Got wifi in my hotel so I thought I would give you an update on my trip. As some of you know I have gone to Salou via train stopping of at places on the way. In true rattle style has not been plain sailing but I am here. Here is a little update.
Tuesday:
8:30pm leave Chorlton via the Hyundai i10 to get dropped of at Manchester Piccidilly
9:15pm Get the slow train to London Euston (£12)
11:45pm arrive at London Euston
12:00am - walk to St Pancras go to McDonalds
12:30am get to St Pancras station hall, its cold, my train does not leave till 5:40 for Paris. So I buy a hot choclate and join the other rough travellers who Costa Coffee very let us try and kip t here, I got no sleep but it was warm.
4:30am - go to the check in hall to Paris
5:20 am - get on Eurostar
9:20 (paris time) arrive in Paris
Spend all day in Paris
Arrive at station for my Port Bou train at 8:00pm. My limited knowledge of French tells me the train night train has been cancelled due to a strike. Customer services spoke good English, and informed me we will have to sleep on a night train at Paris (e.g it will park up on a platform but won't move). They gave us pack lunch and I got a bedroom on a train to myself and we will get a free TGV express train to Barcelona (225mph!!) in the morning. So despite the train been cancelled only ended up in Barcelona 2 hours later than planned. The French handled the situation brilliant, but half the people who were supposed to be on the night train were brits and they were kicking off. I thought so what, we still get there just two hours late!
So we get the train at 7:15am and get to Barcelona at 2:30. I get into the hotel which was really good. Spend the day in Barcelona.
Today: Got the train to Salou but some how got on the wrong one, I was told to get on the 13:23, the problem is in Spain they only list the time the train is going to arrive, not what time it is supposed to to be due (unlike the UK and France) and the 13:23 was another train and was late. I end up in the wrong place. I did think the train was not right (e.g it seemed a local train) I realised it was the wrong train when it turned back 30 minutes later.
I explained to the inspectors what happened, it was no problem and I just got a later train to Salou. Ended up up in Salou at 4:25. The hotel is great but really wanted to say something to some east Manchester idiots who were giving the barman a hard time for not speaking perfect English. He was Spannsh, it is Spain! And to me the barman spoke perfect English he does not understand a hard core East Manchester accent (think Shameless but stronger).
But I am here, 1200 miles by train. The hotel in Salou is great for the money, here for the next 5 days now. For less money that it would have cost me to fly to Salou, I have spent an entire day in Paris and a night in Barcelona. If you don't mind the long train journeys it is great and I would do it again. Total train journey times:-
Manchester to London 2:25 (slower than usual as it was the last train)
London to Paris - About 2:40 (via HS1)
Paris to Barcelona - 6:20 minutes (a total of 660 miles!
Now it would be an entire possible to have a direct train journey from Manchester to Barcelona in about 10 hours, but lack of demand means it won't happen, but I do think it is the future. I have seen most of the French countryside,
Anyway sorry for posting the longest ever post on C4P I am off out now (things don't start till 11:00pm here). Been through the pyrenees etc. Next yeah I think I will try and do it for two weeks and get as far as North Africa! I am slightly worried about my business, but a friend who runs the same business is looking after it for me. Basically if it is an emergency he will do the job and get the money for it, if not he will book it in for me.
He is going away next week and I am doing the same for him.
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Don't worry and enjoy your well earned holiday. We all need to take time off sometime.
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Watch out for all those Señoritas, I used to find them irresistible!
:}
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>> Watch out for all those Señoritas, I used to find them irresistible!
He'll be too busy catching up with Corri for any of that.
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>> half the people who were supposed to be on the night train were brits and they were kicking off.
Weren't they just talking LOUDLY?
Everyone speaks English, don't they?
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>> sorry for posting the longest ever post on C4P
What do you mean. 'sorry'? I was enthralled Sheikha, no kidding. A description of travel the way it so often is (complete with embarrassing compatriots making a fuss over nothing).
I suppose the long wait for the night train in London was a question of prices.
I hitched through Port-Bou around 1960, Dutch couple with a litre of pink wine from which they and we took swigs, Renault 750 with louvred curvy rump, flat out at 65 which was how they drove it. We too passed through Barcelona and stopped in Tarragona, nice little Roman amphitheatre there. Talk to the locals if you can. Make friends. Unless you do that it's just tourism, not travel.
Hope you get some of those funny-colored Mediterranean evening skies Sheikha, and score for this and that.
I would have driven all the way mind you. But you can do that next time.
Have a good time and don't lose yr way on the way back...
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Enjoy your break Rattle - it sounds somewhat different to the run of the mill stuff...:-)
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Er, just on a point of information you understand, I'm no pedant what me never bleednell no not me mate, but it should be
Holá with one l and the acute accent to indicate the irregular stress... not that that will cut much ice back in Manchester.
Sorry Sheikha. It's a sort of reflex.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Sat 25 May 13 at 00:30
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Well, fairly predictably I'm going to say there are some really good coastal bike trails near where you are. If you fancy it one day find a decent bike hire shop and they might even have some organised trips. Good way to get off the beaten track and meet some people who aren't drunk.
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>> Er, just on a point of information you understand, I'm no pedant what me never
>> bleednell no not me mate, but it should be
>>
>> Holá with one l and the acute accent to indicate the irregular stress ..............
You can't seriously be expecting Rattle's standard of spelling of Spanish words to be any better than his standard of spelling of words in his native language of English!
Last edited by: L'escargot on Sat 25 May 13 at 09:41
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¡Holá, que tal mi amigo! Hace mucho lluvia en Manchester.
(British always talk about the weather.)
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O - En Manchester, hace lluvia todos las dias
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Rattle - a man who enjoys road/rail trips ! Please buy yourself a motorcycle - doesn't need to be big and enduring hobby and interest and a touring tool second to non and the world's best ice-breaker wherever you go be it Betws Y Coed or Biarritz.
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youtu.be/AIDAoouOs98
Rats the one in the bowler and glasses ;-)))
The CAP beano. Who's who?
Last edited by: Mr. Ecs on Sat 25 May 13 at 13:59
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Good read Rattle glad you've had a good time stop worrying and start living.>:)
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I got back on Thursday evening around 11:30. I stayed in Salou until Monday. Salou is a very nice seaside resort (I will post some pictures) it does have a tacky Brit abroad side, but it also has a very nice old town area. The views are fantastic too as it over looks the Monsteratt mountains.
On Monday and Tuesday I took short trips to near by Tarraogona which is a lovely roman city.
The night life was a bit tame, mostly Irish pubs but it wasn't really quite in peak season. Salou is a suprisingly expensive place but then as I can't speak Catalan I was using a lot of tourist traps.
Then on Wednesday it was time to say a fond farewell to Salou and head back to Manchester. My first train was to Barcelona. I had about 3 hours to kill here I headed down Las Ramblas towards the beach before heading back to the station.
I then took a train to Cerbere which is on the border, a lovely little village but I only had an hour to make my connection so had no time to explore it. Then off on the 8:17pm night train to Paris which arrived at 7:22am. Now this train is slow on purpose as the idea is it allowes people to get into Paris early morning without the need to stay over. It stopped for about three hours at Touloose, in highnsight if I had known that I might have got off for a couple of hours but it was about 10:30pm when it arrived so it wasn't really the time to explore the city.
I got some kip on the night train (not much) and arrived in Paris in at 7:20am. My Eurostar was due to leave at 2:40 so I had plenty of time to spend the morning in Paris. Managed to do all the usual sight seeing. Then off to London. Arrived in London at 4:00pm UK time and my train was not due to leave at 9:00pm. I walked down to the housings of parliment from Euston and stopped of at a Wetherspoons on Charing Cross Road for their Curry and Drink night. £7 for a pint and a curry in central London is fanastic value.
Then back to Euston to catch my 9:00pm train home. Was back in my house by 11:30.
Total cost of the train journey from Salou to Manchester was £88, and that is around 12250 miles.
I really enjoyed what I did, and I think spending 5 days in a resort really helped, as it gave me a bit of a rest bite from travelling and could just relax. I was constantly at train stations making connections etc. It is not for the faint hearted, and would only recomend doing this if you're used to making long train journeys in the UK but the sights you see on route are staggering.
When arriving in the big cities such as Paris and Barcelona I used the underground systems to get around as time was limited. Again you need to be used to this as travelling in the Paris metro system at 8:30am is not for the faint hearted.
In total I think I spend around £650-£700 for the 9 days, and while I was being a little careful with money I mostly did what I wanted.
If I was to do it again I will probably explore Germany, Poland and that general area but if the UK summers are always bad, I think I will just be drawn to the sun!.
Should also add, while the Spannish railways were ok, the entire experience was nothing like as pleasent as using the French system. I found navigating the Spannish stations (well mostly Barcelona Sants) to be hard work. While the three main Paris stations I used were a doddle with lots of information displays telling you what time your train is due and what platform you need etc.
Sorry about typos etc. Typed it all in a bit of a rush.
What I might have done differently was take a different route back, as it was more less a repeat of the out going journey. I could have perhaps gone to North Western Spain and got the ferry, but it is all about timings and the cost of tickets which were not as good. It is far easier for me to get back from London than Southampton too.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Sat 1 Jun 13 at 12:03
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"Total cost of the train journey from Salou to Manchester was £88, and that is around 12250 miles " by an extremely scenic route I'd imagine!! Google indicates you might have one nought too many...
Good for you Rats, sounds like you enjoyed it...
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I meant 1250 miles, was just a typo! If it was 12,250 I think I would still be in Australia by now!
Yeah it went via the Pyreneese coast which is a breath taking route.
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>> Then off to London. Arrived in London at 4:00pm UK time and my train was
>> not due to leave at 9:00pm. I walked down to the housings of parliment from
>> Euston and stopped of at a Wetherspoons on Charing Cross Road for their Curry and
>> Drink night. £7 for a pint and a curry in central London is fanastic value.
I hope Zero doesn't find out that you have been into Wetherspoons!
He will go mad!
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>> I hope Zero doesn't find out that you have been into Wetherspoons!
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>> He will go mad!
Not at all. Merely reinforces my prejudices.
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>> Not at all. Merely reinforces my prejudices.
As we've said before, the clientèle varies enormously by location and circumstance.
The Sheaf Island in Sheffield yesterday lunch time was mostly families taking meals. A mix of those with kids and others collecting Uni students at end of term. Fantastic value too - £11 for two meals and drinks.
In the footie season and with a match at Brammal Lane it would have been vastly different
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 2 Jun 13 at 14:04
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Seems like you enjoyed it, Rattle, I'm pleased.
Remember what was good/bad and make the next choice & booking more painless.
Certainly consider whether 2 hours of abject terror on a 'plane is better or worse than 24 hours on a train.
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>> 2 hours of abject terror on a 'plane is better or worse than 24 hours on a train.
Harrumph... or whether the costlier but more interesting option of taking the jalopy with or without a resourceful companion adept with languages might seem worthwhile. It's what cars are for Sheikha. If you can afford one you can afford to use it.
I'm glad you had a decent time of course and enjoyed your descriptions of the journeys. They sounded a bit tiring to me I must admit. Without a jalopy and wayside inns I couldn't go anywhere these days. But I used to do that stuff, and long-distance hitching too. Endlessly interesting and often very knackering. Enjoy youth while you can of course. But you are a business owner with a newish economical car. I used to dream of that level of luxury in sub-zero temperatures and thin horizontal rain at Scotch Corner roundabout in the small hours.
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At a cost of £88.00 Salou to Manchester, it's a no brainer. When I had my holiday home in South West France it cost me more than that on the ferry. Granted, it was more convenient to use the car, but it was also quite tiring.
My Accord Tourer did about 53 mpg on the autoroutes, and the cost of diesel, one way, from home, was about £120.
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Now Ratts if you joined the Railways in the uk you would get free travel and 75% off on TOCC (other companies) Plus you also get 75% off world wide travel so your trip to spain would have cost peanuts it lasts for one month.
The singletons here go backpacking europe for peanuts really is and you normally can blag a free ride on other services in the uk i have never been charged yet so long as you ask nice. :-)
It applies to world wide one month reduced rate i still need to use it but with kids id rather go on the aeroplane and let the bus driver do the work but for a couple or singles its a great deal.
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I have thought about being an inspector but I am not sure I have enough experience in dealing with the angry public for that job! It also sounds great but the reality would be spending on day on a hot and stuffy clapped out class 142 Pacer from Manchester Victoria to Wigan all day while dealing with drunk fare evaders.
Also in relation to my trip it is a great way to see other cities as well, but you have to accept a big element of risk if things go wrong so I made sure I had enough money to be able to book into a B&B some where if something did go wrong. I also made sure I left several hours for the connections if it was viable to do so.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Sun 2 Jun 13 at 11:38
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So lock yourself in the cab like all the rest do.!
They only come out to open doors you don't have to take the abuse.
There is plenty of other jobs ratts. :-)
Plus you could still run your buisness in your time off.
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>> Sorry about typos etc. Typed it all in a bit of a rush.
As usual!
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Holla de España - rtj70
