The first things you think about when hearing the name Switzerland are mountains and snow. Okay, maybe also Swiss army knives, chocolate, cheese, and neutrality in world wars. The reason I chose to come to Switzerland was the countryside, and the chance to do a bit of hiking in the mountains. I have never really hiked much before, but I thought it was a good excuse to be able to eat more food. The train trip from Munich took all morning. Four hours from Munich to Zurich (briefly passing through Austria), then another hour on to Lucerne. I am pretty good at train travel these days, and either rest my head and try to nod off, or listen to song music on my iPod. Just outside Lucerne I started seeing some snow-capped mountains ....exactly what I ... read more

Dresden is only two hours south of Berlin by train. Once I got to Dresden I found my hotel and checked in. I stayed in an Ibis hotel of about 300 rooms. And this was just one of their three exactly similar hotels which stand side by side right near the train station. After I found out that I was staying for five nights instead of four (I forgot to count), my planning became a little easier. First thing to do was the usual walk around town, checking out the main sights and getting my bearings. There is quite a bit of construction happening in the city, and I assume they are trying to recapture the beauty that was around before the Second World War. Mind you there are still plenty of reminders of the Communist ... read more

After my taste of Belgium and all the chocolates and canals it had to offer, the time had come to say goodbye and move on to Amsterdam. We caught a morning train to Antwerp then another train on to Amsterdam, arriving about 2pm. The hotels and hostels that Intrepid use are really close to public transport, which makes getting around town on your own a lot easier. After a tram ride from the train station, we walked around the corner and found our hotel. The first thing that you notice is the stairs. Yes they go up, but the steepness of them is a surprise. It seems that the houses in Amsterdam have a narow street frontage but go up a few floors. It may have something to do with the historic taxation of properties as ... read more

Sure Avignon is a nice little town in southern France, but any world traveller worth their salt has to make time to visit Paris. As, by now, I am one of those vastly experience travellers, I hopped on an early morning train up to Paris. This was another high speed train that took a bit under three hours to get there. Plenty of countryside to see, like the cows, vineyards, cows, and even the odd cow. Once in Paris I ventured into the Metro to catch a train. I have to say that some people need to relax and loosen up a bit. It may just be me, but when French people speak it's as though they are usually complaing about something. Of course I can't understand what they're saying, but the general tone of the ... read more

After leaving Madrid I headed for Barcelona, knowing it was Spain (correction, Catalan) and on the coast. This was my first train journey on my trip, and it was a very luxurious one. If any of you have the chance to take a high speed train, I highly recommend it. Despite me thinking I had paid for a tourist class seat, I had actually been given a first class seat. No complaint here, as it's as good as a plane flight. We were served breakfast, offered the paper, and had a telly too watch. Not a bad way to spend a two and a half hour trip at 300kph. I then got the Metro into the city and found my hotel. Good news here folks .... it's getting easier each time. The street map I bought ... read more