rail travel
Railway journeys into India
by tb on Oct.19, 2009, under China, headline news, Himalayas, India, Journeys of a Lifetime, Karakoram, Nepal, Pakistan, rail travel, railway journeys, Tibet, Yunnan
Under the British Raj you could had ridden a train into India from Lahore in present day Pakistan. Since India’s independence you have to walk across the Wagha border between Pakistan and India, take bus to Amritsar and ride all over India from there. But now, Indian Railways has announced that it plans to establish rail links with Nepal, Bhutan and apparently concrete plans have been also drawn to connect the Indian rail network all the way with the Chinese railways.
With trade and tourism having reached large scale proportions in Kunming and Yunnan province of south-western China, the Chinese have already connected its rail system with that of Myanmar and plans are underway to extend it from there to Bangladesh with Dhaka being only a step from Kolkata, the eastern gateway to India. Once the network is fully in place and operational you’ll be able to tour Assam and Meghalaya from Kolkata and continue all the way to tour Yunnan in China.
With now being able to ride the iron rooster across China to Lhasa in Tibet, Chinese already started on extending the line across the High Himalaya down to Kathmandu in Nepal. Thus obviously after China you’ll be able to tour Nepal and then hop on a train and ride down into the plains of India. Of course this line will cost pretty penny as the road down from Kathmandu to Indian border is not an easy ride but the Chinese engineers have already blasted their way through much worse in Sichuan.
The third route in the works is to link southern Xinjiang Province of Western China with Pakistan. There is indeed another major obstacle in the way there and that’s the Karakoram. But never mind, just imagine, you could ride a train along the legendary Silk Road from Beijing via Kashgar over Kunjerab Pass, and along Karakoram Highway all the way to Deli and Mumbai!
Few years ago this Italian tourist asked me if I could arrange for her to take a taxi from Kathmandu to Mount Everest Base Camp! Now I wonder how soon will this really become possible.
Summer rail travel promotions from Rail Europe
by ph on Jun.30, 2009, under Europe, News, rail travel
If your are headed to Europe and plan on rail travel, check these summer promotions from Rail Europe:
Going, Going, Gone Thalys Special
Save up to 50% off your first or second-class Regular one-way
tickets on most Thalys routes. For Canadian audience please use text link AID
10398131.
Valid Through 8/15/09
Get discounted Leisure Select class fares on Eurostar
Discounted prices starting from $119. Valid for travel
between June 10 and August 31, 2009.
Valid through 7/17/09
Eurail SelectPass Youth get 2 days of travel free when the
purchase an 8-day railpass.
Valid through 7/31/09
Buy a rail pass and receive a 25% credit towards your next
purchase, you may save up to 75%. Your qualifying rail pass must be booked
between 5/08/2009 – 6/30/2009 to be used on your next purchase booked by
12/20/2009.
Valid through 6/30/2009
Travelocity’s Summer of Possibilities Sale: Save up to 46% on Paris Hotels and Vacations!
Pining for Poland? Fly Round-Trip from $720 on LOT Polish Airlines!
Soaring Savings to Europe: Fly Round-Trip From $430 on American Airlines!
Save Big on Scandinavia: Fly Round-Trip from $498 on Scandinavian Airlines!
Soaring Savings to Europe: Fly Round-Trip From $430 on American Airlines!
Travelocity’s Summer of Possibilities Sale: Save up to 50% on Hotels and Vacations!
