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While solo travelling has its benefits such as making all the decisions, not relying on others, no arguments, you decide on how long you travel, and so on. One for me personally, was getting the chance to stand in the background and watch how other people go about their lives. Only talking to others as and when I had to. I decide how long I stay and rest at a place – just for the feeling of being normal. There is a downside of course – loneliness. No one to talk to. The best

It is just over a month since I have done an entry on this site. One of the problems with a journey such as this is the curveballs life throws at you. From forgetting your passport, losing some of your belongings, dealing with scammers, mixing up train stations and medical issues to blame a few as they say. I am currently in Cyprus and have been for almost a month. After leaving Oslo, I made my way to Germany, Poland, and Serbia. From Serbia I headed to Greece (Athens). This

I am putting together a series on this blog with my thoughts should anyone else plan a long-haul trip by train. It may or may not help. While I call it long-haul others refer to it as slow-travel. Planning. It’s essential believe it or not. This is not the sort of trip you should do on a whim. You need to think ahead. You have to have an idea of what you want to do on the trip. You also need to plan breaks from the train - you’re body will start telling you this especially if

I arrived in Oslo around 11:30am on 21 May for a two-night stay and checked into the Scandic Byporten. I’m getting used to this hotel group. The rooms are the same and I know what I’m getting. They are close to the train stations which is a big plus for me. I spent my first afternoon looking around the local area. The next day I would take a trip to the Polar and Kon-Tiki Museums. The Polar Museum dealt mainly with the expeditions of Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup and Ronald

I arrived in Narvik on 14 May and walked to the Scandic Narvik hotel – some 15mins away from the train station. At the hotel I learned that it was a bank holiday in Norway – Ascension Day. This day celebrates the ascension of Jesus to Heaven. On the Sunday there will be a parade to mark it. The views around the hotel were incredible – at least to me they were. Turns out that May is their quiet period but still a bit you can do around the place. If you have a few days to spare

Recently I had problems with my web pages and thankfully, it appears to have been sorted. I have a few entries to put on and will do so over the next few days. From Kiruna I went to Narvik (Norway) for a few days. I even got to ride on the Arctic Train. I’m currently back at Kiruna and heading back to Stockholm.

One of my problems in life is that I am introvert. If I can avoid conversations I will – inevitably, I must have them be it working with co-workers, going to the shops, etc. I will avoid phone calls like the plague, avoid functions / going out, and so on. My best job is to work on a front desk – limited conversations: morning, goodbye, hello, take a seat, etc. A lot of the time people do not speak to you as they wander around the building on account that they are too wrapped

I left 25Hour Hotel early this morning to walk to Paris Gare de l’Est to board the train to Hamburg. This would be a journey in two parts, and over 9hrs long. Some how, I missed the first train and had to buy another ticket and wait some 2hrs before I left Paris. The first leg of the journey was Paris to Mannheim where we had to wait for the next train to arrive and board it to Hamburg. Nothing special about the journey just that it was cramped - for me anyways. By the time I

Having arrived in Cherbourg and, clearing border control, I walked to the train station to take the training to Paris. It was a journey that took around 4 hours. Although I paid for a first class ticket it was a cramped seat. There was no perks for being first class either. I arrived just after 6pm and got a taxi to the 25Hours hotel. A quirky little place but very friendly staff. My room was small and quiet. As an introvert it was just what I was after. Room was warm, clean

Yesterday I started my journey across Europe from Belfast Grand Central Station. My only mishap before I got here was to forget my passport. Taxi driver was more than happy to bring me back home to collect. Course he bloody was. Once I collected the ticket, I boarded the train to Dublin - 1st class. At 60 years of age it cost me £17. I’ve noticed when I book online I can get discount for my age. I boarded the WB Yeats (Irish Ferries) around 3pm and the ship sailed at 4:30pm

Welcome to my journey across Europe, as seen through the lens of an iPhone! Having turned 60 years old, I decided to do something to mark this birthday. I quit my job at end of March and on 5 May 2026 I will be embarking on a journey across Europe using only trains and ferries – no aircraft – and to be done under 90 days. My journey will start at Grand Central Station, Belfast where I will take the train to Dublin. From Dublin I will travel by boat to Cherbourg, France. The o