Travel without flying: Advice from the winner of the first public transport race in Europe

Upon reaching Venice At 6 a.m., Eleanor Parker enjoyed a “completely calm and beautiful” scene. Moments like these are what make traveling by land so magical, but this thirty-something Brit couldn’t stop to savor them: I had a race to win.

Eleanor was the winner of the first race through Europe in public transport last year, crossing the finish line in Istanbul 57 hours after leaving London.

Organized by the British travel companyLupine Travelthis summer’s race sent participants training, traveling by bus, ferry, bike and on foot from London to Tirana, Albania.

With the climate change forcing us to consider the intensity of carbon Of our leisure activities, land travel is one of the best proofs that life can be more, not less, fun.

What is it like to cross Europe on public transport?

According to Lupine Travel rules, participants are only informed of the first checkpoint to avoid too much pre-planning. At the starting line, they are given a packet with other checkpoints to cross off, with requirements such as take a selfie in front of a specific reference point.

Last year, 100 people participated in the trans-European racewhose first stage took them from London a Paris. For the second checkpoint, participants could choose between Munich, Prague o Venice; Eleanor opted for the latter, partly because it is a prettier route.

He Eurostar and the train The high-speed trains he took to Geneva were by far the most expensive journeys of the race, he says, costing a total of around 300 euros. From there, he opted to take the bus almost all the way to Istanbul, a surprisingly uneventful experience.

“I really liked the bus experience”dice a ‘Euronews Green’. The buses turned out to be faster than some railway lines in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, and were refreshingly reliable, especially for a UK traveller.

Sites like Omio y Rome2Rio They were his constant companions when it came to finding trips by bus suitable. Eleanor also sent emails to bus stations in cities such as Belgrade, Serbia, to find out about different routes.

“It seemed like a lot more people – and very different types – were using buses” than in Western Europe, he says.

The mosaic of connections public transport can instill fear and stress in Brits, as some “feel they are more exposed or vulnerable when traveling by train or bus.” But Eleanor says she didn’t have any safety issues, and even she was rewarded by the kindness of strangers at various times.

While waiting at a bus station, a woman invited him to a coffee and came over to chat. “A woman who was next to me on the last leg of the bus kept feeding me”he adds. “People clearly thought she looked tired.”

In return, Eleanor left the woman her travel pillow so she could run faster to the last checkpoint in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet Square, beating her rival by just 60 seconds in a heart-stopping finish.

Traveling without flights requires a “change of mentality”

According to the champion, showing people how comfortable, accessible and well-organized it is to travel by train in Europe is a key way to promote land travel.

The resurgence of night trains is also helping, as are new cycle path connections, as cycling is a pan-European passion.

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Ultimately, flightless travel is about changing the mindset that travel is just a way to start and end a trip, says Eleanor. “For me it’s the best part of the holiday because it’s interesting and requires strategic planning, and you meet a lot of nice people,” she says. “And you see a lot of things.”

Eleanor, who works in the humanitarian sector protecting NGOs, says she has been encouraging her organization to promote travel no flights in Europe whenever possible.

He train travel price and the time it takes can be prohibitive for some. Plans like Climate Perksfrom the climate action charity Possibleare helping to reorient incentives to encourage employees to take low-carbon trips.

Eleanor’s Top Tips for Traveling Overland in Europe

Outside the confines of a competitive race, you can relax into the delights of overland travel, and make some spontaneous moves.

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But there are some constants. Eleanor recommends carry plenty of water when traveling by bus, a packet of batteries and a small travel pillow. The best is travel lightof course, and it’s worth checking out the packages beforehand. data for phone.

Participating in the trans-European race has encouraged this 33-year-old woman to do more land travel. She recently traveled in train high speed London to Cadizin the south of Spain, and next time he wants to go by ferry a little further, until Morocco.

Around the world by public transport?

From her home on Hayling Island, next to Portsmouth, in the south of England, Eleanor dreams of something even more ambitious.

“I would love to one day – it is a chimera – to think if it is possible to go around the world by public transport”says. “So I have been making a dream plan, but there are places where you always need a taxi service.”

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“I think a lot of women now also feel more encouraged to do it on their own, which is good to see,” she adds.