Blablacar to Innsbruck

Switzerland/Austria – August 2022

When I agree to meet Selina in Innsbruck, I do not yet know how arduous the journey by public transport is. A few days later, I researched and was shocked to discover that I would have to change trains 4 times and that the 6-hour trip would cost me a whopping 100 euros. A few months ago, I had a great experience with Blablacar when I was in a similar situation in Italy. So I check the Carpool Platform and actually find a ride for the day I’m traveling. Departure at 12:45 outside of Zurich. Price: a fraction of the 100 euros and still without changing.

I arrive at about 12:30 with the bus at the gas station, which I have agreed with Bence, the driver, as a meeting place. At 13:00 he writes me that he is a bit late. 15 minutes later he finally turns into the driveway. He immediately goes to the pump to refuel. In the meantime I unload my luggage in the trunk and meet the other two passengers. A couple from Budapest, driving from Basel to Liechtenstein. The small state lies on the border between Switzerland and Austria and so it fits quite well that we still stop there.

The two of them proudly talk about their trip through Europe and are also very enthusiastic about Switzerland. After we have dropped them off in Vaduz, Bence asks if it’s okay if we take a short walk through the city. I’ve been here before, but I don’t mind the idea, since our next passengers in St. Gallen will be a little late anyway. So we walk through a winery and I buy some chocolate for the way. And then we continue north. On the way, Bence – Hungarian by birth, at home in the Tyrol, but with a job in Basel – tells me that he covers the several 100 kilometers twice a week. After about 20 minutes he asks me to write a short email to his boss. He was actually still “at work”.

Since driving alone for hours is too boring and too expensive, Blablacar is a super opportunity for him to make a virtue out of necessity. Stefan, one of the new passengers, is also from Austria and works for a beverage distributor in eastern Switzerland. He also travels the route more often than he would like, and he has ridden with Bence before. The fourth member of the group, who rides along as far as the Tyrol and then takes the train for the last stretch across the border to his home town in Germany, is Michael. He was only visiting Switzerland and, like me, only a sporadic Blablacar user.

The two guys kindly leave the passenger seat to me, and thus also the duties of navigation. Stefan wants to withdraw some money and use an ATM of his trusted Swiss bank. Therefore we aim for a short detour. It comes as it must, and we miss the exit on the highway. In 4 km only the next one. And Stefan insists that we should take another border crossing. Nobody knows exactly why, but we agree. After all, it is Friday and nobody is in a hurry. 20 minutes later Stefan has withdrawn his wages, Michael and I have visited the toilet next to the bank and we continue.

Stefan plays some playlist and we talk about trivia, religion and much more. We cover the distance to the Vorarlberg Tunnel – halfway to Innsbruck – in no time at all. But then suddenly: traffic jam. Bence brakes and we roll slowly towards the queue. Of course, no rescue lane has formed, everyone tries to see how long the queue is. After 20 minutes we give up, do the same to our neighbors and stretch our legs. It is a colorful mixture of Swiss, Germans and Austrians that is on the road this Friday evening. A few vehicles ahead, a couple of guys share an organic cigarette and behind us a Jass tournament is going on.

My fellow drivers are getting more and more annoyed by the minute and wonder about my composure. Well, what can I say. Months of overland travel in Latin America have prepared me perfectly for this moment. I update Selina regularly about our progress. In the meantime, she prepares our dinner at the campsite just outside Innsbruck. After about an hour, the traffic jam slowly eases and we roll on towards the east. Soon we are back at full speed and I inform Selina about the new arrival time in about 1 hour.

But the odyssey is not yet over for me. Bence asks if he can unload me a little closer to the highway exit instead of in front of the campsite as agreed. Because Selina and her boyfriend are now in full swing with the preparations for our dinner, this means for me 30 minutes walk. In the meantime it is 8:30 pm. My arrival in Hall was planned for 16:15. After spending the whole afternoon in the car, the sunset walk comes in handy. Selina meets me halfway and we commiserate together with the 3 guys who still have a whole 2 hour drive ahead of them. We can only hope that this does not happen every week.