Guides Archives - Page 2 of 3

A day trip to the last outpost of the Soviet Union – Tiraspol in Transnistria

So you want to go to the only place in the world that still has the hammer and sickle on its flag? A largely unrecognised state? One with a statue of Lenin in front of its Parliament? And you want to do that in 2019? And you want to do[Read More…]

24.06.2019 5 comments

Guides

How do you book an Austrian train (ÖBB Nightjet) from Germany to Switzerland?

The bad news from the timetable change in December was that Deutsche Bahn stopped all its night trains. The good news was that Austrian Railways (ÖBB) has taken over some of the routes under the new brand name NightJet. If you want some background on this change I was quoted[Read More…]

16.12.2016 0 comments

Taking the train is a strain – Newport to Berlin case

My parents live in Newport in South Wales. I live in Berlin. I am going home for Christmas, and so – on 27th December – I want to return to Berlin. All in one day. By train. If I wanted to do this in a few weeks’ time, it would[Read More…]

09.10.2016 0 comments

Three weeks in Central Asia – a review

I’ve just returned from a three week trip to Central Asia. This blog entry is part review of what I saw and did, and hence partly a suggestion about what to do, and how to do it. Hence the blog entry is rather long. My rationale for going to Central[Read More…]

15.08.2016 0 comments

A guide to the trains of Bulgaria

Between Saturday 20th June 2015 and Monday 29th June 2015 I crossed Bulgaria by train . This blog entry summarises my experiences, with the aim of assisting fellow travellers who might attempt similar trips. The map above shows my route, and the information is correct as of June 2015 –[Read More…]

05.07.2015 0 comments

Guides

My attention-seeking Blaze bicycle light

As a person I seldom stand out, at least to look at – I am of medium height and medium build, my hair is plain and I choose my clothes precisely so as no-one remarks about them. If you passed me in the street your head would not turn, and[Read More…]

24.01.2015 0 comments

Guides

Review: Raleigh Nightflight 8G Men 2013

A year ago, immediately after moving to Berlin, I made one of the biggest single purchases I’ve ever made – a new bicycle, a Raleigh Nightflight 8G Men 2013, purchased from Radhaus Pankow for €649 (recommended price: €799). For 2014, Raleigh released a slightly updated Nightflight 2014, and I presume[Read More…]

26.10.2014 0 comments

The worst international train service I’ve taken for a long time – in Switzerland! (OK, with an Italian train)

The Cisalpino joint venture between the Swiss SBB and Trenitalia no longer exists, wound up in 2009 due to failing service quality and problems with an order of new trains. The sad news is that now, with the EuroCity trains between Switzerland and Italy using some of the same railsets[Read More…]

01.09.2013 0 comments

Guides

Cheap rail tickets through Germany

So you want a one-off rail ticket through Germany, and you want it as cheap as possible. You’re doing a journey like Belgium (- Germany -) Austria, or Denmark (- Germany -) Czech Republic, but you’re not going to stop* in Germany. Here’s how to do it. 1. Search for[Read More…]

17.08.2012 0 comments

Guides

5 stops, 13 trains – a little European rail diary

Tomorrow I set off for a journey lasting just over two weeks, mostly for work but with a little holiday in between. The whole trip is by train. Here’s the schedule, and how I booked at at the lowest price possible: Thu 19 Apr – London-Paris Eurostar – £73.00 (€86.37),[Read More…]

18.04.2012 0 comments