In Manchán’s Europe By Train, Manchán embraces the ethos of slow travel, taking the time to get to know people and places, and experiencing local customs and traditions. He hopes that travelling mostly by train will be more relaxing and less stressful than negotiating his way through busy airports, allowing him to relax, enjoy the passing scenery, plan ahead, keep a journal of his adventures – and catch up on some sleep.
During his month-long trip, Manchán leaves and returns to Ireland by ferry and in between, uses the vast rail network system to travel clockwise around the continent of Europe, visiting a range of destinations including Wales, London, Brussels, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Zagreb, Lake Bled, Genoa, Monaco, Toulouse and San Sebastien. The beauty of arriving somewhere by train is that the station is usually in the heart of the town or city, making onward travel easy. And instead of spending his time in the usual tourist traps, Manchán heads off the beaten track to enjoy more undiscovered offerings, as well as many varied locations along the way.
Episode three
Manchán visits Zagreb in Croatia where he learns about the city’s dark witch-hunting past, sips coffee in a café that is a replica of the Orient Express and discovers why the city is crazy about cravats. Then, heading a short distance outside the city, Manchán is in for a real treat – an unforgettable trip in a hot air balloon where he soaks up the most spectacular views. Next stop is Lake Bled in Slovenia, where Manchán rows out to the picture-perfect little island church before enjoying a locally-made picnic on the lake’s shore. As he begins to head eastwards, he stops off in Genoa on the Italian coast to go diving before going food shopping with a local lawyer turned foodie who reveals the secrets of her award-winning pesto sauce.
