The Disorient Express

Around Europe in 18 days – by train

By Paul Clarke Photography

July 8^th, 2018

Five years ago I set off with a bunch of geeks and trainspotters on a journey that you'll never be able to do again. Some of these services don't exist any more, and the number of sleepers is falling every year.

Around Europe, as far north, south, east and west, as we thought feasible, in as short a time as we thought possible. Vague parameters, sure, but very tightly planned.

You can read more about the route here, but this map (give or take a few last minute tweaks) sums it up well. 17 nights away, 12 of which in beds on trains. 26 capital cities in 18 days, including Paris (twice) and a capital-free detour to the Arctic Circle. Because it's cool.

I'll just repeat that. 26 capitals in 18 days. Over 17,000km in two and a half weeks. By train.

Here are a few of my favourites:

The first couple of days - from an early start in St Pancras, to Brussels, Amsterdam then overnight to Copenhagen. A Swedish wind farm, a Norwegian oil rig builder and the long trek north through fjords to the Arctic.

Midnight sun, the long, long train south through Sweden (where everything looks like the 2nd and 3rd pics in this set) and on to the most incredible train ferry from Denmark to Germany. See where those train tracks just stop at the edge? Because they line up to take the train that's actually travelling on the ferry. Amazing. On through Germany, and to Prague.

A quick note on the equipment: I did have some big Canon kit with me, but not much. Some of the photos are taken on my phone. But most of them are taken with the lovely G15 compact. It cost less than £300 and really proved that the best travel camera is small, portable and always in your hand.

Through the centre of Europe, Austria, Slovakia (with the briefest possible country stop – we didn't set foot outside the station) then a long overnight train through Romania.

Romania and Bulgaria – big distances with very little stopping. One of the most evocative moments of my life as the night train to Sofia pulled into Bucharest station late at night. It had started in Moscow a few days earlier, and our names were read out from a clipboard by a Russian guard before we were admitted. A samovar in every carriage.

From Sofia to Skopje, in one of the small sections where we'd booked a minibus in lieu of any train services. This is where Europe got a lot darker and stranger.

Up to Serbia, with crackling tension still in some of the border areas with Bosnia. Many, many graveyards to be seen, most of which were pretty recent. The Sargan 8 – a heritage railway near the border where the track loops and climbs through the trees. Then to Split, and Mediterranean sunshine in brilliant contrast to the Arctic mists of only a few days earlier.

Slovenia is gorgeous. Quickly through it, then into Italy (on foot, incredibly – there's a Cold War legacy walk of about half a mile between stations). Then Venice, then Rome, then Milan. Bang bang bang.

The most show-offy part of the trip: heading north from Milan and taking the open-air rear carriage on a Swiss train through glaciers and chilly high passes. Was it really only a few days ago that I was swimming in the sea at Split? After 8 trains in one day, and a rare night on land in Zurich, Geneva and Lyon came quickly at us.

Lyon was hot, and I got grumpy. Fewer pictures at this point, and the familiarity of western Europe was in counterpoint to the exotica of the Balkans and the Alps. Still, a warm evening in Paris as we rushed up on the TGV from Lyon and immediately rushed downwards again to Barcelona, and then on very, very fast trains to Madrid and Lisbon.

Portugal has some beautiful cathedral-like stations. But tired eyes and hands now, on the last push back from Lisbon to Hendaye, Hendaye to Paris (which was literally a blur) and finally to St Pancras. Job done.

Footnote

This post wouldn't be complete without mentioning Lloyd Shepherd's writing. As I took the pictures, he wrote a short piece each day. They're all here. If you only have time to read one of them, make it this one. It's special.