Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for train travel
Riding in Style in India
By Linda Tancs
If train travel in India conjures a (shall we say) palpable ride to the tea capital of Darjeeling, then your salvation is at hand. Debuting in March, the Maharajas’ Express is the first luxury train to cover the entire country. Although lacking the historical significance and affection of a line like the Himalayan Railway, the newbie promises to make up in comfort what it may lack in charm. As in air conditioning, roomy cabins and luxe suites. For the royal treatment, you’ll pay a princely sum of $800 per day per person for a seven or eight-day package. Destination airfare is not included, but they’ll assist with the bookings. Stay tuned for special air/land arrangements in the near future.
DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION
The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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All Aboard the Polar Express
By Linda Tancs
In that classic essay “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus” an editorial writer for a now-defunct New York paper tells little Virginia O’ Hanlon that there is a Santa Claus. In some cases, it may take more than a newspaper writer to believe in the jolly old fellow. Indeed, it could take a magic train–like the Polar Express. Across the country, coal-fired, steam-operated vintage trains take a page from Chris Van Allsburg’s popular children’s book, “The Polar Express,” ferrying their young charges (and their parents) on a picture-perfect journey to the “North Pole.” There, Santa and his elves board the train, dishing out goodies and singing Christmas carols. Surely, that makes glad the heart of childhood–or any heart, for that matter.
DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION
The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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Celebrate Model Railroads in Chattanooga
By Linda Tancs
Did you know that November is National Model Railroad Month? What better place to celebrate than the Howell Day Museum of Model Railroading in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Dedicated in 2000, the museum is named for Howell Day, who proposed creating a museum entirely devoted to the history and technology of scale model railroading in 1995. There you’ll find a replica of his Lehigh Valley “Dorothy” inspection engine and the showcasing of various intricately-detailed exhibits.
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Outback Railway 80 Years On
By Linda Tancs
Named for the Afghan camel drivers who once explored its unchartered territory, Australia’s famed railway, The Ghan, celebrates 80 years of service this year. Led by its fire engine red locomotive, the train traverses the breaktaking landscape framing Australia’s Outback. Originally routed for Adelaide to Alice Springs, the journey now includes a Darwin extension. City slickers need not worry. Connections to the legendary railway are available on Indian Pacific and The Overland for guests travelling to or from Sydney and Melbourne. All aboard!
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Rail Group Investigates Value for Money
By Linda Tancs
Anyone who has traveled by train in Britain (whether short- or long-haul) has experienced those heart-stopping fares. I’ve often wondered why rail travel is so darned expensive–or is it just my imagination, coupled perhaps with a bad exchange rate? Apparently, my thoughts are well justified. The watchdog group Passenger Focus has released a report this month analyzing such variables as local travel, long-distance travel, comparative rates in other countries and value for money perceptions. Among the many findings: Londoners have a low perception of value for money, soft factors such as cleanliness of trains and well-lit stations inform overall perceptions as well as pricing, and continental comparisons illustrate a general comity among frequency of service although journey speed is more highly rated in continental Europe. Generally speaking, Britain fares (no pun intended) better with pricing for advance bookings than with restricted or unrestricted day returns. Want to learn more? You can download the 38-page report.
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A Bridge to Somewhere
By Linda Tancs
In a decade or so there’ll be a shorter commute between Hamburg and Copenhagen. That’s when one of the most ambitious bridge-building efforts in Northern Europe–the Fehmarn Belt Bridge–is due to be completed. Linking the German island of Fehmarn with the Danish island of Lolland, the 12-mile long span in the Baltic Sea consisting of four road lanes and two rail tracks will reduce rail travel time between Hamburg and Copenhagen by about 1 hour. The Danes haven’t seen a project of this scope since the opening of the much-heralded Øresund Bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö. Despite some opposition, the latest connection should be just as popular.
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Lincoln’s Little Cottage
By Linda Tancs
“Cottage” isn’t exactly the right word for a sprawling 34-room estate occupied by Abraham Lincoln as a getaway from the pressures of political life. Situated on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C. and declared a National Monument by President Clinton, the Gothic Revival retreat has been refurbished and reopened to the public. Although elitists clamor for a night in Lincoln’s bedroom at the White House, they may have missed the boat in truly experiencing the man and his times. Lincoln spent the better part of his presidency holed up in his Civil war-era equivalent of Camp David. You can’t sleep there, but then again, the price of admission isn’t nearly as steep.
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Take a Pass on Ozone
By Linda Tancs
As the ground-level ozone alert rises in New Jersey, mass transit agencies encourage people to take a break from the wheel. On designated alert days, employees whose businesses belong to the New Jersey Air Quality Partnership can commute via bus, rail or light rail for under $3 with an Ozone Pass. Now you can breathe easier.
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Largest Public Arts Festival Kicks Off This Weekend
By Linda Tancs
Art aficionados, take note. Baltimore, Maryland hosts Artscape this weekend. Billed as America’s largest free public arts festival, the event includes glass, ceramics, photography, clothing art, art exhibitions, and a host of musical entertainers from the worlds of jazz, soul, pop, rock, and blues, to name a few. Locals have easy access via bus, light rail or subway. For the rest, try Amtrak and save 50% off a companion ticket.
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Commuters Zip Along in New Jersey
By Linda Tancs
At busier transit hubs across New Jersey, commuters using rail and light rail services have another option to choose from to reach their intended destination–the Zipcar. The rentals, some of which are hybrid vehicles to benefit the environment, can be reserved online from NJ Transit for pickup at Metropark, Princeton Junction, Morristown, Montclair University, and Liberty State Park. Prospective users will need to complete an application for membership in the program and will receive a Zipcard to retrieve their reserved car. Customers must also return the rental to the station from which it was taken. Cars can be reserved by the hour or by the day at fees ranging from $8 to $73, respectively. Avis says they try harder. Move over.
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