Days 124 and 125: Train from Berlin to Kutno, Poland, then to Grabina

September 06, 2025

Days 124 and 125: Train from Berlin to Kutno, Poland, then to Grabina

Two days ago, I didn’t do much at Sebastian’s apartment except getting ready and chatting with Sarah and Sebastian. Since Sarah did some vanlife, she recommended me two camping apps so it’ll be easier for me to find wild camping sites in Europe.

Around 12:30 PM, I bid farewell to Sarah and Sebastian and cycled about 20 minutes to a small restaurant called Asia Bowl near the Berlin Gesundbrunnen train station. I had some noodles there and I still had a lot of time before my train.

I ended up sitting in the park across from the train station, then finally I decided to go to the station an hour before the train arrived.

When the train came, I carried my bike onto the train only to see that I came in through the wrong door. The bike racks were on the other end of the car. So I had to hurry and go to the next door with my bike. Luckily, my fear of the train leaving without me didn’t come true.

The train ride was about 4 hours. I listened to some music, but I was bored most of the time. When I arrived in Kutno around 8 PM it was dark already. I also had the fear that I might not get my stuff out of the train in time and the train might leave too soon. I don’t know why I imagine these things. I must be anxious or something. In any case, I got off the train without any issue, along with my bike and my belongings.

I rode in the dark for the first time so I made sure I had my rear and front lights on. It was only about a 10 minute ride to Hotele Soleil and I arrived without any issues.

The internet connection at the hotel wasn’t good so I didn’t write my blog post in the morning. I had a decent amount of sleep after killing a mosquito at night. Around 8:15 AM, I left the hotel to get some breakfast in downtown Kutno.

As I was riding through town, I had my second accident. It was my fault since I didn’t see the curb next to me and I attempted to go right. My tire didn’t go over the curb and I slid. I didn’t get hurt badly, but my right knee got scratched and I bruised my left palm. One of the hooks on my panniers broke and the shifters on my bike got scratched.

There was an ambulance behind me and the driver asked me if I was OK. At least that’s what I think he said. I told him in English that I’m fine when in fact I was a bit shaken.

After taking care of my wounds, I changed the hook on my pannier since I kept a spare one. Then I adjusted my handlebar since it was out of alignment from the fall. I still couldn’t believe I was so careless. I should pay attention more often.

In downtown Kutno, I bought a croissant and a cup of chocolate milk at a convenience store before starting my ride again toward my friend Chris’ house in Grabina near Płock.

It was about 30 miles from Kutno to Grabina. My left hand was throbbing with pain because of the fall but I managed.

Poland reminded me much of Germany. There were a lot of farms, at least in the area where I cycled. The country roads had no shoulders or bike lanes, but there were also fewer cars.

I used Google Maps to navigate and there was a section where I couldn’t ride because the road was full of sand. I got through that area by walking my bike.

Around 11:20 AM, I arrived at Chris’ house. I met Chris when I was traveling in Tokyo about two years ago. Then we met up in Taipei soon after. We backpacked in Vietnam and The Philippines together. Since then, we kept in touch on Instagram.

I was very happy to see Chris again! He introduced me to his dad. I call him Stan since I had a hard time pronouncing his Polish name. Later, I met Chris’ mom Ava.

Chris showed me his parent’s house and the backyard where his dad has a few large vegetable gardens. I helped Chris harvest some tomatoes and cucumbers.

We were planning to go to one of the lakes nearby, but after I took a shower it started to rain. We ended up eating some sandwiches for dinner.

I went to bed after 8:30 PM and slept about 11 hours. My left palm feels better now. We just had breakfast. I’m not sure what the plan is for today since it might rain again.

I will stay at Chris’ place for today and leave tomorrow. It’s over 70 miles to Warsaw. I don’t think I want to ride that long in one day so I will have to find some place to stay overnight along the route. Maybe I’ll have to wild camp tomorrow night. I’ll have to see.