We’ve always enjoyed travelling by train. Early holidays involved non-corridor carriages from Leeds to Morecambe – make sure you get in the right compartment! Thirty plus years ago we travelled via Motorail to southern France and Italy with our children, car on the transporter and us in a sleeper complete with picnic.

We’ve done that more recently (maybe 10 years ago) to Livorno from ‘s-Hertogenbosch, a very slow, often-diverted, journey back ensuring we missed our ferry back to Hull and landed in Harwich, a very long return journey home. Motorail seems to have largely stopped – it was very expensive – in favour of fast connections across Europe in a new wave of high speed dedicated rail routes. 

So we’re enthusiastic supports of reducing our carbon footprint. Unfortunately journeys haven’t always gone according to plan, with trains late or broken down. This recent epic trip has proven that things can (largely) go according to plan – aided in no small part by the website Man in Seat61, an absolute unbelievable mine of information. We rely on it absolutely. 

Palermo-Napoli 9.5 hours including the ferry – yes they really put the train on the ferry [see above] – only one in the world?

Napoli-Milano 5.5 hours – blissfully calm

Milano-Zurich 3.5 hours – ditto with alpine views thrown in

Zürich-Amsterdam 13.5 hours in a sleeper – magic waking up in some unheard of station at 3am and arriving ‘refreshed’ in Amsterdam

We got to Amsterdam with a planned 1.5 hour delay, just in time for a short stroll and lunch at the 1st Class Café at the station – you know, the one with the white Cockatoo on the bar (!). Then bus to ferry, with a very luxurious Commodore Cabin (double bed, fully stocked mini bar…). Finally bus to Newcastle Station and train home. Ah…

The bunks on the Nightjet…

Trains… the NightJet from Zurich to Amsterdam

…and the Commodore cabin on DFDS ferries. Heaven

…and the 1st Class Grand Café – now closed alas