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Tales from the Fast Trains: Around Europe at 186mph (Paperback) - Common
It's all about the journey rather than the destination in this high-speed travel account Tired of airport security queues, delays, and all those extra taxes and charges, Tom Chesshyre embarks on a series of high-speed adventures across Europe on its fast trains instead. From shiny London St. Pancras, Tom travels to places that wouldn't be featured on a standard holiday wish-list, and discovers the hidden delights of mysterious Luxembourg, super-trendy Rotterdam, and much-maligned Frankfurt. It's 186 mph all the way—well, apart from a power cut in the Channel Tunnel on the way to Antwerp.
- GenresTravelTrainsNonfiction
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
19 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Tom Chesshyre
19 books36 followersTom Chesshyre has been writing travel stories for UK national newspapers for over15 years. After reading politics at Bristol University and completing a journalism diploma from City University, he had stints at the Cambridge Evening News, Sporting Life and Sky Sports. During this period he won the Independent's young sports writer of the year competition and was runner-up in the Financial Times young business writer awards. His first travel piece was about England's cricket fans in Barbados for the Daily Telegraph. He freelanced for the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs, wrote a column for Conde Nast Traveller, and contributed to the Express, the Guardian, and the Independent, before working on the travel desk of the Times. He has assisted with the research on two books - W. G. by Robert Low, a biography of W. G. Grace, and Carlos: Portrait of a Terrorist by Colin Smith, a biography of "Carlos the Jackal". He has written magazine pieces for Wanderlust, Geographical and Business Traveller - and contributes book reviews to the TLS. His travel writing has taken him to more than 75 countries. He lives in south-west London and was born in 1971.
His first book, How Low Can You Go: Round Europe for 1p Each Way (Plus Tax) was published by Hodder in 2007. To Hull and Back: On Holiday in Unsung Britain was published by Summersdale in July 2010, followed by Tales from the Fast Trains: Europe at 186 mph is published in July 2011.
His first book, How Low Can You Go: Round Europe for 1p Each Way (Plus Tax) was published by Hodder in 2007. To Hull and Back: On Holiday in Unsung Britain was published by Summersdale in July 2010, followed by Tales from the Fast Trains: Europe at 186 mph is published in July 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 5, 2025
Fav travel writer ex Times journo Tom Chessyre embarks upon 5 months of fast train weekend travel around Europe (with his girlfriend who we know as ‘E’)
Always starting at St Pancras we travel to France, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland ( amongst others ) and various places within these Countries, my fav being Cologne followed by Geneva and then our last journey finds us in Spain ( unthinkable for a weekend break by train not so long ago )
As always the tales are well told and I love how the author not only involves us with the history of the area but also the people,his descriptions of the people he meets and observes immediately conjure up images in the mind, as does his descriptions of the food, hotels, weather and of course the trains and the journeys
Was interesting (as this book was first published in 2011 ) to see how his predications re train travel have/haven’t developed and also funny to read his outrage at a coffee being 2 Euros, also poignant to read his visit to Luxembourg and Brussels,, bastians of the EU that we were at that time,of course, still part of
As always written with a mix of humour and fact telling which I love and cannot fault this author has such an easy way of transferring what he has experienced and seen into writing that it makes you feel you are there travelling with him
Superb, again
Always starting at St Pancras we travel to France, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland ( amongst others ) and various places within these Countries, my fav being Cologne followed by Geneva and then our last journey finds us in Spain ( unthinkable for a weekend break by train not so long ago )
As always the tales are well told and I love how the author not only involves us with the history of the area but also the people,his descriptions of the people he meets and observes immediately conjure up images in the mind, as does his descriptions of the food, hotels, weather and of course the trains and the journeys
Was interesting (as this book was first published in 2011 ) to see how his predications re train travel have/haven’t developed and also funny to read his outrage at a coffee being 2 Euros, also poignant to read his visit to Luxembourg and Brussels,, bastians of the EU that we were at that time,of course, still part of
As always written with a mix of humour and fact telling which I love and cannot fault this author has such an easy way of transferring what he has experienced and seen into writing that it makes you feel you are there travelling with him
Superb, again
May 2, 2013
Quite a good book with some nice history bits but Tom needs some help with writing conversations into the book. I can't believe that his girlfriend talks in such a stilted and precise way. Really irritating by the time I got half way through the book
October 11, 2015
easy going travelogue read about travelling by fast trains around europe for weekend trips
June 8, 2018
A variety of travelogues about long weekend 'fast train' experiences from London to locations in mainland Europe.
The book reads more like a series of train travel articles and would probably appeal more to readers who might actually want to do some of these trips.
The book suffers badly from poorly written dialogue between Chesshyre and his girlfriend, irritatingly known throughout as 'E'.
There were many times when I felt she just can't have existed - no one could be that daft or dull. Remove everything about her from the book and it would be much improved.
The book reads more like a series of train travel articles and would probably appeal more to readers who might actually want to do some of these trips.
The book suffers badly from poorly written dialogue between Chesshyre and his girlfriend, irritatingly known throughout as 'E'.
There were many times when I felt she just can't have existed - no one could be that daft or dull. Remove everything about her from the book and it would be much improved.
December 30, 2020
I will start by stating that the title is exceptionally misleading. The book (apart from around ten pages in total) is NOT about travelling on fast trains around Europe. Rather, this is a travelogue of European destinations just linked by the common theme that the author reached them via Eurostar and local trains. So I ploughed on through the book just reading about some historical and architectural attractions in a range of towns and cities. Very little on people they meet, or the journey itself, or the FAST TRAINS. I am sure, if you want a glorified ‘rough guide’ to destinations you can reach in a weekend via Eurostar, then you will rate it higher than I do. Note, you do need to live in the South East of England (the centre of the world according to many) for this to be of any use to you.
October 11, 2014
This is a series of shot travel tales by Chesshyre as he heads out across Europe by fast train to various destinations. He is normally accompanied by his girlfriend, E, but is sometime alone, and occasionally a friend.
Really enjoyed it, and he sells the idea of the high speed train route. In some cases it can be faster than the equivalent flight. The book makes me want to do this, when the children are old enough to be left!
Really enjoyed it, and he sells the idea of the high speed train route. In some cases it can be faster than the equivalent flight. The book makes me want to do this, when the children are old enough to be left!
February 22, 2015
Liked the stuff about the countries they visited but really badly written.
July 17, 2020
This was my first travelogue and I liked the concept a lot. The writer gives you a feel for so many different places and cities in Europe, well known and not so well known ones. It certainly makes you curious about exporing Europe with fast trains-I believe the travel times will be even more reduced nowadays. Lots of references to London and the UK, as though the writer expected only a British readership, and to the types of drinks they are having in each destination (wine 98% of the time).
Will be looking up more travel writers after this one.
Will be looking up more travel writers after this one.
June 28, 2019
Not a fan of the style, but the substance is gold. The author tries too hard to be witty, and periodically includes conversations that are meaningful only to him and add nothing to the narrative.
Otherwise, I am a full convert to train travel, and look forward to exploring the Continent.
Otherwise, I am a full convert to train travel, and look forward to exploring the Continent.
November 27, 2018
A fun romp around Europe, makes me want to go inter-railing again.
January 3, 2022
Some really interesting stops and as ever Chesshyre scratches beneath the surface of his destinations and delivers some really unexpected snippets
March 19, 2023
Enjoyed it enough to finish it. Found E annoying on two counts. Firstly, using just the first letter of a name irked having to read it over and over and secondly she was a really annoying person.
October 12, 2024
Interesting travel book, I especially enjoyed reading his takes on the many cities I'd visited
July 6, 2025
A very good set of stories of weekend trips that the author took in Europe by taking fast trains from London.
September 16, 2025
It has been an interesting journey, a light read and a book that will give you insights and recommendations in various places in Europe.
December 31, 2019
As someone who likes the idea of flitting about a continent by train I was predisposed to like this book, in which the author sees what the possibilities are for taking long weekends from London by train via the Channel Tunnel. Each chapter is a different trip, so I took my time reading it, one discrete chapter at a time. The prose might be a tad dry to take in all at once.
It is also another example of a book I owned for years before even starting, so I enjoyed a wry grin when the author credulously wrote of a 2013 start date for London-Berlin direct trains.
It is also another example of a book I owned for years before even starting, so I enjoyed a wry grin when the author credulously wrote of a 2013 start date for London-Berlin direct trains.
June 24, 2015
Tales from the Fast Trains is a travelogue of journeys around Europe, all starting from London's beautifully restored Saint Pancras terminal. Each chapter is centred on a particular destination which range from the famed Bruges to some more obscure, less touristy destination.
The author is a travel writer for the Times newspaper and his writing is very much in the style of the Sunday supplement feature. The earlier chapters were particularly prone to an excessive amount of prosaic detail, recounting what time the train departed and how long the journey was. The writing did improve somewhat but was nevertheless a little too reliant on recycling touristic cliches; Bruges is 'medieval and beautiful', Paris waiters are snooty etc. The book sometimes has the feel of a PR brochure rather than an account by a professional travel writer.
To be fair, the chapters covering lesser known destinations were of greater interest, and I enjoyed reading about the history of Rotterdam, a Frankfurt tour which covered drugs and prostitution rather than the financial institutions for which the city is better known, and an engagingly honest guide who took the author around Cologne. On most journeys the author was accompanied by his girlfriend, referred to only as E. I did wonder whether 'E' was a work of fiction. They seemed to be included to introduce a comic element to the book but unfortunately came across as being a little irritating. The choice of pseudonym was a little strange too, and I kept imagining that the author was with an indie rock musician who had got lost on the way to Susan's House.
This is the kind of book which, appropriately, could be easily consumed during a train journey. It has its moments but wasn't distinguished enough to be truly memorable.
The author is a travel writer for the Times newspaper and his writing is very much in the style of the Sunday supplement feature. The earlier chapters were particularly prone to an excessive amount of prosaic detail, recounting what time the train departed and how long the journey was. The writing did improve somewhat but was nevertheless a little too reliant on recycling touristic cliches; Bruges is 'medieval and beautiful', Paris waiters are snooty etc. The book sometimes has the feel of a PR brochure rather than an account by a professional travel writer.
To be fair, the chapters covering lesser known destinations were of greater interest, and I enjoyed reading about the history of Rotterdam, a Frankfurt tour which covered drugs and prostitution rather than the financial institutions for which the city is better known, and an engagingly honest guide who took the author around Cologne. On most journeys the author was accompanied by his girlfriend, referred to only as E. I did wonder whether 'E' was a work of fiction. They seemed to be included to introduce a comic element to the book but unfortunately came across as being a little irritating. The choice of pseudonym was a little strange too, and I kept imagining that the author was with an indie rock musician who had got lost on the way to Susan's House.
This is the kind of book which, appropriately, could be easily consumed during a train journey. It has its moments but wasn't distinguished enough to be truly memorable.
March 23, 2014
A little like travelling itself, once one gets beyond the 'and we're only X hours from London' references (on average, three times a chapter) there is a very enjoyable journey shared. The places he visits are entertaining, and I enjoyed the apparently 'care free' approach to sight seeing on whims (though reading through the acknowledgements one realises that there was a great deal of public relations input into the writer's plans).
I will be rereading this again as I plan some trips abroad myself, though this exposes the only negative opinion I have about the book. The writer wants us to believe he is a convert to European trains though it can seem a little hollow without discussing the home network. The writer certainly enjoys remindings us that wine costs less in France, why not mention comparative cost of train tickets? Journey times? Network planning and strategy? Not enough space in the book or don't want to be a 'train geek' (commuters, on your way towork? No, you are 'train geeks') seem to be the only reasons.
The writer's style is okay and I will try out some of his other books eventually.
I will be rereading this again as I plan some trips abroad myself, though this exposes the only negative opinion I have about the book. The writer wants us to believe he is a convert to European trains though it can seem a little hollow without discussing the home network. The writer certainly enjoys remindings us that wine costs less in France, why not mention comparative cost of train tickets? Journey times? Network planning and strategy? Not enough space in the book or don't want to be a 'train geek' (commuters, on your way towork? No, you are 'train geeks') seem to be the only reasons.
The writer's style is okay and I will try out some of his other books eventually.
January 22, 2015
A fantastic book by the same author who brought us "To Hull and Back: On Holiday In Unsung Britain", this is a travel writing book that takes the reader on a trip around Europe by Eurostar and other high-speed train companies. It gives a bit of history about many different destinations that can be reached simply by train from London (no need to get a flight or wait around in the airport terminals or go through security). It is a must-read for those who are interested in inter-railing around the Continent. Very detailed information on different hotels as well. Works partly as a travel guide and at the same time as a personal experience of the author's travels. Brilliant.
June 30, 2014
A nice idea but insufferably bourgeois. I found the author and his girlfriend, the anonymous 'E', incredibly unfunny, and ultimately unlikeable.
However, the book is quite useful if you're looking to go on a quick break to the near-continent. The whole tone of the book just smacks of privilege and smugness.
However, the book is quite useful if you're looking to go on a quick break to the near-continent. The whole tone of the book just smacks of privilege and smugness.
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September 16, 2015now want to do them all, as well as oddly seeing if the author and E get a flat
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews