Paris to Baghdad by train
Apr 21st 2003 | 4:58 am
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Paris to Baghdad by train
Yes you could do it in the 1930s I wonder if they get that train we saw
on TV this week up and running again it would open up a good trip.
In 1930 It used to travel from Gare de l'Est to Istanbul via Munich,
Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest and Varna and was re-named the
Simplon-Orient-Express after World War I because it bypassed Germany to
go through Switzerland, Italy and Hungary. The heyday of Orient Express
travel came in the '30s, when it was possible to travel beyond Istanbul
to Beirut, Cairo, Baghdad and Bombay.
on TV this week up and running again it would open up a good trip.
In 1930 It used to travel from Gare de l'Est to Istanbul via Munich,
Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest and Varna and was re-named the
Simplon-Orient-Express after World War I because it bypassed Germany to
go through Switzerland, Italy and Hungary. The heyday of Orient Express
travel came in the '30s, when it was possible to travel beyond Istanbul
to Beirut, Cairo, Baghdad and Bombay.
Apr 21st 2003 | 7:44 am
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Paris to Baghdad by train
Nowadays you can only get down as far as the Iraqi border in SE Turkey.
In Istanbul you have to take a ferry across the Bosphorus from Sirkeci
station (which serves Europe) to Haydarpasi station (which serves Asia).
Years ago through trains from Europe to Asia used to hitch a ride on this
ferry.
A couple of years ago the Turkish government were talking about building
a railway tunnel from Sirkeci to Haydarpasi but money is tight in Turkey and,
as usual, it has since disappeared from the agenda.
There is currently a UN (I think) plan to open a freight link between Norway
and Thailand. There are several alternative routes being considered, but one
would involve travelling thru Turkey and Iraq (reopening the link between
them). It's all still very tentative though, so don't count on this happening
in the next 50 years. (Full details of this are on the internet, do a google
search).
phil
In article ,
John Smith wrote:
>Yes you could do it in the 1930s I wonder if they get that train we saw
>on TV this week up and running again it would open up a good trip.
>In 1930 It used to travel from Gare de l'Est to Istanbul via Munich,
>Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest and Varna and was re-named the
>Simplon-Orient-Express after World War I because it bypassed Germany to
>go through Switzerland, Italy and Hungary. The heyday of Orient Express
>travel came in the '30s, when it was possible to travel beyond Istanbul
>to Beirut, Cairo, Baghdad and Bombay.
In Istanbul you have to take a ferry across the Bosphorus from Sirkeci
station (which serves Europe) to Haydarpasi station (which serves Asia).
Years ago through trains from Europe to Asia used to hitch a ride on this
ferry.
A couple of years ago the Turkish government were talking about building
a railway tunnel from Sirkeci to Haydarpasi but money is tight in Turkey and,
as usual, it has since disappeared from the agenda.
There is currently a UN (I think) plan to open a freight link between Norway
and Thailand. There are several alternative routes being considered, but one
would involve travelling thru Turkey and Iraq (reopening the link between
them). It's all still very tentative though, so don't count on this happening
in the next 50 years. (Full details of this are on the internet, do a google
search).
phil
In article ,
John Smith wrote:
>Yes you could do it in the 1930s I wonder if they get that train we saw
>on TV this week up and running again it would open up a good trip.
>In 1930 It used to travel from Gare de l'Est to Istanbul via Munich,
>Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest and Varna and was re-named the
>Simplon-Orient-Express after World War I because it bypassed Germany to
>go through Switzerland, Italy and Hungary. The heyday of Orient Express
>travel came in the '30s, when it was possible to travel beyond Istanbul
>to Beirut, Cairo, Baghdad and Bombay.
Apr 22nd 2003 | 2:40 pm
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Paris to Baghdad by train
Hi,
in the 60s and 70s the trick was to "hitchike" overland from Paris to
Katmandu... you went through Iraq, Iran, etc.
John Smith wrote:
> Yes you could do it in the 1930s I wonder if they get that train we saw
> on TV this week up and running again it would open up a good trip.
>
>
> In 1930 It used to travel from Gare de l'Est to Istanbul via Munich,
> Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest and Varna and was re-named the
> Simplon-Orient-Express after World War I because it bypassed Germany to
> go through Switzerland, Italy and Hungary. The heyday of Orient Express
> travel came in the '30s, when it was possible to travel beyond Istanbul
> to Beirut, Cairo, Baghdad and Bombay.
>
>
>
in the 60s and 70s the trick was to "hitchike" overland from Paris to
Katmandu... you went through Iraq, Iran, etc.
John Smith wrote:
> Yes you could do it in the 1930s I wonder if they get that train we saw
> on TV this week up and running again it would open up a good trip.
>
>
> In 1930 It used to travel from Gare de l'Est to Istanbul via Munich,
> Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest and Varna and was re-named the
> Simplon-Orient-Express after World War I because it bypassed Germany to
> go through Switzerland, Italy and Hungary. The heyday of Orient Express
> travel came in the '30s, when it was possible to travel beyond Istanbul
> to Beirut, Cairo, Baghdad and Bombay.
>
>
>
