European rail operators revise their schedules from time to time, most frequently to reflect changing patterns of demand, to serve new routes or to react to new competition. Let’s take a look at what might be in the offing with the next major round of scheduled changes in December 2011. The new timetables come into » Read more

From time to time, as we mooch around cities in western Europe we raise a glass to toast Thomas Jonglez – a man who took a decade to realize that a career in the steel trade was decidedly unsexy and in 2003 reinvented himself as a writer and publisher. We first stumbled on Jonglez’ work » Read more

Having a sense of local travel patterns is a smart way of seeing Europe at its best and trimming costs. High school holiday dates are often a key determinant of accommodation costs. And with kids already heading back to school in some parts of Europe, that opens up opportunities for Cheapos looking for bargains. Summer » Read more

Sometimes we run across a city that just has a very good feel. Often these are university towns, places that are not in the premier league of tourist destinations, but spots that have a decidedly laid-back and welcoming feel. Szeged in Hungary, Bergamo in Italy, and Lund in Sweden all ooze that distinct welcoming feeling. » Read more

Sad but true. The Mediterranean island of Malta has just discarded what we always judged to be one of the country’s prime attractions. But progress always comes at a price. So when Malta earlier this month introduced a gleaming new fleet of modern buses, it meant the end of the road for the country’s distinctive » Read more

It is that time of the year when Europeans just love to chill out on the beach. But not all of us head south for summer sun. Canny travelers in search of the best deals and the longest sunshine hours make for those parts of the Baltic which boast some of Europe’s best beaches. July » Read more

Last week, we looked at the celebrated Glacier Express rail route, and questioned whether it might just take in one glacier too many (not to mention the 191 tunnels along the route). It’s a long haul from any major Swiss city or airport to either St. Moritz or Zermatt, which are the end points of » Read more

With the summer solstice this week, Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries turn their thoughts to axial tilt and other astronomical matters: Now here’s a thought. Europeans heading north to cross the Arctic Circle, anxious to catch the mid-summer midnight sun, have to make longer journeys than their parents did. For the Arctic Circle is slipping » Read more

The June issue of the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable is something of a publishing milestone, being the 1,500th edition since the book was first published in 1873. Ideal reading, we would say, for canny Cheapos looking to plan complex itineraries around Europe by train this summer. The book lists train, bus and ferry schedules » Read more