Sweden Part 1!

I thought I should give all my faithful blog followers an update.  Currently in Norway, it is easter break.  Which means that my praxis has a week break, and I am able to travel.  I decided to go visit the four MSU students studying in kristianstad sweden, to get a glimpse of how their study abroad experience is going.  This is how the process has gone so far.

A week prior, go to book my ticket online, Swedish railways will not book my ticket due to card issues, but their office is closed, and have to call in the morning.

Call in the morning, card will not work over the phone, as their has been lots of fraud with international cards.  Lady helps me, and says that I can just pick it up at the central station in Oslo.  Gives me a booking number, and I feel like I am good to go.

Depart for oslo at a beautiful 4:50 in the morning.  The trip starts by boarding the bus in Harstad, getting to the airport and checking in, then depart at 6:40 from the Harstad airport.  This goes amazing, I slept the entire duration of the flight, which is one of the first times I have been able to sleep on a plane.

Arrive at Oslo, it is a beautiful day.  Get on the express train from the airport to Oslo S, and get to the Swedish Train booth.  Excited to finally get my tickets, my card fails once again.  It still will not work.

Call SJ, and we cannot figure out a solution to this.  There is nothing they can do about it, and the lady sugguests that I try to book the ticket through Norwegian railways.  She says if there are any issues with that, give them a call back.

Go to Norwegian railways, and have some success! I can book the first 2 tickets, but the third one cannot be booked.  The customer service rep says that I can book the last one in sweden, and that it shouldn't be an issue at that point.  So relieving! I even have an hour break in between two of the trains, so I can do it at my first layover. 

I must say, this has been a slighly frustrating process, but it has all worked out.  Although the swedish railway reps could not get the tickets, they have been very helpful in finding alternative solutions.  To sum up this whole process, it has been a learning experience for me, and I will still get there :)