The long way to the Adriatic Sea (Patreon)

Hi everyone!

In the first two months of this year, I didn’t have much time to travel. I was busy with the Ukraine videos, some other projects and I also had several hospital appointments, which meant I couldn’t be away for long periods. When I had a week off at the end of February, I decided to take the opportunity to do a classic trip again, from inland to the sea, by freight train.

Because I didn’t have much time, I wanted to go to a country with a relatively simple and familiar rail network, so I wouldn’t have to spend days waiting in one place for a suitable train. That’s why I chose Croatia. A country with beautiful railroads, good weather, and fairly busy rail traffic, although I had slightly underestimated that last part.

I decided to do the Zagreb → Split route, with Zagreb → Rijeka as a backup option. From my research, I knew that the diesel line connecting central Croatia with the ports of Split and Zadar is no longer as busy as it used to be. In the end, I just wanted to reach the Adriatic Sea.

I flew to Zagreb, where I met up with someone I had met a while back in Vienna during a rooftop mission: Raider. He offered me a place to stay the night and decided to join me on the trip. He also needed to get to Split, where he was planning to meet some Polish guys and do a few rooftops together.

After catching up, we headed to the yard the next day. As soon as I arrived, something immediately stood out, there were more international operators and fewer Croatian wagons. Croatia has joined the European Union, which has led to greater integration with the wider rail network. Good for the economy, but less ideal for me. I wasn’t familiar with many of these new connections.

It turned out to be more challenging than I had initially expected, but in the end, that’s exactly what made it a great trip.

I hope you enjoy this video. Thanks for the support!