Early start at St Pancras means that I should get to München at a sensible time of 6pm local time. The ticket told me to be at St Pancras at ten to six. An early start.
Kent countryside
We came to a stop. Announcements came periodically as the delay lengthened. The reason was eventually announced. A train had broken down in the tunnel so only one line was available. Trains were being sent in one direction and then the direction was being switched. Eventually we got going.
France
Eventually we made it to…
Bruxelles.Waiting for the next train Sunny in Brussels
The next train left slightly late, a DB IC, heading for Frankfurt, but I was due to change at Frankfurt airport.
Leaving Brussels.The train took a curious route due to work on the more direct line.Near Groß Rohrheim
The ICE got further delayed so I bailed out at Köln, seeing that I could catch a slightly delayed train heading to München. This proved to be a good move as the train was mobbed at Frankfurt. I had a seat.
Near Mannheim.MannheimStuttgartThe NeckerThe bright sun is getting low near StuttgartNear Kirchheim unter TeckSun really low near GessertshausenFinally München HBF
Arrived at München around 9 local time. Three hours late although the final train was actually early . A long day.
Met some interesting people on the way. The Portuguese lawyer working for the EU who can speak about 7 languages, and the group returning from a family wedding in Eritrea. All evidently having grown up in Germany as shown by German being their preferred language.
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.
Is it possible to get from Paris to Inverness in a day by train? Yes, and with only one change.
Paris to Inverness
It’s an early start but not overly early from the hotel. Onto the Gare Du Nord.
Loaded onto the Eurostar.Leaving Paris
Speeding across FranceTurbines in the distance.Sunny with some mist Some foggynessInto KentSt Pancras Lunch or second breakfast at Giraffe , Kings Cross LNER Train to Inverness Loaded in the rack
FlatGranthamStill flatNewcastle Berwick on TweedEdinburgh Near Linlithgow Sun going down near LarbetNear DunblaneNear AuchteraderPerth – the motor mileInverness
Arrived at Inverness just after 8 having left London at 12 and Paris at 9:10 French time. 90 minutes to change in London, but 12 hours to get from Paris to Inverness.
A short walk to St Pancras station. As ever border control seems chaotic and the waiting area is packed and too hot.
St Pancras platform Leaving St Pancras Lunch under the sea.Arriving in ParisGare du NordIt’s not far to Gare de l‘estBoarding at Gare de L‘EstHeading out of ParisThe suburbs The TGV is fast. It reached 319kph.SupperArrived in Augsburg
Time for a quick late night tour.
Am FischertorDer DomIbis am Hauptbahnhof
A pleasant but long day. Also confusing language wise. German, French, English (and some Polish) being spoken on the train. French bartender spoke to me in French until I hesitated ,then he switched to German.
Den Haag HSChristmas decorations are up.Appeared to be no luggage racks on the train.Typical countryside near DelftNear SchiedamHollanders DiepBreda station
Breda station is poorly signposted plus two platforms are missing. Very confusing for a visitor.
Passing AntwerpArrived in Brussels.
I had a little time to look around Brussels
Cartoons are on some of the house walls.. Rue des Capuchins More cartoons. Rue Notre Damme de Graces.View across Brussels from Palais de Justice.At Judgy Vegan cafe
In the cellar of the Judgy Vegan.
A cartoon at Brussels zuid midi
Kerfuffle at the border control. I was asked if I have a flick knife. Turns out to be a multi tool in the bag.
Due to congestion at the Eurostar terminal we leave late. Eurostar, you have something to work on. The whole process of passing through border control is hectic and disorganised with lots of pinch points.
It’s turned to dusk as the Eurostar sets off. It’s dark by the time the Eurostar has a pause waiting for permission to enter the channel tunnel.
Pause near Fréthun,
Then it’s down into the tunnel and onto England.
Platform for Eurostar at St Pancras.
I unfolded the Brompton to make it easier to move with the luggage. A mistake as it turned out. I was directed to the lift which is tiny and therefore has a long queue of people with large amounts of luggage, push chairs and one bike. I am second to last in the queue. Poor design!
Tiny lift at St Pancras.
I am the last to leave.
When previously passing through Oxfordshire on the train I had spotted that the train line would be closed between Paddington and Reading due to HS2 workday, but it was possible to get to Reading using the Elizabeth Line. So I cycled to Tottenham Court Road to catch the Elizabeth Line. I discover that the Elizabeth Line in the central area of London is not running. I am directed to take the District Line to Ealing Broadway to catch the Elizabeth Line. It is chaos at the tube station.
The District Line has small, noisy and very warm carriages. It is an old line. The tube train is crowded.
Change at a busy Ealing Broadway.On the Elizabeth Line.
The Elizabeth Line has modern rolling stock. Nice and quiet but nowhere to put rubbish.
Reading- Elizabeth Line train across the platform.
The journey from St Pancras took far longer than normal so by the time I reach the Premier Inn at Didcot the kitchen is closed. So an emergency Macdonald’s it is.
Soggy burger and overly salty fries,Premier Inn room.
The room has seen better days. One light out and sink plug jammed. Welcome back to the UK.
Now the international journey begins using the Interrail ticket.
Starting at a crowded Farnham.
The Interrail app is confused by the Farnham to Waterloo journey, thinking that I have to change at Woking, which I don’t, so I arrive early.
Cycle route from Waterloo to St Pancras
The cycle route was full of commuting cyclist. Some of which were very fast, some not so, and some who didn’t seem to be quite aware of what was going on.
Packed for the Eurostar.Ready for the off at St Pancras.
Nice smooth journey across to Brussels Sud.
But things then start going awry. There is simply not enough time to make it from the Eurostar to the connecting train. A combination of being the wrong end of the train, passengers getting in the way and it being too far. Connection missed! Resulting in a two hour wait. Then the Köln train is shown with no platform and a bit of text suggesting that the train was going from another train. A quick check with the information confirms this and I am told to get on a local connecting train ton Brussels north. Not just a change of platform but a change of station.
Brussels connecting train.
Next the Köln train leaves late. So I miss another connection.
Köln
A 50min wait in Köln. I finally arrived in Wuppertal four hours later than planned.
Hotel des Pyrenees, great location, crazy room shapes.Street art in a tunnel next to the Seine- converted to pedestrian and cycle use.
Cycled to the Tour d’Eiffel. Paris is really cycle friendly and it turns out that this is a really good way to see Paris. I was surprised by the tunnel with the street art.
La Tour d’EiffelArmed military patrols around La Tour d’Eiffel Time to kill before getting on the Eurostar at Gare Du Nord.Église Saint-Vincent-de-PaulView from Église Saint-Vincent-de-PaulSightseeing routeCatching the Eurostar at Gare Du Nord.
No Window seat on the Eurostar means it’s not easy to get pictures from the train.
Back at St Pancras Next train is from Kings Cross
No seat booking but I am booked on the train. Stood up until we reached York.
A long way to go in one day! Early start with the moon in the sky.
A revisit to Reading on the way to London.
Paddington nice and early.
Followed by an almost pleasant bike ride to St Pancras.
Stress at St Pancras as the gate for the 0701 Eurostar was closing. Still had a long wait on the train. Pleasant ride on the Eurostar but the electrical sockets don’t work. No matter, sure there will be opportunities later.
train
Arrived at Gare Du Nord
Ride across Paris from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon, followed by lunch, sightseeing, and a return to Gare de Lyon.
The ride from Paris to Barcelona was epic, long, fast and a good selection of French landscapes. Brits, Americans, Australians, Germans, French, Spaniards. A fun mix, and by the end of the journey we felt like we had experienced something together. Six hours travel time on the final leg of today.
Insight 