Dec 05 A huge snowstorm left traffic stranded on Russian freeways late last week, with blizzard conditions and heavy drifting snow continuing to inflict misery over the weekend. Worst hit was the main M-10 highway linking Moscow with St. Petersburg. Yet the trains, by and large, continued to run on time. Tackling the Russian winter The Russian » Read more
EuroCheapo's Finland Articles
High-speed in Russia: Trains from St. Petersburg to Moscow, Helsinki and more
A Sapsan train en route from Moscow to Saint Petersburg. Photo: Mika Stetsovski
European Travel in 2011: A year of surprises
Dec 28 Travel is all about surprises, about serendipitous discoveries and transcending expectations. And, yes, we’ve been surprised in 2011. We were startled to move so quickly from serene and sunny spring back to deep midwinter when in March we traveled by train from the shores of the North Italian lakes to eastern Switzerland. The little train » Read more
Train Travel in Europe: The substitute bus
Nov 16 Rail travelers through Germany who have no great aptitude for languages usually manage to pick up the bare essentials after a few days. Among those essentials is the marvelously Germanic compound tongue-twister Schienenersatzverkehr (“SEV” for short). It’s not a word you’ll want to use a lot. And it’s not a word you’ll want to hear too » Read more
Planning Tip: Navigating school holidays when picking travel dates
Aug 10 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
Tampere, Finland: A town with a buzz
Aug 04 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
Art in the Finnish Forest: Retretti
Jun 08 Tucked away on a rocky ridge is a Finnish gem. You have a hint that Retretti is something special when the slow train to Savonlinna pauses there. This is a minor single track railway, and the unstaffed station at Retretti is as small as they come. On the platform stands an oversized sculpture, an apt » Read more
From St. Petersburg to Helsinki, by bus
May 25 The new high-speed rail service linking Helsinki with St. Petersburg, just launched last December, has been an immediate success, with passenger numbers in the first four months of 2011 up over a third on the same period in 2010. With the journey time slashed to 3 hours 36 minutes, it is no surprise that cross-border » Read more
Europe: 5 daytime rail journeys to consider
Mar 02 March is the month when many Europeans crawl out from their winter shells and start exploring. And with spring beckoning, we have come up with a handful of easy daytime rail journeys that just clamor to be taken. There is something seductive about climbing onto a comfortable train just after breakfast, knowing that all you » Read more
European Winter Festivals: Last Tango in Oulu
Jan 12 Not sure how it happened, but somehow we missed the Tango Festival in Oulu last week. Yes, we know what you are thinking. You never knew they are quite so keen on colgadas and volcadas up there in the frozen north. All those carousels must be decidedly tricky on icy ground. If you associate the » Read more
More than Hot Air: European Smoking Laws
Oct 13 By Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries— During a day or two in a small town in the Czech Republic this summer, we noticed a local gently chiding two tourists for smoking while standing at a bus stop in a small village. The lady’s reprimand was delivered in the politest possible way, and clearly no offence » Read more
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