01: Train Travel from Copenhagen to Lisbon

Rock beats scissors. Trains beats planes? Over the past couple of years, I’ve been inspired by colleagues who choose train travel as their ecological resolution for the new year. And I’ve met tourists who travel only via train. While it all came to a screeching halt during covid, it’s all coming back with new routes being planned and night routes being resurrected. So, on a whim, I figured it would be the right time to try the whole route from the top of Europe to the most Western end.

From the end of September through October, I traveled in a series of trains from Copenhagen all the way to down to Lisbon and then all the way back again. I bought an adult global InterRail pass* for the journey and used the InterRail app to book my trains. *(Interested? Look on the website to see the passes and prices.) Along the way, I maxed out the eco experience by walking through cities, popping into second-hand/vintage stores, and sampling elegant vegan restaurants. It was a stellar solo trip. I captured some of it in my instagram postings. Here’s a smattering of the journey:

Illustration and Photos @smartigraphicdesign

THINGS I LEARNED

Heaven knows there are dozens of stories out there for college kids choosing Eurail for gap experiences, but I’ll indulge a little and give advice to any others choosing to make it a solo artist retreat idea. Of course, these are the things that worked for me, so likely very specific to my kind of traveling preferences.

Illustration Packing charger, detergent and snacks @smartigraphicdesign

The trip wasn’t as romantic or soul-searching as I thought it would be. :: shrug:: Because of my pace, it actually ended up being more of a logistic puzzle. I needed to pack up, prep up, or pay attention to train stops and destination instead of daydreaming. Maybe that was good since I tend to overthink things. Anyway, packing became a zen feature that kept me sane and made sure everything was tidy and ready to go.

• Have room in your bag for everything you are going to bring - including travel day outfit and jacket so everything fits inside your bags at all times and you can stuff it all away at a moments notice if you need to feel less encumbered.

• Pack things in the same place so you can identify things fast, and won’t lose things along the way (i.e. charger always goes in the bottom pocket of the backpack.)

• Bring detergent and do laundry every chance you get so you can feel fresh and confident at every stop on the journey.

• Prep your food two days before departure in case you run out of time on the last day.

Illustration Drawing setup on the train @smartigraphicdesign

The trip forced me to be flexible with my drawing space. No way of being precious when the train is rocking. So I just let go of expectations and squeezed in art time in every space possible, no matter the results.

• Prep a separate art kit that’s easy and small enough to pull out when you have time and space to do it. This way you can get down to drawing/painting without being overwhelmed with supplies in case your hotel space is small or the train ride is shaky,

• Have options to go analog in case wifi isn't strong enough for digital

• Embrace the mistakes. Rocky train rides make for interesting texture sometimes.

I had the pleasure and burden to make every damn decision myself. Sometimes this was great - not everyone loves a thrift hunt like I do. But sometimes it was overwhelming and I would be too over-jazzed to decide on things.

• Make a plan before you hit each destination

• Wing it once you arrive.

• Be conscious of the things that fill you up - sometimes I visited friends/family, and sometimes I didn’t. It all depended upon my headspace on the day. I tend to do great with 80% alone time so most of my travel agenda featured this.

ALL ABOARD

For those inspired, take heart because train travel is making a comeback. This is partly due to the Greta Thunberg effect (called Flygskam meaning ‘flight shame’ in Sweden) where people are eschewing flights for other modes of slow travel. After all, train travel emits a tiny fraction of what an airline flight does in CO2.

And while there's lots to improve with the railways, there are articles from Time Out and NYTimes are showing that more people are choosing train travel. In particular, the website of Man in Seat 61 has a wealth of information to help people to figure out train options.

Train travel is enjoyable in its own way. Watching the countryside change gives the joy of the road trip, without the inconvenience of a cramped car, and better views than a flight, without the hassle of customs and baggage claim. I think I like it a lot. For those who are curious, here are some other journeys I’m putting on my list for the future:

• Japan - dozens of different routes are available in this well-connected country.

• USA - particularly the Amtrak California Zephyr experience: New York to San Francisco

• Southeast Asia - maybe doing a series of trains on Eastern and Oriental Express through Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand

Bon voyage and travel happy!

SMarti