Travel News Monkey

The burgeoning European cruise industry is fed to a large extent by the Americans and this has led Fodor’s to publish The Complete Guide to European Cruises, priced at a reasonable $23.95. Americans find cruises in Europe a better option to land travel for several reasons. The cruises are paid for in dollars which suits the American tourists. They do not have to pay separately for the meals. Americans who have done the Caribbean cruise, and many have done those on more than one occasion, are finding that cruises are a great way of discovering European culture.

Fodor’s states that the cruise is cost-effective and allows the tourists the independence to disembark anywhere on the way and move ahead on their own. Frequent packing and unpacking is avoided and although you may not get to soak in the atmosphere to the extent that you like, you will be afforded enough time by the cruise to see the sights of the towns where the ships halt.

The book is packed with details on the itinerary, costs, evaluating ships and cruises and much more. You learn about the areas that are worth a special dekko.

Counting the cost of rail travel seems to be amongst the minor national pastimes in England. The island has a well-developed rail network but at first glance the cost does appear prohibitively expensive. For example, a standard journey from Rome to Naples, a distance of 120 miles costs GBP15 whereas the 112-mile journey from Sheffield to Newcastle costs a whopping GPB43.

However, a little close examination tells us that it is not the journey that’s expensive, its the flexibility that comes at a premium, which means that if you are happy to travel before 7am and book in advance and a trip from Sheffield to Newcastle can be bought for GBP7. Read more here

European rail companies have initiated a series of fast-rail projects that in near future could result in train services from Glasgow to Moscow. The TGV Est. will commence in June and a trip on the TGV will take you from Paris to Strasbourg in 140 minutes; it will also reduce the time taken to travel to Luxembourg and Switzerland. November will see the inauguration of the St. Pancras railway station in central London. Journeys from this station to Paris will take a mere 135 minutes. More plans on the high-speed rail route in Europe include rail routes to the German border from Brussels. Read more.

Europe has taken an extremely welcome decision to clean up transport fuels by introducing new standards for the amount of carbon present in diesel and petrol. Between 2011 and 2020, the proposed standard requires that member countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10%. EU member nations are considering pushing for greater use of bio-fuel so that the sulphur emitted from diesel combustion is reduced. The 10% cut will amount to a massive 500m tonnes of CO2.  Read more.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has stated that by 2020 there will be five fast transport routes linking Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The cost of the project is an estimated 45 billion euros. The establishment of routes to the Balkans and Turkey will be good for economic growth in the region.

Eurail offers two choices to travelers, one is the standard Eurailpass for daily travel and the Eurail Flexipass which has a validity of two months and you can travel on select days during that period. Eurail passes are valid in 18 European nations and also cover ferries in some countries. They do not cover the UK. A one-month first-class Eurail pass costs $1365. The Flexipass lets you travel for either 10 days or 15 days over two months. The 10-day pass costs $1000 and for $1319 you can get the 15-day pass.

To read about even more Eurail options and how you can save with Eurail passes, go here.

According to new research, EU member countries would do better to focus on suburban railway projects instead of thinking in terms of glossy international rail projects.

A study conducted by the International Association for Public Transport UITP under the framework of the ERRAC  mentions that the regional services carry nine times more passengers than the international ones yet they are paid less attention than the long-distance rail services. UITP feels that an extra-enthusiastic bureaucracy could hamper the growth of the transport sector. Read more.

Easily, the most exciting piece of news that I have written on in days. A tunnel that will link Morocco and Spain. What would it be like to sit in a train at Tangier and get down in Seville after a 90-minute ride? The idea promises to change geographical contexts forever but will not be achieved easily. Experts consider the tunnel under the channel to be child’s play in comparison to what building one under the Mediterranean will be.

The complex geological conditions in the Strait of Gibraltar mean that the tunnel may take at least twenty more years before it becomes a reality. Read more.

The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association presents us with a truism that we all know. Train fares in the UK are exorbitantly high when compared with the fares in the rest of Europe.

Travelling by rail in the UK is already a luxury for the middle class. The recent 7.3% hike in rail fares has only served to push train-travel further down the preference list of commuters. A comparison of the car versus train for a journey from Barrow to 10 destinations including Liverpool and London revealed that the car was a far cheaper option. Go here to read more.