I visited Germany and Austria in September of 2015. As with any other trip, I made my plans in advance and did my research. I was aware of the refugee crisis, but at the time I booked my trip, it didn't seem as though it was going to have any impact on my plans. However, about a week prior to my departure, that all changed. Borders started closing and American media began publicizing exactly how massive in scale the crisis was. Since my trip was already booked, I forged ahead. But I certainly saw the scope of the refugee crisis during my trip and experienced the effects of the crisis on travel within Europe. So, here is my advice on traveling in Europe during the refugee crisis.
Red Cross refugee camp immediately outside of the Salzburg train station. Refugees, Red Cross workers, police and military were everywhere once you got close to the rail station. I overheard a Red Cross worker telling a family this camp was full and they would need to place them elsewhere.
KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE
First thing's first - if you find your travel plans disrupted during the refugee crisis and you start to get upset, please remember what the refugees are experiencing. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been displaced from their homes and have traveled for days at a time to get as far as Europe. They left Syria, risking their own health and safety in order to escape a country that's experiencing conflict and violence. Many times, they've left members of their own family behind. I heard one man say that he and his friends had been traveling for nine days straight to make it as far as Salzburg (and he didn't mean by air and rail). Now think about your travel plans. Seems pretty miniscule in comparison, right? Ok, now that we've sorted that out . . .
A protest in Berlin on September 24, 2015. The group was protesting the closing of the German borders as well as the treatment of refugees by the government and others outside of Germany.
STAY INFORMED
Read whatever you can on developments on the crisis and how it might be affecting travel. I say this not just because it's generally a good thing to remain informed as to world events, but also because the first I heard of potential travel disruption in Europe was from a New York Times article on my Twitter feed. The article indicated that all trains traveling into Germany from other European countries had been halted and that all routes had resumed with the exception of trains traveling between Salzburg and Munich. Guess who had a ticket on a train going from Munich to Salzburg (and back)? Yeah, I did. But for reading that article, I never would have known that I might have a problem taking the train to Salzburg. So, read up on the topic if you're traveling within affected areas of Europe. Otherwise, you might find out your travel plans have been canceled the hard way.
Once I found out that the rail lines had been interrupted, I decided to be super proactive about getting more information. First, I downloaded the Deutsche Bahn app on my phone to monitor the rail schedule. I noticed that many trains between Munich and Salzburg were being canceled with a note indicating it was for "police emergency." After I arrived in Munich, I stopped at the Deutsche Bahn information desk since I was already at the train station for a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle. Only then did I get the full picture of what was going on. According to the DB employee I spoke to, all of the high speed trains between Munich and Salzburg were canceled and they had no idea when the line would be restored. I was told that I could keep my high-speed train ticket and get onto a regional (read slower) train to a small border town in Germany. Once there, I would have to take a bus across the border into Austria. The sad part is that Deutsche Bahn had my contact information from the time that I made the reservation and they hadn't so much as emailed to inform me of the cancellation. So much for German reliability! So, BE PROACTIVE! As much as you might like to think your travel carrier will inform you of cancellations, that may not happen.
Another shot of the protest to give you a better idea of the size of the group. It was very large and most participants appears to be in their 20's.
BE FLEXIBLE
Once I was aware of the full scope of the rail interruption, I started to weigh my options. I could cancel my rail ticket and my accommodations in Salzburg for a full refund. I could also continue on to Salzburg and either take the adventure offered by Deutsche Bahn or look into alternative ways to get there. That's when a German friend told me about BlaBlaCar. This is a new ride-sharing service in Europe - think Uber or Lyft for long distances, but with fares that aren't based on mileage. Using the BlaBlaCar app I downloaded from the App Store, I found a driver with great ratings who was offering rides from Munich to Salzburg for only seven Euro (less than half the price of my train ticket). Always on the lookout for an adventure, a new travel resource, and a way to save a few bucks, I jumped on it. My ride to Salzburg was great! I got to experience the Autobahn, meet some new people, and I got to my destination in less time than the regional train would have taken.
But, of course, the story doesn't end there. The BlaBlaCar I had lined up for travel back to Munich fell through. Since I wanted to be back in Munich around noon, I decided to try the regional train offered by DB, rather than wait for another BlaBlaCar leaving later that day. That ended up being quite the adventure, I can assure you. First of all, DB had flyers redirecting passengers with train tickets. The flyers were directions on how to get to the small German border town of Freilassing. The buses (yes, you had to take more than one) to Freilassing were overcrowded with tourists in the same predicament and refugees trying to get across the border. As the bus approached the German border, you really started to understand the scope of the refugee crisis. People were walking from all directions to the border in an effort to enter into Germany. Once we arrived at the border, the police boarded the bus and checked everyone's passports. Those without passports, including the refugees, were removed from the bus. I'm not sure what happened to them. Hopefully they were simply told they needed the appropriate formal documentation before they could cross the border. But the uncertainty caused some on the bus to start crying. The whole scene was sad. I've never felt worse for being able to cross a border. It truly reminded me that the ability to travel freely is a gift that should never be taken for granted.
The view as we approached the German border on the bus from Salzburg, Austria to Freilassing, Germany. Refugees lined the sidewalks and it became clear that many of them had been there for days. Tents and informal makeshift bathing stations were nearby. The man in this picture was later removed from the bus by police at the border because, as a refugee, he did not have a passport with him.
After disembarking the bus and walking about a mile across the small German border town to the train station (without directions, I might add . . . thanks again DB!), I boarded the train with all my fellow bus passengers in tow. Clearly, we made it back to Munich safely. But I would definitely recommend BlaBlaCar over DB if you find yourself in a similar situation.
YOU CAN HELP
If you are interested in helping Syrian refugees, please donate. The United Nations is accepting donations for Syrian refugees here.
You can also donate to your local refugee resettlement agency or contact them for other ways you might be able to assist.