I've decided that I am going to Europe for a train vacation. So far my plans are:
The really great thing is that when I told my girlfriend what I was going to do she said that she would be staying home. I will also be doing all the non-train tourist stuff, but I didn't tell her that.
Can any of you that are from Europe recommend any other train/model train museums of interest? What is the best time to go? I'm thinking this fall or next spring when all the kids will be in school.
Thanks,
Bruce LA
Bruce,
There's a big train museum in Munich, IIRC.
Some stuff worth trying to work into your travels, from 40 yo memories. If you're in Munich, travel south to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, then take the train to Innsbruck in Austria. Fantastic views along the way. The wife and I were just talking about Switzerland and riding the narrowgauge there, but I know it's not cheap.
Another great scenic ride is a slow train along the Rhine between Mainz and Koln. This puts you on the south side of the river with the most dramatic views across it to the north.
Have fun.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
there are many nice places to visit in Europe, which makes it hard to recommend them. It finally depends on your individual itinerary. While in London, a visit to the London Transport Museum is a must.
Mike has already mention the Munich Deutsches Museum , which has a lot more to see than "just trains".
Should you go to Berlin, there are two places to go to. A must is the Berlin Technikmuseum. There is also a model train show, called Loxx, but is a far cry from Miniatur Wunderland.
Of course, there are lots of other things to see in Munich or Berlin, as well as in Hamburg, which will make your GF happy
Some years ago,my wife and I spent 3 months in Europe,starting in London and ending up in Amsterdam,where we flew home. There were so many places we were,I would probably fill the whole page and still leave something out.. Ulrich and Mike gave you some interesting places to visit. I would go again,if I could. Often times,we would rent a car and drive,rather than fly to our next place we wanted to visit.
Do You have room for one more? I'll pay my own way.
Have Fun.
Cheers,
Frank
I´d only visit a country and I think Germany would be my first option. Fly to a big city, Berlin, Frankfurt or Hamburg and go by train to visit museums and other interesting places:
http://www.nuernberg.de/internet/portal_e/kultur/ctz_1402.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plattling_station
http://webcam.deg.net/?a=showcam&w=showliveimage2&o=pla
http://www.us-convention-brd.de/indexe.htm
Bruce LA ...The really great thing is that when I told my girlfriend what I was going to do she said that she would be staying home. I will also be doing all the non-train tourist stuff, but I didn't tell her that... Bruce LA
...The really great thing is that when I told my girlfriend what I was going to do she said that she would be staying home. I will also be doing all the non-train tourist stuff, but I didn't tell her that...
I think she's standing right behind you...shhhhhh....
Seriously though, my wife, daughter and I went to Europe a few summers back for a couple weeks. We landed in London and spent a few days taking in the sites there (and there are a LOT of sites...and Pubs ). Then we took the train from London to Paris under the Channel and that was a blast for all three of us! Paris was awesome, again so much to see. We took the subway/train to Versailles( sp?) and then back to Paris where we flew home. My biggest piece of advice, don't try and do everything or try and cram so much into your trip that you don't truly experience or enjoy the experience, of being in Europe (or wherever). Some of my fondest memories are of slowing down, sitting in the Pubs and conversing with the people. Either way...ENJOY!
Happy modeling!
Don.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that both engines have failed, and we will be stuck here for some time. The good news is that you decided to take the train and not fly."
I don't live in Europe, but I've visited both the UK and the Continent multiple times.
If you're going to be in London, there are two preserved railways within a reasonably short train ride. These are the Bluebell Railway http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/ and the Mid-Hants Railway: http://www.watercressline.co.uk/
Both railways are highly recommended and the shop facilities for the Bluebell at Sheffield Park are outstanding. They can do a complete locomotive rebuild.
It's also possible to do a day trip from London to visit the Severn Valley Railway http://www.svr.co.uk/Default.aspx , but it will be a really long day. Kidderminister is the town to shoot for by train.
There are also a quite a few mainline steam events in the UK, some of which either originate in London or are easily accessible from London. Here's the site for info: http://www.uksteam.info/tours/trs13.htm Trust me on this, the Brits really know how to put on a steam excursion. You'll be gone all day. The last time I did a steam excursion, it left London Paddington at around 0730 and didn't get back until well after 2200.
The Continent abounds with good train watching spots. Usually any sizeable station is good for train watching. Any of the Paris stations will have lots of action. Most of my train watching has been done in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. Munich Hbf (Hauptbahnhof) is particularly active and there is a footbridge across the station tthroat. Wien Westbahnhof and Salzburg Hbf are particularly good spots in Austria with lots of action. Good spots in Switzerland are Geneva, Zurich, Lucerne and Bern. From Lucerne, you can catch a train to Milan which goes over the Gotthard Pass, a ride not to be missed before the new Gotthard tunnel is completed. A round trip to Milan from Lucerne can be done in a day. If you don't want to go that far, get a ticket to Como. The station's not far from Lake Como. The station in Lucerne is also a terminus for a narrow gauge line the name of which escapes me.
The Swiss Transport Musem in Lucerne http://www.verkehrshaus.ch/en is well worth seeing and a boat trip on Lake Lucerne is a must. The only real problem with Switzerland is that it's fiendishly expensive. If you get a chance to visit Mulhouse, France, visit the Cite du Train, formerly the French National Railway Museum. It's spectacular and well worth going out of your way to visit. Mulhouse is about an hour's train ride from Bern, Switzerland. You'll have to catch a bus or take a taxi to the museum. Website: http://citedutrain.com/en/home
Hope this helps
Andre
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
I agree that you'll miss out on a lot if you go to Europe with too much of an agenda. We were in Florence, Italy, last spring. Our daughter was doing the "semester abroad" thing for college. We took a train from Florence to Venice and back, but that was the extent of our rail adventures. My wife took in the art museums, but I enjoyed just walking through the city, meandering through ancient streets. The restaurants in Italy were a great treat for food-and-wine aficionados like us, although we sought out British or Irish pubs when we wanted a beer.
Look into European railpasses if you will be taking a lot of trains. They have a lot options, but also a lot of restrictions, but if you choose and plan carefully they can save you a lot of money. As I recall, you have to buy them at least a month before your trip.
Find out how your cell phone provider deals with Europe. It may be cheaper for you to buy a no-contract phone when you get there. Also, contact your bank and see which banks in Europe will work with your ATM card, and how much those fees are. We discovered that there was a no-fee connection to one of the bigger banks in Florence. But, we also found (after we got home) that the reason the cards didn't work was our passwords - many European ATMs only take 6-character passwords and ours were 7. Before you go, arrange with your bank to get a few hundred Euros to take with you. On a more cheerful note, our Master Card was accepted just about everywhere.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Can't speak for the Continent, but Barclay's (UK) and Bank of America have a reciprocal agreement where you can use either bank's ATM for no fee and our password was no issue. Made it really convenient last year when we visited the UK. Free Wi-Fi is widely available in the UK and the entire city of London was pretty much wired for W-Fi for the Olympics. Personally, I don't see the need for a cell phone while abroad, but then I can rememember when you needed an operator to make a long distance phone call (never mind an international call). Email should be sufficient.
You really need to notify your credit card companies that you will be out of the country, otherwise they tend to soil their corporate shorts when you make a significant purchase thousands of miles from home and they're not expecting it. As Mr. Beasley said, it's a good idea to to get some foreign currency ahead of time before you leave. We kept our cards and cash in neck wallets tucked inside our clothes. Something like this: http://tinyurl.com/mqrzvaq
If you get to Scotland, the West Highland route from Glasgow to Fort William or on to the coast at Mallaig is a must. Depending on when you go there may be steam on the route to Mallaig and you go over the "Harry Potter" bridge. The scenery is spectacular and it can be a day trip. If you've got the bucks you can take the New Caledonia sleeper from London over the route.
Mike
In a word, Switzerland. Transportation Museum in Lucerne. Also there is a narrow gauge train that I believe goes to Chur. The train was new when I rode it 16 years ago, had 5 cars, with the engineer operating the train from a cupola in the middle of the middle car. My wife and I got front row seats, basically a cab ride. Much of the equipment on the line looked straight out of the LGB catalog. Also the ride up the Jungfrau, the last 4 miles of which are carved out of solid rock is amazing. Google train rides in Switzerland. The scenery also makes the trip worthwhile. TGB runs from Paris to Geneva. I'd love to go back.
If you have time in London, get a jump on jump off bus tour. That will take you around the sites. If you jump off at Covent Garden, go to the London Transport Museum.
You will be catching the Eurostar at St Pancras station in London. This is a beautiful Victorian station that has been refurbished. Before you go through to wait to get on board the Eurostar, look around the station. It is a wonderful place. On the Grand Terrace is a large sculpture called 'the meeting place' but better than this is a statue of John Betjemen who did so much to save the station from demolition. He stands holding his hat with a shopping bag in one hand. Superb.
Enjoy Paris and enjoy Hamburg. When my wife and I visit Europe now we try to go by train. SNCF and Deutsche Bahn are superb.
Have fun!
If you can get to the National Railway Museum in York, do it! The Mallard is there, as is the Duchess of Hamilton, the prototype HST, and much more!
http://www.nrm.org.uk/
Yes, go to York, but afterwards, go to Gothland. Why? Several reasons:Gothland station, which is also Hogwarts. Yes, that Hogwarts. It is serviced by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
Gothland was also the setting of the British weekly drama "Heartbeat" (and its theme song was of the same name by Buddy Holly). The House that the Doctor lived in is now a B&B which my wife and I have stayed and will again next year. http://www.glendalehouse.co.uk/
You will love it.
Two seasons in my Canada, Modelling and Paintball.
The TGV from Paris to Hamburg passes through Mulhouse, France, which has what's said to be the largest train museum in Europe. There's also a large automobile museum there as well. Both are easily reached by bus or tram from the city center/SNCF station. Very impressive museums.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musée_Français_du_Chemin_de_Fer
http://citedutrain.com/en/home
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cité_de_l’Automobile
http://citedelautomobile.com/en/home
Austria and Switzerland are an absolute must for Alpine railroading. The route from Salzburg to Innsbruck via the resort of Zel Am Zee is one of the most beautiful I've ever ridden. Also, as mentioned, the route from Luzern to Milan via the Gotthard Pass and the spiral tunnels. In Luzern, there is also a metre-gauge railway that runs from Luzern to the resort town of Engleberg (much of it rack-rail) high in the Alps at the foot of a glacier. The Salzburg-Innsbruck line is incredibly busy--last time I was there, it was well over 100 trains a day.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
you will collect zillions of ideas here, but to be more specific, it would be good to know your rough itinerary and timing.
Dave
USAF (Retired)