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geographicanatomy · 8 months

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Day 3b: Paris - Stuttgart - Vienna

Second day of travel:

First Train

Operator/Train: SNCF, TGV 9579 inOui

Origin: Paris

Destination: Stuttgart

Duration: 3h 10min (estimated)

Distance: ~500 km

Stops / Changes: 5 stops

Seat Reservation: Yes, required.

I managed to use my first class pass again, which was great because otherwise I feel like I would have wasted those extra £80.

What can one say about TGV? Fast, comfortable, not too noisy, lights not to bright, spacious… Honestly was there only 3h and a half-ish and it was so comfy that I felt myself falling sleep towards the last hour of the journey, but with an overnight train next, I stopped myself. In hindsight, I could have done with an hour of comfortable sleep.

Connection: 39 minutes connection in Stuttgart Hbf. I trusted the French and German operators, because if this was UK there’s not way in hell I would chanced a connection with less than an hour margin.

At the end the TGV arrived 20 minutes late, which still left me plenty of time. And in any case, the second train was 30 minutes delayed on its departure so, even more time stuck in Stuttgart station where everything was already closed. Joy!

Second Train

Operator/Train: IC 461

Origin: Stuttgart Hbf

Destination: Wien Hbf

Duration: 8h 22min (estimated)

Distance: ~534 km (notice the difference in time for about the same distance?)

Stops / Changes: 20 stops (that’s an average of around 2.5 stops every hour and I felt the pain of each and every one of them 😤

Seat Reservation: Recommended but not mandatory. I did get mine but apparently it didn’t show on their system because my seat wasn’t marked as reserved. It’s not like it mattered, the train went mostly empty at the start until Munich. There started filling up but still ok to have 2 seats for each person (at least in the 1st class carriage!). It only got busy in the last hour, I believe because the locals use it as a regular commute train for early shifts.

This was the first sleeper of the journey and I had no idea what type of seat I ended booking because there were no options. I was hoping that even if the seats were chair-like rather than bunks, that they would still be comfy like the TGVs (or the ones I’ve seen in the Caledonian Sleeper or in the Canadian when we did the section between Vancouver and Jasper). I had a first class booking so for an 8h and half journey that runs overnight I was expecting… Well, more than what I got 😅

When I first saw the train I thought it looked like a Renfe Cercania (that’s Spanish short distance trains). Ok perhaps slightly better, like the Scotrail Edinburgh to Glasgow but with two decks. The only noticeable difference between first class and regular carriages was that there were less seats by carriages, the were ever-so-lightly larger and the tables were more spacious, but that’s it. Not even reclinable seats!

If that was all, I think I would have been ok. But the worst part for me was the fact that the light were super bright and constantly on, and that due to having so many stops and those being announced by the cheerful attendant, you pretty much woke up every 30/40 minutes.

So not the best train journey by far, and I should have probably gave up on trying to sleep but I was stubborn and I managed to bag some intermittent slumber for a few hours.

I made it to Vienna (Wien) on time, and that what really matters, And yes, I was pretty knackered after trying to get some sleep curled over myself in a kind of 4-shape , but after a couple of hours resting in the hostel, I felt refreshed enough to go out and make the most of my first time in Wien!

#train travel #traveller #travelling #travel blog #travel #interrail #europe #wanderlust #train trip #paris #stuttgart #vienna #austria wien

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geographicanatomy · 8 months

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Day 2 & 3a: Paris

Last time I visited London was in 2015, the sad weekend of the Bataclan attacks. We were shocked, horrified and scared like everybody else in the city and although Paris and its inhabitants didn’t allow terror to shut them down there were thinks that we have planned to do that were not possible, and so they remained in the to-do list for many year until this time.

So Pompidou and boutique shopping, here I go! The rest has just been enjoying a city that I’ve visited enough times to find it familiar enough. And so I endeavoured myself to simply do this things I love but I usually lack the time enjoy: reading, writing, eating proper meals and even running enjoying the sights!

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geographicanatomy · 8 months

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Hi!! I saw your plan for the interrail, seems amazing! But are you planning on coming back by plane? Have a nice and safe trip! 🖤🩶

Yes, not as sustainable as the train but didn’t have that many holidays left to go the way back also by train. Also, it would be way to expensive in comparison with the price of a single flight if needed to purchase another 5 day Interrail Global Pass.

And thanks for the good wishes :)

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geographicanatomy · 8 months

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Day 1: Edinburgh - London - Paris

Not the most auspicious start, slept only two hours and a half (don’t ask >_<), struggled to book an Uber/cab to the station and by the time it arrived I was so stressed that I couldn’t even find the keys to lock the door (I had them with me on the bag I was carrying, where I had put them one minute before). So yeah, that kind of morning…

I did however arrive to the Waverley Railways Station with plenty of time and I was pleased to see that my train was scheduled to depart on time. Worth noting that’s a small miracle in UK nowadays, where trains has become the most unreliable means of transport sadly.

First Train

Operator/Train: LNER, Azuma train

Origin: Edinburgh

Destination: London Kings Cross

Duration: 4h 19min (estimated)

Distance: 533 km

Stops / Changes: direct train, 5 stops

Seat Reservation: Yes, needed.

Fun fact, my Eurorail Global pass covers 1st class carriages when available, but I’m so not used to travel posh that I forgot they feed you and bough my own breakfast. I’ll have it for lunch, for now I’m happy to let LNER to provide all the snacks and teas.

Connection: from Kings Cross to St. Pancras, a couple minutes to either cross the street or use the underground connection. Got about 1h 30min in between trains, but you need to go through all security with more than 30min before train departs, so at end it was a little less than one hour.

Second Train

Operator/Train: Eurostar

Origin: London St Pancras station

Destination: Paris Gare du Nord

Duration: 3h 28min (estimated)

Distance: 376 km

Stops / Changes: direct train, 1 stop

Seat Reservation: Yes, needed (but 1st class were all booked already :( )

Slept most of the trip. Also, that breakfast on the LNER train? Didn’t really agree with my tummy… the stress and lack of sleep probably didn’t help, but oh boy I feared I was going to have an even more disastraous start of of my trip. Was fine at the end, nothing that a drink with amazing views (from the hostel rooftop) couldn’t fix.

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geographicanatomy · 8 months

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I debated endlessly about what type of holiday I should have on the year of my 40th (fa vint anys que tinc vint anys!). I went to Lake Como in Italy for the actual dates of my birthday early in the year so that left me with a few months to plan my proper holiday.

Trekking in Tibet, Egypt (archaeology & diving) were some of my option but either time constraints, budget or the concerns about not being “that” fit at the moment put me off from those options. And then the idea of doing a train trip popped up on my mind. Travelling more sustainably has been a thought I keep pondering about considering how much I love travelling, and trains are up there on the list of sustainable methods of transportation for long distances.

And which train journey is more famous than the Orient Express? Ok, perhaps de Trans-Siberian, specially as it’s original route is still there, but anyways the idea of crossing Europe and end in Istanbul, where I haven’t been since my early twenties all of sudden was SO exciting.

And budget wise, other than the Interrail Global Pass the rest is up to oneself decision on how much you want to spend. There are certainly cheap accommodation and food options.

Logistics took a while to sort out, and my original route needed to be modified due to some train itineraries being discontinued since post-Covid, but nothing a couple of days or Internet browsing couldn’t fix.

So here we are, about to start a journey that evokes mystery, glamour and history.

Planned Route: Edinburgh -> Paris -> Vienna -> Budapest -> Bucharest -> Istanbul

Total distance: 3648 Km

Countries travelled through: 8

Ticket type: Interrail Global Pass (1st class) - 7 days travel in a month

#travel #wanderlust #traveller #travelling #travel blog #train travel #train trip #europe #interrail #orient express #orient express route #sustainability #sustainable travel #sustainable transportation

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geographicanatomy · 8 months

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It’s been a while, seven years since the last holiday posted back in 2016 when we walked the West Highland Way trail. Since then I’ve relocated to Scotland, moved twice and gone in many, many trips.

Some I would like to post about (Tanzania, Peru…) others I won’t even bother, but realistically it might not happen. Clearly it’s been proved I don’t have have the best track record on my blogging endeavours or social media in general.

But let’s turn a page and have a fresh start, and hopefully I’ll manage to get back to my original intention of having this blog as some kind travel diary.

#travel #wanderlust #adventure #travel blog #travelling #traveller

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geographicanatomy · 5 years

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West Highland Way - April 2017

Map of the route we planned to do, even though I needed to leave at Bridge of Orchy, next time!

#long distance trails #hiking #hiker #hill walking #whw #west highland way #balmaha #loch lomond #crianlarich #tyndrum #bridge of orchy #scotland #wanderlust #wanderer

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geographicanatomy · 5 years

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West Highland Way - April 2017

Partial route: from Balmaha to Bridge of Orchy

#long distance trails #hiking #hiker #hill walking #whw #west highland way #balmaha #loch lomond #crianlarich #tyndrum #bridge of orchy #highlands #scotland #wanderlust

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geographicanatomy · 7 years

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Croydon, April 2016. Apparently it is true that there's a Bible in every hotel room, or at least the Jurys Inn London Croydon does. Also, best thing of being away for work: breakfast buffet!

#worktrip #training #pyqgis #croydon #london #hotels #jurys inn #abovemyusualbudget #travel #work

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geographicanatomy · 8 years

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Berlin, March 2016: a birthday to remember!

#Berlin #Germany #cities #travel #traveller #travelling with friends #wanderlust #food #drinls #streetart #street art #urban art #graffiti

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geographicanatomy · 8 years

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Barcelona, Christmas time 2015.

My city, my love. The city of sun and light, where my heart lies and where I always come back on my dreams.

#Barcelona #home #sun #light #bluesky #street art #streeart #graffiti #urban art #cities #catalonia #catalunya

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geographicanatomy · 8 years

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Paris, November 2015. #JeSuisParis

We were there,arriving just that night, shocked and scared but Paris and its people never gave up, so we didn’t either.

#Paris #traveller #Wanderlust #wanderlustcartography iTravel #travel #france #moulin rouge #montmartre #notredamdeparis

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geographicanatomy · 8 years

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Puigmal (2909 meter), a la Vall de Nuria -Queralb - catalan Pyrenees , Catalonia.

#Puigmal #pirineus #pyrenees #hiking #girona #catalonia #catalunya #bluesky #under the sun #nuria #vall de nuria #queralbs #Er

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geographicanatomy · 8 years

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Barcelona, summer 2015

#barcelona #poblenou #platja #platges #marbella #la rambla del Poblenou #el tio che #canelons #streeart #graffiti #parc del Poblenou

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geographicanatomy · 8 years

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Walking The Wall - day 6bis/7: There and Back Again o Historia de una Ida y una Vuelta.

#walking the wall #hadrian's wall #bowness-on-solway #England #coast to coast #walking #trekking

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geographicanatomy · 8 years

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Walking The Wall - day 6: Carlisle to Bowness-on-Solway. Last day!!! And quite exciting whit the change of scenery, the smell of the, nice pubs, and finally, finally! After a long trekk that seemed to never end we reached the beautiful village of Bowness-on-Solway. Just in time for one of use to get the bus back to Carlisle. For the rest of the group, never a bunkhouse on a community center felt so god! Also food in The Kings Arms Inn was delicious.

#walking the wall #hadrian's wall #trekking #travel #wanderlust #hadrian's wall path #England #coast to coast #walking #carlisle #Bowness-on-Solway #Cumbria #good pubs #pubs

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geographicanatomy · 8 years

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Walking The Wall - day 5: Walton to Carlisle. Nearly done! An unexciting day but at least we had nice weather. And after arriving to Carlisle and visiting the cathedral and the castle, we went for a well deserved dinner!

#walking the wall #hadrian's wall #trekking #travel #wanderlust #hadrian's wall path #England #coast to coast #Walton #Carlisle #walking

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