A Tale of Two Cities

[lstone19]

I was looking at the US Sttae Department travel website yesterday, and it said the Norway and Switzerland were part of the Schengen area.

That's what I said. They're Schengen (so no immigration (passport) check when entering from another Schengen country) but not EU so officially, Customs inspection of your goods (but in reality, very, very rarely unless you go in the "something to declare" lane).

For further clarity, when you fly to a Schengen country via another Schengen, you clear Immigration at the connecting airport. But Customs is always at the final airport. At EU airports, there will generally be three lanes - red "something to declare, "green" nothing to declare, and blue "intra-EU travel exempt." Checked baggage tags from within the EU have a green stripe along the edge that helps make it obvious. From our experience at Stockholm, the red "something to declare" lane was actually the door into the Customs office while the green and blue lanes were combined as the "walk on by the office" corridor. Note also that "something to declare" means you believe you owe Customs duty. You do not need to make a declaration if what you have is covered by your exemptions.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Traveling in 1972 has more in common with 1954 than it does with 2024.


I've had tedious and annoying entries into the US, but that's nothing compared to entering Canada as a Texan. Every other country was a cakewalk by comparison.

I hear you Chris!

Some of the Canadian Border people( my Canadian friends and family always said that the female ones were the toughest) can be rather abrupt and condescending, but having lived in, and visited Canada, many,many times, I never experienced a single time where they were as obnoxious and unfriendly as the East German border guards ( in the Cold War times)and some of the American ones @ various points of entry! YMMV

 

[MARC Rider]

That's what I said.

You are right. I need to learn to read.

 

[Willbridge]

South of Paris and around Paris is relatively old DC electrification. North of Paris in France is mostly 25kV 50Hz so probably post mid-50s. And of course all the LGV are 25kV too, and of course those are relatively very new.

Here is a good Wikipedia article on the history of the electrification of SNCF: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_electrification_in_France

Far south of Paris in March 1970 heading toward the Pyrenees from Narbonne.

 

[Traveller]

Far south of Paris in March 1970 heading toward the Pyrenees from Narbonne.

View attachment 37040

Do you know exactly where that is?

 

[cirdan]

Do you know exactly where that is?

It looks like the Etangs de Mer on the coastal line between Montpellier and Perpignan.

Look for the station called "Leucate la Franqui" on Google maps (it might be more precise if you type "Leucate la Franqui gare"). Switch to satellite mode and Identify the rail line. Then scroll up and down the coast (especially to the north) and you will find several locations a bit like this.

Edit: The gentle curve in the photo might point towards a location called "Etang du chariot" some way North of Leucate towards Narbonne.

 

[Willbridge]

Here's where we changed engines from electric to steam -- Narbonne -- for the journey to the Spanish border.


The stretch with steam power with water on both sides is south of Narbonne and north of Perpignan.

 

[Traveller]

It looks like the Etangs de Mer on the coastal line between Montpellier and Perpignan.

Look for the station called "Leucate la Franqui" on Google maps (it might be more precise if you type "Leucate la Franqui gare"). Switch to satellite mode and Identify the rail line. Then scroll up and down the coast (especially to the north) and you will find several locations a bit like this.

Edit: The gentle curve in the photo might point towards a location called "Etang du chariot" some way North of Leucate towards Narbonne.

Can't find this location but wonder if one side was a recently flooded salt pan which creates the effect of lake/sea (etang/mer) both sides of the track in the photo?

Whatever, it's a really interesting photo.

 

[Traveller]

What a nice trip - I love France! Is it still possible to take a ferry across the Channel, or is that a thing of the past? I did love that, too.

Yes, almost all the ferries still operate although the frequency has changed for truck traffic since Brexit as Irish traffic now bypasses the UK if headed to Europe.

My 2 favourite cross channel ferries are Portmouth to Caen/Ouistreham (the most northern D-Day beach) which are day or night ferries, and Harwich - Hoek van Holland, the night ferry. Both take foot passengers, have cabins and both have reasonable public transport connections too. I'm sure you would enjoy them both.

 

[BlackDiamond]

There is a trip I'm seriously thinking about next year of flying to Dublin then train to Belfast then a coach/ferry combo from Belfast coach station to Glasgow run by Hannon Coach, then train to London. No messing about with taxis or buses to get to the ferry dock as you have with the Dublin to Holyhead crossing.

 

[caravanman]

There is a trip I'm seriously thinking about next year of flying to Dublin then train to Belfast then a coach/ferry combo from Belfast coach station to Glasgow run by Hannon Coach, then train to London. No messing about with taxis or buses to get to the ferry dock as you have with the Dublin to Holyhead crossing.

It is often the "last mile" that can be frustrating, trying to connect from one service to another, when neither seem to integrate their timetables or information.

Happily, there is a bus that meets the Holyhead ferries at Dublin Port, and drops at the metro/bus/train station area in Dublin city. Fare was about 4 Euros, from memory. I guess a similar thing is available for departing ferries. Nolan Bus if memory serves.

At Holyhead, one is straight onto the mainline trains from the ferry port.

Going "the long way round" can be a lot of fun, and one can often save money by avoiding direct connections. You might like the following Youtuber, "planes, trains, everthing." He travels quite a lot by coach, as well as trains and planes. Mostly budget travels, of course...

 

[Traveller]

It is often the "last mile" that can be frustrating, trying to connect from one service to another, when neither seem to integrate their timetables or information.

Happily, there is a bus that meets the Holyhead ferries at Dublin Port, and drops at the metro/bus/train station area in Dublin city. Fare was about 4 Euros, from memory. I guess a similar thing is available for departing ferries. Nolan Bus if memory serves.

At Holyhead, one is straight onto the mainline trains from the ferry port.

Going "the long way round" can be a lot of fun, and one can often save money by avoiding direct connections. You might like the following Youtuber, "planes, trains, everthing." He travels quite a lot by coach, as well as trains and planes. Mostly budget travels, of course...

That video was very entertaining, thanks.

 

[BlackDiamond]

Happily, there is a bus that meets the Holyhead ferries at Dublin Port, and drops at the metro/bus/train station area in Dublin city. Fare was about 4 Euros, from memory. I guess a similar thing is available for departing ferries. Nolan Bus if memory serves.

On a trip from the UK to Dublin we got to the alleged stop for the bus and waited and nothing came. A couple of travelers had hired a taxi to head into town so I asked if they would be willing to share. Of course as soon as we did that, the tardy Nolan coach showed up, but we were committed and rode the taxi. As I recall the driver seemed to be practicing for a Grand Prix race but we made it to our hotel safely.

 

[jiml]

There is a trip I'm seriously thinking about next year of flying to Dublin then train to Belfast then a coach/ferry combo from Belfast coach station to Glasgow run by Hannon Coach, then train to London. No messing about with taxis or buses to get to the ferry dock as you have with the Dublin to Holyhead crossing.

I believe there is video on YouTube of this trip - possibly in reverse. It may have been Scott Manson (linked above) in a previous report or Steve Marsh. Both are easily searchable.

 

[BlackDiamond]

I believe there is video on YouTube of this trip - possibly in reverse. It may have been Scott Manson (linked above) in a previous report or Steve Marsh. Both are easily searchable.

Thanks I'll have to check those out.

 

[jiml]

Thanks I'll have to check those out.

Better still, they both did it:

 

[Willbridge]

Better still, they both did it:

Love those grey skies in the second video! As an Oregonian it looked like home, until traffic passed on the "wrong side" of the road.