Austria Bound (Hopefully)

Well we decided on going to Austria this year, staying Vienna for about a week then travel down to the south to Klagenfurt or Velden am Wörthersee.

Can you believe that Air travel is looking better priced? Crazy!

Initially we were looking at travelling from London to Paris by Eurostar. Then catching a train over to München or Frankfurt then on to Vienna. The return to Paris for the four of us was almost £200.00 return. Then from Paris to Vienna including the couchettes it would have cost over £250.00! A grand total of over £450.00. Flying with EasyJet, it's looking like the four of us will be about the same price. And with Austrian Airlines a little more. Reavelling by rail is more romantic I agree, and you get to see so much of the European landscape. But can you offset that against the time and the cost?

Using the the Austrian Railways website http://www.oebb.at/en/index.jsp a typical journey is like this;
16:02 leave London St. Pancras.
19:17 Arrive in Paris Nord.
20:20 Leave Paris Est.
07:16 Arrive at München Hbf
07:27 Depart München Hbf
11:40 Arrive Vienna Westbahnhof.

That's a long old trip with two children. Or from London Gatwick/Heathrow it is only 2 ½ hours by plane. So looks like the Airlines have it! In Vienna we hope to be able to stay in our favourite place the Kraml (http://www.pensionkraml.at/). It's perfect for our needs. It's not far from the Westbhanhof station. Within walking distance of the 'Ring".A short walk to the main shopping area - Mariahilfre Straße.And there is a U-Bahn station close by. With Wien Südbahnhof completely closed down, all the trains to the Graz and Kärnten go from Wien Meidling which is on the U6 U-Bahn line at Philadelphiabrücke.

When we travel down to the South to my Dad's home town of Klagenfurt, we hope to stay in our favourite hotel the Kärtnerhof (http://www.kaerntnerhof.co.at/). We have stayed there many times. It's a beautiful family run hotel and the onwer, Wolfgang, is the same age as me. As children we polayed in the garden now Junior and his lad are the same ages ... How things come around. :)

EDIT: We are now going to be staying here :http://www.hotel-zlami.at/EN/index.htm

Box Hill or Bust

Junior elected to go up to the top by car rather than walk and, given the recent snow, it wasn't a bad idea. At the top is a National Trust car park, oppotise it a little shop selling books, maps bits and bobs and of course cuddly toys. There is a snack bar/food outlet which isn't cheap, but it's not exactly overpriced either. Sadly Box Hill has an infestation - cyclists. These people honestly believe they own the road and cycle along the middle of it putting their, an other people's lives, in danger. In the picnic area of the snack bar, these odious people fail to dismount even when faced with signs telling them to do it! Between the shop and the snack bar are toilets including a disabled one.
We walked to the left of the Shop (when you are facing it) and along the pavement to the viewing point. On a clear and sunny day it afford beautiful views accross the South Downs and Surrey. Today was just such a day, the winter sun was very strong and made for awkward exposures.
We followed the path to the left as it angled downwards, and followed it around as it headed back up. this brings you to the burial site of Major Peter Labelliere. His grave stone is there and reads;

MAJOR PETER LABELLIERE

AGED 75

AN ECCENTRIC RESIDENT
OF DORKING WAS BURIED

HERE HEAD DOWNWARDS

11th JULY 1800.

We cut round past the fort which bares a remarkable resemblance to an air raid shelter. This was built in the late 1890's as one of a number of forts built to protect London from invasion from continental Europe. The building cannot be entered by visitors. It is inhabited by bats. Junior managed to pull off a few photos quite well but one is the best and is quite spooky!
I suggested getting a few photos of the stepping stones at the base of the hill. sp we packed up and headed down in the car to the car park there. When we got there the stepping stones had been engulfed by the River Mole that had burst it's banks due to the melting snow swelling the river. "It's ok, we'll go down to the footbridge" I said only to find that the footbridge was almost under water too. Between the path and the steps to the bridge was some 20 feet of flooded field and it was at least 2 foot deep.
Back in the car we went along the A25 to Buckland Village and nabbed a few shots of the still very frozen village pond.
All in all it was a good day.

New Year - New start for our blog.

Welcome one and all the the blog for our trips out be it day trips or full blown holidays.


As it stands today (January 10th, 2010), we haven't decided what we're doing this year as yet. We've thought of day trips to the usual places;

• Tulley's Farm.
• Regent's Canal walk.
• A few country walks (we're going to wait for the snow to go first).
• The Sussex coast.
• A trip on the new 140 mph South Eastern Train to Kent.
• And we are toying with the idea of a trip to Austria. more about that later.

Also I am hoping to add retro trips too. Trips to Austria in 1992, 1996 and 2000. Coupled with our trips to America in 1995, 2000 and 2006. Also we done other places too.

In addition to hese I am going to add links in posts to ideas you can go to as well, also I hope to add descriptions of journies that I would like to make.