Summer holidays are afoot, but is flying to your destination the best option? The Lonely Planet Guide To Train Travel in Europe opens up myriad possibilities to bring out your inner train spotter without an airport in sight.
Travelling is one of the great pleasures of my life; I love a holiday, right from the start of planning until I set foot back on my doorstep. This year, however, it pains me to say that it’s become stressful. There is so much uncertainty around flights – will they actually take off, or will they be cancelled? Will we be able to find another suitable flight that we don’t need to take out a mortgage to afford? With climate change becoming more evident, should we be flying at all?
Lonely Planet has recently released a guide that gives some great alternatives that are less stressful and more sustainable – it suggests we let the train take the strain. Its hardback guide to travelling around Europe by train is jam-packed with helpful information and tips, alongside a detailed map showing the routes that run throughout the continent.
All of the information is well arranged, too, with the six main high-speed railway routes highlighted and colour coded on the map so you can figure out exactly where you’d like to go and then use the guide to create your perfect trip.
The six routes stretch from Moscow (which is currently rather more challenging to visit) in the east to Brest in the west, and from Scotland in the north down as far as Italy in the south, with other routes into Spain and Croatia, crisscrossing the continent. There are some great places to explore that you might not have considered, but with the train passing through, now’s your chance.
Once you’ve selected the route, you’ll have all the information you need, from an introductory city guide to the travel time between the major destinations along the route. Each stage has a section about staying, visiting and eating in the cities, too, if you’re taking plenty of city breaks along the way.
The travel gurus at Lonely Planet have seemingly thought of everything. If you’re a novice at international train travel, and it all seems a little daunting, this guide, currently costing less than £16 from Amazon
and available directly from Lonely Planet, is a must-have for your backpack.
If there’s something you’re unsure of, it’ll be in there. From where and how to buy your tickets to safety tips for travellers, you’ll find something useful on every page.
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