Category Train Travel
My Iconic Travel Moments – 2011 to 2019 (#5) – A Journey To Georgia
Number 5 – Train to Georgia You may well know by now that I love an overnight train journey – throw in a dining car with fabulous views too and I am completely bowled over! In 2015 I travelled to Georgia from Istanbul, taking a train to the edge of the Kurdish region of Turkey […]
European Train Tour #1 – Spain
Europe is a wonderful continent. Culturally & geographically diverse and incredibly easy to navigate from the Arctic to the Mediterranean or even the Atlantic to the Pacific. The best way to explore the region is by train with a vast network of train tracks criss-crossing the continent, connecting amazing cities and countries. Arm yourself with […]
Tuesday Train – Narita in Japan
Mention Japanese trains and most people will immediately think of high speed Shinkansen/bullet trains. However there is also a vast network of suburban trains, slower inter-city versions & street cars throughout the nation. We stayed at Narita Town before our flight home and I captured the airport train below framed by vivid cherry blossom this […]
Travelling By Train Across The Balkans
My train travel book is available from Amazon. Travelling By Train Across The Balkans chronicles my trips over the past twenty years or so in the intoxicating region. It features train travel in Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Northern Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and European Turkey. The Balkan Peninsula conjures up images […]
Tuesday Train – Tirana to Durres in Albania
In 2007 there were a few functioning train journeys in Albania. I did a couple including the one from the capital to the coastal city of Durres. Sadly nowadays trains in Albania are either not running or extremely limited. On my last visit in 2017 there were none. The going was extremely slow – an […]
Tuesday Train – The Afrosiyob, Bukhara, Uzbekistan
The Afrosiyob is a wonderful name for a train. It derives its name from Afrosiyab which was an ancient site in Northern Samarkand, present day Uzbekistan, that was occupied from c. 500 BC to 1220 AD prior to the Mongol invasion in the 13th century. I travelled on it between Bukhara and mythical Samarkand in 2018. […]
Tuesday Train – The Maglev, Shanghai
It has been a long held ambition of mine to take the world’s first commercial Maglev train from Shanghai Airport to Longyang Road Station in the centre of the city. A chance recently presented itself when we flew via the vibrant Chinese metropolis to and from Tokyo. A top speed of 430k/mh, though slightly disappointing […]
Late Running Tuesday Trains – Japan
I am just back from the land of the rising sun. It was a magical trip where we saw Fuji San and experienced Sakura (cherry blossoms). Here are some pictures combining trains with blossom. And here is Fuji San taken from the train.
Tuesday Train – Iron Ore Train in Narvik, Norway
Millions of tonnes of iron ore are exported every year from Sweden via Norway. The reason? Sweden’s Baltic coastline freezes in Winter and therefore the ice-free Norwegian port on the North Sea is vital to continue trade. Each laden train can weigh up to a staggering 8,600 tonnes with the lore-class locomotives pulling 68 trucks. […]
Tuesday Train – Kosovo
This picture is taken in 2017 at Hani I Elezit at the end of the then only operating train in Kosovo from Pristina close to the border with North Macedonia. You can read about my time in Pristina and the train journey I undertook at this link. If this whets your appetite, you can read […]
