We're big fans of motorhomes, but there's another way of travelling that we also really like: by train. We tell you why we like travelling by train and recall three different train journeys we've made.
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Why travel by train?
- You get to see and experience everything along the way - how nature changes and all the cities you pass by.
- It is comfortable and relaxing, and gives you time to talk, read, listen to music, play games and just be ...
- You meet new people, hear their travel stories and sometimes make new friends!
Train journey 1: Moscow - Beijing 2006
Trans-Siberian railway is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! For seven days you'll chug through the vast Russian landscape, and if you choose the Trans-Mongolian route, Mongolia and China as well.
On the journey you see forgotten cities of millions, babushkas selling dried fish on the platforms and endless houses in the colour turquoise. Here we met a group of Norwegian oil platform workers, among others, and then accompanied them to the Great Wall of China.
Train journey 2: Nairobi - Mombasa, Kenya, 2007
The journey through Kenya goes through a beautiful green landscape, where you are forced to realise how poor many people live. The children run after the train hoping that the travellers will throw something out of the windows... anything.
On this train, in the restaurant car, we met a Dutch couple who became our friends for years to come. Together with them we continued (under dramatic conditions) to Tanzania, and later they visited us in Stockholm.
Train Trip 3: Odessa - Simferopol, Ukraine, 2008
Between Odessa on the Black Sea and Simferopol on the Crimean peninsula there is a train line. If you then want to continue to the holiday resort of Yalta, you take the world's longest trolleybus line. We travelled to Ukraine for a sun and bathing holiday on the Crimean peninsula (which now belongs to Russia, after very strange circumstances). If you don't know Russian, charades are the order of the day in this part of the world, but it just made life and the train journey a little more interesting ...
Read more: 12 train journeys in Europe to dream about
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Fantasy holidays / Sofia says:
Wow, thanks for both the link and lots of train inspiration! Must immediately write down no. 2 and 3 on my fantasy travel list.
09 November 2014 - 17:03
BP says:
You have really travelled a lot and seen so much. And there will be more to come.
I understand your reasoning about train journeys. However, I think they take far too long and you are "imprisoned" in a compartment. Not to mention the toilets/showers on the Trans-Siberian railway (a colleague travelled with it and told me). Pretty much the same as a cruise on a boat. I would like to arrive in the fastest possible way and then experience everything at the destination.
09 November 2014 - 18:48
admin says:
Sofia, thank you, I was so inspired when I read your post!
🙂
BP, hehe, I understand what you mean... but often I think there is more than ONE destination. When we travelled on the Trans-Siberian, we got off several times along the way, and those were also destinations... but of course it's important to find how you like to travel best!
🙂
09 November 2014 - 18:57
Snows says:
I agree with BP, the last time I travelled by train was from Gothenburg to Malmö. My flight landed at Landvetter and I was going home. Just so slow...
09 November 2014 - 19:43
FANTASYDINING-A blog about themed restaurants and travel says:
We are travelling by train to Stockholm on Wed. Does not count, of course, but for me who always flies, it will be a fun thing to go by train.
09 November 2014 - 20:43
Åsa says:
The restaurant car looked okay. I know a person who has travelled on the Transylvanian and says that he would not have survived if he had not had a ring of falukorv with him. You should not believe everything you hear!
Everything was grey if you looked out the window according to the same person - he must have missed the beautiful turquoise colour of the station houses, or they were not painted in that colour then... it could easily have been 25-30 years ago!
I went on a train journey alone at the age of 17. In retrospect, as an adult and mother of two little girls, I think it was insanely presumptuous and irresponsible of my parents to let me go as a single girl to Europe. I told them that too! (I was lucky to survive with only a few scares in a couple of places!)
09 November 2014 - 20:57
Ditte says:
I sometimes enjoy train journeys. I belong to the generation that travelled by train a lot in the 60's and 70's, all over Europe, and I could handle the fact that the comfort was not the best. On my list is the Trans-Siberian from Beijing to Moscow. In addition, later in life I have travelled by train in China and the most amazing trip was from Beijing to Lahsa. I still like trains, but now in retirement I like to combine planes and trains. Great fun to read about your train journeys and I have made notes in my travel book.
09 November 2014 - 22:24
Alexandra says:
I understand the attraction of trains! You get to see a lot and at the same time you can relax in a different way than when you have to drive yourself. But when you get hugely travel sick and feel bad for several days afterwards as I do, it actually does not feel so attractive 😉
09 November 2014 - 23:28
admin says:
Znogge, it's a bit different when you just want to get there... I know what you mean!
FantasyDining, travelling by train in Sweden may not be insanely exciting, but it can be quite comfortable and convenient on some routes!
Åsa, the restaurant car was just fine! It was not luxurious food, but rather simple, but absolutely ok! Interesting what you say about your train journey. I do not think you are completely alone in that ... feels like you dared a little more in the past in some way. In addition, the distances were in a way longer, ie it was not at all as easy to call and text and email!!!!
Ditte, that trip to Lhasa just seems soooo fascinating!
Alexandra, oh no, motion sickness is not fun to get...
10 November 2014 - 0:41
Mary of Rövarhamn says:
I agree with that. We travelled by train in Sri Lanka. Highly recommended. http://symary.com/2013/04/01/tag-pa-hog-hojd/ /Linda
10 November 2014 - 1:36
admin says:
Mary of Rövarhamn, wonderfully described train experience!
10 November 2014 - 8:47
Annika says:
I almost always enjoy travelling by train. It's quiet, it's nice and it feels so peaceful. If I could go to Sweden by train, I would do it 🙂 .
Usually take the train to NYC, best way to travel there, I think.
10 November 2014 - 16:46
admin says:
Annika, haha, a train to Sweden would be something...!
😉
10 November 2014 - 21:07
Renate's travels says:
What cool train experiences you have had! I also love travelling by train, I think it must be my favourite form of transport. The Trans-Mongolian railway is absolutely amazing. It was a special experience to take the train in Burma as well, my goodness it jumped and bounced on the rails! I felt like I was being thrown around for many, many hours, haha.
14 November 2014 - 0:05