sydney melbourne train journey

My wife & I were planning a train journey from sydney to melbourne on my
visit to australia in early january.

Are the views worth making a day journey?

How is the experience ? I sit worth it or should we just fly ?

What are the dos and donts for the trip ?

"Jiby & Arun" wrote in message
...
My wife & I were planning a train journey from sydney to melbourne on my
visit to australia in early january.

Are the views worth making a day journey?

It's not thrilling, though if you're not otherwise seeing much of the
countryside, it's arguably worth it.

How is the experience ? I sit worth it or should we just fly ?

Do you have the time to spare? Flights can be bought for not much more
money, especially if you book in advance on non-refundable tickets.

What are the dos and donts for the trip ?

Book a couple of weeks ahead to get cheap seats. Bring some of your own food
if you don't want to be at the mercy of the on-train food (and their
opening/closing which means they've usually just closed when you decide you
want something to eat!)


Daniel
--
Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia
Email: dbowen at custard dot net dot au
http://www.danielbowen.com/

On Tue, 23 Dec 2003 21:45:29 +1300, "Jiby & Arun"
wrote:

My wife & I were planning a train journey from sydney to melbourne on my
visit to australia in early january.

Are the views worth making a day journey?

How is the experience ? I sit worth it or should we just fly ?

What are the dos and donts for the trip ?



Cheaper to get a plane. Not all that much scenery to see on the way -
just go take a look at the Blue Mountains when you're in Sydney.

In Victoria (I'm from Melbourne), the train goes via Wangaratta and
Benella if I remember correctly. Nothing spectacular about scenery
around these places. Sleeper trains are good, though. I like
travelling on trains for some reason.

"Daniel Bowen" wrote in message ...
"Jiby & Arun" wrote in message
...
My wife & I were planning a train journey from sydney to melbourne on my
visit to australia in early january.

Are the views worth making a day journey?

It's not thrilling, though if you're not otherwise seeing much of the
countryside, it's arguably worth it.
I looked up an old post of mine...
"Having done Melbourne to Sydney in the daytime, I wouldn't do it for
the view--unless you find the combination of flat-to-rolling
yellow-tinged farmland and gray-green eucalypts (sandwiched by
suburbia on either end of the trip) to be endlessly fascinating." The
colors might be a little different, since you'd travel in the height
of summer and I traveled in the autumn.

How is the experience ? I sit worth it or should we just fly ?

Do you have the time to spare? Flights can be bought for not much more
money, especially if you book in advance on non-refundable tickets.
Yeah, it's LO-O-O-NG. Doesn't always run perfectly on schedule,
either. You could check prices to see if a night trip and sleeping on
the train would be cheaper than flying and paying for lodging. Of
course, if you live for trains, or loathe flying, that settles the
question of worth immediately.

What are the dos and donts for the trip ?

Book a couple of weeks ahead to get cheap seats. Bring some of your own food
if you don't want to be at the mercy of the on-train food (and their
opening/closing which means they've usually just closed when you decide you
want something to eat!)
Don't plan on extended breaks at most of the stops--I saw smokers
barely finish half a cigarette at some. If you want to stop over along
the way (I can recommend Albury and Wagga Wagga as options for seeing
less-urbanized Oz) plan ahead and purchase tickets that include the
stopovers. The food (and drink) is not restocked during the trip, so
your options (in terms of variety and quantity) will plummet over the
course of the ride.

Nancy

in article , ncurtis at
wrote on 12/23/03 11:31 AM:

Don't plan on extended breaks at most of the stops--I saw smokers
barely finish half a cigarette at some. If you want to stop over along
the way (I can recommend Albury and Wagga Wagga as options for seeing
less-urbanized Oz)

Depending on the length of the stop in Albury, you might want to take
advantage of the hospitality:


http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/CBC/2003...m_donors031216

Originally posted by Jiby & Arun

My wife & I were planning a train journey from sydney to
melbourne on my

visit to australia in early january.



Are the views worth making a day journey?



How is the experience ? I sit worth it or should we just fly ?



What are the dos and donts for the trip ?



The journey is long and boring. You will see more on the flight. The
only interesting Sydney Melbourne route is the coast road by car but
then you will need a few days.



For flights try.



www.virginblue.com.au

www.quantas.com.au

www.rex.com.au

www.travel.com.au

www.webjet.com.au

www.zuji.com.au


--
Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Q A N T A S



Bloody Poms - think they invented the language!!
"bondipom" wrote in message
...

Originally posted by Jiby & Arun

My wife & I were planning a train journey from sydney to
melbourne on my

visit to australia in early january.



Are the views worth making a day journey?



How is the experience ? I sit worth it or should we just fly ?



What are the dos and donts for the trip ?



The journey is long and boring. You will see more on the flight. The
only interesting Sydney Melbourne route is the coast road by car but
then you will need a few days.



For flights try.



www.virginblue.com.au

www.quantas.com.au

www.rex.com.au

www.travel.com.au

www.webjet.com.au

www.zuji.com.au


--
Posted via http://britishexpats.com

"Paul O" wrote in message
u...
Q A N T A S

"bondipom" wrote in message
...
www.quantas.com.au


Ah yes, but the URL works! Qantas are no fools - they know people misspell
their name.


Daniel
--
Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia
Email: dbowen at custard dot net dot au
http://www.danielbowen.com/

I agree. The most boring trip I've ever done

I looked up an old post of mine...
"Having done Melbourne to Sydney in the daytime, I wouldn't do it for
the view--unless you find the combination of flat-to-rolling
yellow-tinged farmland and gray-green eucalypts (sandwiched by
suburbia on either end of the trip) to be endlessly fascinating." The
colors might be a little different, since you'd travel in the height
of summer and I traveled in the autumn.

in article , Paul O at
wrote on 12/24/03 2:06 AM:

Q A N T A S



Bloody Poms - think they invented the language!!


nein, but zey beat ze vuns who did!