TH-cam's algorithm sometimes really does find the perfect hidden gems. I've loved each and every video on this channel, and I especially appreciate the length of the videos, I can't get enough of it all: the adventures, the narration, the music, the interesting bits of history along the way and of course the little wool friends. Please keep doing these videos, they are an absolute joy to watch! Regards from Serbia, hope one of your journeys takes you through our country as well.
Thanks. I thought about writing something similar, but your post says it all. A nice video and the historical references are interesting and important.
"The only time DB runs on time is when you want the train to be late," has got to be a quote of the year for me. On my trip last month the only trains that were more or less on time in Germany were a Czech EC, a Hungarian EC, and most of the DBRegio services. I even got caught up in the DB train driver strike that canceled a night train and required an emergent two-day reroute through Vienna and Prague....
Man, St. Pancras's roof really is stunning! The reveal is so nice. The Palace of Culture and Science was designed by Lev Rudnev who collaborated with a Polish team of architects. Lev worked on the Moscow State University, which of course influenced the design. The palace houses a multiplex cinema, theatres, museums, bookshops, and even a pool! And the fact that there is a song about Deutsche Bahn's failures is incredible. The artwork on the French entrance to the Channel Tunnel at 8:48 was done in 2019 by the Franco-British artist YZ. It extends to over 50 meters wide and 17 meters high to celebrate Eurotunnel’s 25th anniversary. The artwork is the face of a young girl looking through binoculars to the other side of the Channel. The eyes were done separately at the Sunny Sands Beach in Folkestone, where her eyes look out onto a beach frequented by families. This allegory of the binoculars shows the artist’s inspiration from her experiences in Folkestone, where she previously lived with her family, and the memory of the excitement of seeing the French coastline from the beach. According to the artist, they really wanted to create a piece of work that unfolds in both the UK and France, and which involved young people. They worked with two classes of 10-year-old students who wrote their own words on the entrance to the Tunnel and who became the spokespeople for this message of friendship and paying attention to each other.
Thanks for that fascinating info. I’be been through the Tunnel many times since 2019, but only spotted the artwork this time - I think I must have been seated facing in the wrong direction on each journey before!
This adventure is oddly satisfying. It's definitely possible to reach Warsaw from London via Munster and Berlin by public transport in less than a day and with time to spare. Then from Warsaw, whatever public transport is available to go East. I checked in google, Lublin or Sidlce may be possible.
This is legitimately one of the most heartwarming, informative, and entertaining videos I've watched in a long time. You're an inspiration for a fellow public transport enthusiast😅 Awaiting the next video!
I was getting Travelling Turtle withdrawal symptoms but up pops another brilliant video. It's amazing so much travel, history and adventure can be packed into literally 24 hours. Wonderfully narrated as always and ably supported by Mrs. Turtle.
I love how your videos aren't just about travel; they also include interesting facts, information about historic places, and amusing bits such as the town even Merkel joked about not existing! Definitely new information, at least to an American.
Wow, you are so relaxing to watch. The classical music in the background, your calm voiceovers, which feature your practically poetic way of speaking, especially upon arrival in Berlin-Wannsee. TH-cam usually gives me chaotic travel videos, which drain me (the only exception is Jetlag, the Game), but I can watch this after a bad day to calm down, or to wind down. You have a new loyal subscriber!! :)
I enjoy your videos being more slow-paced than a lot of the other content out there. They always feel very comfy and have a charm to them like nothing else. Thank you for taking the extra time to include proper subtitles, this does help people like me a lot. The automatically-generated subtitles from TH-cam can be quite unreliable at times.
I love your videos so much, your storytelling really is next level 😊 I too have been stuck in Köln on my way onwards from Brussels, it's a very lovely city but I do suspect that DB has an agreement with them to keep tourists a little longer 😅
Geat video! Not sure why YT decided I needed to see it, but I am grateful. I am originally from Berlin (live in the US now) and when I visit my family, I stay at my cousin's house near Wansee. I use that S-Bahn ALL THE time! Haha, thank you!
I love the presentation of these videos, informed and with a great sense of adventure that lurks within us all.. Eagerly awaiting the next! Thank you 😊
Thank you for another captivating video. Way of narration, humour, anecdotes, music selection make the series very enjoyable. This time you visited my country - Poland, so let me add short info about Koluszki - Warsaw segment. This is part of historically first "Polish"- built railway line. Warsaw - Vienna railway opened gradually 1845-48 (to Austrian border). Now there are maybe faster or more important lines, but if someone looks into national railway operator list of lines, where each line has a number assigned, he finds that despite turbulent history of this land, number 1 is assigned to the old Warsaw - Vienna line which Koluszki-Warsaw is part of. So, well, you may think that during 1st appearence of Poland in your delightful series, it was your choice to change in Lodz (Łódź) for train but other may say "Even the gods (turtles?) don't fight against Ananke".
Fantastic, was ever. Putting a time limit on your travels and the jeopardy that creates provides a great differentiator from other travel videos (but I guess you know that already!). I also appreciate the level of detail and commentary. Keep 'em coming.
Lovely stuff! A very welcome gift on a Saturday morning. You have such a wonderful turn of phrase, making these journeys so atmospheric and engaging. Thank you and keep up the excellent work! Cheers Rob
Great channel. Really appreciate the amount of research and work you obviously put in to each video - the Palin-esque narration, the editing, the choice of music - all truly excellent!
Each of the videos on this channel give me itchy feet and set me off on wild but massively enjoyable flights of fantasy where I plan journeys to all corners of the globe. I love the research and planning that accompanies each of the voyages. Thank you
I have similar dreams of taking the train to far-off places. It often starts with "If I left work RIGHT NOW I could get to city X by 22:00." I never do though.
Another wonderful travel challenge from Jo and Travelling Turtle! Again I loved the concept of east of the meridian and your rich narration. The history and wider culture is brought to life via the lively commentary, wry humour and musical interludes. You are both an inspiration and great entertainment! I am eager to see your next adventures. Thanks again, Tom.
This is the first video on your channel that I watch, as the algorithm decided today was the day I should discover your channel. I really enjoy your poetic descriptions and historical knowledge, so I immediately subscribed and will watch more of your videos!
How convenient that this well-known bus-lover happened to find a convenient bus out of Berlin when he "missed his train connection"... I'm onto you Turtle.
Without a doubt my favorite youtuber right now. I've binged your content and only hope you'll continue. Maybe a possible challenge is starting from Portugal and seeing how far east you can on the continent? Or crossing France in a day by local bus.
Thank you very much! I like the Portugal idea a lot… Re France - I am sort of hanging fire to see what their equivalent of the Deutschlandticket, promised for some point in 2024, looks like and may well do something based on that.
Thank you for your content! Loved the Łódź gambit and the completely unhinged pronunciation of Świebodzin, Zbąszyń and Zbąszynek :D I also wonder if you could've squeezed just a few more kilometres by changing into a suburban train at Warsaw West: had the timetables worked out, you'd probably get futher than Warsaw East, but it also could strand you right there with few viable options, so all in all, you probably made a right call.
Thank you! I can’t pretend I don’t struggle with Polish placename pronunciation. I did wonder about a local train, but couldn’t immediately see one that worked. I think there are fewer trains being sent through the city centre tunnel than normal currently due to engineering works at the western end - indeed, the train I should have been on to Chelm is currently diverted away from it via Gdańska station.
I so appreciate all the care, research, and sleep deprivation(!) you put into these videos. Thanks for all your work! Also, I need to go to Köln now for that bretzel.
Oh heck i was going to organise my playlist then I came across this one again. Just had to rewatch it, after watching the latest Westerly bound one yesterday. Still excellent and well worth a bit of procrastination!
Another good one. We were at Viller-sur-Mer in Normandy last week and were surprised to see a sign for the Greenwich Meridian - there's even a Rue du Meridien! Surprised because EVERYBODY knows - well the French at least - that the Prime Meridian should go through Paris. 😄 As you pass under the Greenwich Meridian at Stratford International spare a thought for the missing Time Spiral clock. It used to stand on the Greenwich Meridian outside of Stratford Station and on a good night you would have seen the green laser light that shines out from the Observatory pass overhead. Sadly it was moved in order to make way for the entrance to Westfield shopping mall - I had the dubious responsibility for having it taken down when I worked at Newham BC. After a while languishing in a council depot it was found a new home outside Maryland tube station at 0° 0'23.08"E or thereabouts.
What a wonderful surprise to see a new video from you in my subscription box. Your videos are so quietly beautiful, so informative, so well paced, so entertaining, without being excessive or sensational. A balance like that of a finely tuned orchestra. Looking forward to another, whenever it may come.
A glance at the competition here in Canada suggests that I'd only be able to manage 5 less degrees and 300 less kilometers, and that's provided that the VIA Rail train from Edmonton to Winnipeg didn't get stuck behind a freight train.
Was recommended this by the algorithm. Will probably binge watch the rest of the channel now. This is the kind of adventure I'm just not brave enough to embark on. Brilliant!
Lovely video once again! I heard that Köln Hbf is a massive largest problem child for the German network, with a substantial amount of all delays originating there, but damn if it isn't lovely sitting by the Rhine and watching the trains go over the bridge whilst waiting for your connection.
@@travelling_turtle The worst German station I've been to was Stuttgart Hbf. It's absolutely dismal (although there is a very nice Stadtgarten just outside).
@@ClaudiaNW Stuttgart has basically been a building site for a decade, as they undertake a very controversial project to move the station almost entirely underground…
There was a non-official project that proposed moving the Köln Hbf to the Eastern suburb of Kalk and moving the current Hbf below ground, with a park on the Hohenzollern bridge. It was definitely interesting, but it seems like they want to keep it where it is, at least for now.
An excellent adventure story with local facts & history thrown in. A little bit of tension with the delays but not too much! Thank you so much for another extremely well made video :)
Absolutely loved this, your ingenuity for making it work is incredible. The bright lights of an ICE at 3 in the morning, to your incredible change of tact approaching Warsaw. Bravo my friend and turtle (naturally)
I tried this last year, although we started from Newport in Wales. We ended up in Budapest in 24 hours which was 1025 miles in a straight line. I feel like we could have gone further if we took a different route and didn't use a slow NightJet service though. But weirdly, we also took the 15:04 Eurostar to Brussels! I think that's the key to the journey.
The eurostar was delayed as an earlier Paris-London train had technical difficulties and had to return to Paris to deposit its passengers. I was on the the third (of three) delayed Paris to London Eurostar which then became your Brussels train.
Yes, it's me again haha! Yet another amazing incredible video. Your channel has very quickly become what I would class as a TH-cam institution! Checking for coach itineraries from Berlin was a stroke of genius, and then checking trains again from Lodz was a second stroke of genius! Though I personally can't understand how coach operators like Flixbus afford to operate with such low prices and load factors... Also, as always with your videos, the historical and infrastructure details were well explained, and the info on the Jewish depopulation (whether by pogroms, holocaust or by migration earlier as happened in my family) of Polish towns and villages is very appreciated as that is where many/most of my ancestors were from. Thank you again!
Glad you enjoyed the new edition! It was a really odd coach, that one: it seems to only run on Saturdays (lucky for me!) and is basically empty while the other Berlin-Warsaw coaches (and trains) that day are much fuller and more expensive. I guess the departure time isn’t a popular one - possibly they need to move the coach anyway, so just make some cash off selling a few tickets!
My mother grew up in Königsberg and remembered using the sealed trains across the Pollish Corridor to visit her relatives in Berlin, through Danzig, modern Gdansk.
Now this is just absolutely brilliant content, I'm very happy to have stumbled across this. I suppose a 40 minute video might not excel in today's hustle-bustle algorithm, but it seems there are a fair few people who recognize this man for the polymath explorer that he is.
Filled with nostalgia with your journey through Berlin. Decades ago, I lived and worked quite near the Berlin Mexikoplatz station. The job I had at the time was in an archive of documents from the NSDAP-era government, set inside a building complex that that government had used for wiretapping phone lines throughout the city. So yes, a beautiful city haunted by the ghosts of past evils.
That's what I like about these challenge transport videos the spark it creates for other people to try similar things. I still want to complete the tube challenge where you visit stations in alphabetical order. I attempted it earlier in the year but double engineering works scuppered my attempt
Thank you Jo for another brilliant journey and video documentary about it. I couldn't find much connection with it until the end, as I recently visited Warsaw and travelled on a Flixbus :)
"for relying on such a tight connection at Brussels"... Bro! They timed it that tight and the connecting train is meant for Eurostar travelers and the the next train is leaving 2 hours later and I hate that connection too and am anxious every fucking time when taking it but what are my option? I certainly don't want to wait 2 hours in Brussels for the next train, I'm already doing that when traveling northbound bc DB services are too unreliable...
Agreed - it’s a connection that comes up in all the journey planners. Ideally, they would retime them so they are 30 minute connections so that they are a bit more robust…
Another good video. I'm never sure whether I'm envious of your interesting journeys, or sympathetic about the panic of late trains and missed connections! I found it stressful when we were on the way to Austria this summer and our train from Zurich was cancelled, meaning unscheduled changes at Buchs and Feldkirch (although I have to say that SBB handled it very well)
Oh my goodness. This has to be one of the best videos on the internet. I have stated similar sentiments previously. Great videography, intelligent, informed and humorous commentary, at times quite Betjemanesque. Perfect musical background, down to the supreme Chopin in Poland. Your knowledge of the history of Europe is remarkable. Congratulations on your amazing achievement. I look forward to many more similar videos. You should turn professional.🤗🤗🤗
Great video! One thing: The West-Berlin S-Bahn-trains were actually not directly transferred to Deutsche Bahn, but to the BVG (Berliner Verkehrsgesellschaft at the time), the company that also (and still does) ran the buses in West-Berlin. And the trains still continued through the North-South-Tunnel beneath East-Berlin just didn't serve the eastern stations (aka ghost stations) just like the U-Bahn-lines U6 and U8.
Thank you - and thanks for the info. Wikipedia suggests a period of Wannsee-Anhalter Bahnhof only operation after 1985, but I suspect it is poorly-worded!
I genuinely feel like I'm with you on these trips. Thank you - A true hidden TH-cam gem. Sorry you didn't get as far East. The Paris-Vienna Nightjet should help that now ;)
One tight DB connection is pushing your luck, two is just self-sabotage. Oh well, you are just going to have to try to get further one day. As always, a thoroughly enjoyable voyage with a great guide and wool companion.
I just found this channel and this is fantastic. You have a really good way with words that adds a lot to this video. Some of your creative expressions are superb
What a wonderful adventure Jo! Thanks for taking us along with your enchanting narration as always. Would absolutely love to see more Eastern travels from you, or even more generally travels to countries you haven't explored as extensively yet on camera. Much love from Athens!
Nice to see your gallop through Berlin. I knew the Mexico Platz S Bahn station well - some years ago when I was in Berlin for a course at The "Free University" on European Environmental Law. I was staying in student accommodation a little further west on the way to Potsdam and my bus connected with the S Bahn at Mexico Platz or the U Bahn at Krumme Lanke . The buses were beautifully connected - they fed the more rapid transit at the U Bahn and S Bahn with just enough time to buy a pastry and a newspaper at the station kiosks before your train went. My regards to Mrs Turtle, I hope she enjoyed her swim.
I strongly approve of leaving enough time between connections in an integrated system to buy a pastry - if I have one criticism of the ultimate integrated system, Switzerland, it is that the connections are just too tight for that! Mrs Turtle claimed it was actually too chilly for the swim, though I think she was actually afraid of the ducks.
I know I repeat myself, but I anyway want to let you know, that I really love your videos. Those details, for example having a background music that fits perfectly to the current location of the journey, are a big plus, too. Thank you.
Excellent video, very well done. It was particularly interesting for me, because this summer I travelled from Berlin to London by train (and then flew back), so I'm familiar with that part of your journey. And now you've got me thinking next year I might try the opposite - fly to London and return by train.
Nobody dared touching the livery of Berlin's S-Bahn, like you said. However, they did touch the legendary and very popular door-closing-chime and replaced it with the standard beeping that is required with the new EU regulations. The old one was designed with the thought in mind that people are going to hear it a lot, which is why it shouldn't be annoying. For some reason, the people responsible for that beeping have never heard of this bit of common sense.
In Saint-Petersburg they changed the station announcement voice and removed the door closing sound, so new trains have an annoying beeping one and old ones have none at all. Also they ditched the great unique livery on new trains.
Excited to see what sort of scheme you’ve cooked up this time! Your videos always inspire me to open the Via Rail website and plot my own travel adventures!
My first visit to your channel, and have thoroughly enjoyed this. An instant, easy subscribe. I'm so glad this came up in my feed and I can't wait to go and watch some more of your videos.
The various behaviours of passengers through the Chunnel all feel familiar. :) On the long unbroken run coming down from Derbyshire to St. Pancras in the early 10s, I chose to eschew connectivity. Instead, I took a little netbook and played a clone of Transport Tycoon. It made it one of the best journeys I've ever had. I don't _think_ that was the time they made me wait in St. Pancras for hours because I had an off-peak ticket....
Jo, these videos are just fabulous. Thank you so much. I hope for many more adventures to watch, and I hope you gain many more subscribers, which you richly deserve.
Hello Jo , we met at St Pancras when our eurostar was delayed and were both looking where the train was lol... my trip back to Vienna was ballsed up by ÖBB, and I had to sit in tye seating carriage for an hour as they sorted out my single occupancy sleeper, they messed up the booking , ruined my joy .... I'm glad to see you made the journey , a different way to plan ,but still done it , was great to meet you 😊 and another great episode ...
Amazing video! As a fellow traveller myself I often have these kinds of questions but I rarely have time and money to try these experiments myself. Keep going with this awesome content!
Just a detail: in mid-1980s, the S-bahn operation was transferred from the East German DR (Deutsche Reichsbahn) not to West German railways, but to Transit Authority of West Berlin, BVG. Then after reunification of Germany it was transferred back to the now united Deutsche Bahn.
TH-cam's algorithm sometimes really does find the perfect hidden gems. I've loved each and every video on this channel, and I especially appreciate the length of the videos, I can't get enough of it all: the adventures, the narration, the music, the interesting bits of history along the way and of course the little wool friends. Please keep doing these videos, they are an absolute joy to watch! Regards from Serbia, hope one of your journeys takes you through our country as well.
Thank you very much - delighted you enjoyed it. I’m sure I will find an excuse to include Serbia sometime!
The algorithm really is great every so often!
Thanks. I thought about writing something similar, but your post says it all. A nice video and the historical references are interesting and important.
I also found this great channel thanks to you TH-cam algorithm lol great content as always @travelling_turtle
"The only time DB runs on time is when you want the train to be late," has got to be a quote of the year for me. On my trip last month the only trains that were more or less on time in Germany were a Czech EC, a Hungarian EC, and most of the DBRegio services. I even got caught up in the DB train driver strike that canceled a night train and required an emergent two-day reroute through Vienna and Prague....
That all sounds too familiar!
The phrase “counterintuitive occidental travel” is a great example of why I love these videos. 3:12
Thank you 👍
I love your videos. very watchable. I love that its not just a challenge but a history lesson as you go. Thanks for posting.
Thank you so much - glad you enjoyed it!
And a vocabulary lesson too!
Didn't expect the Wise Guys.
DB almost never let's you down at letting you down.
As a Köln-originating group, they felt appropriate for that moment!
Man, St. Pancras's roof really is stunning! The reveal is so nice. The Palace of Culture and Science was designed by Lev Rudnev who collaborated with a Polish team of architects. Lev worked on the Moscow State University, which of course influenced the design. The palace houses a multiplex cinema, theatres, museums, bookshops, and even a pool! And the fact that there is a song about Deutsche Bahn's failures is incredible. The artwork on the French entrance to the Channel Tunnel at 8:48 was done in 2019 by the Franco-British artist YZ. It extends to over 50 meters wide and 17 meters high to celebrate Eurotunnel’s 25th anniversary. The artwork is the face of a young girl looking through binoculars to the other side of the Channel.
The eyes were done separately at the Sunny Sands Beach in Folkestone, where her eyes look out onto a beach frequented by families. This allegory of the binoculars shows the artist’s inspiration from her experiences in Folkestone, where she previously lived with her family, and the memory of the excitement of seeing the French coastline from the beach. According to the artist, they really wanted to create a piece of work that unfolds in both the UK and France, and which involved young people. They worked with two classes of 10-year-old students who wrote their own words on the entrance to the Tunnel and who became the spokespeople for this message of friendship and paying attention to each other.
Thanks for that fascinating info. I’be been through the Tunnel many times since 2019, but only spotted the artwork this time - I think I must have been seated facing in the wrong direction on each journey before!
This adventure is oddly satisfying. It's definitely possible to reach Warsaw from London via Munster and Berlin by public transport in less than a day and with time to spare. Then from Warsaw, whatever public transport is available to go East. I checked in google, Lublin or Sidlce may be possible.
Just to say that im working my way through these in no particular order but am very much enjoying them. 🙂♥️
Fantastic, delighted you are enjoying them!
This is legitimately one of the most heartwarming, informative, and entertaining videos I've watched in a long time. You're an inspiration for a fellow public transport enthusiast😅 Awaiting the next video!
Aw, thank you!
spot on!
I was getting Travelling Turtle withdrawal symptoms but up pops another brilliant video. It's amazing so much travel, history and adventure can be packed into literally 24 hours. Wonderfully narrated as always and ably supported by Mrs. Turtle.
Thank you! Delighted you enjoyed it.
Nice video. Glad to see another one. You should’ve got mrs turtle the mini-ICE.
Thank you! And yes, I clearly should have done…
Just this morning I was wondering when we’d get our next dose of travelling turtle. It’s a good day to be on TH-cam 😊
Hope you enjoy!
I love how your videos aren't just about travel; they also include interesting facts, information about historic places, and amusing bits such as the town even Merkel joked about not existing! Definitely new information, at least to an American.
Wow, you are so relaxing to watch. The classical music in the background, your calm voiceovers, which feature your practically poetic way of speaking, especially upon arrival in Berlin-Wannsee.
TH-cam usually gives me chaotic travel videos, which drain me (the only exception is Jetlag, the Game), but I can watch this after a bad day to calm down, or to wind down. You have a new loyal subscriber!! :)
Delighted you enjoyed the videos so much. Thank you so much for subscribing!
I enjoy your videos being more slow-paced than a lot of the other content out there. They always feel very comfy and have a charm to them like nothing else. Thank you for taking the extra time to include proper subtitles, this does help people like me a lot. The automatically-generated subtitles from TH-cam can be quite unreliable at times.
Thank so much! I agree the autogenerated subtitles can be pretty rubbish.
That was an amazing journey to follow! As a public transport nerd living in Warsaw this was a blast!
Glad you enjoyed it! Really loved using Warsaw’s public transport during my stay.
I love your videos so much, your storytelling really is next level 😊 I too have been stuck in Köln on my way onwards from Brussels, it's a very lovely city but I do suspect that DB has an agreement with them to keep tourists a little longer 😅
That’s very kind, thank you! A 1% commission on every kölsch would help to deal with DB’s operating deficit…
Iqw try z treetll😅iiiii
Ahhhh this was exciting to follow on Twitter. Looking forward to this one!
Enjoy!
Thank you for shining a light on Gaffel Kolsch!! Brings back great memories of sitting under Köln Dom - a truly outstanding city!
Gaffel is so good - I try to build in enough time for a few every time I pass through (/buffer time for the inevitable delays)!
@@travelling_turtle well worth it! Excellent video, just enjoyed it all with my morning cup of tea ☕️
Always great to see a new Travelling Turtle upload, that's my Saturday morning sorted :)
Hope you enjoy!
Education disguised as entertainment, pure joy. Thank you, please keep them coming.
Ha, thank you!
Geat video! Not sure why YT decided I needed to see it, but I am grateful. I am originally from Berlin (live in the US now) and when I visit my family, I stay at my cousin's house near Wansee. I use that S-Bahn ALL THE time! Haha, thank you!
Delighted you enjoyed it!
I love the presentation of these videos, informed and with a great sense of adventure that lurks within us all.. Eagerly awaiting the next! Thank you 😊
Thank you! There may be a short winter hibernation now, but hopefully not too long.
Thank you for another captivating video. Way of narration, humour, anecdotes, music selection make the series very enjoyable. This time you visited my country - Poland, so let me add short info about Koluszki - Warsaw segment. This is part of historically first "Polish"- built railway line. Warsaw - Vienna railway opened gradually 1845-48 (to Austrian border). Now there are maybe faster or more important lines, but if someone looks into national railway operator list of lines, where each line has a number assigned, he finds that despite turbulent history of this land, number 1 is assigned to the old Warsaw - Vienna line which Koluszki-Warsaw is part of.
So, well, you may think that during 1st appearence of Poland in your delightful series, it was your choice to change in Lodz (Łódź) for train but other may say "Even the gods (turtles?) don't fight against Ananke".
That’s brilliant extra information - and I am glad the gods sent me that way. Thank you so much!
Fantastic, was ever. Putting a time limit on your travels and the jeopardy that creates provides a great differentiator from other travel videos (but I guess you know that already!). I also appreciate the level of detail and commentary. Keep 'em coming.
Thanks very much, glad the mild jeopardy adds something!
Lovely stuff! A very welcome gift on a Saturday morning. You have such a wonderful turn of phrase, making these journeys so atmospheric and engaging. Thank you and keep up the excellent work! Cheers Rob
Delighted you enjoy them, Rob. Many thanks.
Great channel. Really appreciate the amount of research and work you obviously put in to each video - the Palin-esque narration, the editing, the choice of music - all truly excellent!
Thank you so much! Delighted you enjoy the videos.
Funny to think you travelled all that way and ended up literally one tram stop away from where I used to live 😅 Brilliant video!
Thanks! Seems a nice part of Warsaw…
Each of the videos on this channel give me itchy feet and set me off on wild but massively enjoyable flights of fantasy where I plan journeys to all corners of the globe. I love the research and planning that accompanies each of the voyages. Thank you
Thank you so much - agree the planning is half the fun…!
I have similar dreams of taking the train to far-off places. It often starts with "If I left work RIGHT NOW I could get to city X by 22:00." I never do though.
Great video as always, much love for you and Mrs. Turtle from New Zealand!
Thank you very much - and from Mrs Turtle 🐢
Than you!. Your cultural and historical references are so seamlessly weaved into the narration! Well.done!
Greetings from St.Petersburg, Russia!
Thank you!
Привет, земляк!
Another wonderful travel challenge from Jo and Travelling Turtle! Again I loved the concept of east of the meridian and your rich narration. The history and wider culture is brought to life via the lively commentary, wry humour and musical interludes. You are both an inspiration and great entertainment! I am eager to see your next adventures. Thanks again, Tom.
Thanks very much, Tom!
I know maybe these videos arent the highest of quality, but there's just some form of charm about them, and I love it.
Thank you!
This is the first video on your channel that I watch, as the algorithm decided today was the day I should discover your channel. I really enjoy your poetic descriptions and historical knowledge, so I immediately subscribed and will watch more of your videos!
Thank you so much, and hope you enjoy the other videos!
How convenient that this well-known bus-lover happened to find a convenient bus out of Berlin when he "missed his train connection"... I'm onto you Turtle.
Was a total fluke of en-route research, I assure you! I had a big list of alternatives, but not that one…
Without a doubt my favorite youtuber right now. I've binged your content and only hope you'll continue. Maybe a possible challenge is starting from Portugal and seeing how far east you can on the continent? Or crossing France in a day by local bus.
Thank you very much! I like the Portugal idea a lot…
Re France - I am sort of hanging fire to see what their equivalent of the Deutschlandticket, promised for some point in 2024, looks like and may well do something based on that.
Wonderfully humorous, intelligent & educated. Wonderfully British.
Thank you, v kind!
Thank you for your content! Loved the Łódź gambit and the completely unhinged pronunciation of Świebodzin, Zbąszyń and Zbąszynek :D I also wonder if you could've squeezed just a few more kilometres by changing into a suburban train at Warsaw West: had the timetables worked out, you'd probably get futher than Warsaw East, but it also could strand you right there with few viable options, so all in all, you probably made a right call.
Thank you! I can’t pretend I don’t struggle with Polish placename pronunciation. I did wonder about a local train, but couldn’t immediately see one that worked. I think there are fewer trains being sent through the city centre tunnel than normal currently due to engineering works at the western end - indeed, the train I should have been on to Chelm is currently diverted away from it via Gdańska station.
I so appreciate all the care, research, and sleep deprivation(!) you put into these videos. Thanks for all your work! Also, I need to go to Köln now for that bretzel.
Thank you! Can recommend the bretzel. Not seen it anywhere else and the internet barely recognises its existence…
I love these videos, not only for the challenge but opening my eyes to places around our country and continent I'd never considered or even heard of.
That’s great to hear!
Oh heck i was going to organise my playlist then I came across this one again. Just had to rewatch it, after watching the latest Westerly bound one yesterday. Still excellent and well worth a bit of procrastination!
Glad to provide procrastination material!
Another good one. We were at Viller-sur-Mer in Normandy last week and were surprised to see a sign for the Greenwich Meridian - there's even a Rue du Meridien! Surprised because EVERYBODY knows - well the French at least - that the Prime Meridian should go through Paris. 😄
As you pass under the Greenwich Meridian at Stratford International spare a thought for the missing Time Spiral clock. It used to stand on the Greenwich Meridian outside of Stratford Station and on a good night you would have seen the green laser light that shines out from the Observatory pass overhead.
Sadly it was moved in order to make way for the entrance to Westfield shopping mall - I had the dubious responsibility for having it taken down when I worked at Newham BC. After a while languishing in a council depot it was found a new home outside Maryland tube station at 0° 0'23.08"E or thereabouts.
Thank you! I am amazed that the French acknowledge Greenwich…
I must go and pay a visit to the sculpture in Maryland…
What a wonderful surprise to see a new video from you in my subscription box. Your videos are so quietly beautiful, so informative, so well paced, so entertaining, without being excessive or sensational. A balance like that of a finely tuned orchestra. Looking forward to another, whenever it may come.
Thank you so much!
The Frankfurt ICE was indeed waiting for you as this is pretty much a booked connection. It won’t wait for ever, though!
Well I was grateful. Sort of!
Saw West a week or so ago. So looking forward to this. And TH-cam's best narrator doesn't disappoint.
Delighted to hear it!
A glance at the competition here in Canada suggests that I'd only be able to manage 5 less degrees and 300 less kilometers, and that's provided that the VIA Rail train from Edmonton to Winnipeg didn't get stuck behind a freight train.
Was recommended this by the algorithm. Will probably binge watch the rest of the channel now. This is the kind of adventure I'm just not brave enough to embark on. Brilliant!
Thank you! Hope you enjoy the other videos.
Lovely video once again! I heard that Köln Hbf is a massive largest problem child for the German network, with a substantial amount of all delays originating there, but damn if it isn't lovely sitting by the Rhine and watching the trains go over the bridge whilst waiting for your connection.
Thank you! Yes, it is clearly a massive bottleneck, but the general joy of the place does make up for the invariable delays.
@@travelling_turtle The worst German station I've been to was Stuttgart Hbf. It's absolutely dismal (although there is a very nice Stadtgarten just outside).
@@ClaudiaNW Stuttgart has basically been a building site for a decade, as they undertake a very controversial project to move the station almost entirely underground…
There was a non-official project that proposed moving the Köln Hbf to the Eastern suburb of Kalk and moving the current Hbf below ground, with a park on the Hohenzollern bridge. It was definitely interesting, but it seems like they want to keep it where it is, at least for now.
@@barvdw I should imagine that once they’ve finally finished Stuttgart, they will have had quite enough of radical big city station rebuilds…
Thank you the lovely and true remarks about Cologne.
I really love Köln. Have spent several happy breaks there.
Love your videos. Not so mobile, myself, these days, so really appreciate going on these adventures through your eyes, as it were. Thank you
Delighted you enjoy them!
An excellent adventure story with local facts & history thrown in. A little bit of tension with the delays but not too much! Thank you so much for another extremely well made video :)
Thank you! I should have put a ‘mild jeopardy’ warning…
Yes I did indeed enjoy that journey. Every minute, a real Saturday night treat. Thank you.
Delighted to hear it, thank you!
Absolutely loved this, your ingenuity for making it work is incredible. The bright lights of an ICE at 3 in the morning, to your incredible change of tact approaching Warsaw. Bravo my friend and turtle (naturally)
Thank you so much, delighted you enjoyed it!
I love the Mercator joke. Some real gems of turns of phrases on this channel!
Thank you!
I tried this last year, although we started from Newport in Wales. We ended up in Budapest in 24 hours which was 1025 miles in a straight line. I feel like we could have gone further if we took a different route and didn't use a slow NightJet service though. But weirdly, we also took the 15:04 Eurostar to Brussels! I think that's the key to the journey.
Brilliant stuff! Very impressive distance. And yes, the 15:04 is clearly the key - all the important onward connections flow out of that train.
You know it's a good day when Turtle uploads
Happy Saturday!
The eurostar was delayed as an earlier Paris-London train had technical difficulties and had to return to Paris to deposit its passengers. I was on the the third (of three) delayed Paris to London Eurostar which then became your Brussels train.
Thank you for the explanation! More than we got as delayed passengers…
The disappointment at the Mercator statue's correct proportions was brilliant! Love the videos, they're a real gem
Thank you! Poor Mercator, it’s not his fault (if sort of is).
Yes, it's me again haha! Yet another amazing incredible video. Your channel has very quickly become what I would class as a TH-cam institution!
Checking for coach itineraries from Berlin was a stroke of genius, and then checking trains again from Lodz was a second stroke of genius! Though I personally can't understand how coach operators like Flixbus afford to operate with such low prices and load factors...
Also, as always with your videos, the historical and infrastructure details were well explained, and the info on the Jewish depopulation (whether by pogroms, holocaust or by migration earlier as happened in my family) of Polish towns and villages is very appreciated as that is where many/most of my ancestors were from.
Thank you again!
Glad you enjoyed the new edition! It was a really odd coach, that one: it seems to only run on Saturdays (lucky for me!) and is basically empty while the other Berlin-Warsaw coaches (and trains) that day are much fuller and more expensive. I guess the departure time isn’t a popular one - possibly they need to move the coach anyway, so just make some cash off selling a few tickets!
My mother grew up in Königsberg and remembered using the sealed trains across the Pollish Corridor to visit her relatives in Berlin, through Danzig, modern Gdansk.
Wow, remarkable memories!
This was my first time here, and I really enjoyed your poetic adventure!
Thank you very much!
Always a joy to see the latest turtle adventure!
Thank you!
Now this is just absolutely brilliant content, I'm very happy to have stumbled across this. I suppose a 40 minute video might not excel in today's hustle-bustle algorithm, but it seems there are a fair few people who recognize this man for the polymath explorer that he is.
Thank you very much - ‘polymath explorer’: I will take that!
Absolutely amazing Jo, so resourceful planning 'on the hoof', Mrs T seemed a little shy though. Looking forward to the next one.
Thank you very much!
Filled with nostalgia with your journey through Berlin. Decades ago, I lived and worked quite near the Berlin Mexikoplatz station. The job I had at the time was in an archive of documents from the NSDAP-era government, set inside a building complex that that government had used for wiretapping phone lines throughout the city. So yes, a beautiful city haunted by the ghosts of past evils.
That sounds a fascinating, if alarming, job!
Wow, I hope you have a video where you tell us what that was like!
The jump back on the train in Poland was wonderful! These are inspiring me to try something similar!
I was very glad the gambit worked…!
That's what I like about these challenge transport videos the spark it creates for other people to try similar things. I still want to complete the tube challenge where you visit stations in alphabetical order. I attempted it earlier in the year but double engineering works scuppered my attempt
Thanks to that manoeuvre, he crossed the Vistula river by the tram and despite being late actually reached Eastern Poland.
Thank you Jo for another brilliant journey and video documentary about it. I couldn't find much connection with it until the end, as I recently visited Warsaw and travelled on a Flixbus :)
Delighted you enjoyed it Daniel.
"for relying on such a tight connection at Brussels"... Bro! They timed it that tight and the connecting train is meant for Eurostar travelers and the the next train is leaving 2 hours later and I hate that connection too and am anxious every fucking time when taking it but what are my option? I certainly don't want to wait 2 hours in Brussels for the next train, I'm already doing that when traveling northbound bc DB services are too unreliable...
Agreed - it’s a connection that comes up in all the journey planners. Ideally, they would retime them so they are 30 minute connections so that they are a bit more robust…
Brilliant video, exciting, inspiring and filled with history. I'm going to watch all your others now - please do more!
Thank you very much - hope you enjoy the other videos! And yes, there will be more…
Another good video. I'm never sure whether I'm envious of your interesting journeys, or sympathetic about the panic of late trains and missed connections! I found it stressful when we were on the way to Austria this summer and our train from Zurich was cancelled, meaning unscheduled changes at Buchs and Feldkirch (although I have to say that SBB handled it very well)
Thank you! Switzerland is the one network I would never panic on - SBB handle the rare delays well!
So fun! You are a wonderful storyteller.
Thank you!
Oh my goodness. This has to be one of the best videos on the internet. I have stated similar sentiments previously. Great videography, intelligent, informed and humorous commentary, at times quite Betjemanesque. Perfect musical background, down to the supreme Chopin in Poland. Your knowledge of the history of Europe is remarkable. Congratulations on your amazing achievement. I look forward to many more similar videos. You should turn professional.🤗🤗🤗
Wow, thanks so much! 😊
Very entertaining video. Love the narration and the music selection! 👍
Thank you!
Great video! One thing: The West-Berlin S-Bahn-trains were actually not directly transferred to Deutsche Bahn, but to the BVG (Berliner Verkehrsgesellschaft at the time), the company that also (and still does) ran the buses in West-Berlin. And the trains still continued through the North-South-Tunnel beneath East-Berlin just didn't serve the eastern stations (aka ghost stations) just like the U-Bahn-lines U6 and U8.
Thank you - and thanks for the info. Wikipedia suggests a period of Wannsee-Anhalter Bahnhof only operation after 1985, but I suspect it is poorly-worded!
I genuinely feel like I'm with you on these trips. Thank you - A true hidden TH-cam gem. Sorry you didn't get as far East. The Paris-Vienna Nightjet should help that now ;)
Thank you! Yes, I think I might need to do a recalculation of this after the December timetable change.
@@travelling_turtle I think Romania could be doable...
Thank you for a great video i'm on a mission of catching up on your Channel as i only found it today !! 😅 looking forward to more gems like this
Thanks so much, delighted you enjoyed it!
One tight DB connection is pushing your luck, two is just self-sabotage. Oh well, you are just going to have to try to get further one day.
As always, a thoroughly enjoyable voyage with a great guide and wool companion.
Thank you - and yes, I should have known better!
I just found this channel and this is fantastic. You have a really good way with words that adds a lot to this video. Some of your creative expressions are superb
Thank you so much!
What a wonderful adventure Jo! Thanks for taking us along with your enchanting narration as always. Would absolutely love to see more Eastern travels from you, or even more generally travels to countries you haven't explored as extensively yet on camera. Much love from Athens!
Thank you - delighted you enjoyed it. And thanks for the suggestions - will definitely find ways to do more in the east!
Thank you for taking us on this nice journey 😊
Thank you for coming!
Nice to see your gallop through Berlin. I knew the Mexico Platz S Bahn station well - some years ago when I was in Berlin for a course at The "Free University" on European Environmental Law. I was staying in student accommodation a little further west on the way to Potsdam and my bus connected with the S Bahn at Mexico Platz or the U Bahn at Krumme Lanke . The buses were beautifully connected - they fed the more rapid transit at the U Bahn and S Bahn with just enough time to buy a pastry and a newspaper at the station kiosks before your train went. My regards to Mrs Turtle, I hope she enjoyed her swim.
I strongly approve of leaving enough time between connections in an integrated system to buy a pastry - if I have one criticism of the ultimate integrated system, Switzerland, it is that the connections are just too tight for that! Mrs Turtle claimed it was actually too chilly for the swim, though I think she was actually afraid of the ducks.
Lovely video, very much enjoyed the charming and erudite narration .
Thank you!
I know I repeat myself, but I anyway want to let you know, that I really love your videos. Those details, for example having a background music that fits perfectly to the current location of the journey, are a big plus, too. Thank you.
Thank you very much!
Excellent video, very well done. It was particularly interesting for me, because this summer I travelled from Berlin to London by train (and then flew back), so I'm familiar with that part of your journey. And now you've got me thinking next year I might try the opposite - fly to London and return by train.
Thank you!
Intrepid journey, excellent camera work, well-chosen music and nicely scripted commentary. Well done.
Thank you so much - delighted you enjoyed it!
Nobody dared touching the livery of Berlin's S-Bahn, like you said.
However, they did touch the legendary and very popular door-closing-chime and replaced it with the standard beeping that is required with the new EU regulations. The old one was designed with the thought in mind that people are going to hear it a lot, which is why it shouldn't be annoying. For some reason, the people responsible for that beeping have never heard of this bit of common sense.
Oh no! I hadn’t noticed the loss of that, but now I am incensed.
In Saint-Petersburg they changed the station announcement voice and removed the door closing sound, so new trains have an annoying beeping one and old ones have none at all. Also they ditched the great unique livery on new trains.
I am always so delighted when I see that you have uploaded! Thank you for your fantastic videos
My pleasure - glad you enjoy!
Excited to see what sort of scheme you’ve cooked up this time! Your videos always inspire me to open the Via Rail website and plot my own travel adventures!
Hurrah, enjoy your adventures!
Just discovered your channel. This video was amazing, can't wait for your next upload! In the meantime i'll watch the rest of your videos.
Thank you, enjoy the other videos!
My first visit to your channel, and have thoroughly enjoyed this. An instant, easy subscribe. I'm so glad this came up in my feed and I can't wait to go and watch some more of your videos.
Thank you for the subscription - hope you enjoy the others!
The various behaviours of passengers through the Chunnel all feel familiar. :) On the long unbroken run coming down from Derbyshire to St. Pancras in the early 10s, I chose to eschew connectivity. Instead, I took a little netbook and played a clone of Transport Tycoon. It made it one of the best journeys I've ever had. I don't _think_ that was the time they made me wait in St. Pancras for hours because I had an off-peak ticket....
Again it's been great fun to be taken along on your journey - Thank you for this video!
Thank you - really glad you enjoyed it.
A wonderful watch (and listen) as always. Many thanks!
Thank you!
Cracking film Jo (got exciting towards the end as to how you where going to play this adventure)
Fab 🙏🏼🤠🇬🇧🇵🇱
ATB Simon
Thank you so much.
Love it mate. These 24 hour challenges look a lot of fun.
They are fun. And nerve-racking!
Jo, these videos are just fabulous. Thank you so much. I hope for many more adventures to watch, and I hope you gain many more subscribers, which you richly deserve.
Many thanks!
I adore your videos so much I find myself rewatching old ones
Thank you!
Hello Jo , we met at St Pancras when our eurostar was delayed and were both looking where the train was lol... my trip back to Vienna was ballsed up by ÖBB, and I had to sit in tye seating carriage for an hour as they sorted out my single occupancy sleeper, they messed up the booking , ruined my joy .... I'm glad to see you made the journey , a different way to plan ,but still done it , was great to meet you 😊 and another great episode ...
Was great to meet you too Simon! Oh dear, sorry to hear the sleeper wasn’t great. At least you caught it!
@travelling_turtle Yes, that was the main thing . They sorted in the end, and a beer was had followed by a good sleep...
Amazing video! As a fellow traveller myself I often have these kinds of questions but I rarely have time and money to try these experiments myself. Keep going with this awesome content!
Thank you so much - will do!
Just a detail: in mid-1980s, the S-bahn operation was transferred from the East German DR (Deutsche Reichsbahn) not to West German railways, but to Transit Authority of West Berlin, BVG. Then after reunification of Germany it was transferred back to the now united Deutsche Bahn.
Thank you, my mistake (and a bit of a misleading Wikipedia article!)