Chu-chuhk-a-chuhk chu-chuhk-a-chuhk chu-chuhk-a-chuhk. All through the night. I love sleeping overnight on long train journeys. That is, if I’m in a sleeper car, anyway. The rhythm of the train barrelling down the tracks lulls me into dreamland, and then when the morning comes I wake up giddy as a little kid to peek out the window to see how the view differs to where I’ve come from.
This rail holiday business is the sort of thing I hope I can do more of in the coming few years. The Trans Siberian Railway, the Orient Express, Copper Canyon, the Rocky Mountaineer … Even just writing those journeys down and reading the phrases back to myself wistfully evokes a yearning to go somewhere (anywhere) in a pretty powerful way.
Maybe I’m romanticising it a little bit, but when train travel is nice it’s ideal. Rail feels a bit more adventure-y than hopping a flight and, compared to driving, allows for some relaxation and possibly even a spot of work. I appreciate the two birds with one stone aspect of it too: travel and accommodation all in one.
Looking back over the past few years, I haven’t taken nearly as many “long haul” train trips as I would have liked. And the only overnight train I’ve taken over the past year was just up to Edinburgh (and unfortunately not in a sleeper but in a not quite fully reclining seat) for a city break. Still it was a pretty cheap fare and worth a bit of discomfort. Edinburgh’s a fabulous destination and getting there from London via the Caldonian Sleeper overnight train is a great way to visit.
Hmmm … where next? And can I get there by train?
Chu-chuhk-a-chuhk chu-chuhk-a-chuhk chu-chuhk-a-chuhk.
