Efficient means of transport in Scandinavia, by the Spanish group travelling to Kungsbacka.

EFFICIENT MEANS OF TRANSPORT IN SCANDINAVIA.

         
 

     In a recent journey to Sweden we realized how easy a trip can be when the means of transport you use are well coordinated in terms of schedules as well as in terms of the nearness of the different stations (trains, ferry, bus, underground…) We had been advised by our teachers to pay a lot of attention to the means of transport we were going to use and these are the conclusions we got after travelling from Copenhagen to Kungsbacka via Helsingor. We also found out how security measures can differ from one country to another.

     The group left Ferrol very early on a Saturday morning to travel to Santiago de Compostela by bus as there was no other option being that time of day. It was a fast trip of about an hour and a quarter.  Then, the expected queing at the security control, the nerves and the excitement of the moment. It was the first airplane flight for some of us! After learning how to fasten the seat belts and listening to the instructions in case of an emergency, we stayed sitting and waiting for the dizzy take off.

     Approximately in an hour, we landed in Madrid. Picking up our luggage was a bit difficult because due to bad signalling at the airport, we took the wrong direction towards the baggage claim area and we had to do the way back. After taking our luggage, we approached the left luggage department and left it there for a time.
                                        
     

     We came back to the airport terminal, looked for the underground and went for a visit to the city centre. The trip took a bit more than half an hour and we could notice that the indications in the maps were good. As well, the trains were fast and, at least the ones we used, quite new. But, we were amazed at how easy it is to fall accidentally on the rails. 

                  
     

     In the afternoon, we did the same way back to the airport and departed for our Scandinavian experience. The airport in Copenhagen looked modern and comfortable to us, including facilities which make the trip easier for the traveller, as for example the machines selling train tickets at the baggage claim area where we bought ours. It was a 24 hour ticket, which cost about 11,2 € per person .The ticket included a large zone around Copenhagen so we could use it the next day too and it also allowed the use of any public transport during the covered period.
     The next day, on Sunday, we were amazed to see the security measures in the Copenhagen underground. The rails are protected by some glass panels which open and close to allow passengers to get on and off the trains. Nobody can fall on the rails, neither accidentally nor intentionally!. 

     After a quick visit to some of Copenhagen most relevant places and monuments on Sunday, we headed for the last part of our trip. We left the hotel at about 16:45 and walked to the train station (a short walk of about 15 minutes). The station was designed in a very clever way. There were some outside stairs with screens that showed which trains departed from each platform. They led you directly to the train you had to catch.  So, we climbed down the stairs and waited for no more than 10 minutes (the trains run every 20 minutes). 

      Our destination was Helsingor, a trip of about 40 minutes on a nice comfortable train with nice staff too. When we got to the beautiful Helsingor train station, built in 1891, we were very glad to know that we didn’t have to walk a long distance nor take a bus in order to get to the ferry station. A passer by explained that we had to walk to the mechanical stairs at the main building and climb up to the first floor. After following his indications, we arrived at the first floor where we found both the ticket office and the corridor which led into the ferry. We bought the tickets (for less than 4 euro per person) and, in about 10 minutes, we were on the ferry for a really short trip which lasted between 10-15 minutes.

     As we left the ferry, we found ourselves entering Sweden but the feeling was the same as in Denmark: everything was well organized. The bus, train and ferry stations shared the same building or buildings which were next to each other so it was very easy to get from one place to the other. We took an elevator and went down to the ground floor where, conveniently advised, we bought our tickets (36 euro for adults and 22 for the students) for the last train trip to Kungsbacka. Young people until they are nineteen have an important discount in train fares. 

                  

      All trains and buses have plugs so that you can charge your gadgets!            

                                        
                                               
     

     We think that these countries are very well organised and they offer people lots of facilities when travelling. They arrange their means of transport in a logical, respectful and safe way. We have lots to learn from them.
     We loved Copenhagen where we could see many people riding bicycles of all types and models. We consider it’s a nice healthy and respectful means of transport that we should use more.

      A few details about the Helsingor train station.
     The first railway station in Helsingør was built in 1863 as the terminus of the North Line from Copenhage to Helsingor. In 1891, the station was moved to its current location close to the harbour in order to provide easier access to the ferries to Helsingborg in Sweden. The current station was inaugurated on 24 October 1891 

     Architecture

     Facade of Helsingør Station                                           Inside the station, access to platforms.

     As it is located on former sea bed, the station building rests on 1,600 poles embedded into the ground. It was designed by architect Niels Peder Christian Holsøe who collaborated with Heinrich Wenck in a Neo-Renaissance style locally known as Rosenborg Style after Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen. It imitates Christian IV's Dutch Renaissance-style buildings from the first half of the 17th century and is characterized by red brickwork combined with sandstone ornamentation Dutch gables and an abundance of turrets with copper-clad spires.
     The main entrance is flanked by marble columns. The room facing the sea, which now houses a restaurant, originally served as private chambers for the royal family.
     In 1984, the station building underwent a comprehensive restoration. It included new tiles in the original patterns on floors and exposure and restoration of the original decorations on walls and cealings. The work was completed in 1987, and the main building including the platform roofs was listed in 1990 as a relevant one in architectural terms in Denmark.

     Another interesting monument near Helsingor is Kronborg castle, listed as a World Heritage Site in 2000 by UNESCO. It was immortalized as Elsinore by William Shakespeare in his play Hamlet.

      Station facilities.
     Inside the station building there is a combined ticket office and convenience store operated by 7-Eleven, automated ticket machines, toilets and lockers.
     Adjacent to the station are the Helsingør ferry terminal and the Helsingør bus terminal.

     Fonts:  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helsing%C3%B8r_Station

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Helsing%C3%B8r_Station.jpg/800px-Helsing%C3%B8r_Station.jpg (photograph of Helsingor train station)

Photographs at the beginning:
1) https://apetcher.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/spain-postcard-map.jpg

2) http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2525/4020229956_f50680971d.jpg

3) https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/e2/25/13/e225132790dbf8ac3caf89ed60575900.jpg