Tag Archives: Trains

Train Travel: Grindelwald To Lauterbrunnen In Switzerland (Video)

It takes an average of 37m to travel from Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen by train, over a distance of around 6 miles (10 km).

Grindelwald: The Eiger village of Grindelwald in the Bernese Oberland lies embedded in a welcoming and green hollow, surrounded by a commanding mountainscape with the Eiger north face and the Wetterhorn. This mountainscape and the numerous lookout points and activities make Grindelwald one of the most popular and cosmopolitan holiday and excursion destinations in Switzerland, and the largest ski resort in the Jungfrau region.

Kleine Scheidegg: Kleine Scheidegg lies in the middle of the mountain world. In the central mountain station, all options are open: Up to Jungfraujoch with the Jungfrau Railway, down to Grindelwald or Wengen with the Wengernalp Railway. It connects the two villages via Kleine Scheidegg station, where passengers change trains. Those who prefer to walk instead of riding the train are in luck. From the Kleine Scheidegg numerous hiking trails lead to the most beautiful mountain landscapes and viewpoints.

Wengen: With its nostalgic timber houses, the many dispersed holiday chalets and hotels dating from the belle époque period, this Bernese Oberland holiday resort has retained all the character of a picture-postcard mountain village. Opening widely to the south west, the terrace guarantees above-average hours of sunshine. Since 1893, car-free Wengen has been able to be reached from Lauterbrunnen via the Wengernalp railway; cars remain parked in Lauterbrunnen.

Lauterbrunnen: Lauterbrunnen is situated in one of the most impressive trough valleys in the Alps, between gigantic rock faces and mountain peaks. With its 72 thundering waterfalls, secluded valleys, colourful alpine meadows and lonely mountain inns, the Lauterbrunnen Valley is one of the biggest nature conservation areas in Switzerland.

Top Train Travel: ‘Glacier Express’ In Switzerland

The Glacier Express is a direct train from Zermatt to St. Moritz. The train is also referred to as the ‘slowest express train in the world’: the journey takes about 8 hours. There is a good reason for this slow pace: the train squeezes its way through the Alps, through narrow valleys, tight curves, 91 tunnels, and across 291 bridges.

Train Journeys: ‘Orleans To Reims’, France (Video)

Michael Portillo travels from the chateaux of the Loire Valley to the heart of the Champagne region at Reims. Beginning in historic Orleans, Michael follows his Bradshaw’s guide to the magnificent stained-glass windows of the Cathedral of Sainte-Croix, which tell the story of the heroine of France, Joan of Arc. The image of the saintly teenage warrior endures as a symbol of resistance, and her life is celebrated in an annual parade. Michael meets her modern-day incarnation. Among the spectacular Renaissance palaces and fortresses of the River Loire, Michael is intrigued to discover a castle much modernized during the 1930s, which became a refuge for a British royal couple embroiled in scandal. The wedding of the former king, Edward VIII, and the American divorcee Wallis Simpson at Chateau Cande in the summer of 1937 was shunned by the British establishment. Michael takes a spin around the track at Le Mans in a French-built car that won two endurance races during the 1920s. At Versailles, Michael visits the opulent palace and neighbouring Trianon Palace Hotel, where his Bradshaw’s guide describes the signing of the Peace Treaty at the end of the First World War. Arriving in the capital, Paris, Michael heads for Montparnasse, where wildly creative artists and writers of the 1920s and 30s spawned new art movements. Michael joins a life-drawing class at an art school with an impressive legacy. Backstage at the Folies Bergere, Michael asks the ‘enfant terrible’ of fashion Jean Paul Gaultier about his homage to the black American dancer of the 1920s Josephine Baker. East of Paris in champagne country, Michael finishes his journey in style with a tour of the cellars at Domaine Pommery and a glass of fizz with the owner.

European Train Travel: ‘Belmond Venice Simplon Orient-Express’ – “Vintage”

Take the classic route from London to Venice, the gateway to the Orient. This breathtaking journey through rural French farmlands and Swiss Alpine valleys can be travelled in either direction, or both. Go further afield with Paris to Istanbul, an authentic adventure over six days to the edge of Europe. Delve into culture with stops in Budapest and Bucharest before arriving in soulful Istanbul.

Paris to Berlin is the newest journey in the repertoire, a thrilling voyage connecting two of Europe’s most vibrant cultural hubs. The tradition of the grand tour thrives with a luxurious escape on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

An uncontested icon of the rails, this train has long captured the hearts and imaginations of glamorous guests. Three elegant dining carriages exude culinary sophistication, from Lalique glass inlays in Cote d’Azur to black lacquer panels in L’Oriental. A steward in blue and gold livery waves with a white-gloved hand, welcoming you on board with a knowing smile. Settle in to your cabin, adorned with art-deco details and French-polished cherry wood, and sit back as a grand voyage begins.

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Train Travel: ‘Nordland Line’ Between Trondheim & Bodø, Norway (Video)

The Nordland Line  is a 729-kilometer (453 mi) railway line between Trondheim and BodøNorway. It is the longest in Norway and lacks electrification. The route runs through the counties of Trøndelag (formerly Sør-Trøndelag and Nord-Trøndelag) and Nordland, carrying a combination of commuter, long-haul passenger and freight trains. From Trondheim Central Station to Steinkjer Station the line is most heavily used, with hourly services by the Trøndelag Commuter Rail. There are three branch lines—the Stavne–Leangen Line at Leangen Station, the Meråker Line at Hell Station and the Namsos Line at Grong Station.

The section from Trondheim to Hell opened on 22 July 1882. The next section, initially the Hell–Sunnan Line, opened in stages between 1902 and 1905. The line was lengthened to Snåsa Station on 30 October 1926 and then to Grong on 30 November 1929. Construction continued in a slow pace northwards, but was accelerated by the Wehrmacht after the 1940 occupation. The line was built through most of Helgeland and opened in seven stages to Dunderland Station in the next five years. The line then had to be brought up to standards before continuing northwards. It opened to Røkland Station in 1955, to Fauske Station in 1958 and to Bodø Station on 1 February 1962.

Top Train Travel: ‘Rocky Mountaineer’ In The Canadian Rockies (Video)

This train not only provides sustainable travel through the gorgeous Canadian Rockies, it supports efforts to preserve the environment throughout Canada.

Travel through the legendary Spiral Tunnels, traverse the Continental Divide, and be inspired as you wind through mountain passes and dramatic canyons. Experience the only passenger rail service on this historic rail route by Rocky Mountaineer, celebrated for connecting Canada from East to West.

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Train Travel Books: ‘Tales Of The Rails’ (Gestalten)

Tales of the Rails embraces traveling by train and explores the infinite discoveries to be made onboard, from spectacular scenery and colorful cities, to the many different characters in the carriage.

Discover 13 impressive train routes from around the globe, learn about Japan’s record-breaking bullet train, then slow down to experience an overnight journey on one of Britain’s last sleeper carriages. Studying where and why these routes exist, and discovering facts about the people that keep the engines running, this fully illustrated book is an ode to the golden age of train travel.

Nathaniel “Natty” Adams is a writer and custom suitmaker currently living in Baltimore, USA. He is the co-author of two gestalten books on men’s style, I Am Dandy and We Are Dandy. A long-term train travel enthusiast, he is transfering that passion into his first children’s book.

Ryan Johnson lives in Oakland, California, where he makes, he paints, he draws, and he moves pixels, infusing his love of color into each of his works. His clients include NPRBloomberg BusinessweekSmithsonian, and Boston Globe.

Top Travel Experiences: The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad In Colorado Passes Thru Spectacular Scenery

From an Atlas Obscura online article:

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Train SceneryAs it leaves Durango, the train’s multiple-chime steam whistle can be heard reverberating throughout the town and along the Animas Valley. As it proceeds north, the train winds alongside the Animas River as it traverses the verdant green pastures of the Animas Valley and then crosses through the spectacular and breathtaking San Juan National Forest. The remote and treacherous route through the mountains includes a dramatic and stomach-churning stretch along the edge of a narrow shelf carved into the sheer granite cliffs 400 feet above the river. 

As one of the United States’s most scenic historic railroads, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNG), with its jet-black steam-powered locomotives and 1880s-era coaches, travels along the same tracks that miners, frontiersmen, and cowboys journeyed nearly 140 years ago.

All Aboard!

To read more click on following link: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/durango-silverton-narrow-gauge-railroad?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=d5355b27d3-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_07_25&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f36db9c480-d5355b27d3-63029309&ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_07_25_2019)&mc_cid=d5355b27d3&mc_eid=9baf474570