked the door. So this isn't necessarily an Eastern Europe thing.
While backpacking many years ago, I was traveling on a day train from Bratislava to Eastern Slovakia. There weren't enough seats in second class for the first part of the trip, so I stood in the corridor with my backpack. A couple of shady looking guys kept eyeing my pack. For a long time. I then went over to my bag and made it clear to them (by pretending to get something from it) that I had attached my bag to the train with a cable lock. They left almost immediately.
Minutes later, the train ground to a halt for no apparent reason. It is my understanding that someone had pulled the emergency brake, and some people ran off the train into the forest, presumably with some stolen goods.
My theory is that I could have been the victim of this theft. Maybe not - maybe I just romanticized this story in my brain - but the fact remains that I was being eyed until I could prove that I wasn't an easy target.
You'll be fine on the night train. Just get locks for your bags, and lock your bag up to the train. Put all really important things in a waist pouch under your clothes.
Incidentally, my neighbors were robbed on a night train in Italy. They had a sleeper and had locked the door. So this isn't necessarily an Eastern Europe thing.
May 19th, 2005, 04:21 AM
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Hi J,
If you are sleeping in a couchette or in a seat, chain your suitcase to the train.
Very early one morning, I was sleeping alone in a 1cl compartment when I was awakened by someone reaching above me to take my suitcase off the luggage rack as the train stopped at Brussels.
With one hand I grabbed his belt, with the other his cojones and said "bonjuour". He very nicely said "bonjour".
We chatted for few minutes, until the train gathered speed. He apologized for the mistake and left.
If you are sleeping in a couchette or in a seat, chain your suitcase to the train.
Very early one morning, I was sleeping alone in a 1cl compartment when I was awakened by someone reaching above me to take my suitcase off the luggage rack as the train stopped at Brussels.
With one hand I grabbed his belt, with the other his cojones and said "bonjuour". He very nicely said "bonjour".
We chatted for few minutes, until the train gathered speed. He apologized for the mistake and left.
