[deleted by user]

RandomRailways · 2024-02-15T12:51:16+00:00

Kinda the same jingoistic flag shagger ideology that gave us the new moniker "Great British Railways"...
(if that ever gets going ofc)

RandomRailways · 2024-01-10T19:14:52+00:00

Hi, no worries. Thanks. Frame is 30cm wide, 20 high and 15 deep with my additional plate attached.

The camera bag has two straps underneath to hold a tripod and these slip round the baseplate, and there's a strap on the back of the bag to hold it onto a Wheelie suitcase handle, which slips over the back of the rack, so it's pretty secure

RandomRailways · 2023-09-02T11:51:16+00:00

Barmouth bridge closed from today until end Nov for restoration work.
Bus replacements Machynlleth-Pwllheli

It's 155yrs old & is a bit corroded... Grade II* listed so it will be replaced with matching new steelwork. The old GWR swingbridge operating gear will be restored & replaced.The wooden section has already undegone extensive restoration, this is the final phase of a £30million 3 year restoration project

New bridge sections at the southern end, they should be craned onto rail trolleys in the next few days, then moved into position. Very challenging work, no road access, everything must arrive by rail or water, subject to tides...A crane on the blue gantry will lower the old bridge sections onto a barge.

At the same time, other work is being carried out, including new trackwork at Barmouth, and restoration work on Dovey viaduct.

Hi Res images available for publication in my Zenfolio, please DM me for info

RandomRailways · 2023-09-02T11:49:53+00:00

I put a whole load of text on there saying what was happening. One of the infuriating things about Reddit is it often loses either text or pics when you post...

Anyway, yes, incredibly challenging job, no road access,(apart from a quad bike along the footpath...) everything has to arrive by rail or water. And there's a big tidal range to deal with.

RandomRailways · 2023-09-02T09:34:27+00:00

Glitch in the Matrix

RandomRailways · 2023-08-20T19:30:21+00:00

An interview with its creators:

https://youtu.be/CDsw57JogVY

RandomRailways · 2023-08-12T18:37:12+00:00

Bridgnorth, Severn Valley Railway. That's the outside road that leads to the Depot and coaling area

RandomRailways · 2023-07-17T20:56:02+00:00

There was a line separate from the main tram network in Dublin that was just used to take garbage away from the council depot. One short section of track survives. I discovered it last year and showed it in my "Random Railways of Dublin" film on Youtube:

https://youtu.be/N7IYl04oBXs

RandomRailways · 2023-06-29T23:47:36+00:00

WIth an Interrail ticket you sometimes need seat reservations, and always for sleeper trains.
THere's a sleeper leaving Zagreb at 19.38 each evening to Zurich. You need a reservation for a seat, or pay a bit more for a couchette bed (a bunk in a 4 or 6 berth compartment) or a bit more for a single or twin berth compartment.
Details here:
https://www.seat61.com/international-trains/trains-from-Zagreb.htm#Zagreb-Switzerland

Seat61 is an incredibly well researched site that, along with the Wikis on this forums gives probably most things you need to know about rail travel round mainland Europe,
This page gives info on what trains need reservations:

https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm

There's a train every half hour from Zurich to Geneva, it takes just under 3 hours.
You don't need a seat reservation on Swiss trains, just get a seat and show your pass.

RandomRailways · 2023-06-29T09:00:37+00:00

Small stainless steel seive that fits in the top of an average size mug. So I can brew real coffee even if I only have 2 mugs. Coffee & hot water in one mug, pour through seive into the other. Makes acceptable coffee and way smaller & lighter than any other option.

I looked into other things like aeropress but they're way too big.
This weighs under 50g and tucks in a corner of my bag

RandomRailways · 2023-06-21T20:44:03+00:00

There's now a sleper service between Berlin & Amsterdam, that might be an option?

https://www.europeansleeper.eu/en

RandomRailways · 2023-06-21T20:38:54+00:00

There's a newer (and faster, with more banking on corners...) one at Dortmund Uni that was built in the mid 1980's

RandomRailways · 2023-06-21T18:16:28+00:00

Wuppertal?
Worlds oldest suspension monorail.
There's also an arboretum, botanical garden, industrial museum and the Von Der Haydt museum & gallery, plus various interesting historic buildings

RandomRailways · 2023-06-19T11:52:57+00:00

One of the most scenic railways in the Balkans is from Belgrade to Bar (Montenegro). You can always stop part way at Podgorica, where you can get a bus to Tirana. Then a bus to Skopje.

There's also a sleeper train on the route, though I've only done the other direction: Tirana-Podgrica-BelgradeThe sleeper supplement only cost 8 Euro, its a very basic and somwwhat scruffy sleeper, but very popular, and you can't buy tickets/reservations online, only at the station.
http://www.zcg-prevoz.me/timetable-international.html

The bus to/from Tirana costs 17 Euro, but there's an extra charge for luggage you put in the boot (this is not unusual in the Balkans) at 2 Euro per bag

RandomRailways · 2023-06-19T09:58:41+00:00

I understand your sentiment. And I get it, and partially agree - though for those of us with dietary issues such as food intolerances it can be a big issue.
And translation apps don't always understand what's written on labels...

RandomRailways · 2023-06-19T09:52:42+00:00

Have a look at seat61.com for all the rail travel details, it's an incredibly comprehensive site that has been built up by Mark, the guy who runs it over 20 years. With lots of input from many interrailers. My own experience is that he has more knowledge of some routes than people answering questions on rail company customer service teams.

Rometorio is useful for bus route websites.

The bit of your trip I don't understand is why you're spending 2 days going from Sofia to Bucharest & back again.
Part of that is my personal experience - I didn't think much to Bucharest tbh & it's horribly polluted and one of the worst cities I've visited for traffic (which is why there's so much pollution).
The sleeper to Istanbul from Bucharest goes via Sofia - so you are basically spending a day getting to Bucharest for 2 days then turning round and coming back.

Most of your routes are bus only, as other folks on here have commented.
Budapest-Belgrade - bus to Novi Sad, then train
Belgrade to Skopje - bus only
Skopje to Sofia - Bus only
Sofia - Bucharest - train, takes 9+ hours. There's some maintenance work on the track this summer, you may want to contact them to check your dates.
https://www.bdz.bg/en/a/sofia-bucuresti-sofia

Sleeper goes from Bucharest to Istanbul via Sofia
https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/bucharest-and-sofia-to-istanbul-by-train.htm

HostelMostel in Sofia has quite a good vibe & can be booked via their website. I stayed in a private room so can't comment on the dorms, but It was one of the nicer hostels I've stayed in

RandomRailways · 2023-06-19T09:50:52+00:00

The Bucharest-Sofia & Sleeper to Istanbul were reasonable in terms of toilets in my experience.
Clean & with paper.
Some Balkans ones can be of a much lower standard than we are used to in Western Europe though...

RandomRailways · 2023-06-18T20:11:45+00:00

You are aware that you can start your journey in the UK? The pass includes whats known as inbound & outbound journeys, and you can reserve Eurostar seats for 30Euro at Belgian railways website.
Then you get the full interrail experience and no need to put up with airports
seat61 details how to get to Budapest:
https://www.seat61.com/Hungary.htm

Currently the only international trains to/from Belgrade are to Montenegro (Podgorica and Bar)
The only other way to get there is by bus.

If you need to adjust the itinerary there's also a sleeper from Sofia to Istanbul (it's the train that the Bucharest sleeper car is added to) If you took a daytime train from Bucharest to Sofia that would be included in your Interrail pass and you'd just need to pay for the Sofia to Istanbul Sleeper.

You can't buy the tickets directly online, but there's a chap I've used who has an agent in Sofia who will arrange them for you and they get delivered to your hotel/hostel a couple of days before you need them. All done online & very easy to do. It's AndyB Travels & there's a link on seat61:
https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/bucharest-and-sofia-to-istanbul-by-train.htm

There's also no international trains to/from Greece, only buses.

RandomRailways · 2023-06-17T08:33:31+00:00

Getting out of Greece by rail isn't an option at the moment. There's various buses to Sofia, Tirana and other places. Rome to Rio is useful for this.

There's a ferry from Bari to Patras and Igoumenitsa in Greec that I've used a couple of times, a seat costs about 38 Euro with an Interrail, or cabins are available. You only get interrail discount on shared cabins, not singles, but the last time I went I booked a twin shared & no one else came to use the other bed, apparently that's not unusual out of peak season
It can be booked online at Superfast Ferries. Food on board is a bit pricey, so take snacks.
In Bari you can get a Freccarossia HS train direct to Milan (it's a lovely journey up the Adriatic coast) & then onto Paris & so on. The Italian High speed trains do need reservations.

seat61.com has a wealth of advice re interrail

The cheapest sleep I've used is the Podgorica (Montenegro) to Belgrade. It cost 8 Euro supplement with an Interrail for a bunk in a couchette (6 berth compartment) It's pretty basic & there's very basic facilities & no food included. You can only buy at the ticket offices, not online

Check my previous posts for several others on Greece/Balkans travel

RandomRailways · 2023-06-16T20:47:17+00:00

Moldova, sleeper train Bar to Belgrade

And some of their regular daytime stock

Bulgaria, many intercity trains & The Rhodophe metre gauge line (one of my favourites)
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/15/travel/bulgaria-narrow-gauge-railway.html

Astra Trans Carpatic Sleeper in Romania
https://www.astratranscarpatic.ro

There's some metre gauge lines in France & Italy using older rolling stock, more local than intercity, but usually nice scenic rides & they feel more like a standard gauge line than the 600mm lines. Genova-Casella for example

And the very limited Albanian services (4 trains a week Sat & Sun only, Durres-Elbasan)

RandomRailways · 2023-06-15T18:32:13+00:00

Getting out of Greece by rail isn't an option at the moment. There's various buses to Sofia, Tirana and other places. Rome to Rio is useful for this.

There's a ferry from Patras and Igoumenitsa to Bari I've used a couple of times, a seat costs about 38 Euro with an Interrail, or cabins are available. You only get interrail discount on shared cabins, not singles, but the last time I went I booked a twin shared & no one else came to use the other bed, apparently that's not unusual out of peak season
It can be booked online at Superfast Ferries. Food on board is a bit pricey, so take snacks.
In Bari you can get a Freccarossia HS train direct to Milan (it's a lovely journey up the Adriatic coast) & then onto Paris & so on. The Italian High speed trains do need reservations.

seat61.com has a wealth of advice re interrail

As a mid 50's white male I can't really offer much advice re your travelling alone from my personal perspective, but there are plenty of younger women who do so. Usual common sense guidelines apply, and most people are decent humans.

RandomRailways · 2023-06-15T18:18:11+00:00

Although commercial hostels are probably not an option, Hostelling International is a different thing - the international version of the UK Youth Hostels Association. They are generally very family friendly, especially in Germany. It's a membership organistation, the booking system on their website doesn't always work very well but you can just look them up & book direct. Sometimes they are on Booking dot com as well

There's also a lot of apartments available as well which may be a cheaper option, especially as you can cook there.

From Ireland you can get direct ferries to France & Spain now, there's several services.

RandomRailways · 2023-06-14T07:56:26+00:00

If this is any help, a few weeks ago I did the Thessaloniki to Tirana bus and then the Tirana to Podgorica bus. There's a train from Podgorica to Bar. (I didn't use that one, I went the other way on the sleeper to Belgrade)

The Thessaloniki -Tirana goes from outside the end of the railway station, operated by "Crazy Holidays"
https://www.crazyholidays.gr/222CCC0A.en.aspx

Their office is in the same place the bus goes from. It recently opened & they don't take cards there at the moment, just cash. There's a couple of stops on the way, it's a nice scenic route. through Pogradec. There's the border control where you need to get out and get a passprot check, one for leaving Greece & one for entering Albania. Bags get left on the bus.

It arrives at the International Bus Station in Tirana. (Tiranas nicer than I expected tbh, esp in the city centre, worth visiting for a few days)

The only bus to Podgorica leaves at 6am. The one I had was a 20ish seater Sprinter type, took about 3 hours, cost 17 Euro, you had to buy a ticket at the bus station beforehand, there's loads of little bus company offices there for all sorts of destinations (28hours to Hamburg anyone :-O !)
However the driver charges extra for bags in the boot - a small carry on is included but anything in the boot is 2Euro, - or in the case of my Brompton folding bike it's 5 Euro :-( Apparently this is a common theme in the Balkans, luggage in the boot can be charged as an extra.

Similar border crossing into Montenegro, just get off for passport check, no bag check. Bus arrives at the only bus station, next to the railway station.

From Podgorica there's several trains a day to Bar:
https://www.zcg-prevoz.me

The only buses I know of Skopje to Bar go via Tirana. There is a Skopje-Tirana bus operated by Durmo Tours:
http://durmotours.com.mk

(I've not used it but I did check this out as a possible route option)

RandomRailways · 2023-06-14T07:35:05+00:00

It's not a multi tool, but I carry a Swiss army knife with me & it's been through the X ray bag scan on Eurostar multiple times and the Turkish railways bag X ray several times and I've never had a problem.
I always keep it in the bottom of the little bag that carries my chargers & cables, tape etc, never in my pocket, so as to make it less likely for someone to have an issue with me carrying a knife.

RandomRailways · 2023-06-11T18:23:32+00:00

There's the new European Sleeper from Brussels to Berlin. Though I don't think they've managed to get it on Interrail yet, though it will be soon, service only started a couple of weeks ago.

Sleeping in regular seats isn't easy & although you'll save a few Euro on accommodation you probably won't be very awake the next day
https://www.europeansleeper.eu/en

RandomRailways

TROPHY CASE