Train Travel In UK

Drunken debauchery, lapdancing clubs with strippers galore and naked men chained to railings the night before their wedding! It can only be the most celebrated tradition of the 21st century – The Stag Do!!

The Stag Night Weekends invariably took place over an evening – traditionally the night before the wedding – however, modern day men celebrate the hardcore way with stag weekends celebrated over as many as 3 or 4 days. The elongation of the traditional Stag Night Weekend has the stag and his party jumping for joy, so no wonder some women get just a little apprehensive when their partners announce they are off on a stag weekend with a bunch of testosterone enhanced buddies!

The choice of destination is merely the beginning, with activity centres opening up all over the world, extreme sports is the tip of the iceberg and strip clubs an exciting reality. These days our men not only have it too good, they’re not ashamed to take the bull by the horns and go all out for the party experience of their life! With stag nights and stag weekends drifting abroad, Europe is a top stag destination with places like Reykjavik, Riga, Estonia, Prague and Amsterdam tipping the top of the popularity boards.

Websites such as www.betterweekends.com, promote group activity Stag Night Weekends and stag breaks to these European cities for a long weekends of cheap drinks, Extreme sports, go-karting with strip clubs aplenty.

Foreign embassies are becoming so overwhelmed with Stag Night Parties, who turn to them for help with replacing lost passports or tracking down lost friends, they are going to impose an £84-an-hour charge for consular time.

So what is the key to a safe and successful Stag do?

Firstly and fore mostly, plan ahead and make sure everyone knows where they are going and what the itinerary is before the weekend.

If you can’t be responsible for yourself, nominate someone – it’s generally a good idea if it’s the best man or the person that’s arranged the stag do - to be responsible for planning the itinerary and gathering the group together.

Make sure the passports are valid, photocopied and handed to the group organiser to put in a safe place in the event of passports being lost or stolen – this saves so much time, hassle and money if like in many, many cases they do go awol.

Take down everyone’s mobile number at the start of the stag do and before you leave British soil! Believe it or not, your loved and trusted friends can go missing (a mix of alcohol and ladies is enough to lead any red bloodied man astray whatever his normal good intention are) and this may be hysterically funny at first, however, it can turn into a anxious nightmare, if, at the end of the stag do, they still haven’t reappeared! It sounds extreme, but believe me it happens and it happens a lot!

Be aware that you are in a strange country and bad behaviour is rarely tolerated. Research the area you are travelling to and check out the do’s and don’ts before you go.

Know your alcohol limit – it can impair judgment, lead to accidents and can increase the risk of you becoming a victim of crime.

Finally, have a great time and enjoy the whole experience.

I never took the time to write this story down, so now that I am getting an itch for adventure again I figured I would recount my last great motoring adventure. It involved several countries, my cousin, and a Peugeot. 

The Route:

A few years back I got tired of the rat race, the everyday of being a drone in an office and while I loved the job and the industry, I needed some time off. I was making good money working as the Special Projects Director for a large restoration parts company here in Southern California. However, after four years it was time for a monumental vacation. So, I quit my job, kissed my fiancée (now wife) good bye, and set off for Europe. With little more than a rough plan, a road map, and a hastily arranged short term lease with Peugeot’s “Open Europe” program, I landed in London to meet my younger cousin Nathan that had recently finished a exchange student program in the UK and was not excited about coming home right away.

I spent a few days in London while we made arrangments to get to souther France where our new Peugeot was to be delivered. London is an amazing city so much history, from the Romans, to the Second World War every corner of London offers a glimpse of times lost, while the ultra modern buildings like the Gherkin give a foretaste of things to come. Coming from the Los Angeles area where everything is rebuilt about every 20 years it was interesting to see the old buildings of London still pockmarked from the German bombs. I could go on and on about the British Library, Tower of London, etc… but this is a story about motoring so back to that. We had decided to pick up our sparkling new Peugeot 206sw in Montpellier, in the south of France and after a quick flight on Ryan Air for around $50 we were in sunny Southern France.

This was a very good idea as there is nowhere on earth I could imagine being more beautiful than the French Riviera…Italy would prove me wrong. Landing in France, we get the typical customs hold ups, and make a phone call to the Peugeot Open Europe contact that was meeting us with the car. A very polite young man walked us to the car; I giving Nathan a very sinister look confirmed with the Peugeot representative that the lease included “unlimited mileage” he nodded yes, I think he knew that the resale on this car would be slightly dented by the amount of miles we were going to put on the car. In Europe, I had discovered the average car travels less than 8,000 kilometers a year that is just under 5,000 miles a year. In California my home state we drive on average 15,000 miles a year, that over 24,000 kilometers. Nathan and I had laid out an ambitious route that would allow us to cover almost 18,000 kilometers in just 21 days, seeing everything Europe had to offer before running out of money and retreating back to London.

We were off, since Nathan had been living in London and had done a bit of traveling in Europe already, so I had him make our arrangements for the first night. We had decided to head right to Barcelona (Spain), and when we got their, a street fair was going on, the road signs were mounted on the sides of the buildings far out of view, the Peugeot is hardly able to move amongst all the revelers crowding the streets. The hotel Nathan had selected has a strange Arabic sounding name for being in Spain, but right now, I am wondering why the car feels splashy. I can tell…we have a flat, there is nowhere to park, we don’t speak Spanish, and we can’t even find this hotel. I see a parking garage and pull in. A very nice parking attendant points us to a location where we can park for 12 Euros for 24 hours, he even pulls a floor jack out and helps us change a tire, perhaps Spain is a civilized country after all.

Nathan is attempting to find out where the hotel is (it’s a hostel), and by the grace of God it was just a few blocks away, we left our car in the parking garage and walked a few blocks following a map drawn up by the parking attendant. As we made our way to the hostel, I started to notice that many of the signs were in Arabic, and that men in traditional Arab clothing were standing in the doorways looking cross at us. The streets started to look worse and worse, and the hotel did not look much better. We checked in and we are shown to what the man at the front desk called rooms. “Nathan, where the hell did you find this place” I said, “booked it online” he replied, “it looked nice”. Our “rooms” were metal boxes stacked three high with a ladder, a curtain, a mattress (using that term lightly), and a small lockable box. “We are paying to go to prison,” I said to Nathan who laughed. I was convinced we would be killed, or at least robbed. Later on that night Nathan see’s a man peering into my box, and tells him to take a hike. The next morning we discovered that Nathan’s alarm clock had stolen…we packed, went back to the car and dropped off our bags, and wondered around Barcelona. It is a painfully beautiful city, and I could not help to snap away, at this point in my life I was still an aspiring photographer. You could tell the photos that Nathan took with me in them because they are not in focus, or the apature is set wrong. We went to seek out an internet café, and a real café for some e-mail and breakfast, what was really amazing is the shear amount of porn being sold out of special porn newsstands. The city market is made up of small booths, and every other one is selling porn. I was done with Spain, while I am sure there is much to see and do, how good could it be from a country that builds the SEAT Alhambra.

Back on the road and in my adopted home country of France I feel much better, I understand more of the language, and the food is amazing and cheap. Coming from the U.S. I was honestly expecting the French people to attempt to kill me every chance they got since we only hear stories of the rude French. But I found them to be some of themost engaging, friendly, and patient people on earth. The secret is to at least attempt to communicate as best you can in French and be respectful that their language, it is a source of pride for them, demanding that they speak English is rude and we saw plenty of American’s (mostly with fanny packs) getting upset at people at restaurants, hotels, and bars because they did not speak English. News flash you’re not in an English speaking country. As we passed through France on the way to Italy, I discovered my place. It is the place I would pick up and move to if given the opportunity in a hear beat, taking the wife and dogs along with me. This place is Cassis in Southern France; I would move to Cassis right now, if only I could find a way.

In Monaco I was in car lovers heaven, pulling up to a light the car in front of me is a Zonda, next to me a vintage Ferrari, and behind me a Bentley Continental. I however was behind the wheel of a mighty Peugeot. Now I had owned a Peugeot 405 here in the US and loved the car, it was fast, clean, reliable, and one of the best handling front wheel drive cars I have ever owned. I had been dreaming of owning a 206 for a daily driver for years, and even looked into buying one in Mexico and bringing it to the US, however, the smog and safety Nazis will not allow a French car in the US…yet we can buy a Daewoo??? The car we picked out was a manual, gas powered wagon, we figured we may not always be able to get a hotel so at least the station wagon would allow us to sleep in the car in our sleeping bags, we did do this a few nights, but we did it towards the end of the trip in the snow, not a good idea…. We passed into Italy and Nathan was excited and he had a long list of things we wanted to see from Pisa to Pompeii so we had a long drive ahead of us. We had made a deal that we would stay off the main roads, the car being a manual I had to drive the entire trip, but I did not mind much. I attempted while in Italy to teach Nathan stick shift driving, but it did not go well, and we could not afford to replace the clutch so I contunied to drive.

We drove through Rome and having learned our lesson in Barcelona found a nice quite village with a train station outside of the city parking was free and it only cost 2 Euros to ride the train into the city round trip. The advantage to having a car is you don’t have to carry your gear with you. Just take what you need and lock the rest up in the trunk. Words cannot describe the city of Rome, unless you have seen it, you can’t even comprehend the scale of it all. Spending the entire day in Rome was amazing, but there was much more to see, we hopped a train and got back to the car, where we set off south towards Pisa to see the leaning tower then on to Pompeii. Italy is much like Southern California many times while driving along the coast you could believe that you were driving along the Pacific Coast Highway, many of the similar plants, the only major difference is the buildings are a little older, and the food is slightly better.

The food is the best part of Europe they have the small café or street food down to an art, New York has hotdogs, L.A. as Tacos, but you can find amazing homemade treats any little town in Europe. Having driven down the coast of Italy as far south as Pompeii, we decided to take a road less traveled up the dead center of the country and head back towards France. The middle of Italy is much like the middle of America, farmland, ranches, open spaces, but unlike the Midwest of America, Italy’s interior is dramatic. Cities like Orvieto, Siena, Florence, and Turin are found here, and each has an amazing story and it’s own unique architecture and culture.

Gas stations in each country are different some have no attendants at all and have a strange gate system you have to use to get in, others are just closed on Sundays and good luck finding gas anywhere else, also it is very expensive, so if you are planning a European motoring getaway, bring lots and lots of extra cash. As we powered north towards Modena, I could feel the Ferrari’s calling me, and upon arriving I was not disappointed, they were everywhere, it was like being at the old Crystal Cove event in Malibu, but every day…there are also a lot of odd cars roaming the road, cars that make my classic MINI look like a massive SUV. (See photo)

Now there is a massive tunnel that connects Italy and France through the alps, however, it costs a lot of money to go through so we decided that we would attack the alps head on; in winter, in a Peugeot. The Italian side was cleared, but after turning a corner that took us to the French side of the mountain, we discovered that the French road workers did not feel like clearing the road from what we could tell, ever. We were firmly stuck, no chains, no cell phone, no village nearby…. But the Eagle Scout in me kicked in and I did have a small pocket knife and was able to cut some branches from a tree to stuff under the front wheels to get some traction. With Nathan pushing, I gunned it, only to get out, and hit ice, the car did some interesting maneuvers and came to rest about 20 feet down the road. So after almost dying in the snow at the top of the alps, we decided to take the tunnel.

Back on our adopted home soil, we headed north towards Paris, Le Mans, and the invasion beaches. We first headed west towards Le Mans, and then on to Bayeux, where we went to see the Bayeux tapestry. From there we drove to the invasion beaches and took some time to reflect upon the sheer size of them, just how far it was to make it to any form of cover, our great grandfather fought in the pacific and Nathan and I both reflected on the bravery that those men had to step off those boats. After a visit to the American cemetery to pay our respects we loaded up and set off for Paris. Having forgotten our lesson from Barcelona, we drove into Paris. Paris is everything they say it is and more, it is one of the worst cities on earth to drive. I have driven in some strange parts of the world Managua and Jakarta come to mind, and they were cakewalks when compared to Paris. Trust me; drive in Paris only if you have a good GPS, good knowledge of written French, and very good reflexes.

We were running out of time, we had to have the car in Belgium within a week so we headed or Germany, the only country with speed limits posted for army tanks. Passing through the German wine country, I have never seen grapes grown on hills like this before, it was a breath taking sight to see vineyards snaking their way on mountainsides, with small monorails that the farmers ride to collect their harvest. Pushing into the Germany, we discovered that they really do like David Hasselhoff, and we were greeted by a massive billboard promoting a drink of some kind. We soon discovered a gun/liquor/fireworks store in a small town and that has to be the best store ever, and the fact that beer is sold in the soda machines, made Germany one of our favorite countries.

Our little Peugeot was doing well as we cracked the 15,000-kilometer mark. We wanted to see the bridges from operation Market Garden so we went to the Netherlands, then pushed on to Belgium where we had to visit “Auto World” a massive museum that has just about every type of car you can imagine, as well as war museum that has items from Roman times to current. We found a nice little hotel, and spent the night, I was exhaust having just driven just over 17,800 kilometers, we had done it, came to see it all in a whirlwind and we did it averaging over 800 kilometers a day (526 miles), some days we would drive well into the night and sleep in the car just to make sure we could get to the next stop on our map. If I were to go back I would do it differently spend more time relaxing, and less time driving to every historically significant spot on the map, but I would not change one thing about this trip, because, we discovered so much fun.

Winter is fast approaching, bringing with it a mixture of blustery winds and cold, wet weather. Therefore, it’s the perfect time to think about escaping the UK and embarking on a snowy adventure filled with picture-postcard scenery, adrenaline-raising winter sports and warm mugs of coca. Indeed, with a wealth of tempting skiing destinations located just a few hours away, it’s easy to take a refreshing break before the festive season gets into swing. Not only that, but because Europe’s home to a great selection of mountain ranges, including the Alps, Pyrenees and Carpathians, there’s a huge choice of destinations to explore. Renowned for its comprehensive range of winter sports facilities and excellent skiing and snowboarding opportunities, France is one of the most popular European countries to head to in the colder seasons. In fact, according to the Association of Independent Tour Operators, the Val d’Isère resort ranks second in the list of the top ten best skiing destinations in the world, behind Canada’s Whistler. Lying just five minutes from the Italian border, Val d’Isère is cited as having some of the greatest lift-served off-piste runs on the planet. Characterised by its chalet architecture, it’s often considered to be one of the most stunning ski resorts, offering up a number of tempting ski runs and beautiful powdery snow. Tignes, located near to Val d’Isère is also considered to be a top winter sports destination. Boasting a funicular train which carries skiers through the mountain, its immense terrain receives a large amount of snow. There’s also a selection of vibrant après-ski activities to indulge in, including some very lively bars. Equally enticing is the Courchevel resort in the Savoie region of the Alps. The largest linked skiing area globally, it’s a hot favourite with the Parisian jet-set. There are four villages to choose from when you get there; consequently there’s a wide range of activities to discover besides the winter sports. When thinking about how to reach your resort, there are a number of options, including flying and driving. However, due to its simplicity, many people recommend getting the train, since it offers a hassle-free alternative to dealing with airports and fussy travel arrangements. There are also are a number of trains which travel directly between the UK and Europe’s top skiing destinations. In addition to providing an easy way to access such places as France, Germany and Italy, the train can also save a lot of time having to check in at the airport, for example, or waiting for your baggage to arrive. Moreover, because many of them are carbon neutral, you can be safe in the knowledge that you’re helping to reduce your carbon footprint. So, with winter just around the corner, it’s the ideal time to escape to the mountains. Due to the vast collection of enticing ski resorts and different ways to travel to Europe, like taking the train, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to making your mind up about what to do.

Boasting approximately 50 countries to discover and offering up a diverse selection of cultures and landscapes, Europe is filled with a number of remarkable cities and stunning stretches of wilderness. Cited as the birthplace of western culture, it forms one of the seven continents of the world and is surrounded by the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, and the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Due to its close proximity to the UK, Europe is an ideal travel destination for those looking to escape on a short break. Indeed, offering up a number of different locations, all sited within a few hours of Britain, there’s a wealth of exciting cities and environments to explore. With so much to choose from, though, it can be hard work figuring out which part of Europe to head to. However, offering up some of the best cultural treats in the world, as well as a superb range of iconic landmarks and sights of interest, the major capital cities are a great starting point. The world’s top tourist destination, Paris is a definite must-see. Home to a huge array of cultural attractions like the Louvre and Eiffel Tower, the French capital also offers up a packed annual events programme. Due to its unique charm and famous sights, over 30 million people flock there each year. Amsterdam, on the other hand, is ideal for those looking to take some time out and escape from the hustle and bustle of the larger cities. Filled with a jumble of canals, parks and quirky architecture, there’s a lot to discover in this historical capital city. The Museum Square is the site of Amsterdam’s most influential museums and, as such, is well worth visiting. When you go to book your trip to Europe, whether it be to one of its lively capital cities or a more remote part of the countryside, there are a number of travel options to chose from such as flying, driving, or taking the ferry. However, because of the advantages to be had, it can often be a good idea to travel by train. In fact, eliminating the need for having to make stressful travel arrangements, the train can help you to maximise your holiday time. For example, you can choose to travel by day, where you’ll get the opportunity to soak up the stunning scenery as you journey throughout Europe, or at night, where you can sleep in comfort and arrive at your destination fully-refreshed. Not only that, but with a lot of the trains reaching speeds of up to 186 mph, you can reach many parts of the continent within a few hours of leaving the UK. Owing to the many enticing Europe travel deals on offer, millions of people head there every year. There’s a wealth of cultures and landscapes to explore and with accessible travel options like the train to choose from, everyone has the opportunity to discover all that’s on offer, regardless of whether they’re looking for a luxury or budget holiday.