Rail route of the month: in the footsteps of railway pioneers through Austria
Most British travelers to the 1873 World's Fair in Vienna would have had their first encounter with Austria in Salzburg, from where it was easy to travel to Vienna. At the time, the fastest train was the Salzburg express train, which traveled to the Austrian capital in just under eight hours.
Times have changed . A look at table 950 of the European rail timetable for March 2023 shows three direct trains per hour from Salzburg to Vienna, all taking less than three hours for the 200-mile journey. It's a lovely ride - just as engaging today as it was when Thomas Cook customers, clutching their hotel coupons and pocket timetables, made their way to the World's Fair.
The year 1873 was a very good year for the expansion of Thomas Cook's travels. At this time, the day-to-day management of the business was handled by Thomas's son, John Mason Cook. Thomas Cook, then in his 65th year, was away at the end of 1872 to escort what surely ranks as the first organized voyage around the world. It was an epic 222-day journey that 150 years ago this month saw Cook and his proteges enjoy a spell in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, back at the company's London headquarters, preparations were underway for a busy schedule in Vienna in 1873. Just as Thomas Cook personally loved running tours, his son John knew the importance of a scalable business model, which meant customers went unescorted, so the London team compiled a handy pocket guide of European train timetables with an emphasis on routes to Vienna, so 150 years ago this month the first issue of Thomas Cook and Son's Continental timetable was published. fans of online travel planners, it must be a source of wonder that this remarkable collection is still published monthly lately today. When Thomas Cook Tour Operations closed its publishing division in 2013 responsibility for the title passed to the new European Rail Timetable Ltd.
The tabular format of the European Rail Timetable wins hands-down on an online journey planner when it comes to discerning the general outline of a train service, rather than just departure and arrival times. Early editions helped Cook's patrons navigate their way to and from Vienna. And 150 years later, the monthly timetable is still the bible when it comes to planning Interrail trips or, for that matter, any long and winding train journey across Europe.
Railjet at ViennaI opt for the 12.12 from Salzburg, because the Bible reveals that this Railjet train makes extra stops along the way and is a bit slower than the others. Who needs to rush, especially since the train has a dining car where, it turns out, I'm the only taker for lunch. The first part of the exit from Salzburg is superb, with the railway following...
Most British travelers to the 1873 World's Fair in Vienna would have had their first encounter with Austria in Salzburg, from where it was easy to travel to Vienna. At the time, the fastest train was the Salzburg express train, which traveled to the Austrian capital in just under eight hours.
Times have changed . A look at table 950 of the European rail timetable for March 2023 shows three direct trains per hour from Salzburg to Vienna, all taking less than three hours for the 200-mile journey. It's a lovely ride - just as engaging today as it was when Thomas Cook customers, clutching their hotel coupons and pocket timetables, made their way to the World's Fair.
The year 1873 was a very good year for the expansion of Thomas Cook's travels. At this time, the day-to-day management of the business was handled by Thomas's son, John Mason Cook. Thomas Cook, then in his 65th year, was away at the end of 1872 to escort what surely ranks as the first organized voyage around the world. It was an epic 222-day journey that 150 years ago this month saw Cook and his proteges enjoy a spell in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, back at the company's London headquarters, preparations were underway for a busy schedule in Vienna in 1873. Just as Thomas Cook personally loved running tours, his son John knew the importance of a scalable business model, which meant customers went unescorted, so the London team compiled a handy pocket guide of European train timetables with an emphasis on routes to Vienna, so 150 years ago this month the first issue of Thomas Cook and Son's Continental timetable was published. fans of online travel planners, it must be a source of wonder that this remarkable collection is still published monthly lately today. When Thomas Cook Tour Operations closed its publishing division in 2013 responsibility for the title passed to the new European Rail Timetable Ltd.
The tabular format of the European Rail Timetable wins hands-down on an online journey planner when it comes to discerning the general outline of a train service, rather than just departure and arrival times. Early editions helped Cook's patrons navigate their way to and from Vienna. And 150 years later, the monthly timetable is still the bible when it comes to planning Interrail trips or, for that matter, any long and winding train journey across Europe.
Railjet at ViennaI opt for the 12.12 from Salzburg, because the Bible reveals that this Railjet train makes extra stops along the way and is a bit slower than the others. Who needs to rush, especially since the train has a dining car where, it turns out, I'm the only taker for lunch. The first part of the exit from Salzburg is superb, with the railway following...
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