Chugga,Chugga, Choo-Choo! Problems

While visiting my friend last night, they informed me to not purchase train tickets online for awhile.
Why?  Well, their servers had been crashing left, right and center because VR has been offering discounts for trips closer to Christmas - if you are able to book well in advance.  So people have of course, been going wild for cheaper ticket prices (especially during the holiday season - who wouldn't want to save a buck or few?) and therefor, crashing their website.

So if you know where you want to go for Christmas - buy your tickets in advance at the green electronic machines (THEY DON'T PROVIDE ENGLISH SERVICE ON THEM!!) or with a sales representative at your local train station... or with cash (or possibly credit card - NOT Visa Electron - read above link for my previous experience on a train) with the train conductor.

Happy trip planning!

Taking a Train in Finland

Taking a train in Finland is relatively easy.  (I'll take a photo and add it to this post later today showing you what is what on your ticket -if I can find one!)

Now, buying a ticket is another story.
I don't know how it works in Canada, as I've never purchased a train ticket before...
You can purchase a ticket on VR's site. (I linked it to English for you!)  Here's the catch - your online purchase must go through between the hours of 6am-1130pm.  There are usually people available to buy tickets from on site, but typically after 8am....
When I had to get a ticket to go to Helsinki for that Arnold's meeting, I was submitting my phone number and about to click "SUBMIT" and then the clock turned 11:31pm.  The ticket could not be purchased.
How frustrating!
I looked on the website and found out that I am able to buy tickets from the electronic machines on site (they are green and look like banking machines sort of), as well as at the R Kioski (corner store) located at the train station.  Whew.
The next morning, I was at the train station by 6am, as my train left shortly after and I tried using the electronic machine and had no luck.
WHY?! Because the machine is completely in Finnish or Swedish.  There isn't an English option available! And you can buy bus tickets from this electronic kiosk as well!  Holy confusing!
The worst thing, was the label on the machine..."For technical support please dial..." IN ENGLISH!

I ran to the corner store and asked if I could buy a ticket from her and she said no, but to go to the conductor and he'll sell me a ticket.  Great!

I get on the train, pick an empty seat (hoping that nobody had a ticket for that seat) and waited for the conductor to enter our cabin.  He asked for my ticket and I explained the internet store closed before I could hit submit and the machines aren't in English!  So I handed him my Visa Electron, and they don't accept Visa Electron payments. (Cash and major credit cards I think are accepted....)
What in the WORLD was I going to do?!  The conductor had a loud and deep rumble kind of voice and didn't speak a lot of English either.  Great.  So thankfully, a younger person sitting nearby translated everything for me....
When I got to Helsinki - I had to go to the train station and purchase the ticket from Jyv�skyl� to Helsinki, and my return ticket there....then it'd be okay.  PHEW!

When I told some of my Finnish friends this wild story - they said I was very lucky I didn't get kicked off at the next stop!  (Plus there's an 80� fee for being on the train without a ticket).

However, the cool thing about buying your ticket online is that you can get a text message to your phone with a bar code.  This bar code can be scanned by the conductor, so you don't have to worry about losing your paper ticket :).  How environmentally friendly!

Just make sure you have proper ID if you're a student purchasing a student ticket...you should have it on you just in case you bought a ticket online with your name on it anyway.

And just in case you're thinking, "If I don't buy the ticket like the conductor suggested, and get on the train a few hours later...what are the chances they are working the opposite route, different train...?"
Answer: VERY LIKELY.  So don't be cheeky!

Off to New Brunswick!

Today the family and I are off to New Brunswick.
New Brunswick is the next province over (to the left) of Nova Scotia - where we are currently residing and where we were born and raised.

Why New Brunswick?  Well, Tim has another conference to attend!  Had he not had another conference - we would've been back in Finland by now I imagine.
While I do have some relatives in NB - we will not be anywhere close to visiting them unfortunately!
The weather in NB I hear, is supposed to be nice, hot and muggy (darn humidity!).  Click here for this week's weather forecast in Fredericton, New Brunswick (the capital of NB).

Our plans are to travel this morning (waiting on hubby to finish getting ready and for the baby to sleep a bit more) and arrive there by 1pm or so.
We'll be staying with good friends who live near Fredericton, whom I haven't seen in years!! And meeting up with other friends during our 3 day, 2 nights stay.

From there - we'll go back to New Glasgow (well really - it's Westville) and spend Wednesday night and Thursday -day here....then off we go Thursday night!

We're flying a much faster route from Halifax to St. John's, Newfoundland to London's Heathrow Airport....to Helsinki!
Then that dreaded train ride to Jyv�skyl�!! 3.5 hours and probably a quick 10-minute bus ride from downtown with all our junk and a kid on our back.  Wahoo!

Other than that - we've mostly been pigging out on Wendy's - Tim's favourite being the spicy chicken combo...and me with any sized burger with a tonne of pickles....unfortunately - not everybody understands how much I love pickles - so I simply stick with "____ burger combo with a ____ and extra pickles".  I usually prefer saying it about 4-5x - to really get a tonne of pickles (so I hope) - but it's never -or very rarely, the case.

Alright! Time to wake the munchkin....see you later!