The International Transport Game

[Bodie]

Seen as I have as my desktop wallpaper a picture of a line 3 tram bound for Loosduinen, that I took on a visit to The Hague earlier this year. It would be rude not to.

At 1355 we depart on a Line 3 tram to Arnold Spoelplein arriving at 1424 on Sunday afternoon

Source: Google maps

 

[Springs Branch]

We sample another tram line by taking the 600m / 7 minute walk to the Loosduinse Hoofdstraat tram stop. We board a Line 2 tram at 1441 and, fancying a comfort break, alight at Station Voorburg 't Loo at 1514 Sunday afternoon.

Source: 9292.nl

I have to admit I've not worked out how to use Google Maps to plan any departures at times & day other than the immediate ones shown. Is there a trick? Alter the date & time on your PC?

 

[Bodie]

We head over to the railway station and at 1523 depart on an E line train bound for Slinge. We get off at Rotterdam Centraal at 1550 on Sunday afternoon

Source: Google maps

Yes, I had that problem. It can be overcome though. When you click the blue logo, be it tram, metro, railway station, ferry etc you should get a little Google Street view image. Underneath that are three buttons which are 'Save' - 'Depart' - 'Share'. Click depart and it will have automatically chosen the place you clicked on as the starting point. As long as you know where you want to go your all right. This of course I'm sure you'll know can be found on the previous page. For instance in this move I could see a train from Voorburg went to Slinge or Den Haag so I chose Slinge, the expanded view shows me all the stops. I chose Rotterdam Centraal. That's what I put into the empty box on the depart page. Once it's calculated the journey you can click the small 'Depart at xx.xx' button which is hidden away underneath the different modes of transport. This brings up a small box into which you can alter the time and date

 

[Springs Branch]

It's a shame to leave NL without a more comprehensive exploration, but I can never resist a TGV (we can always turn around and come back!)

We board the 1658 Thalys 9998 departure at 1658 to Lille Europe, arriving 1854 Sunday evening.

Source: thalys.com

Thx for Google Maps tip. This only works on my Google Maps iPad app (and it's pretty good when it does work).
On Windows PC, the middle "depart" button is replaced by "nearby" which tries to show me nearby bars, restaurants etc.

 

[me123]

Well, I've just discovered that Lille has a metro! I wasn't aware of this fact, so I take us on a trip here. We board Ligne 2 at 19:04, and it takes us to Gare Jean Lebas (Roubaix). We arrive at 19:24 on Sunday evening.

Source: transpole.fr (en français I'm afraid - the English version didn't work).

 

[Bodie]

We transfer over to the SNCF station at Roubaix.

I would like to head North into Belgium but we would have a near two hour wait. So we head back to Lille.

At 1941 we set off aboard TER number 19726 to Lille Flandres arriving at 1950 on Sunday evening

Source: sncf.com/en

We've done a lot since arriving into Schiphol at 0800. This is the fourteenth move I've counted, and there's still a few hours left of the day. Where next I wonder?

 

[me123]

It's a 660m walk back to Lille Europe, where we can board a UK bound train leaving at 20:30. We take a trip on Eurostar 9169 as it becomes 9I61, and arrives at London St Pancras International at 21:03 GMT on Sunday evening.

Source: sncf.com

 

[Bodie]

Due to the frankly early finish of Eurostar's departures we are snookered for the night. All other International bound departures in the UK are too far away and a move if even possible in one go would be invalid.

So we purchase a room in the St Pancras hotel and after a good nights sleep back in Blighty, we rise and head for the first train of the day.
That's Eurostar 9080 the 0540 which we stay on board until we reach Paris, Gare Du Nord at 0917 on Monday morning

Source: eurostar.com

I very nearly got off at Ashford International, but didn't dare to risk it being an invalid move. I'm not sure, yes it was a move between two places in the UK but my train was going to Paris.

 

[Springs Branch]

We make our way to Gare du Nord Metro station. We board a Line 4 train at 0930, alighting at the Montparnasse - Bienvenue stop at 0952 Monday morning.

Source: Google Maps

 

[me123]

We make a transfer onto Ligne 6 train, and catch a train at 09:58. We ride to its terminus at Nation, Paris; arriving at 10:18 on Monday morning.

Source: www.ratp.fr

 

[Springs Branch]

We transfer to a RER Line A train for a quick trip under Paris, departing Nation at 1026, arriving at La Défense at 1042 Monday morning.

Source: transilien.com

 

[ValleyLines142]

We then board the 1047 RER Line A service to Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy, arriving there at 1136 on Monday morning.

(Source: DB Navigator)

 

[Springs Branch]

At least one of our party (me!) throws up his hands in horror on realising where we are, and decides to escape by the fastest possible means.

We take TGV 5297 at 1156 to Lille Europe arriving 1308 Monday afternoon.

Source: en.voyages-sncf.com

 

[Quakkerillo]

At 13:30, we're boarding Eurostar 9133 to London St Pancras International, so we can say we sampled this train.

We of course alight at Calais-Fréthun at 13:57 on Monday afternoon, as we're not allowed to head back into the UK.

Source: NS International

 

[Bodie]

We are allowed onto mainline Britain, but we have to leave on an International service. International also includes the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland. Not sure about Channel Islands. Anyway glad you didn't travel through to St Pancras as we've not long since done that and there is only one way out - back through the tunnel!

We have a little time to savour the delights of Calais. I hope we are away from the port and the jungle.
Having seen nobody we are still glad when TER42617 the 1448 departure shows up. We take this as far as it goes and that is Boulogne Ville where we arrive at 1513 on Monday afternoon

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[Springs Branch]

We continue from Boulogne on train TER 848853 at 1550 to Amiens arriving at 1713 Monday afternoon.

Source: ter.sncf.com/nord-pas-de-calais

 

[Bodie]

Let's keep heading West by travelling on TER 48963 leaving at 1727 and reaching our destination of Rouen Rive Droite. Arrival there at 1842 on Monday evening

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[me123]

We change to TER Basse Normandie Ligne 8, leaving at 19:04. It takes us to Caen Gare de l'Ouest, arriving at 20:37 on Monday evening.

Source: http://uk.voyages-sncf.com/

 

[Bodie]

We go and have dinner as the the train we want and as it happens the next departure isn't till ten to eleven.

That is IC 3323 at 2249 to Cherbourg arriving at 0005 in the first few minutes of Tuesday morning

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[me123]

I can't see anything else tonight. We return to Paris the next morning on Intercités train no. 3300, which departs at 05:43. We arrive at Paris St. Lazare, at 08:58 on Tuesday morning.

Source: http://uk.voyages-sncf.com/

 

[DasLunatic]

We yearn for the subterranean, so we take the 110m walk and board the 0907 Line 13 train to its penultimate stop of Malakoff - Rue Étienne Dolet, arriving there at 0928 Tuesday morning.

Google Maps

Me123 - you omitted your source

 

[me123]

Merci beaucoup - added

We make a 650m walk to Gare de Vanves-Malakoff, taking 8 minutes. From there, we can board the Transilien N train at 09:55, which we take to Gare de Mantes-la-Jolie. We arrive at 11:05 on Tuesday morning.

Source: Transilien website

 

[Bodie]

To continue our travels in this part of France, we take IC 13331 at 1144 as far as Evreux Normandie arriving at 1220 on Tuesday afternoon

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[me123]

We transfer onto a French bus service, boarding Ligne 340 at the entrance to the station at 12:45. We ride it to its terminus at Dreux, Gare Routière, arriving at 13:52 on Tuesday afternoon.

Source: Timetable

 

[Springs Branch]

Luckily, the Gare Routière at Dreux is located at the railway station. We board the 1452 Transilien Line N train to Paris Montparnasse arriving 1602 Tuesday afternoon.

Source: transilien.com

 

[Bodie]

Many onward options here at this busy station.

We opt for TGV 8323 leaving at 1616 and going to Tours where we arrive at 1730 on Tuesday afternoon

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[ValleyLines142]

We then board the 1815 TER service 60744 to Chenonceaux Chisseau, arriving there at 1852 on Tuesday afternoon.

(Source: DB Navigator App)

 

[Bodie]

Keeping going along the line we settle in for a couple of hours aboard...

TER 60848 at 1926 to Nevers arriving there at 2127 on Tuesday evening

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de

 

[Springs Branch]

There seems to be only one option for onward travel from Nevers tonight - the 2135 TER 93766 train to Cosne-sur-Loire , arriving at 2223 Tuesday evening.

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de (I've finally seen sense & given up on SNCF websites for trip planning)

 

[Bodie]

The DB website is beautifully simple. Works a little like RTT. My go to for any heavy rail needs when this game is on continental Europe

Looks to be for the night. So after a busy day riding the rails of Northern France, we are happy to lay down the sleeping bag and get some shut eye.
At 0534 we are off again aboard IC 5900 to Paris-Bercy arriving at 0732 on Wednesday morning

Source: reiseauskunft.bahn.de