Leg four: the long journey home (part two)

Eh... yes. I'm sorry. When you saw that this post was divided in two, you probably assumed it was just because it was such a long leg. But no, if you read part one you now know that it was just because I rambled on so much about night trains. But I've got that off my chest now, so it's time to get down to the actual journey, starting in Stockholm central station at around 10 pm.

My first night train was from Stockholm to Malmö, on the southern tip of Sweden, and just accross the bridge from Copenhagen. The train departed at 11pm, but was available to board from 10pm, so I got there nice and early to have a look at the train and get settled in. The train immediately appealed to the train geek in me, old but well maintained carriages, with an imposing and impressive electric locomotive at the front. I was greeted by the Swedish train crew on the platform, who guided me to the correct carriage and compartment and told me who I'd be sharing with (one passenger would join me here in Stockholm, with another joining down the line at Norrkoping - both were only going as far as the University own of Lund however so I would be on my own from Lund to Malmo).

On both of my night trains I opted for the sort of 'middle of the road' option of a shared sleeper cabin; a bit more expensive than a couchette (shared with up to 6 people), but not as expensive as a solo compartment. For a very reasonable cost I got a proper bed, in a compartment with a sink and running water, shared with up to two other passengers. On both trains there was also supposed to be a shared shower at one end of the carriage.

it felt like a good compromise, and was in some ways the perfect option for me, but also arguably a bit of a selfish option... you see, I can pretty much sleep anywhere. Put me on a soft surface with a pillow under my head and I will fall asleep. But a lot of the time I snore. Probably most of the time, in fact. So with an air of guilt in the back of my head, I settled in to my compartment with a pair of earplugs and settled into my first bed for the night.

I took the top bunk and, and just as the train crew had told me would be the case, I was joined by two fellow passengers, both of whom left before me at Lund. This meant that when I woke up about half an hour before arriving into Malmö, I had the entire compartment to myself. With a free compartment and time to spare, I decided to take a walk to the end of my carriage and try out what turned out to be the highlight and crowning glory of this Swedish night train; the shower.

Despite the age of the train, everything in the shower cubicle appeared brand new. A spacious changing area greeted me on the other side of the door, with a stack of fresh towels and a laundry bin for used towels. Through another glass door was the shower itself, which I have to say was as good as most hotel showers, and better than a lot of showers I have had to put up with in the apartments and houses I have rented in the UK and Ireland!

And so it was that I arrived refreshed and rested in Malmö, just in time for sunrise. Even though I was in no rush, I have to admit that I didn't spend much time in Malmö. Nothing more than a short walk around the city centre and a small breakfast. The stream of cyclists passing by the station reminded me of Copenhagen, and the city does seem to suffer something of an inferiority complex to it's big sister over the Oresund. I even heard a rumour that one of the items listed on the local tourist boards pamphlet "things to do in Malmö" is "go to Copenhagen". So, feeling a bit like a lemming, following suit and doing what was expected of me, I opted to hop on a morning commuter "Oresuntag" train and spend the day in Copenhagen.

The Oresuntag trains do feel a bit tired to be fair. I believe they have been in service since the bridge opened and are due to be replaced soon, but the service is fast and frequent. After a day in Copenhagen it was back on the Vogelfluglinie to Hamburg, which as I said was even more pleasant than the outward journey, arriving back to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof in time for my second night train in a row, the ÖBB nightjet service to Zurich. I was only going as far as Offenburg, on the border between Germany and France, from where I planned to hop across the border to Strasbourg and spend the day there before getting an evening TGV and Eurostar connection back to London.

The nightjet actually starts one station up the line, in Hamburg Altona, so the train was not waiting on the platform for us, but it does make a lengthy stop allowing plenty of time to find your carriage and compartment. Each carriage also has an attendant who greets you and guides you to the correct compartment. Although the rolling stock is newer than on the Swedish train, it felt very similar. The finish was more modern but the facilities were almost identical, and notably the shower on our carriage was actually out of order on the newer Austrain train. I was only sharing with one other passenger this time, a very friendly french man who was also travelling as far as Offenburg.

The level of service is definitely better on the nightjet, but I think that is to be expected as it is a much longer route. There was barely enough time to get a full night's sleep between Stockholm and Malmö. The longer night train routes in Sweden, to the north and into the arctic circle, have much more extensive facilities I believe.

Snacks and drinks can be bought on the nightjet, from the attendant in each carriage. There is a nice welcome pack with earplugs, a blindfold, a bottle of water and a small bottle of sparkling wine on each bed, and a small continental breakfast is served in the morning. In what I can only describe as a stereotypical french reaction, my fellow passenger took one look at the mini bottle of sparkling wine, and said "but it's warm!" and opted to buy a cold beer from the attendant instead. I wasn't as fussy, and enjoyed the free drink. After placing our breakfast orders, both opting for take away bags as we due in at 06:19, we had a short but friendly chat, and settled in to bed for the night.

Almost as soon as our requested 6am alarm rang out, the attendant arrived full of apologies... He wasn't sure if he should have delayed the alarm, he explained, as the train had been delayed by 30 minutes. But the extra 30 minutes did allow us to have breakfast on the train instead of taking it with us, so we folded up the beds and enjoyed a small breakfast with the compartment in 'day mode', where the lower bunk converts into a 3 seater bench with fold out tables.

30 minutes late into Offenburg, I bid my French roommate farewell, and hopped straight onto a french TER train for the short hop over the border to Strasbourg.

Strasbourg was fantastic. I am really glad I decided to include a day there. The most extensive of France's new generation of modern tram networks, a magnificent cathedral, a wonderful modern art museum, the European parliament and a great selection of local markets and cafes... it was a good day. But by 5pm it was time to say "au revoir", and complete this final leg of my journey back to London.

Strasbourg's 'gare centrale' is another magnificent building, a great mix of old and new, with it's impressive glass extension adding space and functionality, but in no way taking away from the wonderful old station building. My TGV was due to leave at 17:17, and less than two hours later I would be in Paris. As is typical for TGV services, my tickets were checked while entering the platform, and right on schedule the double deck TGV duplex (the fastest double deck train in the world!), rolled in.

It's hard not to be impressed by the French TGV. The network is as old as me, with the first route between Paris and Lyon opening in 1981, and almost 40 years later, it remains the benchmark of European high speed rail. Not 10 minutes into my journey, I was reminded just how impressive it really is, as I looked out the window and saw the french countryside fly past at around 300 km/h. The combination of dedicated high speed lines, high density point to point routes, and (historically at least) a policy of affordable pricing has made it an extremely efficient and popular mode of transport in France, and the low levels of domestic air travel are a testament to it's success.

Despite taking under two hours, the Strasbourg to Paris train had the usual 'le bar' buffet car; while not a dining car, it offers a great way to break up the journey, take a break from your seat and enjoy a drink and/ or a snack. It literally is a bar on rails, with bar service and a standing section with tables. It was busy, with a buzzing atmosphere, indicating that fellow passengers agree with me that it is far nicer to have an actual break from your seat, and eat and drink in a buffet car rather than having to take items back to your seat. I think this system is also nicer for other passengers, still in their allocated seats, keeping the general seating area far more relaxing and comfortable. I can only hope UK rail operators one day take note, and replace the rough and ready take away 'shop' concept that dominates their trains these days.

Arriving in to Paris, I was once again struck by the sheer scale of the TGV operation. My train consisted of two TGV duplex units, making it's capacity around 1,000 people. It felt full. The route is very frequent, with up to 16 trains a day, meaning that tens of thousands of people are ferried directly between the two cities every day.

From Paris' Gare de l'est, I made the short walk across to Paris Gare du nord. It's an easy walk, but the direct route involves quite a lot of steps. Even with luggage however, I don't think going one stop on the metro would be any easier. There is a longer step fee walking route, which should take no longer than 20 minutes. Whatever you do, don't get a taxi!

As I checked in to the ticket gates at Gare du nord for the final train journey of my holiday, I got a seat change notification, and a new 'boarding pass' was printed for me. Frequent Eurostar travelers will know this is a solid indication that your train is a 'classic', or un-refurbished trainset, something that would normally be a disappointment, and a reminder to use the remaining time before boarding to make sure your devices are charged and/ or to download some viewing material. These old trains have no WiFi or power sockets. But on this occasion the prospect of finishing my trip on a classic Eurostar put a smile on my face.

And sure enough, the final train to London of the day was indeed a slightly worn looking 'old' Eurostar. Having left London 8 days earlier on one of the brand new e320 trains, traveling on the latest route of the network, to Amsterdam, it felt appropriate to return on an original train, traveling on the first route ever operated by Eurostar. A 'classic' train, on the 'classic' route, from Paris to London.