Welcome to the Railbookers Blog
As French as it gets…
January 27th, 2012
There are many parts of the world which are synonymous with certain foods or drinks: Cornwall and its pasties, Singapore and its slings, perhaps even Nice with its biscuits, but the one place that takes the proverbial biscuit in my eyes is the historic French region of Burgundy. Just reading its name brings childhood memories flooding back of digging into bags of Wine Gums with the red ones always the first to go. With Champagne aside, (and Bordeaux some might say) it is perhaps the most famous wine making area in the world.
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A Family Christmas Holiday in Rome & Sorrento
January 27th, 2012
Our BA flight arrived into Rome Fiumicino airport after a slight delay, to be met by our prearranged transfer. It was well worth the extra cost in order to avoid the chaos of trying to find a taxi.
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New Zealand – South Island
January 27th, 2012
The next part of my trip began with the short walk to Wellington’s train station. An unlikely beginning for a ferry journey you might think but, as always, there was method behind my madness. I had discovered that a shuttle bus operates from the station to the Interislander ferry terminal, which is a mile or so out of town.
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New Zealand – North Island
January 27th, 2012
New Zealand has always been a country that I have wanted to visit, and so it was with no little anticipation that I arrived in Auckland in late November for a nine day holiday. Whilst nine days may seem like a long time, it’s impossible to see everything this beautiful country has to offer in that time- but you can certainly have fun trying. I had heard that New Zealand offered spectacular beautiful scenery, friendly locals, and the best fish and chips (or “fush and chups” in local parlance) in the world. I was determined to put all three claims to the test.
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Avignon and the Hotel De L’Horloge
January 25th, 2012
Our trip to the walled medieval city of Avignon and the French Riviera started early, with an (on time) 08:02 departure from St Pancras. My travelling companion Sam and I were through security in a fraction of the time you would expect at any one of London’s heaving airports!
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London to Berlin via Cologne
January 25th, 2012
For nearly a year I have been selling the virtues of the German railway system based on my colleagues first hand experience, but finally it was my chance to try it out.
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Metropole Venice
January 25th, 2012
Entering the Metropole is like stepping out of one world and into the next. Juxtaposed with the busy outdoors, you are made to feel like you are entering a calm and peaceful place. To your left is the oriental bar featuring food by their 2 michelin starred chef. To your right is a large lounge area with comfortable chairs and a relaxing atmosphere. Out the back is a lovely private garden area which for winter was still partially in use thanks to a large marquee heated for outdoor comfort.
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Nice to Rome by Rail
January 23rd, 2012
I have visited Nice before, always in the summer months when the city is full of tourists, the days are extremely hot and the beaches crammed. So this time it was a nice change of pace to experience the city in the low season.
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Bern and Zurich
January 23rd, 2012
Bern
This UNESCO World Heritage Site is often overlooked by travellers passing through Switzerland, but this is a mistake. Bern is not just a boring political capital; it is a quirky little city that offers a perfect stopover, short stay, or a good base to explore Switzerland.
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Sampling Sardinian Cuisine
January 23rd, 2012
Sardinia is an island of great differences and is geographically as close to Africa as it is to mainland Italy. Alghero in the north-west was once a Spanish citadel and the regional dialect there is in fact Catalan.
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