Travel Stuff
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Warsaw or bust
I don’t quite know why, but there had been one thing in my bones telling me that getting to Warsaw would be a problem. After 13 hours on a train yesterday, it was a wise choice to stay overnight in Poznan. And yes, a late booked hotel cost ove 90 Euro, but it was worth…
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Baltics and Scandinavia – Part 2
It’s an early start for a Monday morning, but the sun is shining in Cologne. The air is chilly – 5 Celsius – but already there is an air of urgency around the railway station, as morning commuters make their way to work. A small army of workmen run pressure washers and street cleaning machines…
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Baltics and Scandinavia – Part 1
My usual journeys involve an early start, but not so today. It’s a cold and sunny Sunday in late March, and I’m set to get an afternoon Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels, where I’ll change for the onwad connection to Cologne. But first, getting to London. And on a weekend the UK has…
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Baltics and Scandinavia – Departure
For many, at least for many living in the UK, the idea of a great trip just before Easter is to head somewhere slightly warmer, perhaps relaxing, to shake off the end of the Winter and to embrace sunnier climes. Beaches beckon, sunsets and sand tempt you southwards, and after a couple of weeks, all…
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A Peak Performance
The Peak District National Park – nestling in Derbyshire, but extending to parts of Staffordshire, Cheshire and South Yorkshire – is teeming with tourists during the summer. Not only are the roads crowded, its most popular spots are such that you may even have to queue to get on a footpath, or at least share…
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Eurail Adventure Part 6
It’s the final day of my European rail journey – and just like day one, an early start. The TGV InOui service to Paris leaves Stuttgart at just befor 7am. Thankfully, the helpful staff at my hotel have arranged a takeaway breakfast bag, meaning I don’t have to wolf down a croissant and coffee before…
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Eurail Adventure Part 5
The sun is finally shining again as I preapre to leave Villach, and today’s journey should be relatively stress free as the train to Stuttgart is a direct connection. Despite technically bing an international service – operating in Austria and Germany – seat reservations aren’t mandatory. I’ve booked one anyway, as this is a Euro…
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Eurail Adventure Part 4
It’s a sunny morning in Trieste but the forecast for my journey north is not good. Rain and thunderstorms are forecast for my next destination of Villach, but I’m hoping these will be short, sharp showers rather than prolonged downpours. The first leg today takes me from Trieste to the northern town of Udine, which…
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Eurail Adventure Part 3
Day three, and later on I’ll be covering some 550km to Trieste in Italy’s far north eastern corner. But before that, I have the morning to explore a bit more of Turin. San Marco Piazza looked stunning last night, and it has equal beauty in the daytime. What I didn’t realise was that some of…
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Eurail Aventure Part 2
Nothing quite says “Bonjour” than the sound of an email notification in the middle of the night. It’s a factual, causal message from SNCF, telling me that my morning connection to Vintimiglia has been cancelled. Fortunately I’m up early enough to be able to find an earlier departure, though after last night’s magnificent chee and…
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