I was pleasantly surprised when this arrived through the letterbox today. It only comes out once every six months and I'd forgotten I'd ordered it in advance when I bought last winter's edition.
It's the prelude to a summer of travel throughout Europe. From Aachen to Zywiec via Johanngeorgenstadt and Unterammargau (which the footnote tells me is 4 to 7 minutes away from its better-known almost namesake) or Bacharach to Ybbs an der Donau (or even Ystradgynlais, which is in Wales). There are timetables for all the main lines and most of the minor ones as well as maps, details of Interrail and other passes and information on currencies, local holidays and time zones. Everything a traveller needs.
And it's not just trains. There are timetables for the North Sea ferry network (now much depleted following the Channel Tunnel and the rise of low-cost airlines).
Whilst the "beyond Europe" section gives you the train times for Tokyo to Matsumoto, Shanghai to Wuhan and Addis Abeba to Dijbouti on the "Chemins de Fer Dijbouti Ethiopien" railway.
I'll no doubt be spending hours planning journeys to my favourite European places as well as places I haven't been to yet. Unfortunately, personal circumstances dictate that the only likely journey I will actually be making this year is the one on Table 2035 : Heysham to the Isle of Man!
Oh well, at least I can dream!
2 comments:
Considering that I was employed by an airline for over a decade, I haven't flown for a good 7 years. My last big European trips were all by train - but the last of them was in 2015.
I've never been to the Isle of Man, but one day I want to see its railways and tramways. It'll probably remain a dream for this year at least...
Ive only flown three times, although one of those was in a Dan-Air Comet! Flying was once memorably described (although I can't remember by who) as "long periods of tedium interspersed by brief episodes of terror" and I've always subscribed to that view.
Post a Comment