A day book ended by two Premier Inns
The cycle route was mainly on protected cycle lanes. Some are very new. This makes the ride far more pleasant. But stop start.
Didcot to St Pancras
Tag: Train
Inverness to Didcot
The journey was in bright sunshine and blue skies.
On the tracks again. The Far North to Inverness
Travel in February means it’s a bit cold. And it gets dark quickly, so not good for photos out of the window.
A rain free trip, a few deer sightings, but most of it without a view due to lack of light. Very friendly staff.
Didcot to the far north. Snow!
Then a cycle to the Great Nepalese Restaurant near Euston station.
Unfortunately the Far North train does not connect well with the Sleeper. I have a two hour wait in Inverness. Not much open at this time so in a moment of inspiration it’s off for a breakfast at Premier Inn. Must get sponsorship.
The Premier Inn is slightly disorganised. The card reader is not working so I get a free breakfast. Due to a low number of staff it takes an age for it to be served. Can’t complain because I am not paying for it.
There’s proper snowy scenery
Then back to the coast.
Then up the Helmsdale Strath.
Den Haag to Didcot
Breda station is poorly signposted plus two platforms are missing. Very confusing for a visitor.
I had a little time to look around Brussels
In the cellar of the Judgy Vegan.
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.
Then it’s down into the tunnel and onto England.
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!
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.
The Elizabeth Line has modern rolling stock. Nice and quiet but nowhere to put rubbish.
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.
The room has seen better days. One light out and sink plug jammed. Welcome back to the UK.
Hamburg to den Haag.
Catching the 1243 train I was due to get in to Den Haag at 1910.
The German Premier Inn breakfast was not as good as the British version. Fuelled up for the journey.
It’s only a 12 minute cycle to the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof.
Arrived punctually at Osnabrück.
The connecting train to Amsterdam was 27 minutes late.
The train to Amsterdam arrived, off we went, crossing the border onto the Netherlands. The train guard had changed from a German to a Dutch person. The announcements went to three languages.
And then the announcement came on, the train was terminating early at Amersfoort Central, due to an accident on the line between Amersfoort and Amsterdam. We were told to catch a train to Utrecht.
Off we got at Utrecht where I followed the crowd who started running. After resisting the urge to join in, I sprinted on the platform to join a very crowded train.
The next train to arrive at the platform where I had got off was heading to Den Haag, very conveniently. This was the same train I would have caught from Amsterdam. Which meant I arrived at Den Haag on time.
Wuppertal to Hamburg
Nice comfortable ICE train. However as the journey progressed it got later and later, eventually arriving 25 minutes late in Hamburg.
The Hamburg Hauptbahnhof is probably the most impressive station encountered on this trip.
Wuppertal
Surrey to Wuppertal
Now the international journey begins using the Interrail ticket.
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.
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.
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.
Next the Köln train leaves late. So I miss another connection.
A 50min wait in Köln. I finally arrived in Wuppertal four hours later than planned.
Didcot to Surrey
That was an uneventful trip with the trains working well.
Insight 