RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => Europe => Topic started by: toby webb on Wednesday 29 May 19 21:56 BST (UK)
-
In 1932 George Lunn was offering a 17 day tour of the Swiss & Italian lakes for £14.2.6d. starting with a train journey to Basel and ending up several days later in Nice ready for a return to London by train.
Can anyone advise me of where I might access contemporary timetables and indeed any details of such a tour. Thanks, Toby.
-
You could try asking the current publishers of the Thomas Cook timetables if they have an archive or could direct you further https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/
Lunn Poly has ended up as part of TUI, so maybe they have an archive?
Let us know how you get on.
-
Thanks pb-devon. I started with TUI but clearly an enormous business and no obvious route towards any archives. So I trawled about and have found that there are items in the Nottinghamshire Archive Office under
DD/2243/52/5; /6; /67 and the year is 1927 & 1928 so I think there will be something there, but it will have to wait for now. Thanks anyway for getting me pointed in the right direction. T
-
I have a reprint of Bradshaws Continental book dated 1913. I cannot say what changes would have occurred post WW1. There are various routes, but here’s one:
London Victoria dep 11.00 to Dover; Calais dep 14.46 through carriage to Basel arr 05.43 next morning.
Nice 07.02, via Marseilles and Paris arr 04.55; dep 09.55 via Calais arr Charing Cross 17.10.
This gives you an idea of what was involved. I did Basel to London in 1964 via Harwich, leaving in the evening and getting to London the following day - it seemed to go on forever, and I’m a rail enthusiast!
-
Excellent. All helps to build up a picture. I accept your comment about post WW1 but think that timings would be similar. Those timings also seem to fit in nicely with other details. I think that the two travellers would have been driven up to London from Swindon starting early to get to Victoria mid morning. Perhaps the Golden Arrow was stage 1.
I share your comments about what is enough in length of journey. I did Victoria to Sestri Levante once. But I suppose that is peanuts compared with the Trans Siberian.
Thanks T
-
Ahh, the Golden Arrow. In the early 1950s (when I was very young!) my house had a view of the line out of Victoria and a highlight was seeing the GA pass with it’s pullman coaches.
-
Delving a little, I find that Sir Henry Lunn founded the travel company of that name. He came from Horncastle, Lincs. I wonder if this site would more appropriately be moved to Lincolnshire or the adjoining couny of Nottinghamshire where some Lunn records are kept. T