lol another one 😀
1st class lounge, Strasbourg
I’m allowed in here with Interrail
Entitled dude, French this time, pushes past - thinking I’m a confused backpacker (I have a huge back pack today)
He’s sent away and I’m allowed through
Just had to tell an entitled German dude speaking loudly on his phone to get out of the Ruhebereich (Quiet Zone) 1st Class on the ICE
He wasn't amused
But yes, I can be a German stickler for the rules as well, sir 😀
And this folks is why the first stage of a good rail trip is a good plan
Somehow SJ's search makes an error, I have no way to put via stations or correct it, and so it fails. Both DB and Railfinder have, at heart, good planners - and from there can take you to make a booking
Umeå C - København H, using the Umeå - Stockholm night train *obviously* should route you Umeå - Stockholm - Lund - København
DB ✅
Railfinder @railfinder.eu ✅
SJ 🤯
Let's make you change in Gävle, Linköping and Malmö instead, with a much longer trip time
* - just don't try to get beyond Boden or Umeå on the Swedish side in a timely manner
#CrossBorderRail #LongestTrainEU
Screenshot from Norrtåg's website today
#CrossBorderRail fail 🙄
Frankfurt - Paris ICE, on Interrail
It’s the SNCF train manager who checks me
I show my “Passzuschlag” and she had no idea what it was
Not the first time that I know the Interrail rules on this route better than the train crew. And there must be plenty of Interrailers here!
I have alternatives *of course*, because no one in their right mind would rely on a Talgo, especially not one run by DSB. But I would rather avoid changes in Fredericia and Flensburg. #CrossBorderRail #LongestTrainEU
So who do I need to contact at DSB to make sure the Talgo I need for the record attempt on 9th Sept is the only one that day that isn't cancelled? 🤔
@annakansalais @tommi Nyt voin mennä torille. #FCKNZS #photobombing
Edit: Note to non-Finns: "Mennä torille", "go to the market square", is a Finnish ironic expression indicating one has done something remarkable.
A beer at the station restaurant while waiting for the night train. To Oulu (or Kemi, for one hour longer sleep) and then taking the first regular train from Finland to Sweden in 38 years.
P.S. As the mansplaining "wouldn't Narvik be further, geodesic" (no, it wouldn't, trust me I checked) and "wouldn't southern Finland to Portugal be more route km?" (yes it would, but there are reasons why that is a complete pain to calculate and I am not doing that) sorts of replies are coming already, then have a read of this:
https://jonworth.eu/the-longest-train-journey-in-the-eu/#the-third-option-but-southern-finland-to-portugal-would-have-more-route-km
There are loads of ways you can participate or help out - including meeting me en route, organising events, joining me for a leg of the trip, or making a small financial contribution - all the details on the project website!
I am announcing all this today as this morning
Haparanda 🇸🇪 - Tornio 🇫🇮
finally re-opened, connecting Finland to the EU passenger rail network again
The last passenger trains ran here in 1988, before either Sweden or Finland joined the EU
Yle about the launch: https://yle.fi/a/74-20240125
And of course I am taking trains *to* Kemijärvi, and *back* from Lagos, and going to 20 more #CrossBorderRail lines on the way. All of those are mapped here: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-autumn-2026-inc-longest-train-jour_1443266#4/55.776573/20.170898
This also is taking me to two of my least favourite countries in this project - Sweden and Spain. This trip is going to need some strong nerves 😀
The whole thing is mapped here: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/eu-longest-train-journey_1427743#4/54.502935/9.109205
The trip will start 7th Sept in Kemijärvi 🇫🇮 and end 11th Sept in Lagos 🇵🇹
Geodesic distance: 4008.33km
Route distance: 6165.8km
18 trains
Total trip time: 100 hours 9 minutes
What's the idea?
This is a bit of a crazy thing to try - taking trains as fast as possible between the two places the furthest apart in the EU that can be connected by multiple trains
It should show all the joys, and all the shortcomings, of Europe's railways
Right then!
Record attempt: Longest train journey in the EU is live!
https://crossborderrail.eu/longestjourney/
Make your choice! #CrossBorderRail
Preparing for this afternoon‘s #CrossBorderRail presentation in Lindow (Mark)
