Europe by Train | Fi Darby

Passport time!

After all of my train adventures in the UK, I finally decided to give travel to Europe by train a go. What could be more exciting than getting on board a train in one country and getting off it in another? Different cultures, different foods, different train systems.

And all those different languages.

Train holidays in Europe are gaining in popularity for lots of reasons. Many people are quite rightly keen to reduce their carbon footprint and feel that flight free is the best way to travel. Others are fed up with that same-everywhere airport feeling and want to properly experience locations as they travel through them.

You can miss out whole continents by flying.

My train adventures in Europe

Although I’ve travelled overseas a fair amount, I’m a relative newby to European travel. I haven’t been backpacking or Interrailing yet but this year (2024) I’ve been lucky enough to make two significant European train trips.

So far!

1. London to Paris by train and ferry

This flight free London to Paris journey was a commission for one of my clients. My brief was to travel to Paris without using Eurostar, check out all the train and ferry connections and write up some useful instructions for people wanting to travel to the Paris Olympics by train.

Mr D and I travelled from London to Dover by train, with P&O ferries to Calais and then by train to Paris. We had a wonderful trip and it really whet my appetite for further European train travel.

You can read the article I wrote for my client on how to get to Paris by train and ferry here.

2. Sweden to the UK by train

We first planned to visit Sweden in our campervan just before lockdown. I remember eating meatballs in the van on the day we were due to set off; we were parked just outside our house. I even made tiny Swedish flags for the occasion.

Move on a few years and we were (finally) planning a trip to Stockholm with a friend. I took the bold decision to fly out with them (easy) and come back on my own by train (slightly scary).

Why did I chose to travel by train?

Well I feel quite strongly that if we all make small changes to our travel habits, we can make a difference to climate change and influence a new way of looking at travel. I thought that by comparing the two experiences, I would be able to not only find out for myself how train travel and flying compare but share my findings with everyone else.

It took me one flight to get to Stockholm.

It took me eleven trains to get home again.

It was also a lot more expensive to make the Sweden UK journey by train but I had an amazing experience. I met all kinds of people, gained confidence and actually felt like I had travelled.

Most importantly I saved a huge amount of CO2.

You can read more details about my trip home from Sweden to the UK by train here; including my route, how I booked the tickets, how much it all cost, how long the train trip home took, and exactly how much CO2 I saved by coming back by train.

And you can find out whether or not I would choose to travel that way again.

Writing Reviews

Ordnance Survey - Secret Stories

February 2021

'Fi came highly recommended by another member of Ordnance Survey’s Consumer Team and she did not disappoint. Her work is always precise, always on time and she can turn her hand to any style. From sparkling, child-friendly humour to detailed, directional information, her knowledge and passion for the outdoors shines through. She is also adept at creating content across many formats, from print guidebooks to digital apps.'

Mary Malyon, Content Editor, Ordnance Survey’s Secret Stories app

English Trackers

"It has been a real pleasure to have Fi contributing to our blogging efforts. She has excellent writing skills, is comfortable working with Word Press and is a proficient social media user. The best part though, is that she comes up with blog ideas, pitches them and writes them in a very fast turnaround time. I would highly recommend her as a writing contributor to any team – a real pro and an utter joy to work with.”

Upskilled Australia

"Fi is a great asset in my day-to-day work. She always meets the needs of briefs and deadlines, usually providing copy in advance. Very good communicator and always has channels open when she's working. I'm glad to have found her freelancing services."

Flycast Media

"Fi is exactly what we want in a writing partner, the quality of her text is extremely professional and articulate and best of all she is able to work in such a way that supports the way our agency works. Looking forward to a long partnership."

Origin 1

29.08.2017

"Fi is really easy to work with and understands copywriting in relation to SEO. We're really pleased we found her and looking forward to working with her more."

Visit Dartmoor

"We were hugely impressed with Fi’s pro-active and professional approach when we worked with her on a fascinating WW2 exhibition. Her insight and sensitivity were matched by her quality text and prompt delivery, we would highly recommend her as a copy writer with a certain ‘something extra’. She was an absolute pleasure to work with and we look forward to collaborating with her again."

Ordnance Survey - Walk London

'Thank you so much for your efforts, your patience, your advice and of course, your beautiful words.'

My train adventures in Europe

1. London to Paris by train and ferry

2. Sweden to the UK by train

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