Been there, done that, got LOTS of T-shirts, and lots of memories of feeling absolutely knackered at the end of the 24 or so hours. In fact been doing it the hard way for over 40 years, and it seems like it just got harder (as did the seats) as it went on, so this time we do it the easy way, at least as far as we can.
Hence Overland (and sea) from France to Japan.
The Itinerary is:
- Menton to Paris (by rail)
- Paris to Cologne via Belgium (by rail)
- Cologne to Moscow via Poland and Belorus by Russain Rail sleeper
- Moscow to Ulaan Baator (Mongolia) by the Trans Siberian railway
- Ulaan Baator to Beijing by Trans Mongolian railway
- Beijing to Shanghai by high speed rail
- Shanghai to Osaka (Japan) by sea
- Osaka to Kyoto by high speed rail
- Kyoto back to Osaka by high speed rail
- Osaka to Sydney by air (shock and horror but at least quite brief)
Instead of a 24 hour numb bum, red-eyed trip in the company of hundreds of similarly red-eyed numb bums (with so many bored children!), we can spend 4 weeks in the company of who knows who, and at least we won't have numb bums!
So we leave our French Riviera home, and head gently to Merryn's birthplace and my adopted home for a long vacation. Yes we will no longer be in France (or Kansas) but in the Land of Oz - cue perhaps Judy Garland. The land of a thousand shades of brown, with occasional touches of deep blue and green.
