| Event type: | Workshop |
| Date: | 10th February 2026 |
| Time: | 2:30 pm |
| Venue: | St Mary's Handbridge Centre |
About 70 members came to learn how you can include train travel in your European holiday - whether you fly there or take the Eurostar - and this workshop tried to answer many of their questions. This was a follow-on to the October talks by Michael Ross and Stuart Murray. The speakers were Peter Goodhew (Seven Trains to Sicily), Connie and Steve Telford (Gällivare (S), Wuppertal (D), Vienna and the Bernina Express), Stuart (Spain and France) and Michael (Netherlands, Norway and Austria). The speakers were all senior rail travellers because they have found it simple and flexible and good value. Three of them were Interrailers and the fourth talked about how you can travel without an Interrail pass.
There were two handouts at the workshop that you can download from the following links:
Interrail is for u3a - A Summary (Michael Ross and Stuart Murray)
Interrail Notes (Connie and Steve Telford)
If you have any questions, you can contact Michael Ross at: interrail@chesteru3a.org.uk
Take the Train in Europe Workshop, by Michael Ross
This workshop was arranged as a follow-up to the October monthly talk on Interrail to provide an opportunity for train travellers to share their enthusiasm - and ask and answer questions about train travel in Europe. After a short recap on the Interrail pass (which gives access to almost all trains across Europe) there were talks about travelling in Sweden, Switzerland and Spain and taking ‘Seven Trains to Sicily’.
Steve Telford told us about Sweden’s Inlandsbanan – a slow and picturesque journey through lakes and forests by railcar with reindeer on the line, helpful on-train hosts and stops in quiet towns. Connie Telford enthused about Germany’s Wuppertalbahn and Switzerland’s Bernina Express – Europe’s most scenic line – from glaciers to palm trees.
With Stuart Murray we meandered spontaneously through France and Spain visiting an art deco swimming pool (now an art gallery) near Lille and a cogwheel railway to the top of the Puy-de-Dôme. Peter Goodhew (who doesn’t use Interrail and likes the certainty of pre-booking) talked of his trip and the people he had met, how not to cross Paris by taxi and picnicking on an Italian train.
Everyone had travel tips and suggestions for good routes to follow. In the question-and-answer we covered: when and how to reserve seats; what happens if you miss a connection; inbound and outbound travel days; and being spontaneous or booking ahead for certainty.
There are two leaflets which complement each other - Interrail is for u3a - how the pass works and . They are accessible via these links and from the Chester u3a website. The workshop was recorded and is worth following for the tips as well as the trips. The video is available via the link previously circulated to members by the Speaker Secretary for the next two weeks.
You are welcome to email interrail@chesteru3a.org.uk to contact the speakers if you have questions or suggestions.