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 Four
As Manchán embarks on the final leg of his journey in episode four, the scenery doesn’t disappoint as he travels along the famed Riviera coastline by train, bumping into a French caricaturist who sketches his portrait in between stations. During a brief visit to Monaco, Manchán finds it difficult to warm to the ostentatious displays of wealth, but all is forgiven after an epic parasailing adventure in the bay. Next stop is a perfume factory in the medieval village of Èze where he creates a scent to remind him of his trip. Before leaving France, Manchán hops off the train in Toulouse because – well, because the train stopped there and he’d never visited the city before. His final night is spent in San Sebastien in Spain’s Basque region where he dons some interesting clothes to try the local traditional sports, before learning the art of slow fishing from a seasoned fisherman, trying to make a difference.
Manchán has a heavy heart as he boards the ferry at Bilbao which will take him home to Ireland, giving him plenty of time to reflect on his journey, the memories he has made and the people he met along the way.
