All Aboard!

by Jay Brunhouse

The sensation of riding on Spain’s high-speed train from Madrid to Zaragoza (Saragossa) is, more than anything, one of smoothness, without the bumps and jolts common on some of Spanish Railroads’ (RENFE’s) teeth-rattling old trains. The journey passes so comfortably, in fact, that it is easy for a rider to forget the blazing speeds at which his or her train is traveling — unless, of course, the rider happens to be standing in the driver’s cabin, which is almost the...

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They buried the Eurailpass this year. Without so much as a memorial service, their marketing team renamed their flagship pass, the mother of all railpasses and far and away the best-known brand in European train travel, the “Eurail Global Pass.” It costs 5.3% more but doesn’t provide any more free travel than the 2006 Eurailpass did.

The most popular pass for youth travelers is now named the Eurail Global Pass Youth, and this year it also costs 5.3% more. The favorite for adults (...

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by Jay Brunhouse

When I arrived in Kuala Lumpur for 2006’s Citrawarna Malaysia (Colors of Malaysia) bash, I was happy to see that the grand old “Arabian Nights” train station was still standing. Moreover, it had a recent coat of white paint. It was undeniably dusty but glistening with architectural charm.

Everyone, except for the tourist brochures, calls Kuala Lumpur “KL.” The brochures call Malaysia’s capital city the “Garden City of Lights,” but, more than anything, KL is a...

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Last January’s railpass price increases were very friendly. We won’t know most of the 2007 prices until the first of next year, but you can insure that you won’t have any unpleasant surprises by locking in 2006 prices before year-end.

When you buy before the turn of the calendar, you have six months to validate your railpass in Europe before boarding your first train. This makes it particularly convenient for travelers planning to use passes valid for longer periods of time, such as...

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Düsseldorf (phone +49 [0] 211/1720 20, www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de), which means “Village on the Düssel River,” is no longer a fishing village on the right bank of the Rhine River where the Düssel joins it. It is one of Germany’s Magic Cities (www.magic.cities.de), a great commercial and administrative center and the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia.

To feel the pulse of the vibrant city, take a stroll along Düsseldorf’s elegant and lively heartbeat, Königsallee, commonly known as...

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When Berlin’s new Hauptbahnhof (Hbf, or main train station) was inaugurated on May 26 this year with a free public party, eardrum-splitting music, a hip stage show, a choreographed light show and an open house (read: station) until 3 a.m., the crowd packed itself so tightly that it took two hours for ambulances to make their way through the multitude.

On May 27, free regional trains shuttled every 20 minutes along a 5.5-mile travel corridor on new surface rails and through the new 2-...

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(Third of three parts on Australia, jump to part 1, part 2, part 3)

“A blind man couldn’t get lost in Adelaide, without a cane.” — taxi driver

Adelaide, Australia, your terminus for your southbound trip on the Ghan, is also the terminus for the Overlander to Melbourne and a worthwhile stopover for passengers traveling aboard the Indian Pacific between Sydney and Perth.

A charming, cosmopolitan hub of about 1.2 million people, Adelaide has a reputation as the 20-minute...

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(Second of three parts on Australia, jump to part 1, part 2, part 3)

Porters bringing coffee knock on the Ghan’s cabin doors at 6 a.m. Opening the window shutters, passengers see the Australian Outback’s landscape has not changed. Flat reddish turf, occasional bushes and forests of desperate gum trees surround the Ghan on the second day of its run from Darwin to Adelaide.

It is time for a shower before breakfast. The Ghan’s bathrooms are a model of efficiency and aggravation....

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