As a student I spent many nights sleeping in European stations, on benches, in dark corners, fearing the moment when the sadistic cleaner would fire up his waterhose – usually around 3am. It was part of the adventure, and the only way a hard-up youngster could see the continent. For many of us it became almost a rite of passage.
With a long weekend at our disposal, I chose to take us on a throwback to those years and prove that we can still hack it at 40. With the help of Easyjet (something we didn’t have back in the 80s), we took a one way flight to Gibraltar. I then booked us a Eurostar ticket back from Paris, less than four days after our arrival in the Mediterranean. In between, it was up to us to work out the route. Just like the old days, except that we had a credit card and were not afraid to use it to buy comfort and convenience.
After a short look around Gibraltar and a hike up to the rock, we set off across into Spain and were soon on the train to Ronda. Lunch and a stroll around the quaint little town, and back on the train to Granada for an overnight stop – our last hotel room of the trip.
Seeing the Alhambra the next day was wonderful – we took the time to soak in the history, the imposing architecture and the tranquil water features. Outside of its star attraction, Granada offers plenty more for the visitor, with an impressive cathedral and a maze of streets in the old town that are best explored without a map and by allowing yourself to get lost amid the historic buildings, museums and modern homes that jostle for space in El Albaicin.
Evening arrived, and it was time to board the night train. A comfortable ride and a good night’s sleep, and we were in Barcelona, with a full day to explore its wonders! Great Catalan food, plenty of time to see the major sights and wander along La Ramblas and sample the local ice-creams as a welcome antidote to the blazing April heat. Then back on a train, for the overnight ride to Paris, in a nice two bed couchette with a shower, an en-suite and a wonderful dinner (ok, this is where the trip departed decisively from my Inter-Rail experiences – it was Sam’s birthday after all!).
And so the final day, and in six hours you can walk and glimpse at many of the main sights of Paris on foot. Not of course, to enter the museums, monuments and churches; that will wait for another day. But that again is just as it once was, when museums were inaccesible due to lack of money, rather than lack of time. With sore feet but full tummies, we were on the Eurostar in the afternoon and back home for dinner.
Across Europe in 80 hours. It can be done. It’s surprisingly affordable, even with a bit of luxury thrown in for good measure. And for me it does beat the unpleasant experience of an airport and a Ryanair flight hands down!
(April 2008)
