caravanman
Engineer
Well, it is now in that funny few days between Christmas and New Year 2005, with too much rich food behind me, and the forthcoming resolutions about loosing weight and getting fit yet to come. Just as well, as I have yet to finish off my share of the festive fare, cake, and a large chocolate in the shape of my initial E, which I could convert to a letter F, C, or L by judicious munching, to name only a few stumbling blocks to my improved fitness.
I had confidently expected to have booked my Jan 2006 trip to America (and Amtrak) by now, but have decided to postpone that for later in the year. I was wanting to experience as much Amtrak rail travel as possible in my two week visit, but the continuing uncertainty over late running trains, and cancellations, made it hard to configure a tightly packed but reliable route which would hold together in the face of delays, without having lots of nights in hotels to allow for lateness.
So….I have decided to use my two weeks “leave of absence” to travel around a small part of Europe instead.
Rather oddly, although I live in the UK, I have not experienced much Continental rail travel, so this will be a real voyage of discovery, not least as I don’t speak Italian, Spanish, or French, which are the three countries in my plans.
I feel rather relaxed about Amtrak, having enjoyed several long distance trips in the last few years…sharing a sleeping compartment with three non-English speaking fellow passengers and fellow strangers, en route from Paris to Rome, although nearer to home, seems to offer slightly more opportunity to “get things wrong”!
I should leave Nottingham for London at 7.30 am on the 7 Jan 2006, cross London by underground train to Waterloo, and board a Eurostar train for the journey under the English channel to Paris, France. I have one night in Paris, leaving next morning aboard a 175 mph TGV for Toulouse in the south of France. One night in Toulouse and return by sleeper train to Paris arriving about 7am. That night I board an international sleeper train for Rome, arriving there next morning.
I have not been to Rome before, so I plan to spend a day or so there, and then a day trip by local train to Pisa, to see the leaning tower.
I return to Paris again by overnight sleeper, and leave the same night from Paris Austerlitz station to Madrid, Spain.
( A station name with a z in it seems most exotic to me!)
I hope to travel down to South Spain, or even Gibraltar, by train from Madrid, but I have been unable to book this section yet on the internet.
After a few days in Spain I travel back from Madrid on the night of 20 Jan, leaving about 6pm, and retrace my steps back to Nottingham via Paris and the Eurotunnel, to arrive back home around 6.30pm, 24 hours after leaving Madrid.
I will post a trip report when I get back, I hope some of you may enjoy it!
Happy New Year to all,
Ed.
B)
I had confidently expected to have booked my Jan 2006 trip to America (and Amtrak) by now, but have decided to postpone that for later in the year. I was wanting to experience as much Amtrak rail travel as possible in my two week visit, but the continuing uncertainty over late running trains, and cancellations, made it hard to configure a tightly packed but reliable route which would hold together in the face of delays, without having lots of nights in hotels to allow for lateness.
So….I have decided to use my two weeks “leave of absence” to travel around a small part of Europe instead.
Rather oddly, although I live in the UK, I have not experienced much Continental rail travel, so this will be a real voyage of discovery, not least as I don’t speak Italian, Spanish, or French, which are the three countries in my plans.
I feel rather relaxed about Amtrak, having enjoyed several long distance trips in the last few years…sharing a sleeping compartment with three non-English speaking fellow passengers and fellow strangers, en route from Paris to Rome, although nearer to home, seems to offer slightly more opportunity to “get things wrong”!
I should leave Nottingham for London at 7.30 am on the 7 Jan 2006, cross London by underground train to Waterloo, and board a Eurostar train for the journey under the English channel to Paris, France. I have one night in Paris, leaving next morning aboard a 175 mph TGV for Toulouse in the south of France. One night in Toulouse and return by sleeper train to Paris arriving about 7am. That night I board an international sleeper train for Rome, arriving there next morning.
I have not been to Rome before, so I plan to spend a day or so there, and then a day trip by local train to Pisa, to see the leaning tower.
I return to Paris again by overnight sleeper, and leave the same night from Paris Austerlitz station to Madrid, Spain.
( A station name with a z in it seems most exotic to me!)
I hope to travel down to South Spain, or even Gibraltar, by train from Madrid, but I have been unable to book this section yet on the internet.
After a few days in Spain I travel back from Madrid on the night of 20 Jan, leaving about 6pm, and retrace my steps back to Nottingham via Paris and the Eurotunnel, to arrive back home around 6.30pm, 24 hours after leaving Madrid.
I will post a trip report when I get back, I hope some of you may enjoy it!
Happy New Year to all,
Ed.
B)
