Despite the teething problems, the lure of an overland journey from London to Venice for less than £100 could still prove persuasive
Despite the teething problems, the lure of an overland journey from London to Venice for less than £100 could still prove persuasiveHalf of the romance of rail travel is its unpredictability. That’s what I told myself as a European Sleeper train set off from Brussels this Wednesday evening, on what was supposed to be the launch of its pilot route to Venice. The train was due to depart at 6.06pm; the departures board said it would be 46 minutes late.
On the platform, I met a Belgian couple due to travel to Venice on the sleeper to celebrate the anniversary of their honeymoon, 42 years ago. Like me, they’d learned of a change to the schedule – a journey of 19 hours that would include 10 cities across five countries – a couple of days earlier.that route was extended to Prague
“We have had hundreds of phone calls and emails to get it done. The timetables in of the countries are not automatically coordinated, as they should be. It’s up to us to co-ordinate between the infrastructure managers, five of them in this case, to make sure everything fits.”Federica Favii, Italy’s ambassador to Belgium, was among the other speakers at the event. She said: “The challenges have met in reaching Italy are probably linked to the need for Europe to be more united.
Meanwhile, European Sleeper says that the Italian operator hasn’t explained why our journey could not travel beyond Innsbruck. Instead, we were given seats on an Austrian OBB train to Verona, then on a Trenitalia train to Venice. It meant losing about 4.5 hours on the sleeper, a 40-minute wait at Innsbruck and squeezing through carriages to find an economy seat.Within an hour of boarding European Sleeper, couchettes were full of merriment.
“It made me laugh that we have to stop at Innsbruck, and we didn’t have to do that at Cologne or Munich – there always so much work on the Deutsche Bahn.”
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
European Sleeper's Venice Dreams Cut Short: Unpredictable Journey Faces Delays and Route ChangesThe inaugural pilot route of the European Sleeper train from Brussels to Venice encountered unexpected setbacks, leading to schedule changes and a shortened journey. Despite the initial excitement, passengers faced delays, logistical issues, and a final destination alteration. The company attributed the challenges to coordination difficulties between national infrastructure managers. Passengers expressed surprise and frustration over the late notification regarding the Venice cancellation. The experience highlights the complexities of inter-country rail travel and the potential for disruptions even with meticulous planning.
Read more »
The 10 best new sleeper trains to try in 2025, from Venice to VientianeThe most exciting new routes, carriages and journeys in the UK, Europe and beyond
Read more »
Homeless Charity Helps Former Rough Sleeper Turn Her Life AroundEmma Hall, a 42-year-old former rough sleeper, credits Emmaus Hull and East Riding with helping her achieve sobriety after struggling with alcoholism and homelessness. The charity, which provides accommodation and support services, is facing increased demand due to the cost-of-living crisis and lack of affordable housing.
Read more »
'Game development is more accessible than ever': how Citizen Sleeper 2 was created without codingLewis Packwood has been writing about video games professionally since 2013, and his work has appeared in The Guardian, Retro Gamer, EDGE, Eurogamer, Wireframe, Rock Paper Shotgun, Kotaku, PC Gamer and Time Extension, among others.
Read more »
Former Stafford rough sleeper aiming to inspire othersDean Nicholls praises the patience of support workers in helping him off Stafford's streets
Read more »
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector release date and platformsRead our article to find out the release date and launch platforms for Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector.
Read more »