Rail Travel in Europe – Racing with Trains, Planes & Automobiles (Part II)

Part II of our planes, trains and automobiles race across Europe. (Read Part I)

With the Red Team grounded in Zürich whilst our eco-racers make their way steadily through France things are looking bleak for air travel.

11.45 - Red Team, Zürich Airport (still)

Finally I am sitting in seat 27B, sandwiched between a large gentleman and a fidgety young boy. To my mounting frustration the captain apologizes for the delay in boarding due to bad weather on the inbound flight from London this morning, and tells us that we won’t be taking off for another 45 minutes due to air traffic congestion – a common problem on this route, which will get worse as passenger numbers increase.

12.00 - Blue Team, Somewhere in Eastern France

The scenery in this part of the country is fantastic with the Autoroute representing a roller coaster, rising and falling through the hills, twisting and turning through meadows and forests with dramatic cliffs in the background. For the driving enthusiast this is a treat.

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12.42 - Red Team, somewhere above the Swiss-French border

Although my competitors are powering their way through France, we are now airborne and travelling at almost 900kmh. Nobody can compete with that. I settle down to enjoy the flight despite my neighbors’ serious infringement on my personal space.

13:00 – Green Team, middle of nowhere

The speed of the scenery passing by my window is impressive at close to 300kmh, and unlike my competitors I am free to get up and walk around with relative freedom. Thankfully, smoking is not permitted but unfortunately other people’s children are. Must remember to recharge the iPod next time.

14.00 – Blue Team, somewhere near Metz – wherever that is..

Stop for fuel and a sandwich. Stretch. Driving can be tiring, but progress is good and I don’t have any fellow passengers to annoy me. Unfortunately the dramatic scenery of the first few hours has now given way to a rather empty and uninspiring landscape, and the freedom of the open road is, well, quite boring actually.

14.00 – Red Team, 2 miles above Heathrow Airport

Despite being scheduled to land already, we are circling overhead waiting for an available landing slot. My neighbour is blissfully unaware of the delay as he tries to use me as a pillow.

14.34 – Green Team, Gare de l’Est, Paris

Unlike the circling Airbus, we arrive right on schedule. I weave my way between reunited lovers on the platform and head up the Rue de Magenta towards the Gare du Nord to catch the Eurostar train to London. It’s always a special feeling to be in Paris and I have time to grab a quick lunch and enjoy the atmosphere before the Eurostar departs – this is so much more civilised than a British Airways sandwich. I’m getting tense however, realizing that race is well and truly on, and whilst I am sitting here the Blue Team will be blasting along the Autoroute, whilst the Reds are hundreds of kilometres in front of me.

14:40 – Blue Team, Somewhere in Northern France

My sat-nav has received a traffic update and has re-routed me off the autoroute on to some god forsaken back road where I am busy battling it out with battered old Peugeots whilst avoiding huge potholes in the road. Progress is painfully slow and I suddenly realize just what a big country France is, and just how fast airplanes are.

I’ve been in this car for hours, feel very bored and can’t get this terrible French pop-music out of my head.

15.15 – Red Team, Avis Hire Car Depot, Heathrow Airport

Having finally landed, and several additional queues later, I am out of the airport and have finally completed the paper work for my rental car which will take me on the last leg of my journey towards Dorset.

My blue Ford Focus lurches out of the Avis car park with the lights flashing and the windscreen wipers going as I quickly try to adjust to a new and unfamiliar vehicle. Negotiating the heavy traffic around Heathrow airport is never fun, but I’m now comfortably in the lead and settle down to enjoy the final leg of the journey as victory awaits me.

15:40 – Blue Team, Somewhere in Northern France

Back on the autoroute with a clear road ahead, but unless I get a move on I’m going to miss the ferry. Making matters worse, the Red Team is on the final leg and shortly I am going be head to head with a 300kmh train. Fingers crossed for a Red Team disaster to keep me in contention. For the next two hours the traffic laws of France are seriously violated in a mad rush to get to Calais ferry terminal before my ship sets sail without me.

15:45 – Red Team, M25, South of London

Not so fast. I’m stuck in traffic on Europe’s busiest road – the M25 London Orbital motorway. Unfortunately UK transport policy sees the majority of flights into the UK land at Heathrow, with its abysmal transport connections, at the expense of the development of regional airports. If I had been able to fly to an airport closer to my destination I would be high and dry by now. The mind boggles as to how these roads will cope if the British Government approve a third runway at Heathrow, flooding these roads with up to 25 million additional cars each year. I chew on these thoughts as the clock marches on.

16:13 – Green Team, Paris Gare du Nord

After what seems like hours of hanging around, the Eurostar finally leaves Paris. The train is great, but I’m already starting to feel like I have had enough of trains for today. French countryside flashing past my window no longer amuses me and the man opposite is using far more than his fair share of the table. Fortunately London is only a few hours away.

With the Green Team finally on their way towards England, the Blue Team about to miss the boat and the Red team fuming in traffic the competition is heating up. Find out what happens next in Part III.

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