Let’s answer the questions on the journey: was it practical, was it fun, did it reduce pollution? And ask some more questions. The journey started and finished in the far north of Scotland and did a small diversion to Bristol, and then travelled to Porto and back.

Was the journey practical?

Flying from the UK is a lot quicker then traveling all the way by train. It turns out that getting to Portugal is particularly difficult. There appears to be very poor rail connections between Spain and Portugal, made worse by industry action on the trains in Portugal. But the trains linking London and Paris, Paris and Barcelona, Barcelona and Madrid are very rapid. Even London to Edinburgh is fast. There is no need to fly these routes. Being able to get from London to Barcelona or Paris to Edinburgh in a day is amazing.

Travelling by train to Bristol turns out to be more practical than flying from Scotland.

Was the journey fun?

Yes, it certainly was. Traveling through France, Spain, Portugal, England, Scotland, watching the changing landscape, agriculture, seeing towns and cities, all from the comfort of a train, can’t be beaten. Meeting a whole load of different people, and chatting. Exploring cities, hunting food, this was a full on experience. Far superior to flying.

I was constrained by having to be in particular locations at the start and end of the journey, otherwise I would have spent more time on the journey. However I realised that I could have spent an extra day on the journey out. Planning and booking the travel and accommodation was challenging, but it all came together.

Does traveling by train reduce pollution compared with flying

The short answer is yes!

Which was the most cycle friendly city?

Paris has undergone a big change, loads of dedicated cycle paths. It was a joy to cycle round, with sights and atmosphere all the way. Even the drivers were good. So Paris was the top place to cycle.

Second place goes to Barcelona. Some good cycle routes but not as expansive as Paris. Cycling turned out to be great way to see the city.

Madrid did not have the clear routes of Paris and Barcelona. Twice when I stopped at traffic lights , I found that a police car was lurking just behind to me on my left. When they clocked that I spotted the police car, they the drove off, through the red light. Almost as if they they were waiting to catch me out. Unfortunately I did not get time to properly explore Madrid, which was a shame.

Fourth London. Some good dedicated routes such as Euston to Waterloo, but Paddington to St Pancras not so good. Some good views from the bike in London.

Fifth, Edinburgh, the tram lines and confusing roads letting Edinburgh down. But good sights.

Porto is beautiful, but the cobbled streets and extremely aggressive drivers bring Porto down. So Porto I have to put in at sixth.

Cycling around all the cities was a great way to sightsee. Faster than walking or public transport. Cooler as well, even in sweltering Barcelona, cycling was pleasant. And you are in amongst it all.

I have not included Badajoz in the rankings , as it is far smaller than the other the large cities. But Badajoz was great to tour by bike. What a beautiful place to visit.

The list to finish

Hotels: best value Porto, followed by Badajoz. The cheapest hotels. Badajoz had the edge on quality but had a very loud wedding happening, which negated its plus points. Worst value Oxfordshire.

Food: very expensive in the UK. Good value in France, Portugal and Spain. Struggled to find good food in Porto. Late arrival in many of my destinations and traveling by train all day that often I did not eat enough.

Most picturesque train line: the far north line in Scotland, followed by Edinburgh to Inverness. Badajoz to Entroncamento was impressive.

Firsts: so many, first time in Badajoz, Barcelona, Madrid, Porto, first time crossing France and Spain by train – each in one day, first time cycling in Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Porto Badajoz. First time speaking in French to a Catalan on the TGV, first time attempting to speak Spanish in Spain. And so many more.

Best train- the TGV. Amazing train.

Tickets: ScotRail cheap club 50 ticket from the far north to Inverness and Edinburgh to the far north. Caledonian Sleeper Inverness to London, expensive. Local trains in SE and SW England, the routes are awkward if not going to or from London. Interrail Oxfordshire to Porto to Edinburgh with extra reservations but excluding Madrid to Barcelona. I had to get a bus from Porto to Valladolid. I will use the Interrail ticket again.