Without question one the most enjoyable 37mins and 46secs I have ever spent on TH-cam. Thank you, Great commentary and anecdotes and a great journey. I am already planning our next European rail journey which I suspect will involve France, Belgium, Germany and Italy.
When I saw the opening line on your comment I went, hmmm!. But being a keen traveler watched out of curiosity. I can only echo your sentiments. Absolutely marvelous, beguiling with added element of an excellent musical accompaniment and fascination as to how far you could travel in the time. Looks like the challenge is out to break 2000 km. Is that even possible. Thank you Turtle. You have a fan.
Excellent video! I guessed at first that it would be either Rome or Krakow. To go that far past Rome blew my mind! :) Thanks for the great video. Might have to try it myself one day.
@@travelling_turtle Also, would like to see your attempt one day at the recent challenge I did in Germany, trying to cross the entire country just on regional trains in 24 hours. I posted it on my channel, but spoiler alert, Deutsche Bahn delays got me. I would be interested to see your own take on that challenge on this channel!
You must have put a huge amount of work into making this excellent idea look as easy and relaxing as a trip on the Orient Express...not that I've been on it! Thank you! The maps dropped in regularly were very helpful and added to the journey, music was great as well. Your commentary is just great.
Agree with much of what you say except the last comment. Narrator's voice is far too monotonic and some place-name pronunciations leave a lot to be desired.
A superb example of TH-cam travel videos. You have made it clear that wonderful travel opportunities in Europe are available to all including those who are disabled. Love your musical tastes. Thank you.
This was an absolutely brilliant video....firstly for the degree of planning 👏 secondly for how you edited and narrated it. What a stunning achievement!
For our 25th Wedding Anniversary in 2019, my wife and I decided we'd take a 3 week train tour in Europe using Interrail passes. Travelling from Nottingham we stayed in Bruges, Utrecht, Hamburg, Berlin, Plzen and Frankfurt before making out way back to England. Such an amazing trip visiting many beautiful places. Wished we'd VLOG'd it.
Give that man his own series! Honestly, that was such a good video - I loved being able to go on the adventure with you and turtle. It brought back fond memories of my cycle around Lake Constance/Bodensee, which was my first experience of using the fantastic Swiss express trains and of not knowing which language I should speak!
Not sure how I discovered you, but so glad I did. One of the most relaxing, interesting and absolutely enjoyable videos I've ever seen on the TH-cams. Thank you.
Ace video and fantastic journey. When I went skiing in Italy in February I went by train in 27hrs. Bristol Parkway to Paddington tube to St Pancreas. Then Eurostar to Brussels. Ice to Frankfurt then Ice to Munich and finally the night jet to Venice. Left Bristol at 05:45 and arrived in Venice at 08:30 and loved every minute of it way way better than flying. Love trains
You took me on a sensational one day journey from the heart of London to the toe of Italy. I'm going to watch your video over and over again. Your commentary held my interest throughout. Your videoing likewise. Your research laid the very foundation for a brilliant display of cinematography. I must say that your choice of musical backing was a massive standout as well. I guess I'm saying that I thoroughly enjoyed what you presented. Finally, thank you very, very much!
I am so happy I discovered your channel. These 38 minutes are filled to the brim with trains, geography, history and is very nicely put together and narrated. I will say though, that I got so jealous when you mentioned, that you had travelled to southern Italy without diesel engines at all, while the 2nd largest city in my country doesn't even have electric power lines.
Thank you very much - so glad you enjoyed it. If it’s any consolation, Britain has only really got round to electrifying to many of its major cities in the last couple of decades too…
Wow, I saw your story on the BBC but I did not expect such an epic journey into the heartlands of European history and soul! Thank you for sharing this unique trip!
I wanted to write down just how much I have enjoyed this and the bus video i stumbled across today. Love the content, well presented/edited, fantastic commentary (in terms of well-educated insights, interesting turn of phrase and clear voice!), love the little turtle that comes with you, I adore your impeccable taste in classical music! Hope theres more stuff like this to come in the future.
Can't agree more with Gary H. Sipping my coffee, I was transfixed as you made your way through Europe. The whole film was beautifully described and the combination of the music and history somehow squeezed 24hrs into 37 mins perfectly. Having done about 1/2 of those routes, it was particularly interesting to watch and I now can't wait to plan my next trip. Thank you
I worked on the buses for over 40 years.. this video was great to watch.. I was a bus driving instructor before moving back to Torquay. I work for a great company now, but I miss london
What a superb video (and adventure), just like all your vlogs have been to date. Your commentary is spot on, with a great use of video and with complimentary music. I genuinely cannot wait for your next upload
I pretty much *did* this exact trip in July 2019. It took me several weeks however! The furthest South I got was Paestum. Also there was a quick detour to Venice! Thanks for a delightful video and for jogging my memories of a wonderful trip! Italy and Switzerland are both such beautiful places.
A real gem. Great little video; great photography, some interesting facts and some nice music used sparingly. I look forward to seeing some more from the Travelling Turtle.
That was a frankly astounding and surprising jaunt! Very well done on the journey, and entertaining us with facts and thoughts on it. You inspired me to look up how long it would take to get to Morocco, i.e. outside Europe and into Africa, and it would take about 2 days, depending on how deep I want to go. How absolutely fascinating. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
I can live with the pronunciation challenges of such an InterRail adventure, for the 37 mins and 46 secs musical and visual accompaniment to my day. I'm now a Turtle subscriber, living in hope of taking our pigeon pair on a European rail adventure (Italy is our objective too) when 20+ hours on the rails will both facilitate a relaxing family break and not involve stir crazy young people squabbling as they do from time to time. For now, I have to settle for leading by example in not flying to our Belgian, German and French operating locations and planning a summer petrol/electric plug-in (true) hybrid adventure to the French Med coast with our soon to be 13 and 10 year olds, over three days out and two days back! An absolutely fabulous composition, particularly the music selection to match the scenery along the way. Thanks Turtle!
That was exhausting and i was only watching! Many congratulations on a superb production just crammed full of facts, only a Brit could have the love of history/geography/topography/language/photography/timeliness/mechanics so thank you for sharing with us!
Don't let this distract you from the fact that the longest uninterrupted passenger train journey in the world is between Moscow and Pyongyang. We are honored to have this title.
Your countries have so much in common. Future of economy, forms of government, friends in the world, similar human rights. Enjoy your friendship Moscow and Pyongyang.
I'm going to steal a thought from Karl Pilkington and ask what's so great about the longest train ride in the world? Nobody cheers about having the longest health care wait in the world, or the longest bread line in the world, although Russia and North Korea could probably make the top two in both cases. Having the longest train journey in the world means you need faster trains.
I’m very late to the party but have absolutely loved your travels! My bucket list of places has grown immensely! I’d go as far to say these are a more enjoyable watch than what’s on mainstream tv! Great commentary and a spot on soundtrack.
Thank you sir (and turtle!) for the most interesting and inspiring video I have watched in a long time. Superb commentary, great challenge and pleasant music. Looking forward to your next rail journey!
Another stunning travelogue with lots of conversational trivia that will come in useful in some pub quiz. Much of it traversed some of my favourite geography, it is some 40-50 years since we camped at Bellinzona and on the Swiss-Italian lakes.
My largest trip in less than 24h is Florence - Milano - Paris - Rotterdam with a sleepover in Milano. Total train distance of about 1600Km as following: Firenze Santa Maria Novella - Milano Centale 20:25 - 22:20 - 2:05' Milano Porta Garibaldi - Paris Gare de Lyon 6:00 - 13:12 - 7:12' Paris Gare du Nord - Rotterdam Central 16:25 - 19:02 - 2:37' Total journey time in trains 11:54' over 22:37'
I really enjoyed this. Last weekend I purchased a one month first class Interrail Pass. I have eleven months left in which to use it. It was a bargain at 50% off the regular price. I only hope I can find the time to use it. I was thinking of going to Narvik in the Arctic Circle, Norway then back to Sweden and then by ferry to Estonia on to Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and from there I have no idea yet. A lot of planning and seat and sleeper reservations to do. If anyone has any suggestions beyond Poland please let me know. I've subscribed to your channel. Love this stuff.
Having lived in the country for a while (2008 to 2016) I would say its how countries SHOULD do public transport ( its not perfect but pretty damn close) Things I liked - people can correct any errors as these things may have changed after 2016 no ticket barriers at stations, you actually have ticket inspectors on trains. I think the barriers make me feel like a criminal for some reason integrated modes of buses and trains pricing that was logical - going from a to b as a return journey is twice the price of a single very good value travel discount card if youre a resident allowing half price travel - not sure if tourists can get such a good deal trains were generally clean, punctual and modern bus stops having LED displays and a punctual service - i think thats mainly down to the fact that you do NOT buy tickets on the bus and must buy before. the driver is there to drive the bus and not mess around with money I cannot comment about lake travel or trams as I rarely used them
This was such a fun and entertaining video to watch. New subscriber here. Really motivated me to travel more in Europe by train. Amazing how far you can go in 24hrs.
"These trains don't go anywhere near any Romansh-speaking lands" actually, the route between Zurich and Milan DOES briefly go through the Surselva Region administrative district, which is within the canton of Grisons where Romansh is spoken. Based on data, Romansh is still spoken in Surselva. That aside, my hat's off to you, you dared to do something many wouldn't have the patience for. You came, you saw, you conquered. But further teaching that it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. The people and things you see along the way, and this journey was surely full of them
"Based on data, Romansh is still spoken in Surselva." And if you're there (like me right now), you will find that the data isn't lying, and that the local idiom of Sursilvan is still alive and well, i.e. spoken by every generation of locals. This is one of the areas where Romansh is still in a good state with a healthy amount of speakers, which can't be said for everywhere this language is spoken.
I followed your journey live on Twitter but this video is really interesting and amazing, thanks for putting this up and good for me I finally got here. I'll definitely check your #bus24 video as well, and whatever else you've done apart from these. :) Thanks and great stuff!
A great video I loved it. The furthest we did was in 2015 when we went to Europe by train which is the most civilised and relaxing way to travel. In one day we travelled from St Pancras to Gare Du More, then on the metro to Gare Du Est I think. On the TGV to Zurich and then to Chur. We also went on the Bernina express then Milan to to Naples and then Salerno. With London now being connect via rail it is amazing there aren't sleeper trains from St Pancras. I must admit I don't like plane travel at all, the whole experience of suspicion at the airport and being hurded like school children is so uncivilized even if necessary. Perhaps the golden age of rail travel need reinventing.
There was a plan to run Nightstar sleeper services from St. Pancras to mainland Europe. Obviously it never happened, and the coaches bought for the service were sold to Canada.
Interesting concept. A out a month ago, I did a list of stations that I had stopped at in a continuous line, although on different occasions. I counted 48 from Hamburg to Ostuni on Puglia. Several doglegs and not the most direct route. Where I coincide with you is Zug to Fluelen as I went through the old tunnel. Will now try to schedule it
What a positively delightful trip. It blows my mind that, if planned correctly, you can go from one side of the continent to another in just 24 hours. Also, great choice of destination! I'd say Italy's always a win.
Thank you for this wonderful video - I am a staunch convert to the rail cause - I haven't boarded a plane for more than ten years. I yearn for a European future in which all major population centres across our continent are connected by true high speed (250km/h or greater) lines, negating the commercial demand for short-haul airborne intra-European transport services (some major island archipelagos being obvious exceptions to that rule). Colourful and poignant use of metaphors in your narrative add greatly to the general ambience - thanks to Covid-19 it's been a while since I was on a high-speed service, hurtling southwards towards the sun but this account has stirred fond memories!
As long as you can fly airlines like Ryanair around Europe for such cheap prices, people would still choose to fly even if some magic new technology allowed trains to travel at speeds faster than any jet airliner. Unless you do what France did and ban some flights completly.
@@jfwfreo & @skyblaze eterno France only started restricting short haul air travel from April 2022 and the "ban" you refer to only affects a relatively small number of routes where a train equivalent of less than 2.5 hours travel duration is available. I specifically used the phrase "negating the commercial demand for short-haul airborne intra-European transport services" in my original comment for a particular reason. That reason is the current circumstance in which a "free market" for intra-European travel operates - a market that remains skewed (deliberately?) in favour of Airlines. In short, budget airlines are subsidised by European State actors (National and sub-National) - financial advantages that provide significant commercial assistance and allow said Airlines to offer the "cheap" fares you have referenced. Aviation fuel is NOT taxed and budget Airlines often receive financial kickbacks from various authorities based on a notion that such services boost overall economic activity. Budget airlines effectively freeload on the back of such subsidies whilst avoiding paying anything towards the ecological damage their services inflict daily. In the UK it's estimated that 15% of climate warming is driven by the impact of air travel and the claim that budget air travel is egalitarian, ie. it allows poorer people to benefit from cheap fares, doesn't stand up either - approx 70% of all air travel is undertaken by just 15% of the population. My statement was largely based on a what if scenario - that circumstance being a future Europe where true High Speed (250km/h or greater) lines linked up more or less every large population centre across Europe - in that scenario, consumers would vote with their custom and put the budget airlines out of business - there are ZERO flights between Brussels and Paris, why bother when it's quicker to travel between the two cities by High Speed Train and let's not forget the commercial fate of both AirInter and its (state subsidised) successor, AirLittoral (short haul airline operators in France) - both went bust precisely because High Speed TGVs undermined their basic business model. To put it bluntly IF European Govts. got their act together and actually collaborated (in a meaningful fashion) on a long term (we're talking 30 years here) strategic transport policy aimed at constructing a comprehensive intra-European High Speed Lines network and implementing associated train services AND stopped ALL State subsidies to the Airline industries across the board, companies such as EasyJet, RyanAir, Jet2 and their ilk wouldn't last very long - the free market you seem to be extolling the virtues of would see to that!
@@peterdavidson3268 I wasn't aware that the likes of Ryanair receive such subsidies. As a believer in the free market, I do not think subsidies (or any other advantages) should be provided to any form of transport (rail, airplane, bus, ferry or otherwise) unless it is being used to provide service to a location that otherwise would get no service at all.
@@jfwfreo And you thought I was being naive! Doubtless if challenged subsidies would be justified on precisely that basis but in reality these behind the scenes 'bungs' contribute to the commercial equation enabling budget airlines to offer fares undermining the case for high speed rail alternatives. To travel from Lille Europe to Marseille-St-Charles on a direct TGV takes 4 hrs 46mins, a distance of nearly 1000km - a regular daily service leaves Lille Europe at 14:03 and arrives on the Mediterranean coast at 18:49 packed with fare paying passengers. An equivalent distance UK journey by rail; Aberdeen to Exeter St Davids, takes about 10 hrs - virtually no one considers it a viable method of travel between the two locations so they automatically board a short haul aircraft. IF, from the period of Harold Wilson's "white heat of technology" referenced in the excellent narrative of this TH-cam video onward, successive UK Govts. had been prescient enough to pursue a transport policy of modernising and upgrading the UK's relatively backward rail network to reach the same level as our European mainland neighbours, such UK journeys would be entirely viable today but they didn't - probably because it was a "politically" difficult option to follow - today we live with the consequences of taking that easy route (please excuse the pun)!
This is fantastic. I really appreciate the amount of research that you put into this, your writing, sense of adventure, and the soundtrack you chose. Thank you for this delightful history lesson.
This is a spectacular idea. I live in the US and I think there are too few train departures/routes for this idea to be interesting enough. Also in Europe you can buy an Interrail pass, let's say the shortest one which is for 4 days, if it fails once you can go back and try it a few days later again, not losing too much. And nice video!
Incredibile video and planning! A pleasant surprise to see you travel trough Italy! I see you like history, here's a fun fact: you mentioned Reggio Calabria being the capital of Calabria... well it isn't. It was moved to Catanzaro in 1971. This caused an insurrection in Reggio and the army had to be deployed in order to quell the riots. Very weird things happened in those days, in typical 1970s Italy fashion: neofascists, mafiosi, masons, american secret services were all involved in the riots, some terrorists even put a bomb on a train (see: Gioia Tauro massacre)...
Amazing video! The concept is simple yet engrossing, your commentary provides interesting cultural context and the music adds a lot to the journey. Just two small suggestions: - such an interesting video would have deserved to be shot in higher definition! - your voice isn't loud enough as compared to the music and background noise. But these are small issues, keep up the good work!
Excellent stuff. I've just completed my own challenge training round France on a 6 day Eurail SNCF pass without resorting to TGV! The Digital Pass couldn't connect to the internet for 2 days resulting in some diffcult discussions with ticket inspectors but otherwise a brilliant endeavour! Look forward to your next challenge.. Long live train travel!
Sounds a great challenge - I wish French regional trains were a bit more frequent, but so many of the routes are gorgeous. I had a lot of problems with the Interail app too - ended up taking lots of screenshots of the QR codes when it was working and hoping conductors would be happy to scan those - which they mainly were!
Thank you for your trip report. It captured a spirit of adventure that was captivating to watch. The editing was great and the soundtrack matched the grandeur of the trip. If I were to be pernickety then I would add the small point of constructive criticism that you could have added further commentary and insight from the turtle on this journey. What were his high or perhaps low-lights?
Glad you enjoyed it so much - thank you. Very hard to get Turtle to provide commentary, due to difficulties in subtitling, but his lowlight was the Channel Tunnel (unnatural!) and highlight was arriving at the beach. Felt in his natural environment then.
Wonderful video. Very entertaining, beautiful scripted and delivered and so much content packed into 23h59m15s. The Mrs. Turtle shots are always amusing and the music adds a wonderful sense of energy and motion.
At that point you would be so far around the globe that you would be getting closer to London. Quantas is planning on rolling out a direct London to Sydney flight in a few years that only(!) takes just over 20 hours!
At that point it's almost worth aiming for a Circumnavigation run - even though there aren't nearly as much history at airports than there often is at railway stations.
I say, what a wizzard idea!, and beautifully executed! Did some of the sectors myself as a train addict and long-distance communter over the last four decades, although I am getting more and more disillusioned with the reliability of my native German railways (that once used to be highly dependable as regards keeping schedules). Best regards from the German side of the Rhine near Strasbourg (actually another railway centre).
Fantastic video ! Thank you. Poetic, evocative and informative. Two of my best holidays were inter-railing in the late 80s/early 90s - one trip to Italy, the other to Spain & Portugal, wonderful times.
Wow, this was fab! I bought my Interrail 3 month First Class in the half price sale for £521! I just cannot wait to see Switzerland, it just looks beyond beautiful. The big question how to get these required reservations sorted in France, Spain, Italy... How can you get airline seats and forward facing etc across all these countries rail companies? There will be a huge amount of Brits using Interrail after this big sale. So a video on that from you would be wonderful if possible or just some info in another European challenge. Congrats on a great idea, superb execution and the resulting positive press and views it has received. 👍
Enjoy the pass! Incredible bargains in that sale. Getting reservations is the slightly annoying downside of Interailing these days. Best I can do probably is point you to Seat 61’s comprehensive page on using the pass and getting reservations where necessary www.seat61.com/how-to-use-an-interrail-pass.htm
Found this after watching your bus video, and its now made me want to travel via train to Berlin for a holiday I've been planning instead of taking the plane. Seems like it could be a fun time. All I can say is thanks for opening my eyes.
A superb video, superb. As a musician, I compliment you on your choice of music. I have never come across you before, but I have certainly subscribed. So soulful. Oh Bravo!
Another superbly constructed video. I watched the journey by bus to Paris yesterday. It’s very inspiring. Thank you so much. And a very good soundtrack too. I waiting for my copy of Highways and Byways of Normandy by Percy Dearmer to be delivered after seeing you consult it. I often find these older guides to provide more insights than modern publications. I’m currently following an 1871 John O’Groats to Lands end account by RA and JA Naylor. By car I hasten to add. And not in a continuous journey but in chunks. Dearmer looks unlike a priest in the few photos available. He looks quite contemporary and has a fantastic presence.
that was a wonderful video, so glad you made it through Milano, I was conceived there in March 1967 but my mum came back to give birth on the NHS in her hometown of Newcastle. I was almost Italian!
Wonderful and certainly a somewhat exhausting journey so without a day's rest! Being born in Palermo but living in Germany, I was expecting the crossing of course, but I hope that one day I will be able to travel from Palermo to St. Pancras by train as well, to visit London for the first time! Thank you for the beautiful report!
Without question one the most enjoyable 37mins and 46secs I have ever spent on TH-cam. Thank you, Great commentary and anecdotes and a great journey. I am already planning our next European rail journey which I suspect will involve France, Belgium, Germany and Italy.
Thank you very much!
What Gary said, plus great music. I too am now looking up interrail and sleeper options.
I heartily agree...laying here in SE Alaska but a Londoner at heart!
When I saw the opening line on your comment I went, hmmm!. But being a keen traveler watched out of curiosity. I can only echo your sentiments. Absolutely marvelous, beguiling with added element of an excellent musical accompaniment and fascination as to how far you could travel in the time. Looks like the challenge is out to break 2000 km. Is that even possible. Thank you Turtle. You have a fan.
Totally agree, a very welcome discovery!
Excellent video! I guessed at first that it would be either Rome or Krakow. To go that far past Rome blew my mind! :) Thanks for the great video. Might have to try it myself one day.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed. I believe timetable changes mean you can now get a couple of km further from St Pancras now (but on the same train…).
@@travelling_turtle Also, would like to see your attempt one day at the recent challenge I did in Germany, trying to cross the entire country just on regional trains in 24 hours. I posted it on my channel, but spoiler alert, Deutsche Bahn delays got me. I would be interested to see your own take on that challenge on this channel!
@@thornton Keep your eyes peeled for something along just those lines!
@@travelling_turtle ahah that's amazing, I will eagerly await it.
You must have put a huge amount of work into making this excellent idea look as easy and relaxing as a trip on the Orient Express...not that I've been on it! Thank you! The maps dropped in regularly were very helpful and added to the journey, music was great as well. Your commentary is just great.
Agree with much of what you say except the last comment. Narrator's voice is far too monotonic and some place-name pronunciations leave a lot to be desired.
A superb example of TH-cam travel videos. You have made it clear that wonderful travel opportunities in Europe are available to all including those who are disabled. Love your musical tastes. Thank you.
"24 Hours from St Pancras - How far can you get by train from London in a day?" At one time as far a Bedford on a knackered class 127 DMU.
This was an absolutely brilliant video....firstly for the degree of planning 👏 secondly for how you edited and narrated it. What a stunning achievement!
Thank you!
An outstanding piece of work.
The highest production values enhance the well chosen and presented content.
Many thanks.
Thank you so much!
For our 25th Wedding Anniversary in 2019, my wife and I decided we'd take a 3 week train tour in Europe using Interrail passes. Travelling from Nottingham we stayed in Bruges, Utrecht, Hamburg, Berlin, Plzen and Frankfurt before making out way back to England. Such an amazing trip visiting many beautiful places. Wished we'd VLOG'd it.
Give that man his own series! Honestly, that was such a good video - I loved being able to go on the adventure with you and turtle. It brought back fond memories of my cycle around Lake Constance/Bodensee, which was my first experience of using the fantastic Swiss express trains and of not knowing which language I should speak!
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed!
Not sure how I discovered you, but so glad I did. One of the most relaxing, interesting and absolutely enjoyable videos I've ever seen on the TH-cams. Thank you.
Thank you so much!
Ace video and fantastic journey. When I went skiing in Italy in February I went by train in 27hrs. Bristol Parkway to Paddington tube to St Pancreas. Then Eurostar to Brussels. Ice to Frankfurt then Ice to Munich and finally the night jet to Venice. Left Bristol at 05:45 and arrived in Venice at 08:30 and loved every minute of it way way better than flying. Love trains
You took me on a sensational one day journey from the heart of London to the toe of Italy. I'm going to watch your video
over and over again. Your commentary held my interest throughout. Your videoing likewise. Your research laid the very
foundation for a brilliant display of cinematography. I must say that your choice of musical backing was a massive
standout as well. I guess I'm saying that I thoroughly enjoyed what you presented. Finally, thank you very, very much!
That’s really kind, thank you!
What a terrific little film. Reminded me fondly of interrailing through Greece and Italy back in 1982 sleeping in train corridors.
This video really makes you appreciate what an incredible continent we call home and how proud we are to call ourselves European. Vive l'Europe! 🇪🇺
The most immersive and enjoyable TH-cam experience I've had in a long time. Excellent work!
Thank you!
I love most of the chosen music as well!
I am so happy I discovered your channel. These 38 minutes are filled to the brim with trains, geography, history and is very nicely put together and narrated.
I will say though, that I got so jealous when you mentioned, that you had travelled to southern Italy without diesel engines at all, while the 2nd largest city in my country doesn't even have electric power lines.
Thank you very much - so glad you enjoyed it. If it’s any consolation, Britain has only really got round to electrifying to many of its major cities in the last couple of decades too…
@@travelling_turtle We are working on it too, but progress always feel slow. Though rather later than never, I guess.
Wow, I saw your story on the BBC but I did not expect such an epic journey into the heartlands of European history and soul! Thank you for sharing this unique trip!
Glad you enjoyed!
I wanted to write down just how much I have enjoyed this and the bus video i stumbled across today. Love the content, well presented/edited, fantastic commentary (in terms of well-educated insights, interesting turn of phrase and clear voice!), love the little turtle that comes with you, I adore your impeccable taste in classical music! Hope theres more stuff like this to come in the future.
Thank you so much!
Can't agree more with Gary H. Sipping my coffee, I was transfixed as you made your way through Europe. The whole film was beautifully described and the combination of the music and history somehow squeezed 24hrs into 37 mins perfectly. Having done about 1/2 of those routes, it was particularly interesting to watch and I now can't wait to plan my next trip. Thank you
I worked on the buses for over 40 years.. this video was great to watch.. I was a bus driving instructor before moving back to Torquay. I work for a great company now, but I miss london
What a superb video (and adventure), just like all your vlogs have been to date.
Your commentary is spot on, with a great use of video and with complimentary music. I genuinely cannot wait for your next upload
Thank you! Very glad you enjoyed it.
I pretty much *did* this exact trip in July 2019. It took me several weeks however! The furthest South I got was Paestum. Also there was a quick detour to Venice! Thanks for a delightful video and for jogging my memories of a wonderful trip! Italy and Switzerland are both such beautiful places.
Several weeks is probably preferable in many ways!
A real gem. Great little video; great photography, some interesting facts and some nice music used sparingly. I look forward to seeing some more from the Travelling Turtle.
I enjoyed your speedy travel trough Southern Europe. But if you ever want to see a train cathedral, come to Antwerp.
Congratulations on an excellent enjoyable video and a wonderfully well planned and researched adventure. Brilliant!
Thank you very much!
That was a frankly astounding and surprising jaunt! Very well done on the journey, and entertaining us with facts and thoughts on it.
You inspired me to look up how long it would take to get to Morocco, i.e. outside Europe and into Africa, and it would take about 2 days, depending on how deep I want to go.
How absolutely fascinating. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
Hugely entertaining! Many thanks for taking the time and effort to make this
Delighted you enjoyed it!
What a fantastic video. Was glued to it like a thriller! Great history lessons along the way too. Hope you and Turtle do more!?
Thank you! Certainly planning to.
Lovely video. Poetically narrated and so interesting. Thanks for putting the time in to make it!
Great fun, thank you. We're looking forward to our 2020 trip to Italy by train this summer, all being well!
You'll enjoy it. I saw Italy by train back in 2009. It was a lot of fun.
I can live with the pronunciation challenges of such an InterRail adventure, for the 37 mins and 46 secs musical and visual accompaniment to my day. I'm now a Turtle subscriber, living in hope of taking our pigeon pair on a European rail adventure (Italy is our objective too) when 20+ hours on the rails will both facilitate a relaxing family break and not involve stir crazy young people squabbling as they do from time to time. For now, I have to settle for leading by example in not flying to our Belgian, German and French operating locations and planning a summer petrol/electric plug-in (true) hybrid adventure to the French Med coast with our soon to be 13 and 10 year olds, over three days out and two days back! An absolutely fabulous composition, particularly the music selection to match the scenery along the way. Thanks Turtle!
A wonderfully documented journey. Love the facts and time displays, not to mention your actual journey. Great stuff 👍🏾
That was exhausting and i was only watching! Many congratulations on a superb production just crammed full of facts, only a Brit could have the love of history/geography/topography/language/photography/timeliness/mechanics so thank you for sharing with us!
Don't let this distract you from the fact that the longest uninterrupted passenger train journey in the world is between Moscow and Pyongyang. We are honored to have this title.
How welcome you are on that train is debatable though
Your countries have so much in common. Future of economy, forms of government, friends in the world, similar human rights. Enjoy your friendship Moscow and Pyongyang.
lol
I'm going to steal a thought from Karl Pilkington and ask what's so great about the longest train ride in the world? Nobody cheers about having the longest health care wait in the world, or the longest bread line in the world, although Russia and North Korea could probably make the top two in both cases.
Having the longest train journey in the world means you need faster trains.
How are you already on every video I watch glorious leader?
I’m very late to the party but have absolutely loved your travels! My bucket list of places has grown immensely! I’d go as far to say these are a more enjoyable watch than what’s on mainstream tv! Great commentary and a spot on soundtrack.
Thank you, that’s very kind!
Thank you sir (and turtle!) for the most interesting and inspiring video I have watched in a long time. Superb commentary, great challenge and pleasant music. Looking forward to your next rail journey!
That’s really kind of you to say, thanksZ
Another stunning travelogue with lots of conversational trivia that will come in useful in some pub quiz.
Much of it traversed some of my favourite geography, it is some 40-50 years since we camped at Bellinzona and on the Swiss-Italian lakes.
Thank you! Love the Bellinzona area - I got engaged on an island in Lake Locarno…
My largest trip in less than 24h is Florence - Milano - Paris - Rotterdam with a sleepover in Milano. Total train distance of about 1600Km as following:
Firenze Santa Maria Novella - Milano Centale 20:25 - 22:20 - 2:05'
Milano Porta Garibaldi - Paris Gare de Lyon 6:00 - 13:12 - 7:12'
Paris Gare du Nord - Rotterdam Central 16:25 - 19:02 - 2:37'
Total journey time in trains 11:54' over 22:37'
Could have reached amsterdam within 24 hours.
Such an awesome video, thank you!!
Thank you!
An excellent production and after lockdown just makes me want to get back on the rails on mainland Europe. Thank you for putting it all together.
I've been having a tough few days of it mentally and watching this has really helped calm my anxiety riddled brain. Thanks for sharing!
That’s really great to hear, thank you.
I really enjoyed this. Last weekend I purchased a one month first class Interrail Pass. I have eleven months left in which to use it. It was a bargain at 50% off the regular price. I only hope I can find the time to use it. I was thinking of going to Narvik in the Arctic Circle, Norway then back to Sweden and then by ferry to Estonia on to Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and from there I have no idea yet. A lot of planning and seat and sleeper reservations to do. If anyone has any suggestions beyond Poland please let me know. I've subscribed to your channel. Love this stuff.
Loved watching this! Great idea and well presented video. Truly amazing how far you can get from London on a train in 24 hours.
Nice one!
The furthest in one day I have ever done was from Aberystwyth to Cologne.
half of which must have been Aberystwyth to Birmingham!
@@davidemmott6225 .
Yes, that was the slow bit, every time I changed trains, they went a bit faster.
Just discovered your channel and watched both films. Very enjoyable, thank you. Hope you do more. Cheers Rob
I laughed out loud several times. Thank you for that - and for getting the point of the Swiss public transport system.
Thanks! Huge fan of how the Swiss transport network is built around those quarter hour intervals.
the Taktfahrplan
Having lived in the country for a while (2008 to 2016) I would say its how countries SHOULD do public transport ( its not perfect but pretty damn close)
Things I liked - people can correct any errors as these things may have changed after 2016
no ticket barriers at stations, you actually have ticket inspectors on trains. I think the barriers make me feel like a criminal for some reason
integrated modes of buses and trains
pricing that was logical - going from a to b as a return journey is twice the price of a single
very good value travel discount card if youre a resident allowing half price travel - not sure if tourists can get such a good deal
trains were generally clean, punctual and modern
bus stops having LED displays and a punctual service - i think thats mainly down to the fact that you do NOT buy tickets on the bus and must buy before. the driver is there to drive the bus and not mess around with money
I cannot comment about lake travel or trams as I rarely used them
Your music choices are just superb! Thank you for this lovely video. I kept using Shazam to discover what the tunes were.
A great video, picking up where the last left off, and the edit of voice and music spot on too.
Even more poetic and as informative as #bus24
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed.
Beautifully made videos which I have watched over again. Despite knowing their outcome does not take away the thrill and awe of what I am watching.
That’s great, so glad you have enjoyed!
A magnificent tour de force. These trains seem mostly the height of luxury compared with GWR.
What a great video. I love the music choices.
Thank you!
This was such a fun and entertaining video to watch. New subscriber here. Really motivated me to travel more in Europe by train. Amazing how far you can go in 24hrs.
"These trains don't go anywhere near any Romansh-speaking lands" actually, the route between Zurich and Milan DOES briefly go through the Surselva Region administrative district, which is within the canton of Grisons where Romansh is spoken. Based on data, Romansh is still spoken in Surselva.
That aside, my hat's off to you, you dared to do something many wouldn't have the patience for. You came, you saw, you conquered. But further teaching that it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. The people and things you see along the way, and this journey was surely full of them
It actually don't go through the Surselva Region - it just passes around 1000 meters under it. 😉
"Based on data, Romansh is still spoken in Surselva."
And if you're there (like me right now), you will find that the data isn't lying, and that the local idiom of Sursilvan is still alive and well, i.e. spoken by every generation of locals. This is one of the areas where Romansh is still in a good state with a healthy amount of speakers, which can't be said for everywhere this language is spoken.
I followed your journey live on Twitter but this video is really interesting and amazing, thanks for putting this up and good for me I finally got here. I'll definitely check your #bus24 video as well, and whatever else you've done apart from these. :)
Thanks and great stuff!
A great video I loved it.
The furthest we did was in 2015 when we went to Europe by train which is the most civilised and relaxing way to travel.
In one day we travelled from St Pancras to Gare Du More, then on the metro to Gare Du Est I think.
On the TGV to Zurich and then to Chur.
We also went on the Bernina express then Milan to to Naples and then Salerno.
With London now being connect via rail it is amazing there aren't sleeper trains from St Pancras.
I must admit I don't like plane travel at all, the whole experience of suspicion at the airport and being hurded like school children is so uncivilized even if necessary.
Perhaps the golden age of rail travel need reinventing.
There was a plan to run Nightstar sleeper services from St. Pancras to mainland Europe. Obviously it never happened, and the coaches bought for the service were sold to Canada.
@@christophermatthews6972 well that is such a shame
Thank you so much for a lovely relaxing trip absolutely beautiful sites , so glad I have found you , made me less stressed Xx
Delighted to hear it, thank you!
Interesting concept. A out a month ago, I did a list of stations that I had stopped at in a continuous line, although on different occasions. I counted 48 from Hamburg to Ostuni on Puglia. Several doglegs and not the most direct route. Where I coincide with you is Zug to Fluelen as I went through the old tunnel. Will now try to schedule it
Thinking about it, could schedule in two ways, on trains that stop at each station, and getting off and waiting for the next one
Watched this many times, your turn of poetic phrase is always a joy! Nice going on this trip
Thank you very much!
This was excellent! Loved the facts you mentioned throughout. Looking forward to seeing the turtle’s future journeys ☺️🐢
What a positively delightful trip. It blows my mind that, if planned correctly, you can go from one side of the continent to another in just 24 hours. Also, great choice of destination! I'd say Italy's always a win.
Yeah, I was quite glad it ended up in Italy too!
Thank you for this wonderful video - I am a staunch convert to the rail cause - I haven't boarded a plane for more than ten years.
I yearn for a European future in which all major population centres across our continent are connected by true high speed (250km/h or greater) lines, negating the commercial demand for short-haul airborne intra-European transport services (some major island archipelagos being obvious exceptions to that rule). Colourful and poignant use of metaphors in your narrative add greatly to the general ambience - thanks to Covid-19 it's been a while since I was on a high-speed service, hurtling southwards towards the sun but this account has stirred fond memories!
Prices compared to air travel would need to be far more equal to compensate for the extra time needed in a lot of cases
As long as you can fly airlines like Ryanair around Europe for such cheap prices, people would still choose to fly even if some magic new technology allowed trains to travel at speeds faster than any jet airliner. Unless you do what France did and ban some flights completly.
@@jfwfreo & @skyblaze eterno
France only started restricting short haul air travel from April 2022 and the "ban" you refer to only affects a relatively small number of routes where a train equivalent of less than 2.5 hours travel duration is available.
I specifically used the phrase "negating the commercial demand for short-haul airborne intra-European transport services" in my original comment for a particular reason. That reason is the current circumstance in which a "free market" for intra-European travel operates - a market that remains skewed (deliberately?) in favour of Airlines.
In short, budget airlines are subsidised by European State actors (National and sub-National) - financial advantages that provide significant commercial assistance and allow said Airlines to offer the "cheap" fares you have referenced. Aviation fuel is NOT taxed and budget Airlines often receive financial kickbacks from various authorities based on a notion that such services boost overall economic activity. Budget airlines effectively freeload on the back of such subsidies whilst avoiding paying anything towards the ecological damage their services inflict daily.
In the UK it's estimated that 15% of climate warming is driven by the impact of air travel and the claim that budget air travel is egalitarian, ie. it allows poorer people to benefit from cheap fares, doesn't stand up either - approx 70% of all air travel is undertaken by just 15% of the population.
My statement was largely based on a what if scenario - that circumstance being a future Europe where true High Speed (250km/h or greater) lines linked up more or less every large population centre across Europe - in that scenario, consumers would vote with their custom and put the budget airlines out of business - there are ZERO flights between Brussels and Paris, why bother when it's quicker to travel between the two cities by High Speed Train and let's not forget the commercial fate of both AirInter and its (state subsidised) successor, AirLittoral (short haul airline operators in France) - both went bust precisely because High Speed TGVs undermined their basic business model.
To put it bluntly IF European Govts. got their act together and actually collaborated (in a meaningful fashion) on a long term (we're talking 30 years here) strategic transport policy aimed at constructing a comprehensive intra-European High Speed Lines network and implementing associated train services AND stopped ALL State subsidies to the Airline industries across the board, companies such as EasyJet, RyanAir, Jet2 and their ilk wouldn't last very long - the free market you seem to be extolling the virtues of would see to that!
@@peterdavidson3268 I wasn't aware that the likes of Ryanair receive such subsidies. As a believer in the free market, I do not think subsidies (or any other advantages) should be provided to any form of transport (rail, airplane, bus, ferry or otherwise) unless it is being used to provide service to a location that otherwise would get no service at all.
@@jfwfreo And you thought I was being naive!
Doubtless if challenged subsidies would be justified on precisely that basis but in reality these behind the scenes 'bungs' contribute to the commercial equation enabling budget airlines to offer fares undermining the case for high speed rail alternatives.
To travel from Lille Europe to Marseille-St-Charles on a direct TGV takes 4 hrs 46mins, a distance of nearly 1000km - a regular daily service leaves Lille Europe at 14:03 and arrives on the Mediterranean coast at 18:49 packed with fare paying passengers.
An equivalent distance UK journey by rail; Aberdeen to Exeter St Davids, takes about 10 hrs - virtually no one considers it a viable method of travel between the two locations so they automatically board a short haul aircraft.
IF, from the period of Harold Wilson's "white heat of technology" referenced in the excellent narrative of this TH-cam video onward, successive UK Govts. had been prescient enough to pursue a transport policy of modernising and upgrading the UK's relatively backward rail network to reach the same level as our European mainland neighbours, such UK journeys would be entirely viable today but they didn't - probably because it was a "politically" difficult option to follow - today we live with the consequences of taking that easy route (please excuse the pun)!
This is fantastic. I really appreciate the amount of research that you put into this, your writing, sense of adventure, and the soundtrack you chose. Thank you for this delightful history lesson.
Thank you, that is so kind. Delighted you enjoyed it.
This is a spectacular idea. I live in the US and I think there are too few train departures/routes for this idea to be interesting enough. Also in Europe you can buy an Interrail pass, let's say the shortest one which is for 4 days, if it fails once you can go back and try it a few days later again, not losing too much. And nice video!
First time visiting this channel. Brilliant content, commentary and music. So uplifting. I will be here again.
Incredibile video and planning! A pleasant surprise to see you travel trough Italy!
I see you like history, here's a fun fact: you mentioned Reggio Calabria being the capital of Calabria... well it isn't. It was moved to Catanzaro in 1971. This caused an insurrection in Reggio and the army had to be deployed in order to quell the riots. Very weird things happened in those days, in typical 1970s Italy fashion: neofascists, mafiosi, masons, american secret services were all involved in the riots, some terrorists even put a bomb on a train (see: Gioia Tauro massacre)...
This is something I’m going to have to read up more on! Sounds fascinating. Thanks.
Just discovered this, a fantastic watch. I’m encouraged to hop on the rails and get going. Superb!
Thank you very much!
Amazing video! The concept is simple yet engrossing, your commentary provides interesting cultural context and the music adds a lot to the journey. Just two small suggestions:
- such an interesting video would have deserved to be shot in higher definition!
- your voice isn't loud enough as compared to the music and background noise.
But these are small issues, keep up the good work!
Excellent stuff. I've just completed my own challenge training round France on a 6 day Eurail SNCF pass without resorting to TGV! The Digital Pass couldn't connect to the internet for 2 days resulting in some diffcult discussions with ticket inspectors but otherwise a brilliant endeavour! Look forward to your next challenge.. Long live train travel!
Sounds a great challenge - I wish French regional trains were a bit more frequent, but so many of the routes are gorgeous. I had a lot of problems with the Interail app too - ended up taking lots of screenshots of the QR codes when it was working and hoping conductors would be happy to scan those - which they mainly were!
Thank you for your trip report. It captured a spirit of adventure that was captivating to watch. The editing was great and the soundtrack matched the grandeur of the trip. If I were to be pernickety then I would add the small point of constructive criticism that you could have added further commentary and insight from the turtle on this journey. What were his high or perhaps low-lights?
Glad you enjoyed it so much - thank you. Very hard to get Turtle to provide commentary, due to difficulties in subtitling, but his lowlight was the Channel Tunnel (unnatural!) and highlight was arriving at the beach. Felt in his natural environment then.
Wonderful video. Very entertaining, beautiful scripted and delivered and so much content packed into 23h59m15s. The Mrs. Turtle shots are always amusing and the music adds a wonderful sense of energy and motion.
Thanks so much - glad you enjoyed it!
Love this! As a Train lover, this is great content. Looking forward to #Plane24, perhaps?
At that point you would be so far around the globe that you would be getting closer to London. Quantas is planning on rolling out a direct London to Sydney flight in a few years that only(!) takes just over 20 hours!
At that point it's almost worth aiming for a Circumnavigation run - even though there aren't nearly as much history at airports than there often is at railway stations.
Two videos, and the bar is high. Can't wait for the third. *Please* keep up the good work!
I say, what a wizzard idea!, and beautifully executed! Did some of the sectors myself as a train addict and long-distance communter over the last four decades, although I am getting more and more disillusioned with the reliability of my native German railways (that once used to be highly dependable as regards keeping schedules). Best regards from the German side of the Rhine near Strasbourg (actually another railway centre).
Fantastic video ! Thank you. Poetic, evocative and informative. Two of my best holidays were inter-railing in the late 80s/early 90s - one trip to Italy, the other to Spain & Portugal, wonderful times.
Fascinating journey well filmed, edited and told. I salute you sir! One question: How did you get back?
The boring orange plane way, due to time constraints! Train both ways next time.
Great video, narration, videography and sense of a real travel experience through all of those amazing locations!
Thank you v much!
Wow, this was fab! I bought my Interrail 3 month First Class in the half price sale for £521! I just cannot wait to see Switzerland, it just looks beyond beautiful. The big question how to get these required reservations sorted in France, Spain, Italy... How can you get airline seats and forward facing etc across all these countries rail companies? There will be a huge amount of Brits using Interrail after this big sale. So a video on that from you would be wonderful if possible or just some info in another European challenge. Congrats on a great idea, superb execution and the resulting positive press and views it has received. 👍
Enjoy the pass! Incredible bargains in that sale. Getting reservations is the slightly annoying downside of Interailing these days. Best I can do probably is point you to Seat 61’s comprehensive page on using the pass and getting reservations where necessary www.seat61.com/how-to-use-an-interrail-pass.htm
Thoroughly enjoyed this. A wonderful mix of history, train spotting, geography and the joy of travel for the sake of travel. Thank you
A very wise decision to take the DB train only outside Germany.
The ICE is great, but inside Germany, DB somehow manages to rack up the delays.
That is a Vorurteil!
The International ICE/TGV connections between France and Germany are actually notoriously unreliable
Just discovered this last night and thoroughly enjoyed watching it. A super challenge and I really like your Mondaine watch. 😊
Thank you!
Great film with excellent musical accompaniment. Thank you.
Found this after watching your bus video, and its now made me want to travel via train to Berlin for a holiday I've been planning instead of taking the plane. Seems like it could be a fun time. All I can say is thanks for opening my eyes.
Glad you enjoyed, and happy travels!
A superb video, superb. As a musician, I compliment you on your choice of music. I have never come across you before, but I have certainly subscribed. So soulful. Oh Bravo!
Thank you!
I followed your journey live on twitter and I didn't realise you were making a video. Really enjoyable to watch.
Fantastic viewing. One of the better videos I have watched in quite some time. I have shared.
Another superbly constructed video. I watched the journey by bus to Paris yesterday. It’s very inspiring. Thank you so much. And a very good soundtrack too. I waiting for my copy of Highways and Byways of Normandy by Percy Dearmer to be delivered after seeing you consult it. I often find these older guides to provide more insights than modern publications. I’m currently following an 1871 John O’Groats to Lands end account by RA and JA Naylor. By car I hasten to add. And not in a continuous journey but in chunks. Dearmer looks unlike a priest in the few photos available. He looks quite contemporary and has a fantastic presence.
Thank you! And hope you enjoy your Highways & Byways - it is a really interesting book.
that was a wonderful video, so glad you made it through Milano, I was conceived there in March 1967 but my mum came back to give birth on the NHS in her hometown of Newcastle. I was almost Italian!
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a great video! Loved the commentary, the music, the excitement of train travel with an amazing challenge.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I’m a bit late to the party but this is arguably the best travel video I have watched. Thank you. Subscribed.
That’s very kind - and welcome to the party!
What a great video. I'm missing my continental rail journeys through a variety of reasons, but this helped to bring it all back.
Wonderful and certainly a somewhat exhausting journey so without a day's rest! Being born in Palermo but living in Germany, I was expecting the crossing of course, but I hope that one day I will be able to travel from Palermo to St. Pancras by train as well, to visit London for the first time! Thank you for the beautiful report!
Love it, nice touch at the end with the donation too. Also a big fan of the delivery of the quarry line
We went from Cambridge to Zurich by train in one day. Excellent, 318kmh thru France 👍🏻
A really good travel video, perfectly narrated and edited. I have now become a subscriber. ❤
Thank you!
No clue how I ended up here but what delightful narration. I had guessed you were going to end up somewhere on the Black Sea.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it! Afraid trains in the Balkans are too slow to mount a serious challenge to southern Italy.
Magnificent fun and. Intersting journey. I loved.the music choices too 😊😊😊😊😊
Wonderfully written script. Well done. This video is fantastic.
Thank you!
@@travelling_turtle very welcome
What a fun video!
Thank you!
I've watched this 5 times now and it's still a brilliant watch. A wonderful and engaging video.
Blimey, that is commitment. You’ve heard my voice more than most of my family in that period. But really pleased you have enjoyed it!