Inside scoop on riding the rails

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This was published 13 years ago

Inside scoop on riding the rails

By Train travel
Illustration: Rocco Fazzari

Illustration: Rocco Fazzari

Special report

Long-time train traveller Andrew West offers his tips: slow down, always pick the middle bunk and never overpack.

Long ago, I determined the only civilised ways to travel were by boat and train. Sadly, passenger ships no longer operate, other than for commercial cruises, so from Australia we have no choice but to fly into Europe.

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But I cannot fathom why anyone would fly within Europe. A one-hour flight between capitals is likely to become a four-to-six-hour ordeal when you factor in transport to and from the airport, pre-flight security, boarding time and the likelihood of delays. Unnecessary flying is also bad for your carbon footprint and deprives you of an authentic travel experience.

Here are seven tips to get the best out of rail travel in Europe.

Be sure you like trains

It's not all Hercule Poirot, with compartments draped in velvet and chintz, three-course meals and well-cushioned berths. In fact, unless you're prepared to pay up to $17,000 for a suite on a luxury train - such as the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express between Paris and Istanbul - it is never like that. Mostly in western Europe you will be aboard trains that are modern and crowded (which is good because high patronage keeps the service going). In eastern Europe, the trains will sometimes be old, poorly ventilated and a rough ride. This has its own appeal but you need to enjoy rail travel. There's nothing worse than sharing a compartment with a whinger.

Slow down

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If you're on holidays, what's the rush? By all means, take the high-speed trains - the Eurostar between London, Paris and Brussels, the TGV in France, the ICE in Germany - once or twice for the experience of an intercity service that operates quickly and efficiently. But aboard the TGV you may feel like you're travelling in a first-class airline seat. There's comfort and speed but the landmarks and beauty of the country flash by. A few years ago, a French friend was "embarrassed for France" when I told her I had taken the five-hour train between Strasbourg and Paris. For me, the trip was a highlight.

Pack light and efficiently

This does not mean two tracksuits, a pair of joggers and a bumbag. That would make you an embarrassment. In Europe, intercity trains are integrated with local metros, trams and buses. If you have, at most, a medium suitcase on wheels, one piece of hand luggage and, in winter, an overcoat, you will be able to save money using public transport instead of taxis. Your luggage must be light enough to carry up and down stairs at older metro and underground stations that don't have lifts or escalators.

Eat and drink sparingly

Even aboard the modern fast trains of western Europe, 60-plus passengers can take their toll on the hygiene standards of a bathroom. Unless you are travelling in a first-class sleeper with private bathroom, do not attempt a shower en route. Just floss, brush and wash your face. During a European winter, you can comfortably skip a shower here and there. In eastern Europe, the carriages are often not cleaned until the train reaches its final destination.

Book the middle bunk

If you're travelling overnight and on a budget, six-berth sleepers (three on either side of the compartment) are the cheapest. Try to get the middle bunk. The top bunk is often claustrophobically close to the ceiling, while the bottom bunk, used as the seat during the day, is often too narrow. It's better to upgrade to a four-berth room. While more expensive, it's cheaper than a hotel room and you will sleep restoratively. The overnight train from London to Cornwall is a particular pleasure, its only downside being the brevity - a mere seven hours - of the journey.

Get off the highway

You wouldn't spend a motoring holiday on an eight-lane freeway; you would explore the winding lanes, with their hedgerows and stone walls, as we did in the Cotswolds and Chilterns of England recently. Apply the same principle to rail travel. Ride the slow, all-stops trains on branch lines through the English countryside, rural France and the Swiss and Austrian mountains. Remember, the journey itself is the objective.

The Man in Seat Sixty-One

Go to seat61.com and you will see why this award-winning website is an indispensable resource for true adventurers. Its founder, Mark Smith, is an authentic railway man who habitually favours seat 61 on the Eurostar out of London towards the great mysteries of the east. His website won a top travel award from the Guardian and a TV series is in the making. Routes are listed for every continent.

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