Friday evening I arrive at Didcot station early enough to get an earlier train to Reading than planned. But as I arrive the Trainline app tells me my connecting train to Ash is cancelled. This doesn’t bode well, if one train is cancelled, there may be more cancellations.
It’s sunny on the way to Reading.
I catch the later train, so I am now 30 minutes behind time. Some of the passengers are anxious. Some are trying to get to Gatwick for their flights.
We reach North Camp with no problem. Next stop Ash. The train leaves North Camp and then slows to a stop.
We wait.
The train then reverses back to North Camp. Everyone gets off. There is a community spirit with some offering to share Uber rides.
I am not far from my end point so I am fortunate enough to get picked up.
Did everyone make their flights?
North Camp Station
This was the shortest trip on my itinerary and I didn’t complete the journey.
The journey begins in bright sunshine.River ThursoTurbinesThe Flow Country
The Flow Country is an area of blanket peat bog. I saw a lot of deer.
The sun is low but bright.The Caledonian Sleeper at Inverness.
Got up for breakfast near Birmingham International.
Arrived ten minutes early in Euston.
The cycle across London was slowed up by the traffic, first time in a while. Does this mean that more less polluting cars are coming in to London ?
It demonstrates that cars slow up the traffic, including the other cars, delivery vehicles, emergency vehicles, buses and cycles.
The speed profile shows the waiting for traffic lights and the slower speeds are when the traffic got in the way.
The bus lanes enable buses and cyclists to avoid most of the traffic, but there are some points with no bus lane. Cycling is the fastest way to get from Euston to Paddington.
Glimpses of blue skies at DidcotCloudscape in Wiltshire BathBristol Tempelmeads
The cycle to the hotel of about a mile took an age due to traffic lights and traffic. Cars really hold cyclists up but not as much as they hold each other up.
Resisted the urge to cycle down the corridor.Sunny view out of the hotel window.
Another trip south by train, this time with bike. Arrived at the station to meet the train to Inverness. It was windy.
And sunny.
Very sunny.Big blue sky with turbines in the distance.Loch FleetRiver OykelSnow on the hills Coming into Inverness
Getting on to the sleeper.
Breakfast Solar panels next to the railway line.
The sleeper was not taking its normal route meaning it arrived 40minutes later than normal. Much of the extra time was spent manoeuvring through London.
Wembley stadium in the distance.
A ride through London taking 19 minutes to get from Euston to Paddington, five minutes of which was spent stationary at traffic lights.
Green Oxfordshire.Didcot.
Oh dear, the English and Union Jack Flags being inappropriately displayed in Didcot. Very disrespectful! What can be more disrespectful than cheap Chinese made flags looking scrawny and scruffy.
From bright sunshine and blue skies in the far north to cloud in the south.
It’s green next to the railway linesInteresting location for a coffee.Debenhams demolition in the distance The worst cycle infrastructure on Epsom Road in Guildford.
The cycle lanes marked out in Guildford are beyond useless. No segregation, suggesting a totally inappropriate position for the cyclists to take on the road. I would cycle at least at the line. I actually cycled in the mostly in the middle of the lane to take the decision away from the drivers, so they did not attempt to overtake at the frequent traffic islands. Of course I was hooted at, but ironically I was going faster than the motorised vehicles. Guildford suffers from pollution,
Clandon
There are plenty of stations in the commuter belt.
Delays
Someone had pulled a communication alarm on a train causing all the trains to be delayed.
Heading into Guildford.
Two days later headed back to Oxfordshire. Dodged the rail replacement buses by travelling from Farnborough.
Farnborough Change at Basingstoke Church spire Mortimer Approaching Reading from the south Boats at GoringBoats on the Thames at GoringThames near Cholsey.Bromptons Didcot – another change CholseyThe Thames at Wallingford – The Boat House.
Heading off in the sun.BromptonsBlue skies and a few clouds heading south.River Helmsdale Helmsdale Beach near Helmsdale Dornoch Firth
Changed from the far north line to the sleeper at Inverness.
Speeding away from Inverness.
Near KingussieBreakfast going through Birmingham
Not sure this breakfast looks appetising. It tasted ok. A few issues on the train. The lock on the cabin was not fully functioning, no pull out table in cabin, coffee machine in buffet car not working. There are some maintenance issues it appears.
AstonCanal in Birmingham Euston
Arrival in Euston is 20 minutes late due to work in the line. I had been forewarned by text.
Cycled over to Paddington.HS2 worksOxfordshire
Then headed back east
Boats on the Thames approaching ReadingReading station
I witnessed an old couple falling over on the escalator just after getting on. while they were heading up. I was heading down. A woman at the top shouted for someone to hit the emergency stop. A hapless woman holding a dog appeared transfixed and unable to hit the button. After what appeared to be an age someone finally hit the button. Chaos. No staff about.
The map taken from the Interrail app shows just how far the journey was, but misses the far north line and the detour to Oxfordshire.
From the Interrail app: 5784 km distance
15 trains on the Interrail ticket, 20 in total.
Seven countries.
Weather
Sunny almost throughout, but a big variation in temperature. Highest ,around 14 centigrade in Augsburg, lowest -10 in Bucharest.
Food
The food was good, but had to get creative in the meat centric countries. I had my first experience of a Lebanese restaurant in Bucharest, the very good Coin-Vert Libanez.
I had to fight through the snow and ice to get to it. A week later I had my second Lebanese restaurant experience in Paris.
Plenty of good food on this trip.
Hotels
I stayed in three Premier Inn plus rooms, three varieties of Ibis: budget, styles and no moniker, a Radisdon Individuals Schiller Park in Linz and Ramada by Wyndham in Bucharest.
Best bed:Premier Inn plus
Best shower: Premier Inn plus
Best view: Ramada by Wyndham
Best location: Hotel Schiller Park- in central location near the railway station.
Best breakfast: Ramada by Wyndham
Best rooms: Premier Inn plus
Most expensive: Premier Inn St Pancras
Best check out times: Ibis / check out by noon.
I like the simplicity of the Ibis Budget.
Locations
Both Augsburg and Linz were amazing places to visit. Smaller and not as busy as Vienna but interesting buildings and history. Bucharest lacked the beautiful buildings but the lake was beautiful.
Travelling by train emphasised the change in landscape and buildings. Farmhouses are tiny and ramshackled in Romanian but huge and well maintained in Austria and Germany.
People
As well as meeting the natives of each country that I visited I was surprised to meet people from so many other countries. I had conversations with Qataris, Russians, Albanians, Norwegians, New Zealanders, Moldovans, Canadians, Taiwanese and probably more. Talking to Austrians in German with their local accents was a joy, including a woman in her 90s from Vienna,
Cycling
Cycling was awful in Bucharest, but faster than cars. Driving in Bucharest also looks awful. Paris cycle way provision is good in Paris, but blocked by vehicles on the Sunday. Vienna was busy, Augsburg pleasant. I heard a tram hitting a car in Vienna and saw the massive crumpled side of the car, the tram just drove off. The closest I came to an accident was Inverness, where a car was being driven at 60 mph in a 30 zone, as I was turning right. The bike gave a good way to cross cities between stations and to get to hotels. It was also a great luggage trolley.
Didcot Premier Inn – Plus roomBathroom- shower better than standing in a bath.Leaving DidcotA view of the BT tower on the way across London St Pancras Premier Inn – a plus room.View from the room.Paddington to St Pancras
The cycle route was mainly on protected cycle lanes. Some are very new. This makes the ride far more pleasant. But stop start.
