Once a year we have a trip away with friends exploring different parts of Europe and normally this involves a railway journey as part of the itinerary. We have visited Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland, Belgium and Spain to name just a few of the places we have been over the past ten years. The weekends are relaxed affairs with plenty of chat and banter with stops along the way for coffee, cake, local food tasting and of course the odd beer and maybe a cheeky c...

Leaving Koln on the InterCity Express (ICE) at 1027 saw us arrive into Berlin Hauptbahnhof at around 1540 and with our train to Kiev due to depart at 2100 there was a little bit of time in our itinerary for some sightseeing. You can not afford to waste a minute! Having dropped our bags in the left luggage lockers at the impressive station there was time for a currywurst (a fabulous combination) before we walked around parts of Berlin seeing some of the 'top sigh...

Koln was a handy stopping off point as we arrived after a three and a quarter hour journey from Paris Gare du Nord at 1915. We made the short walk from the Hauptbahnhof (main station) to the Hotel Excelsior passing the mighty cathedral as we exited the station. There was enough time for an evening meal, a bit of a walk around the city and then it was time for bed ready for the next day of adventure (Monday 27th June 2011) and an ICE journey to Berlin and then on...