I'm a collector of itineraries; the possibilities are endless, and this one caught my eye. Easily expanded but created for those whose consider the rail journeys as highlights of the trip.
From The New York Times:
6 European Countries, 9 Days, 0 Planes
From north to south, Sweden to Portugal, trains are a relaxing destination all their own.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/29/travel/europe-train.html?mwrsm=Email
I haven't read this yet, but in the title of the thread you say zero trains, yet in the post you say zero planes.
Eh?
Yes, you need to edit the title, since the article sings the glory of European train travel.
Thanks Nigel and Sam for that great catch. Yes, that was the entire point of this article.
It is refreshing to see that my husband & I are not the only ones for whom the journey is sometimes the destination! We have spent many pleasant hours on trains watching some beautiful countryside go by, sipping on wine, relaxing and chatting with our fellow passengers from all over.
We liken it to driving across America - you are not going to stop in every town you pass but the differences in the landscape make for an enjoyable trip. We have been fortunate with the ability to travel for 3 weeks at a time so we do not feel as pressed for time as those who have less time.
Fun article about a fun trip. Many of us caution the people who bring "zoom" itineraries to this board, proposing to "hit" far-flung cities for a day or two at a time. Usually they're underestimating travel time and the value of spending more than a day or two in a city, and we suggest that their memories will be of stations and airports. But the travelers who wrote this piece had planned their trip around the trains themselves, allowing just enough time in each city to do one or two things, have one or two meals, and sometimes spend the night. That's a different kind of trip but one that could certainly be enjoyable and rewarding.
Amtrak makes similar trips possible in the US, using its long-haul trains. But there are far fewer scheduling choices and the distances can eat up a lot of travel time.
The funny thing is that while I find the idea interesting, I found the article itself actually boring. I think it was when they noted that they had missed seeing Guernica . . . .I mean it's not THAT hard to figure out where that painting is, it's not like it's moved recently. I don't know. I like the concept but this one just didn't do it for me.
Interesting article. Thank you for bringing it to our attention, Elaine. I think I could do this quite happily. :)
Me too, Hille. I could ride trains from one end of Europe to the other. But I would never ever have thought of going up to the Arctic Circle to start a journey.
For me, the best part of the article is that not once are the words "rail pass" mentioned. Instead, they give websites to buy the tickets directly. Although "savvy travelers" have known for some time that this is the way to go, I'll bet it's an eye-opener for lots of readers of the article, who probably assumed that this kind of itinerary "needs" a rail pass to work.
The trouble with people posting links to so many New York Times articles is that the site won't let you read them. I get an error:
You’ve already read your 10 free articles for the month. To continue reading, without interruption, subscribe and get unlimited digital access to The Times.
Maybe I'll try again next week :-)
Meanwhile we wait for 'through' trains from Sofia to Istanbul.
"...for whom the train ride is the destination." How true! How often did I feel that in France and Germany? Lots. Twice in Poland in 2001 going from Berlin to Warsaw, day, over 6 hrs was interesting. Still more interesting and captivating in regards to the landscape was the ride in 2003 from Berlin Zoo to Gdansk with 2 changes taking close to 10 hrs, going along the Baltic coast, passing through those historic towns, basically from the Oder to the Vistula...fantastic. It's a lot more meaningful as the train stops along a route with one historic town after another as was the 9.5 hr ride from Krakow to Berlin Zoo in 2001.
Unfortunately, the authors don't indicate the prices they paid for the 2nd-class tickets or how far ahead they booked them. They don't expect many readers to replicate the whole trip. They clearly were committed to the route and didn't expect (or have time to) make changes along the way. They probably got good advance ticket discounts, versus buying 2nd class tickets at full fare for about $850 per person.
To cover the same route, a Eurail Global pass is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive option. For adults who travel in pairs in 1st class, the price is $540 per adult for 7 travel days within a month. Those who qualify for youth discounts would pay $410 in 2nd class. Seat and sleeper reservations could add up to as much as $250 in 1st class or $200 in 2nd class. If you made-do with a 5-day pass, or got the 6th day free in a recent offer, then the pass price would be $100 less per person.
This is stirring my imagination. Maybe start in the spring, April maybe, from south to north. Palermo to Naples, Naples to Venice, Venice to Cinque Terre, CT to Nice, Nice to Paris, Paris to Amsterdam. Stop for a couple of nights or more in each destination city. This could be a great two or three weeks trip with a bunch of long train days mixed with a reasonable number of hotel nights. I would aim for six hour days on train days with no more than two connections. My other notion is an around-the-world flight, but I can't think of any place I want to go in Asia. It would be San Francisco to Australia, to Thailand or India, to Italy, to London, and back to SFO if I did it.
Years back I thought of 'six continents in six weeks'.
Australia >> Asia >> Europe >> USA/Canada >> South America >> South Africa >> Australia
Sydney >> Hong Kong >> London + Paris >> New York >> Rio de Janeiro >> Cape Town >> Sydney
Remember the "air pass" unlimited flights within the EU for 30 days or more? It usually entailed secondary airports and not so convenient times.
