Here’s our quick guide to your choice of north-south rail routes if you are traveling from central Europe through Switzerland to Italy.

There are just three routes to choose from: the Simplon, the Gotthard and the Bernina.

The Simplon route

Our rating: **

Used by four daily EuroCity services from Geneva to Milan and by the thrice daily EuroCity trains from Basel to Milan. Not our favorite option as the best of the scenery is missed in tunnels. The Geneva and Basel routes converge at Brig, and then run through the Simplon tunnel into Italy. The trains from Geneva do offer some super views as they skirt the northern edge of Lake Geneva. But the Basel route south through Berne is pretty but unspectacular, and then plunges through the 34km-long Lötschberg tunnel to reach Brig, where you get a breath of fresh air before diving into the Simplon tunnel.

On the plus side, there are some super views of Lake Maggiore as the train cruises through northern Italy towards Milan. Sit on the left for the views. And it is those lake views which are the redeeming factor for the Simplon route. So we give it two stars.

The Gotthard route

Our rating: **

Used each day by seven EuroCity trains from Zürich to Milan (and also one from Basel to Milan). This route is also taken by domestic Swiss services from Basel and Zürich to Locarno and Lugano. Indeed, this is the main north to south rail axis through Switzerland. The approach to the north side of the Gotthard Tunnel is classic Switzerland. Sit on the right side of the train for super lake views with range upon range of mountains edging ever closer.

With the opening of the new 57-km Gotthard Base Tunnel in 2016, the journey is now even less scenic.

The Bernina Express running right along Lake Bianco. Photo: Terry

The Bernina route

Our rating: *****

Far and away the finest of the three north-south routes from Switzerland into Italy. No ifs, no buts. The Bernina knocks spots off the competition. If you are in a rush to get into Italy, take the Simplon or Gotthard routes. But if you want to see the Alps, the Bernina is the obvious choice. This is the only route that goes over the Alps rather than tunneling through them.

The Bernina is served by Rhaetian Railway services from St Moritz (in the Swiss Engadin) to Tirano (in Italy). Local trains run hourly on this route throughout most of the day, although evening services are very limited. There are also some through trains from Chur and Davos to Tirano (branded “Bernina Express” and with a supplementary charge).

The beauty of the Bernina, particularly if you ride the local trains which stop at every tiny station, is that you have a real sense of engaging with the landscape. There are glaciers and Alpine meadows, with moments of high drama as the train drops down from high mountain terrain into serenely beautiful valleys. Beyond Tirano, the route runs south-west to Milan, skirting the east side of Lake Como for more than an hour.

The time question

So why does everyone not take the Bernina route? It seems to be really a matter of time. Sadly, most travelers are in a rush. And the lure of a direct train tempts folk to the faster Simplon and Gotthard routes. Journeys from the principal Swiss cities to Milan via the Bernina route require several changes of train. Here are some comparison journey times for Zürich to Milan:

via the Simplon route: 4 hrs 15 min
via the Gotthard route: 3 hrs 45 min
via the Bernina route: 10 hrs 05 min

The travel times speak for themselves. Yes, the Bernina journey takes more than twice as long, but it’s so very, very much better that canny travelers give the Alps the time they deserve. Indeed, there are a heap of places along the Bernina route which warrant an overnight stop, so why not spread the journey over two days?

Editor’s Note: Looking for more insider information on train travel across Europe? Pick up a copy of Europe by Rail, now in its 15th edition, it is the definitive guide for exploring the continent by train. You can also follow them on twitter at @EuropebyRail.

The post Crossing the Alps by Train: Three rail routes from Switzerland to Italy appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Dartmoor delights

Dartmoor is England’s most extensive area of upland landscape south of the Pennines. It rises to no great heights, yet the moor communicates a remarkable sense of wilderness — especially on dark nights and foggy days. Arthur Conan Doyle clearly appreciated the haunting power of the moor;  he set one of his most celebrated Sherlock Holmes books on Dartmoor. Be assured, though, that you’ll not run into the Hound of the Baskervilles as you wander across Dartmoor.

Dartmoor is a great granite boss, the details of which have been shaped by millions of years of erosion and weathering. The summits (locally called “tors”) are fantastic jumbles of bare rock, shaped by wind and water. Settlements hunker down in the lee of the hills or take refuge in the valleys.

Exmoor landscapes

Dartmoor belongs wholly to Devon. The county’s other national park, Exmoor, which abuts the Bristol Channel on the north coast, is shared with neighboring Somerset. Here the igneous rocks of Dartmoor are replaced by soft sedimentary rock, giving very different landscapes. There are sandstones and limestones, shales and gritstones. Acidic soils support little by way of agriculture at higher levels.

Towards the north coast, the streams and rivers draining the moor have cut deep valleys that drop down steeply towards the sea. These valleys offer some of Devon’s most distinctive landscapes. The stretch of north Devon coast around Lynton styles itself Little Switzerland (trumping its Alpine cousin in being able to boast a coastline).

Britain’s natural heritage

Dartmoor and Exmoor are two of England’s ten national parks. Devon is one of only four English counties that have, within their territory, all or part of more than one national park. Next year, Exmoor will mark 50 years of national park status. It was designated in 1954. Dartmoor secured the coveted designation slightly earlier. That was in 1951, the year in which the United Kingdom kicked off its national parks program by naming its first four parks.

Looking at those early parks from the 1950s, one has a sense of a program that was designed by men and women who had a fine sense of the relationship between rocks and relief. That ensemble of early parks offers a feast of geomorphology, a symphony of fine landscapes. Like other national parks, Devon’s two examples present fine hiking country. In both parks, open expanses of wild moorland offer every opportunity for reviving city spirits.

Travel writers Susanne Kries and Nicky Gardner have penned warm words about Devon three times this month here on EuroCheapo. See their comments on a visit to Exeter cathedral (20 November), and ways to explore Devon by bus, train and boat (27 November).

The post Rocking Out in Devon’s National Parks: Dartmoor and Exmoor appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Yes, Devon has a wonderful trawl of place names. Over the last year or two we’ve roamed from King’s Nympton to Eggbuckland, from Nymet Rowland to Weare Giffard.

Car-free Devon

If you really want to make the most of any stay in Devon, leave the car at home. The slow train on the Tarka Line to Barnstaple and the market day bus to Chagford tell more of the county than the nose-to-tail traffic on the Exeter bypass — which captured the public imagination in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s as a highway that each summer boasted fabulous traffic snarl-ups.

The bypass has been tamed, and these days the cars no longer splutter in a stop-and-go procession of exhaust fumes. But many of Devon’s roads are still crowded and, in a county that boasts a wonderful range of public transport options, it just makes sense to take the train… or the bus… or even a boat.

The 319 Hartland to Barnstaple bus. Photo © hidden europe

Devon by rail

For rail travel, the Devon Day Ranger ticket affords unlimited travel by train around Devon for a day. It costs just £10. On some routes there are restrictions on its use on weekdays prior to 9 a.m., but elsewhere you can set off at the crack of dawn — even on the first train of the day from Exeter to Barnstaple. Early birds who take the 5.50 a.m. train on the Tarka Line stand a better chance of seeing the famously elusive otters that frequent the banks of the River Taw.

The Devon Day Ranger rail ticket is superb value. Roam from Axminster (on the Dorset border) to Gunnislake in Cornwall — one of two stations in Cornwall to which the ticket may be used. The other is Calstock.

For travelers who fancy a summer evening roaming Devon by train, there is a half-price version of the Devon Ranger ticket generally valid from 6 p.m. It’s predictably called the “Devon Evening Ranger” ticket.

Devon by bus

Devon is blessed with an excellent network of local bus routes. The Cartogold website has a bang-up-to-date network map, where you can use a simple menu (in the left sidebar) to reveal route details and call up the latest timetable for any bus service in the county (and for services from Devon into the three neighboring counties of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall).

Two of our favorite year-round Devon bus routes are:

1. The 93 from Plymouth via Kingsbridge to Dartmouth, a 2hr 15min journey that takes in some of south Devon’s finest scenery.

2. The 319 from Barnstaple via Clovelly to Hartland, a 80-minute roller coaster of a ride that runs out to the bleak and beautiful coast of northwest Devon.

Bus maps and timetables

Check timetables carefully, as some routes run only in the summer season or on certain days of the week. Among the seasonal routes that are really worth making time for are the 82 Transmoor Link service from Exeter to the granite wilds of Dartmoor and Service 300 which plies the coastal route from Ilfracombe to Lynton and beyond — taking in some fine Exmoor landscapes along the way.

If you are planning to spend a few days exploring Devon by bus, it is worth getting hold of the excellent printed timetables prepared by Devon County Council’s public transport team. The timetables and the accompanying map are free.

Boats, too

Devon’s wonderfully indented south coast, where great inlets cut well into the heart of the county, is tailor-made for exploring by boat. The little ferry that shuttles across the mouth of the Exe (from Starcross to Exmouth — connecting conveniently with rail services at both ends) is a delightful ride.

But make time too for the network of routes from Dittisham, Totnes and Dartmouth operated by Greenway Ferry. Last month we used the company’s service from Totnes to Dartmouth. It’s a relaxing 95-minute trip down the River Dart (and half an hour longer if you opt to travel upstream from Dartmouth to Totnes), and the one-way fare of just £3.75 will appeal to budget-minded travelers. The same company also operates services from Torquay to Brixham.

Slow Devon

Many of Devon’s coastal communities have been shaped by their maritime links — and that’s especially true of both Dartmouth and Brixham. The best way to arrive in either town is by boat. Devon is, in short, perfect for devotees of slow travel. Public transport links of the kind mentioned here give an insight into local communities. Take time for Devon. And take Hilary Bradt’s excellent Slow Devon book with you on your travels.

Travel writers Susanne Kries and Nicky Gardner have penned warm words about Devon twice this month here on EuroCheapo. See their comments on Devon’s serenity (13 November) and their article on Exeter cathedral (20 November).

The post Explore Devon by bus, boat and train to get closer (and save) appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Sandstone country

The Exe Valley in east Devon comes with its own colour theme: red. Even the sheep that graze on riverside meadows north of Exeter take on the rust shades of the underlying soils in their fleeces. The White Park cattle at Bickleigh are that little bit less white than other White Parks.

So Exeter Cathedral should surely be red, just like the old Georgian terraces, the city walls and the fractured remains of the old castle (often called Rougemont in deference to the local geology). But the cathedral is not red. It is elephant-grey.

Exeter Cathedral’s intricately carved astronomical clock. Photo © hidden europe

These are just two of the surprises packed by Exeter Cathedral. Another is its remarkable aesthetic unity. Many English cathedrals reveal a patchwork quilt of architectural styles. Exeter was built within a relatively brief period, and while the discerning eye will pick out incorporated elements from earlier churches on the same site, notably the two great Norman towers, this is a cathedral that mainstreams on decorated Gothic. It is often compared with Salisbury, but where the latter is frugal, even austere, Exeter is opulent.

In short, Exeter Cathedral is more than merely worth a detour. The only ancient cathedral in south-west England is a star of Western ecclesiastical architecture. The Cathedral Green in Exeter is a sublimely beautiful urban space and a lovely spot to relax on a warm summer day. The Green is very much part of the city. That lovely patch of open space and the cathedral are the very heart of Exeter.

The carved screen on the West Front of the cathedral, best viewed in soft early evening sunshine, is an exquisitely intricate tutorial in biblical history. And that’s the place to start any exploration of the cathedral.

Visiting the cathedral

Admission to the cathedral is free for those attending services of course, but at other times there is an admission charge of £6 (reduced to £4 for students and seniors).

But why not take in a service? Cathedrals are not galleries or museums. And the only real way to take the pulse of a cathedral is by joining the local community at a service. You can check service times on the Exeter Cathedral website. Choral evensong or evening prayer is usually at 17.30 (or at 16.00 on Saturdays and Sundays).

Serlo’s for Devon cream tea

Though the focus of cathedral life is on providing nourishment for the soul, the adjoining café is not to be missed. It is called Serlo’s, taking its name from the very first Dean of Exeter Cathedral.

At some English cathedrals, the eateries are grotesquely overpriced. (Traditional afternoon tea for two at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London will set you back £31.90). Exeter approaches these things much more sensibly, and the full works (finger sandwiches, cake, scones with jam and clotted cream and your choice of tea) costs just £12.50 for two. Café manager Julie Hernandez does a fine job managing a venue that melds real style and a sense of history with great value.

Good value lunches

Serlo’s is also a good place for lunch. Main courses never top the £7 mark and a hearty helping of home-made soup won’t cost more than £4. On selected dates in Advent, in the run-up to Christmas, Serlo’s offers traditional turkey lunches with all the trimmings for just £6.95.

That’s the thing about Exeter Cathedral. Those two solid Norman towers keep it tied to the ground, more linked into reality than many other English cathedrals. No flights of fancy here. And that feeds right through to the cathedral café. This is a place strongly rooted in its local community.

Travel facts

Exeter is just two hours from London by fast train from Paddington. Services are operated by First Great Western. There is a slower option, often much cheaper, with South West Trains from London Waterloo. But Exeter (and indeed the entire county of Devon) deserve far more than a day.

Find out more about Devon’s wider appeal in our blog post last week here on EuroCheapo.

The authors willingly admit that cream tea at Serlo’s was hosted by Exeter Cathedral. But Susanne’s and Nicky’s fearless commitment to objective reporting is never subverted by a mountain of scones and lavish helpings of delicious clotted cream.

The post Devon’s Heart and Soul: Exeter Cathedral appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

For a city that makes so much of its association with Johann Sebastian Bach, it’s no surprise that the Bach Museum tops our list of Leipzig museums. Located just by St Thomas’ Church, you can’t miss the Bach Museum. Just follow the crowds who gather by the magnificent statue of Bach just south of the church.

Related: Leipzig budget travel guide

The Bach Story

The Bach Museum (on Thomaskirchhof, open Tue-Sun 10–6) ingeniously maps the lives of Bach and his family. No easy task this, for following his death in 1750, Bach slipped below the musical horizon and was virtually forgotten. So there are perilously few surviving artifacts from Bach’s lifetime, but the curators of the Bach Museum rise magnificently to that challenge. The Bach story is told in a very engaging manner, each room in the museum having a very different demeanor.

Leipzig’s impressive old town hall often hosts exhibits. Photo © hidden europe

Take time for the Bach Museum. Don’t miss the garden at the rear of the building. It also has one of Leipzig’s most appealing small cafés. The Café Gloria (open daily from 10 — including Mondays when the Bach Museum itself is closed) is good for snacks and ices. Above all, it is a great place to relax.

The Musical Trail

Leipzig boasts a number of other museums with a musical theme. The one-time residences of Felix Mendelssohn (Goldschmidtstrasse 12, open daily 10–6) and Clara and Robert Schumann (Inselstrasse 18, open Tue–Fri 2–6 and Sat-Sun 10–6) are both worth a look.

The Museum of Musical Instruments, part of the GRASSI museum complex (at Johannisplatz, open Tue–Sun 10–6) tracks the history of music through the centuries and is a must-do if you cannot quite remember what an Oliphant looks like.

City History

The old town hall (Rathaus) is a standard stop on any Leipzig itinerary. It is a colorful confection — a handsome piece of Renaissance architecture with baroque additions. But too few visitors take time to look at the exhibitions inside.

We heartily recommend the top floor which has a newish (opened late 2011) exhibition called ‘Modern Times’, tracking down the history of Leipzig from the Industrial Revolution to the present day. Like the Bach Museum, this is a very good example of modern curatorial techniques, very effectively breathing life into a difficult history. Map your way through the textile boom, the development of railways, German unification, Jewish life and culture, the rise of nationalist socialism to the German Democratic Republic and Leipzig’s quiet revolution in 1989. This exhibition is open 10–6 Tues–Sun.

Stroll through Leipzig’s city center. Photo © hidden europe

Getting Around with the Leipzig Card

The Leipzig Card secures reduced-rate admission to all the museums mentioned in this article. It also allows completely free use of public transport (S-Bahn, regional trains, buses and trams) in Leipzig. Throw in discounts at restaurants, and the card can be very worthwhile. But you do have to be something of a museum hound to reap real benefits.

A one-day card costs 9.90 EUR and a three-day card is 19.90 EUR.

The New City Tunnel

Integrated public transport in Leipzig takes a big leap forward on December 15, 2013, with the opening of the new City Tunnel, which will allow regular local trains to serve new sub-surface stations in the city center. It links together a number of existing rail routes, allowing new metro-style rail services across the city.

Leipzig has always been an easy city to get around. The new City Tunnel will make it even easier.

The post Exploring Leipzig’s Bach Museum, Rathaus and musical trail appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Bach in Leipzig

Subscription concerts were a feature of the Leipzig cultural scene as early as the 1740s. Even then, the city had great musical assets, among them a celebrated choir school founded in the early 13th century (where Johann Sebastian Bach worked from 1723 until his death in 1750).

Related: Leipzig budget travel guide

But it was the textile merchants of Leipzig who were critical in giving the city its first dedicated concert hall. The hall of the textile guild was called the Gewandhaus. (Gewand is a slightly archaic German word that refers to robes or outer garments).

A memorial to Johann Sebastian Bach is located in front of Leipzig’s St. Thomas’ Church. Photo © hidden europe

The 1981 Gewandhaus

The Gewandhaus building was Leipzig’s first concert hall. Before long there was a resident orchestra — called the Gewandhaus orchestra.

Today Leipzig’s premier concert hall is still called the Gewandhaus — the original concert hall and its immediate successors are long gone, and the present building dates from 1981. It’s worth a visit in its own right, being a superb piece of East German design (yes, the country really did get some things right). The ambitious interior fresco by Sighard Gille is stunning.

Roll-call of musical talent

A Latin inscription above the organ console in the main auditorium recalls a quote from Seneca: res severa verum gaudium ‘True pleasure is a serious business’. And music in Leipzig is most certainly a serious business.

The roll-call of illustrious musicians with Leipzig connections is hugely impressive. Richard Wagner and Clara Wieck (later Clara Schumann) were both born in Leipzig. Felix Mendelssohn had two spells as music director at the Gewandhaus, using his time in Leipzig to revive the reputation of Johann Sebastian Bach (whose work slipped from visibility in the decades after his death). Throw in Georg Philipp Telemann, Edvard Grieg and Gustav Mahler and you begin to see why Leipzig cuts a dash in the musical stakes.

New Gewandhaus Season

We were in Leipzig last month for the opening of a new Gewandhaus season. Gustav Mahler was on the menu. Not any Mahler, but Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, an extraordinarily powerful work. At times ethereal and mystic, elsewhere almost terrifying, this is a work on a grand scale. A piece appropriate to Leipzig, the city that has long recognised that true pleasure is a serious business.

The 233rd Gewandhaus season runs on thru winter to early summer 2014. This article is the third of a series of four on Leipzig. The previous two pieces looked respectively at the Festival of Lights (held on 9 October each year in Leipzig) and at the Memorial to the Battle of Nations in Leipzig. That decisive battle in the Napoleonic Wars took place 200 years ago this month.

The post Exploring Leipzig’s rich musical heritage appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Leipzig was not the best place to be 200 years ago this week. From October 16-19, 1813, European history was shaped in the meadows just south of the city. Over 500,000 soldiers fought over the future of their continent.

Related: Leipzig budget travel guide

October 1813

The Battle of Nations was one of the decisive conflicts — many would say the most decisive one — of the Napoleonic Wars. France had triumphed over five opposing coalitions, before stumbling at Borodino in 1812 (where Napoleon may nominally have won but his forces suffered grave losses in the process) and then being defeated at Leipzig in October 1813.

Outside the impressive Monument to the Battle of Nations.

Some 110,000 men lost their lives at Leipzig. A similar number suffered terrible injuries. The citizens of Leipzig were not mere onlookers in the conflict. In the days and weeks after the battle, the city endured major epidemics. Richard Wagner’s father died from typhus in Leipzig that fall, and before long the Wagner family had left the city. We can but speculate how the course of musical and operatic history might have evolved if the Wagner family had stayed in Leipzig.

Recalling the victims of war

The Battle of Nations is recalled in Leipzig today in a number of monuments. The most beautiful is the Russian Orthodox church at the northern margin of the former battlefield. The church, dedicated to the 14th-century Metropolitan Alexej of Moscow was built by workers from Russia and its opening coincided with the centenary of the Battle of Nations. In the victorious coalition at Leipzig, Russia paid the highest price in terms of war dead.

But the most striking is the more secular memorial erected by the German authorities to also mark the centenary of the battle. At the time, it was Europe’s largest monument and it remains mightily impressive today. There are the predictable flaming swords and firebrands of war. But there are also intensely beautiful sculptures inside the monument where the Hall of Fame has eight huge death masks, attended by sixteen warriors with their heads lowered in mourning.

The monument to the Battle of Nations

The monument is a short tram ride southeast from the city centre. It is worth going at a time when the interior is open to the public, as you can then climb up through the galleries to reach the viewing platform on top of the monument. It affords a magnificent panorama of Leipzig. Opening times are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily in summer (and from just 10 a.m.-4 p.m. from November through March).

This monument alone is good cause to make tracks for Leipzig. But there are many more besides and we shall look at other features of the city in two further articles this month on Leipzig.

The post 200 years on, Leipzig recalls the Battle of Nations appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Horst Sindermann, one-time member of the GDR politburo, recalled the events of fall 1989 in Leipzig a few years later. “We were prepared for everything,” he said. “But not for candles and prayers.”

Related: Leipzig budget travel guide

Leipzig city center with the tower of St Nicholas’ Church in the background.

Praying for change

The peace prayers at Leipzig’s St Nicholas’ Church have a history that dates back over 30 years, but it was only in late 1989 that they caught the attention of the international media. Here was a grass-roots revolution in the making. On successive Mondays there were arrests of activists and others involved in the peace prayers. On October 7, 1989, the GDR celebrated the fortieth anniversary of its foundation. Two days later, the Leipzig evening vigil with candles and prayers attracted huge crowds as never before.

Demonstrations on the streets of Leipzig

Amid an atmosphere of remarkable calm and intense concentration (but coupled with anxiety about how the authorities would react), thousands of Leipzig citizens peacefully demanded a new future for their country. The fragile flame of democracy and change was tended in the small candles carried by each participant.

If there was one turning point in the fate of their country, it was that Monday evening in Leipzig. Violent confrontation was averted, and the more intelligent members of the politburo quickly realized that power was slipping inexorably from their hands.

Recalling the peaceful revolution

Light filled the streets of Leipzig that Monday evening, and the events of 9 October 1989 are nowadays recalled each year in Leipzig’s Festival of Lights. This evening will be something special in Leipzig, but as nothing compared with 9 October 2014 when the GDR’s peaceful revolution will be recalled 25 years on. The city’s inner ring road will be closed to traffic and a series of performances and processions will recall the strong sense of community daring that characterized October 9, 1989.

An echo of 1989: the Monday demonstrations in Leipzig still take place.

For more details about the 2014 events, go to www.leipziger-freiheit.de/lichtfest.

Monday evening demonstrations continue

This evening’s events in Leipzig will be more modest in scale. If you cannot make it today, you can still catch the spirit of protest in Leipzig by visiting Leipzig any Monday evening. The peace prayers still take place at St Nicholas’ Church, perpetuating a long Leipzig tradition. It is a strong reminder that social injustice was not eradicated by the events of 1989.

The post Living History: Leipzig’s Festival of Lights on October 9 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

For 25 years, Brits went to Mallorca to party (in time shifting their allegiance to neighboring Ibiza). For Germans, it remains a top holiday spot, much favored by those who can recognize Z-List celebs. Sun, sea, schnitzel and sangria are the essentials for German visitors to the island who irritate their Spanish hosts by provocatively calling Mallorca “Germany’s seventeenth federal state.” Europeans generally take exception when Germans talk about annexing their territory, even in jest.

Counting celebs

For those German visitors, most of whom jet in on all-inclusive packages, the poolside chat is about football, what’s going on back home and the tacky scene that German media companies have shaped around Mallorca. Minor stars like Daniela Katzenberger brighten the seaside circus, fueling speculation as to whether she really is as “naturally blond” as she claims and quite how much silicone is tucked away in her extravagant curves. True devotees of Katzenberger flock to her café in Santa Ponça, just along the road from the Kultbistro run by Jürgen Drews — a German singer, now way beyond pension age, whose hits apparently still command affection. Drews styles himself “The King of Mallorca” while Katzenberger is evidently “Top Model of the World Mallorca”.

This parallel world of Teutonic fantasy goes unnoticed by most inhabitants of Mallorca. Even the Brits who visit Santa Ponça are bemused by these German antics on the holiday island. “Who is Katzenberger?” they ask. The Jürgen Drews phenomenon is even harder to unpack for non-Germans who stumble into the Kultbistro.

Clinging to the coast

German visitors have colonized parts of the Mallorcan coast, with the greatest concentration of hotels aimed at those visitors in Cala Millor on the east coast. Elsewhere there are other resorts favored by Germans. The platja de Palma has acquired a particular notoriety with the local authorities this year imposing a night-time drinking ban (curbing the excesses of Germans who party till late in venues like the Oberbayern and the Bierkönig).

Stick to those resorts, and you might be forgiven for thinking that Germany really has annexed Mallorca. The reality is rather different. The German imprint is only modest on a large island. There is a very small year-round German population (Katzenberger and Drews perhaps among them). Quite what those residents do in the wet winter months when the resorts are deserted is a mystery.

Visitors to Mallorca who venture inland, whether to the hills of the north-west, the vineyards of Binissalem or the market at Sineu will find landscapes of delicate beauty. Some day we’ll tell you about them, but now we’re off to the beach with a beer and a bratwurst.

You can read our second article about Mallorca published in January 2014 here on EuroCheapo.

The post Mallorca: Sun, sea and schnitzel appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Do note a common misunderstanding. Just because a train styles itself as being a hotel train does not necessarily mean that it is any better than any other overnight train. So much depends on what grade of accommodation you opt for.

On most night trains in Europe, travelers have a choice of three grades of on-board accommodation: seats, couchettes and sleepers.

Night trains: what to expect

That’s the norm, but the situation does vary from train to train. Here are some exceptions. The services from France to Russia are very much top-of-the-range and there you’ll find only sleeping cars. On some other routes (eg. Paris to Rome, Prague to Copenhagen and Munich to Milan) there are couchettes and sleepers, but simply no regular seated accommodation. The night train from Berlin to Malmö consists exclusively of couchette cars – no seats or sleepers on that one. Move to Spain and many domestic overnight trains wholly within Spain have seats and sleepers, but no couchettes.

Even within the three broad-brush categories (ie. seat, couchette and sleeping berth) you will encounter great variations.

Take a seat

The seats on the Vienna to Venice overnight train are in classic six-seat compartments in a corridor coach. If you are lucky enough to travel on a quiet night, then two travelers might manage to bag a side each and stretch out in some comfort. But this is a train where seats are often in great demand, and a night spent sitting up in a regular seat in a full compartment just ain’t a bundle of fun. Believe us.

By contrast, the seated accommodation on the night trains from Zurich to both Berlin and Prague are spaciously arranged in an open-plan carriage. The seats recline and offer a measure of privacy – perfect for snoozing.

Opt for a couchette

Move upmarket to couchettes, and the key choice is between a four-berth or six-berth couchette option. Our view is that couchettes make sense for families traveling on a budget. A four-berther is a fun solution for parents traveling with a couple of children.

Take our advice. We’ve done the couchette deal, enduring long hot nights in stuffy couchettes shared with strangers traveling with mountains of luggage (and in one case a double bass). It does not make for peace and rest. You deserve more.

Enjoy sleeper carriages

So, if you possibly can, opt for a sleeper. Night trains were made for sleeping. And that requires quiet, privacy and crisp, clean sheets. An overnight journey in a comfortable sleeper is hard to beat. On some journeys (eg. Venice to Munich or Nice to Warsaw) there are even double beds on offer.

Even sleepers are infinitely variable, ranging from pokey little cabins to spacious compartments with en suite facilities. Russian Railways (RZD) have some very well-appointed sleeping cars on the routes to Moscow from Paris and Nice. But at a price.

Even those on more modest budgets can however enjoy stylish overnight travel on some City Night Line (CNL) services. The upper deck sleeping compartments on selected CNL trains are very spacious and have a small bathroom (with toilet and shower). There is space to stretch out and watch the evening scenery slip by beyond the window. You’ll find these luxury compartments on, among others, the CNL Aurora (Basel-Copenhagen), the CNL Sirius (Zurich to Berlin) and the CNL Comet (Zurich to Hamburg).

The great thing about the three trains mentioned here is that they all have a full-service restaurant car. Now that really is travel as it should be. A relaxed dinner on board, before retiring to bed, to awake refreshed and relaxed at your destination.

The post Night Train Travel: A guide to snoozing across Europe by train appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.