A Day of Three Countries

One of the significant conveniences of traveling to Europe is the Schengen visa, which allows you to travel to multiple countries in the continent with a single visa. Another advantage of Europe is the excellent interconnectivity of the transport system across countries. With proper planning, it is possible to visit several countries in a single trip in a short span.

In May 2023, I found myself in a situation where I needed to travel from Zug in Switzerland to Innsbruck in Austria. While checking the travel options on the map, I realized, I would be traveling very close to another country, Liechtenstein. If I could find the right connecting trains or buses, I could manage to be in three countries in a single day. I could have breakfast in Switzerland in the morning, have lunch while passing through Vaduz in Liechtenstein, and have dinner after reaching Innsbruck in Austria by evening . Such an opportunity is rare. So I thought, why not?

Of course, this would mean limiting my visit to Vaduz to just a couple of hours, but covering three countries in one day is not something one gets to do very often. I started my day early, boarding a train that took me from Zug to Zurich. From Zurich, I took another train to Sargans, a quaint little town near the Liechtenstein border. I deposited my bags at the Sargans station and hopped on a bus to Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein. In a half-hour journey, I reached the capital city of Europe’s fourth smallest country.

Although my time in Vaduz was limited, I managed to marvel at the modern and minimalist Parliament Building, the stately Neo-Renaissance Government Building, and the majestic Neo-Gothic Cathedral of St. Florin. I proceeded back to Sargans, where I retrieved my luggage from storage and hopped on the train to resume my journey to Innsbruck.

After traveling for a couple of hours through many picturesque Alpine villages and towns, I arrived in Innsbruck by around 6 PM. Innsbruck, nestled among snow-capped mountains, is the fifth largest city in Austria. When visiting a city for the first time, I usually try to book accommodations near the railway station, as it is often very close to the city center. After checking into the hotel and dropping off my luggage, I quickly headed out to explore and make the most of the daylight before it faded.

That evening, I had no specific plans; my only goal was to stroll around, soak in the city’s evening ambiance, and, of course, to get dinner. I had a packed schedule lined up for the next day, which included visits to Nordkette — a snow-covered mountain range accessible directly from the city center via funicular cable car, the Hofkirche — home to the Empty Tomb of Emperor Maximilian, and other landmarks in Innsbruck’s old town. As I walked around taking photos, I suddenly realized, to my horror, that the sole of my shoe was coming off.

I did have another pair of formal leather shoes with me. However, when I travel, I easily cover 13,000 to 15,000 steps a day, so proper walking shoes are essential. While exploring the city, I did see a Decathlon store, but it was closed. I didn’t panic — Innsbruck being a big city, likely had plenty of other options for footwear. I decided to return to my hotel, have dinner, and change into my formal shoes just for the evening, so I could go out and find proper walking shoes. I had dropped a pin on the location of my hotel in Google Maps, so I can find my way back without asking for directions. This was my third trip to Europe and I have learnt that asking for directions in European cities can be quite challenging as English isn’t widely spoken.

I took my time — walking slowly, dragging my “soul” less shoe, and pausing to take photos — on my way back to the hotel, unaware of what was to come. Once back, I further took my sweet time to freshen up, change into my formal shoes, and have dinner. Afterward, I went down to the hotel lobby and sought the opinion of the receptionist on a good shoe store in the city. She mentioned several options, including the Decathlon I had spotted earlier. Explaining my situation, I asked her which was the nearest so I could buy a pair immediately. She looked at her watch and said that the stores would have already closed, as it was a Friday evening. She went on to explain that my next opportunity to buy shoes would be three days later, on Tuesday, as the shops would remain shut over the weekend and on Monday due to a national holiday in Austria. Now, I started panicking!

I am accustomed to shops being open even on weekends and holidays back in India, so I was quite shocked to hear this. I asked her if I would not be able to visit any places of tourist importance in the city over the next couple of days. She confirmed that while tourist places would remain open, all other shops, including stores of international brands, would be closed.

The receptionist suggested that my only option was to buy some heavy — duty glue. Since it was already past 7 PM, she mentioned that most supermarkets would likely be closed, leaving the supermarket inside the railway station as my best bet, as it might stay open late to serve travelers. I immediately rushed to the railway station and found the supermarket one floor below the railway platforms.

With some difficulty and the help of Google Translate, I managed to find the glue and rushed back to fix my shoe. The next morning, I wasn’t confident enough to check whether the sole is still sticking on, lest I disturb the ‘setting’ time of 12 hours and opted to use the other pair instead. Fortunately, the glue did a fair job. The repair held up decently for the remainder of the trip.

I was surprised that all the shops would remain closed for three consecutive days in a city, that is not just one of the largest in the country, but also one of the busiest tourist destinations as well. Even on regular working days, shops often close around 6 PM. Is this because of the financial security people enjoy in such countries, or do they simply value their personal time more? It might be a combination of both. This is a completely different attitude from what I have observed in India. In India, it is culturally accepted or even to some extent promoted, to work as much as possible, to earn as much as we can, every day. Outside of government sector jobs, the concept of taking leave is often frowned upon. Recently, a prominent IT entrepreneur brewed up a storm by mentioning that if India is to boost national productivity and compete globally, Indians need to work even 70 hours a week.

Most European countries consistently rank among the happiest in the world. For an outsider like me, it seemed that these countries embrace a culture that values life beyond just work. Belgium even has laws supporting a four-day workweek for employees who opt for it. Many studies indicate that giving people a proper work-life balance does not compromise work productivity; on the contrary, it actually improves job satisfaction and work efficiency.

Isn’t it time for us to at least start conversations about work-life balance? It may take decades for such legislative policies to be adopted in our country. However, on an individual level, are we genuinely considering how to achieve this balance?

Returning to my trip, I wore my leather shoes for the next day’s trip to the snow-capped peak of Nordkette.

Let’s just say, leather isn’t the best choice for snow.

Clock tower of the Hospital Church of the Holy Spirit, Innsbruck