Yesterday morning we said goodbye to a few people at Reading station, and 24 hours later we pulled into Prague station. The threatened cancellation to the train from Paris to Frankfurt didn't materialise, so we made it into Frankfurt with enough time to change platforms before jumping on the sleeper service to Prague. I'm glad that's the only time we have to catch connecting trains for a while.
Now for a couple of days of being tourists...
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What's all this about, then?
October 2007, and Triny and I have sold our house, quit our jobs, and are off to see what we can find. This is somewhere we can post things on the way. Hopefully, we'll remember to update it every now and then.
To see a map of where we've been so far, click here
To see a map of where we've been so far, click here
Rate my train
Pros: Familiar; slow enough to let Triny get over her hangover before arriving.
Cons: Too many chavs; too slow; late departure.
Overall: 5/10
Waterloo
Pros: Fast (on French side).
Cons: Too many boring rugby conversations; slow (on English side).
Overall: 6/10
Paris
Pros: Very fast; very flash; very smooth.
Cons: Boooooooring; uncomfortable seats difficult to sleep in.
Overall: 6/10
Frankfurt to
Pros: Private cabin; comfortable; breakfast served in cabin.
Cons: Prisoner Cell Block H; sink too technical for us; door also too technical for us; breakfast.
Overall: 8/10
Prague
Pros: Comfortable; half empty; toilet not smoke-alarmed.
Cons: Juddery.
Overall: 7/10
Warsaw to Moscow
Pros: Comfortable; helpful cheery guard; morning coffee for Triny.
Cons: Depressing scenery; no double bed; confusing Russian border crossing
Overall: 8/10
Moscow
Pros: Smiley chef lady; toasty; good hot food; large bottles of beer for Triny; befriending scary provodnitsa
Cons: Narrow beds; sudden braking throughout; drunk/miserable Russians; ablution facilities.
Overall: 6/10
Irkutsk to Ulanbatar
Pros: 4-berth cabin to ourselves; met Dutch people who became travelling companions.
Cons: Far too early departure time; being in Irkutsk; long border crossing.
Overall: 6/10
Ulanbatar to Beijing
Pros: Mongolian restaurant car; first class compartment.
Cons: Really monotonous scenery; toilet facilities; 5 hour border crossing and wheel change.
Overall: 7/10
Beijing to Shanghai
Pros: Brand new train; legroom even in second class seats; 250km/h express.
Cons: No smoking for 10 hours; never actually reached 250km/h.
Overall: 8/10
Shanghai to Hong Kong
Pros: Civilised departure and arrival times; very posh cabin.
Cons: Passport control in Shanghai station rather than on the train; air conditioning too enthusiastic; creaky compartment.
Overall: 7/10
Bangkok to Hua Hin
Pros: Very Michael Palin; plenty of room; lots of hawkers selling stuff; hanging off the side of the train while smoking a cigarette.
Cons: Too many Westerners; not punctual.
Overall: 9/10
Hua Hin to Surat Thani
Pros: Plenty of room; free meal.
Cons: Old and decrepit; too much air-con; no charm; so late that we had to stay in Surat Thani for a night.
Overall: 5/10
Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
Pros: TV at the end of the carriage; very comfortable seats; comedy accent of train conductor.
Cons: Having to get off the train at the Singapore border to go through Immigration.
Overall: 8/10
6 comments:
I love it!!! Well done you two for fulfilling probably 3/4 of the British population's dream to go traveling the "slow way round" as you put it.
Bon Voyage and keep us all posted with your escapades. The link has been saved!
mum & dad...
well done on the first leg of your great journey. still missing you a lot with tears in my heart as usual that is me as your mum as always. i hope your next note has more words on it. plenty time to explore and diversify your ideas and opinions about other parts of the world. great experiences in life for both of you. glod bless you and always have rosary handy.
Sorry we missed your departure, glad that it went off without a hitch.
Be cool and have fun,
All our love,
Matt Jane and Olly xx
(Jane is also leaving a message as I type!!)
What does it say on the plum coloured car "Sightseeing" You would need to get your eyes tested after looking at that for a couple of hours
dolores said...
Nice lovely photos, still missing you a lot but your photos cheer my days as i go on everyday. Eat a lot of good healthy food to keep you both going. It must be pretty cold up there now, keep warm. Look after yourselves and be careful. Enjoy all the good things you can see. Lots of experiences in life.
God Bless you both. Love you lots
You need to go shopping in Gumm in Red Square also have your picture taken outside Saint Bassels
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