@elduvelle @albertcardona Moreoever, why is it that there are direct flights between cities in the UK that I need eight changes on the train and a dozen little bus trips for?

With each change likely to fail at a rate of 10% that gives me a less than 50% change of reaching my destination…

Airplane it is.

@jonmsterling @elduvelle

This summer I have to go from Barcelona to Berlin. The non-flight options are ... insane. I wouldn't mind a 24-hour trip by train, but it's not even that*. Many legs, no coordination between providers, subways and buses included. I am not a XIX century naturalist crossing uncharted territory, I am crossing the European Union from South to somewhat North. It's embarrassing.

* I was hoping for a 2-leg train, i.e., Barcelona-Paris and Paris-Berlin in the same day, but no, that would require me sleeping in Paris! The lack of coordination is as astonishing as it is appalling.

@quixoticgeek @albertcardona @jonmsterling @elduvelle Barcelona-Berlin is not one I’ve done. But the canonical way is to do Barcelona-Paris and the take the European Sleeper to Berlin. That being said, it only runs three times a week.

There is a theoretical route that is Barcelona-Lyon-Genève-Zürich and then a sleeper to Berlin, but it’s a little on the tight side, and definitely not one change.

@moof @albertcardona We also have a few options in our journey planner involving catching Nightjets in Karlsruhe of Offenburg: https://www.railfinder.eu/search?from=35790&to=716&date=2026-07-07&p=A

@quixoticgeek @jonmsterling @elduvelle

Edit: posted at the same time as @cycling_on_rails 🤓

@stefanlindbohm @albertcardona @quixoticgeek @jonmsterling @cycling_on_rails I keep forgetting about the Strasbourg crossing in those options, because at that point I’m in Paris anyway, might as well catch the e.s.

That being said, if the nightjet has mini cabins, it’s a much nicer option as far as I’m concerned.

I’d recommend timing it to cross with an ICE if you can, a much nicer train than the TGV, if nothing else cos it’ll get you a decent supper aboard.

Good to keep in mind…