I am thinking of getting the train to Amsterdam rather than flying when I potench go there next month.

Smallman1 - Doing his bit.

    Smallman1 Getting the train back from Amsterdam is great. SO much more pleasant a journey after a heavy weekend than flying from Schiphol…

      I have been at that airport in some right two and eights!

      They need to get the overnight high speed network sorted across Europe, absolute scones to be seen in the dinning car at 4am I reckon.

        Amps They need to get the overnight high speed network sorted across Europe, absolute scones to be seen in the dinning car at 4am I reckon.

        Travelling by sleeper train is a great, highly civilised experience, and I did it quite frequently pre-COVID.

        Choice:
        a) Have dinner at Beijing station, then board around 7pm, slam back a few train beers in the dining car while pissing about on my laptop till 10pm, haul myself into a bunk (2 or 4 person compartment on the decent trains normally), fall asleep, wake up in Shanghai at 7am for a 10am meeting.
        b) Get up at some utterly unreasonable hour like 4.30am, 6am get to the airport, 7am flight (delayed 20 minutes), 9am arrival, scoop up bags, mad dash in a taxi across a sprawling city.

        I’m surprised they withdrew most of the sleepers in the UK because it’s an absolutely superb way to travel.

          The sleeper trains in Thailand are absolutely magnificent.

          Not so good in India.

          This is Ed ‘Alan Whicker’ Smallman signing out.

            Can you imagine doing the bants doing train beers with Millsy on some epic Beijing-Chiang Mai journey?

            The train ride would be longer and more chugging than one of Millsy’s sets too.

            I’d end up throwing him off the train, be way too painful.

              Smallman1 The sleeper trains in Thailand are absolutely magnificent.

              Not so good in India.

              I spent 2 months travelling around India by sleeper train (2AC), and really enjoyed it. The 52 hour train journey from Kerala to Agra was amazing.

              Suspect I’d find it a bit more challenging now I’m 20 years older…

                Smallman1 I’d end up throwing him off the train, be way too painful.

                We’d probably end up on something like this and like Millsy’s sets it would never get out of 2nd gear…

                • Amps replied to this.

                    Smallman1 Reckon the state of the rolling stock will be make or break for most of the services. Switzerland and ze Germans to get it right, us and most of the ex eastern block countries to turn it into some sort of rolling nightmare.

                      bosstrabs Millsy, bringing new meaning to the term ‘train wreck of a mix’.

                        Even on a Chinese train, Millsy won’t drop the hammer (and sickle).

                        Indian railways sound romantic until you find @rhouses has brought great shame on himself and the rest of the carriage by blocking the toilet 🚽 with a massive shit.

                          30 minute debates on wet wipes 😆. Poor joe never be able to stay awake.

                          mono-stereo Most of them just dump (pardon the pun…) straight out onto the tracks, so you’d have to really be going some to block ’em…

                            My bantz are the heavy rolling stock of the board.

                            • Amps replied to this.

                              mono-stereo Think I have mentioned this before, but I had a mate who managed to block both bogs on a service somewhere between Leeds and Liverpool. Those trains can’t operate without at least one working bog, so they had to stop the train and cancel the service. Bus replacement, the lot. Comedy gold.