Do Americans have it better?

[Ea]

Originally Posted by kazbates

The same thing happened here in the US. We had route 66 that stretch from Chicago across the southwest to LA passing by little towns that depended upon the travellers for their livelyhood. The powers that be decided to build our Interstate system and the small towns became ghost towns. So sad.

yes, I hear you, but with the much shorter distances here (mostly), it's actually quite nice you don't have big roads going right through small towns. I guess it's all about the balance that fits a certain place.

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by Ea

It is something that has always amazed/impressed me - how you can drive for hours and hours in the same landscape, such vast space and open vistas. And the forests, and the mountains. Such an impressive landscape

Isn't it interesting how we are fascinated by that which is exotic to us?

They say curiosity killed the cat, but a corollary to that is it specifically says it only killed one cat - the rest of them seem to be doing fine!

I don't know how accurate it is (though it seems somewhat reasonable), but here's an overlay of Australia over Europe:



(Note, as impressive as this may seem, I have, except for a few holidays, spent my entire life in the south-east on the coast between a point just north of Brisbane - where I am now - and Melbourne, and most of that in Sydney)

Europe (starting in Paris), is our next, big holiday destination...though it may be a few years yet.

Cheers,
Marc

[Ea]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

I don't know how accurate it is (though it seems somewhat reasonable), but here's an overlay of Australia over Europe:

...

(Note, as impressive as this may seem, I have, except for a few holidays, spent my entire life in the south-east on the coast between a point just north of Brisbane - where I am now - and Melbourne, and most of that in Sydney)

Europe (starting in Paris), is our next, big holiday destination...though it may be a few years yet.

Cheers,
Marc

That's a cool map. Very interesting. I haven't actually been to that many places in Europe either, but I've been to Australia

I hope you'll have a great trip to Europe when you go there. There's so much to see.

I had NO idea about Denmark Western Australia. Fascinating

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Jellby

Until you reach Spain, then the trains start to suck, I tell you.

I don't believe that. For me, whenever I go on holiday, no matter what transportation device I use (bike, car, train), the trip starts when I lock the door of my house. After that, I don't care about anything anymore. I want to go to my mother by train... It will take 24 hours...

Originally Posted by Ea

yes, I hear you, but with the much shorter distances here (mostly), it's actually quite nice you don't have big roads going right through small towns. I guess it's all about the balance that fits a certain place.

Major roads passing the towns and villages, the minor (and more often much more fun roads) going through them... On our first week of our holiday, we crossed the country, avoiding highways whenever we could. We've seen some very beautiful landscapes that way...

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Europe (starting in Paris), is our next, big holiday destination...though it may be a few years yet.

Cheers,
Marc

As long as you don't think you can see Europe in a week...

(I've come across American tourists (organized groups), that went on trips like "Europe in 1 week!"...)

I think the best way to see Europe is to get an international trainticket. I've met a lot of Americans and Australians that way when we did that.

Originally Posted by Ea

That's a cool map. Very interesting. I haven't actually been to that many places in Europe either, but I've been to Australia

I've been to many places in Europe, but never to Australia I'd love to cross that continent by train...

[PKFFW]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I've been to many places in Europe, but never to Australia I'd love to cross that continent by train...

Not on an Australian train you wouldn't!! I can assure you!

[Ea]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Major roads passing the towns and villages, the minor (and more often much more fun roads) going through them... On our first week of our holiday, we crossed the country, avoiding highways whenever we could. We've seen some very beautiful landscapes that way...

Going by train is also a great way of seeing the landscape, and when you pass though towns/cities you get to peek into people's backyards

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

As long as you don't think you can see Europe in a week...

(I've come across American tourists (organized groups), that went on trips like "Europe in 1 week!"...)
...

You have to select a few places and concentrate on that - I think it's like that everywhere. I'm thinking about a big(ger) trip to USA sometime in the next years, but I'd have to concentrate on only a part, one of the quarters. I couldn't even imagine seeing USA in a week Australia was three weeks, and that was only the south-east, middle and nort/north-east.

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I've been to many places in Europe, but never to Australia I'd love to cross that continent by train...

I'm not even sure you can...

What about the Siberian Express? That would be an adventure

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

As long as you don't think you can see Europe in a week...

(I've come across American tourists (organized groups), that went on trips like "Europe in 1 week!"...)

The benefit of "whistlestop" tours like that is that they give you a quick look at lots of different places, so that you can decide which places you'd like to return to at a later date to see in more depth.

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by Ea

Going by train is also a great way of seeing the landscape, and when you pass though towns/cities you get to peek into people's backyards
....

But if you drive, you get to see the fronts of their houses, and stop and take a picture, if you see a pink one

Plus, usualy the backyards close to the train tracks, are not the best to see....

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

...

As long as you don't think you can see Europe in a week...
...
I've been to many places in Europe, but never to Australia I'd love to cross that continent by train...

No, we won't be doing the whirlwind tour. The reason it may be a few years is firstly, The Loved One will then be retired, and, secondly, and secondly and pragmatically, our we'd not go before our two dogs were no longer with us. Both of these things also mean that the tour can last a lot longer.

Originally Posted by Ea

...

I'm not even sure you can...
...

East-west: Indian Pacific
North-south (centre): The Ghan
North-south (Queensland only): The Sunlander

They're the three return trips I want to do, private cabin and all (Private carriage would be even better ).

Cheers,
Marc

[Kostas]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

As long as you don't think you can see Europe in a week...
(I've come across American tourists (organized groups), that went on trips like "Europe in 1 week!"...)

When I lived in Paris, an American tourist asked me to indicate him on a map where the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and Montmartre were.
When I put my finger on 3 different -rather distant- places, his reaction was:
"What, they're not all together? How I am supposed to visit them in half a day?"

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by PKFFW

Not on an Australian train you wouldn't!! I can assure you!

I'd love to! Here, trains aren't a luxury form of transportation. So, I'm used to a lot...

Originally Posted by Ea

What about the Siberian Express? That would be an adventure

On my list as well! Leave from Hengelo, go by train to Moscow, then on to Peking and then the plane home... It's not even too expensive actually.

Originally Posted by montsnmags

East-west: Indian Pacific
North-south (centre): The Ghan
North-south (Queensland only): The Sunlander

The Indian Pacific was what I had in mind. From Sidney to Perth. Though, that Ghan looks awesome too!

Originally Posted by Kostas

When I lived in Paris, an American tourist asked me to indicate him on a map where the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and Montmartre were.
When I put my finger on 3 different -rather distant- places, his reaction was:
"What, they're not all together? How I am supposed to visit them in half a day?"

lol!

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

...
The Indian Pacific was what I had in mind. From Sidney to Perth. Though, that Ghan looks awesome too!
...

Yes, the Indian Pacific is the quintessential Australian railway journey, and is the first I'd have in mind (though, admittedly, some of the scenery is necessarily monotonous apparently).

Cheers,
Marc

[Ea]

Originally Posted by Sonist

But if you drive, you get to see the fronts of their houses, and stop and take a picture, if you see a pink one

Plus, usualy the backyards close to the train tracks, are not the best to see....

I don't know, the landscape tend to look more interesting from the train. There's no road that takes up part of your view.

Originally Posted by montsnmags

...

East-west: Indian Pacific
North-south (centre): The Ghan
North-south (Queensland only): The Sunlander

Thank you The Indian Pacific route looks great.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Ea

I don't know, the landscape tend to look more interesting from the train. There's no road that takes up part of your view.

Best part? You don't have to pay attention to your vehicle... And you can move around to see the other side as well. And the train track is generally smaller than a highway...

And some tracks take a much more scenic route than the road.

[kazbates]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

<SNIP> (Note, as impressive as this may seem, I have, except for a few holidays, spent my entire life in the south-east on the coast between a point just north of Brisbane - where I am now - and Melbourne, and most of that in Sydney)

Europe (starting in Paris), is our next, big holiday destination...though it may be a few years yet.

Cheers,
Marc

With the vastness of the USA and perhaps because I am not much of a traveller, I've only been west of the Midwest a couple of times to visit my brother when he lived in Utah and Washington state. Most of my vacation trips have been on the East coast, predominantly to South Florida and Disney. My husband took a couple of months to do a road trip across the US when he graduated from college and has been grumbling about wanting to do it again. We even looked into taking the train out west, but then you are left without a car which is definitely needed once you get off the train at the various stops. We've also looked into renting one of those fancy RV's but that doesn't seem like much of a vacation to me. He would do all the driving and I would do all the cooking, etc. We had hoped to take more adult trips once my older two children were grown, but then Ryleigh came along and it was back to Disneyworld.

Originally Posted by HarryT

The benefit of "whistlestop" tours like that is that they give you a quick look at lots of different places, so that you can decide which places you'd like to return to at a later date to see in more depth.

My parents have taken several of those excursions. The most recent was a cruise down the Rhine river and the most memorable, at least for my mother whose parents came from Ireland, was the 3 week tour of England, Ireland and Scotland. They now have a list of places they would like to revisit on their own, although, from my persective, I would much rather they continue to take preorganized tours. There's a sense of security attached where everything is prearranged and I know someone is looking out for them. They, of course, we have a few things to say about my point of view, though!