Vancouver is the starting point of this route, convenient for its international airport where 42 airlines fly to 121 destinations worldwide. The city’s coastal location is its main asset and I warded off jetlag with a sunny evening walk along the seawall to Stanley Park. The harbour has been cleaned up since I was last here 17 years ago and I was glad to see a seal frolicking in the shallows. Gastown – Vancouver’s historic heart – also feels buzzier than it did before.

In British Columbia the ‘road’ part of ‘road trip’ is so often a highlight, the Sea to Sky Highway spectacularly proving this point as it winds away from Vancouver, along cliffs above the islands of Howe Sound, past Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and the newly-installed boardwalks of Squamish Canyon. The Canyon is well worth a stop and the $44 entry will feel like a bargain as you walk along the elevated wooden path that weaves through second-growth forest (that would otherwise have been used for logging) all the way to dramatic Mamquam Falls.

Having left the sea behind it felt like we were truly in the sky when we reached Whistler, which sits at 670m and is surrounded by the Coast Mountains. I like this town, a lot. It ticks my boxes of: cute pedestrianised centre ✔️, scenic walks directly from town ✔️, and; easy access to the mountains ✔️. After enjoying quite possibly the best croque madame I’m ever likely to have at Lorette Brasserie I was ready for the walk through the forest to Lost Lake. OK, so this is an easy walk that didn’t justify the size of the breakfast, and the trails are well-marked and easy to follow. They mostly lead to the lake, which is a relatively warm body of water (well it was in mid-September, anyway) where people could swim and sunbathe surrounded by trees and mountains.

I was itching to get into those mountains, an itch that was easily scratched thanks to the conveniently-located Blackcomb gondola which whisked me (and, in winter, thousands of lucky skiers) up above Big Easy Terrain Park where we saw some plump marmots and learned that Whistler is named after the sound these squeaky creatures make. Next: the world’s longest unsupported gondola span. The PEAK 2 PEAK gondola is engineering at its most thrilling and allows for 11 minutes of peaceful and lofty contemplation of the dramatic landscape.

Those contemplations were about to get even loftier for, after arriving on Whistler Mountain, we boarded the Peak Express chairlift to the Cloudraker Skybridge, a wobbly suspension bridge that leads to Raven’s Eye Lookout. This walkway juts out over a high cliff and has yet more incredible views.

Over the road from my hotel the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre shares the stories, cuisine, history and culture of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and Lil̓wat7úl (Lil’wat) nations who share the land on which Whistler is located. Admission is just $25 and includes guided tours, the centre’s Thunderbird Cafe serves up First Nations-inspired cuisine. I was deeply impressed by the range of exhibits, the simplicity of the information boards and the imaginative way in which the building was designed.

Just when I thought the roads here couldn’t get any more scenic we took to the Duffey Lake Road, which winds 129km from Whistler to Lilooet. Our Rainforest to Rockies route then well and truly left the rainforest behind when we dropped down from those Coastal Mountains and down into the arid Thompson Valley.

It took travellers 10 days to travel the length of the Cariboo Road during the 1800s Gold Rush, we got to Hat Creek Ranch in just a few hours. The historic buildings here once accommodated those weary and hopeful travellers, considering some date back to 1860 they’re in such good condition that you can still see the original wallpaper. Here, too, is an Indigenous Interpretation Site (complete with a pit house) as well as an excellent value restaurant.

On to Kamloops, a popular stop on the famous Rocky Mountaineer rail route. Within the Kamloops city limits Kenna Cartwright Park is a vast hilly area of hiking and biking trails with long views over the city and Thompson river. In the other direction the Privato Vineyard and Winery provides the more sedate experience of wine tasting amid long ribbons of vines. A far more sobering experience was seeing the former Kamloops Indian residential school on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation territory. Here, too, is the Secwépemc Museum showcasing the history of this First Nations people. If you can I recommend arranging for a guide to show you around the exhibits.

A 90-minute drive north along BC-5 will bring you to Clearwater. The fur trtade brought settlers to this Chilcotin territory, when the railway arrived in 1914 it was mining and logging which brough prosperity and growth. There’s been a steady growth in the population (to just under 2,500 people) but because this is a sprawling town it seems as though the wilderness is right there with you. To actually get into the wilderness isn’t that difficult, with the entrance to Wells Gray Provincial Park just minutes away.

There’s a rich choice of waterfalls in this park, from the wide Dawson Falls to the immense Helmcken Falls. The latter are the fourth highest falls in Canada, tumbling 141 metres into a steep-sided canyon which is topped with green forests. Viewing platforms help visitors stand in awe at these watery wonders and the excellent BC Backcountry Adventures help more intrepid visitors go deeper into the wild.

More watery joys await, further down the road (which becomes an unpaved tracks) into Wells Gray. That track/road ends at Clearwater Lake where a large wood cabin houses the Osprey Cafe (named after nearby Osprey Falls) and the rental office of Clearwater Lake Tours. You can hire kayaks and canoes from them but I took an electric boat tour over over the appropriately-named lake.

Serene doesn’t begin to describe Clearwater Lake and the individual beach campsites all around it. You’ll need a canoe or kayak to get to those sites, you can also portage your craft into Azure Lake for an even more remote camping experience.

I had to drag myself away from Wells Gray Provincial Park and the Monashee Mountains for the Rockies awaited. Not just any Rockies, either; the tallest mountain in the Rockies.

I’m not a climber and so it’s rare for me to see the top of a tall mountain. Thanks, though, to Robson Helimagic I was able to soar close to the top of 3,954m Mount Robson on a flightseeing tour that was 45 minutes of sheer awesomeness. Even at the flying height of the helicopter the mountains in and around Mount Robson Provincial Park looked immense.

The highlight of this helicopter tour was being able to peer over – and int0 – long tongues of glaciers where blue ice appeared among the crevasses. Below the glaciers were large lakes and forests and the promise of some epic hikes. Yet another place I must return to.

My journey, though, would go beyond those mountains and in to Alberta. This Rainforest to Rockies route had ticked all of my many boxes when it comes to adventure, the great outdoors and a large dose of culture, too. There are few routes I’ve been on where the scenery is quite so consistently spectacular.

Where I stayed

Vancouver: Fairmont Waterfront
Whistler: Fairmont Chateau Whistler
Kamloops: Sandman Signature Kamloops Hotel
Clearwater: Quality Inn & Suites

	Caledonian Sleeper (CS)	Night Riviera (NR)	Winner
Single price for 2 adults with railcard	£275	£232.40	NR
Website user experience	Confusing info about Room Supplements, buttons hard to see, lots of steps to get to order	Not immediately obvious what the options are for the service selected	NR
Accepts railcards?	No	Yes	NR
Journey time	7h 33m	8h 9m	–
Bikes	Free	Free	–
Dogs	£30	£30	–
Choice	Caledonian Double, Club Room, Classic Room, seat	Cabin, seat	CS
Breakfast included	Hot drink and oat bar	Hot drink, choice of bacon roll, fruit, croissant, cereal or porridge	NR
Lounge access	Yes, in Dundee, Leuchars and Perth (other lounges available for more expensive cabin types)	Free access to First Class lounge (with hot and cold drinks, snacks, fruit, pastries and shower access) in Paddington, Penzance, Truro	NR
Lower bunk size	190x63cm	193x62cm	NR
Washbasin	Yes, but no cover	Yes, with cover	NR
Amenity pack	Soap, towel, eye mask, ear plugs	Soap, towel	CS
Cabin tech	Reading lights, cabin lights, temperature control, UK plug sockets, USB ports, host call button	Reading lights, cabin lights, temperature control, UK plug sockets, USB ports, room service button	–
WiFi	Free	Free	–
Storage	Under lower bunk	Under lower bunk, tiny cupboard	NR
On-board dining	Dining car with full menu	Snacks and light bites	CS
Lounge/bar	Dining car is also bar, priority access for Club Room and Caledonian Double	Fully stocked bar, free snacks and non-alcoholic hot and cold drinks	NR
Comfort	Excellent mattress, but bumps and shunts during night (stops at 00:10, 05:07, 06:15)	Smooth journey (stops at 00:49, 02:37, 04:11, 04:32, 05:11, 06:12, 06:26, 06:33, 06:41, 06:49, 07:07) bunk ladder folds easily away for more spacious seating	NR
Dis/embarkation	Rooms available up to 1hr 20m before departure (they wouldn’t actually let me on until 5 mins before) and 30m after arrival. No lounge for basic cabins	Lounge available 2h 45m before departure, from Penzance to Paddington the train arrives at 05:04 but guests can stay on until 06:45 (and then use the lounge)	NR

TOTALS
Caledonian Sleeper: 3
Night Riviera: 11

Watch a video of a Night Riviera sleeper train journey between Truro and London Paddington:

When Germany created a €9 ticket for unlimited train travel in June, July and August almost 52 million were sold, with a reduction of 1.8 million tons of CO2. The increase in free public transport in Europe is most apparent in Luxembourg hasseen less busy rush hours on the roads, although overall traffic on the roads has increased (no data available yet for 2022).

FREE train tickets in Spain

Although designed to assist commuters during the cost of living crisis, tourists can also take advantage if they’re taking numerous short hops by train. For travel in and between Asturias, Bilbao, Cadiz, Madrid, Malaga, Murcia/Alicante, Santander, San Sebastian, Seville and Zaragoza you’ll need the Cercania pass, for Valencia and Catalonia you’ll need the Rodalies pass. Longer distance trains (Avant) are also discounted by 50% until 31 December.

FREE buses in Malta

Malta has a population of 500,000 and yet there are over 400,000 cars on its roads. Encouraging even more people onto its extensive bus routes is therefore vital, and is of course great news for visitors for whom, apart from hire cars and boat taxis, buses are the main way of seeing the islands. This map shows you exactly where you can go and which buses to take.

FREE public transport in Luxembourg

No information box needed here; all you need to do in order to take free public transport in Luxembourg is step aboard. Trains, trams and buses are all free no matter where you go in the country. For an idea of how best to use this amazing resource, have a read about my recent trip to this country at the heart of Europe.

FREE public transport in European cities

It’s not just countries which are offering free public transport, there are many cities in Europe where you can travel for nothing, including these tourist favourites:

• Ærø, Denmark
• Akureyri, Iceland
• Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Basel, Switzerland
• Bern, Switzerland
• Dunkirk, France
• Lausanne, Switzerland
• Livigno, Italy
• Manchester, UK
• Mariehamn, Finland
• Tallinn, Estonia
• Velenje, Slovenia

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A note about the Duwamish

Before all these neighbourhoods grew out from the Denny party’s initial settlement at Alki Point, the areas they now occupy were inhabited by Native Americans for at least 4,000 years. In fact, Seattle is named after the tribe’s leader, Chief Si’ahl. The Duwamish Tribe is not recognised by the US government, due to the government not honouring the Point Elliott Treaty, although a May 2022 appeal hopes to change that.

Duwamish members are involved in United Indians of All Tribes, and I strongly encourage you to visit their cultural centre in gorgeous Discovery Park, as well as their gift shops (one of which is in SeaTac Airport). The Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center also makes for a fascinating visit, and is located just southeast of West Seattle – take bus 21 from Downtown and then walk 20 minutes.

I’ve been fortunate to be well acquainted with the New Forest National Park in southern England for all of my life. It’s a place that feels like home to me, where I’m familiar with the tracks and the trees and the lifecycles of its animals. Here you’ll find the Three Bs – three key places which, if you visit them, will ensure that you’ve seen the best of the New Forest.

Beaulieu

Named after the ruined abbey which was founded by French monks, Beaulieu is a small village blessed with cute cottages and with a large palace just the other side of a bucolic river. The palace is the home of Lord Montagu, and can be visited by anyone going to the National Motor Museum (full of motoring exhibits plus loads of fun rides for kids).

TOP TIP: Take the easy 7.5km walk along the Beaulieu River to Buckler’s Hard, where shipbuilding thrived in the 18th century

Brockenhurst

I’ll make a separate post about hikes from Brockenhurst, because there are quite a few and, because they deviate from the beaten path, I’ll need to include maps. But you should know that there are hundreds of miles of tracks and paths which lead to or around Brockenhurst, going deep into the woods, over marshes, past plains full of deer, over rivers, along disused railway tracks…it really is an amazing place for hikers.

As for bikers, there are a few places to hire cycles in Brockenhurst and the national park authority has mapped out a good range of routes from the village. Because the New Forest is relatively flat the going is easy, but it can be easy to get lost so do bring a map.

Brockenhurst has been described as the New Forest version of Monopoly’s Mayfair, thanks to the high prices of property here which reflects its place as the very best of the New Forest. With this fairly recent influx of wealth has come fine dining options such as The Pig on the edge of the village, plus a wine bar and upmarket hotels. For spa lovers there’s a choice of either Carey’s Manor or the New Park Manor. If you really want to splurge then Rhinefield House is just a few minutes’ drive from the centre and located in the depths of the forest.

Burley

Some believe that witchcraft has existed in the New Forest for many centuries. What we do know is that, in the 1950s, a White Witch named Sybil Leek lived in the cute village of Burley, which is nestled in a little valley surrounded by woods and plains. Walking in the depths of the New Forest you can sometimes see markings associated with witchcraft, but Burley is much more obvious about this association.

A railway line once stretched from Brockenhurst to Bournemouth via Burley. Nicknamed ‘Castleman’s Corkscrew’ (after a railway planner, plus the shape the tracks take), it was usurped by the line you may have arrived by, and so it’s now abandoned. This is good news for cyclists and walkers who can follow the disused railway from Burley to Brockenhurst. It’s a very picturesque route and there’s even a tearoom in the old railway station halfway along.

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Getting to the New Forest

The New Forest’s best accommodation

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PLEASE NOTE: A lot of time has gone in to researching this Best of the New Forest post. Some of the links above are to my affiliates’ sites and any purchases made via these links will help me to keep this blog going. The use of these links has not in any way influenced the recommendations I have made.

“Not all those who wander are lost” (JRR Tolkein), but if you find yourself more lost than wandering here are some useful tips on how to navigate a city which have served me well in the past:

Get high

Get down

Ignore subway maps

Rush hour roulette

Seek god

Go wild

Ask

In need of a mild adventure, I booked a train ticket to Kemble, in the English county of Gloucestershire. At my side was my dog Bounty, in front of me was a 52 mile walk along the Thames, from its source to Oxford.

Day 1: Kemble to Cricklade

My train arrived at 08:39 and we set off straight away for the source of the Thames. 20 minutes later we arrived at the Thames Path, which runs 185.2 miles to the Thames Barrier in London. Our destination was to the right, but we turned left and walked about a mile to the source.

The Thames begins at a remote point beside a forest, and entirely underground. Having reached this point I turned around and retraced my footsteps to the edge of Kemble. All along the way I followed a ditch, I believe that the ditch fills with the Thames during rainier months but when I was there it was empty.

Day 2: Cricklade to Rushey Lock

At Radcot Bridge I stopped at an old pub to re-energise before the final push to Rushey Lock, where I set up camp for the night.

Day 3: Rushey Lock to Farmoor

There are a lot of old stone bridges carrying traffic over this part of the Thames. There are also a lot of attractive footbridges. The path passes through forests, lakes, meadows, and more than a few fields full of cows and sheep. In retrospect, 52 miles in 3 days with 11kg on my back was a bit too much, and I was grateful to hop on a bus to Oxford from Farmoor, and then a train home to London.

My post about the next section of the Thames Path – from Reading to Oxford – can be found here.

Britain is home to many famous pagan sites, including, of course, Stonehenge. These sacred sites are dotted throughout the land, including London.

Primrose Hill

Druids have been climbing Primrose Hill to mark the equinoxes for 305 years. At the top of the hill, along with breathtaking views of the city, you’ll also find a stone plaque which commemorates the Welsh Druid priest who organised the first ceremony here in 1717. Ley lines – invisible lines demarcate Earth’s ‘energies’ – are believed by some to run under the hill.

Thorney Island

Druids once devised laws on this island, which was between the streams of the River Tyburn. The island disappeared along with the Tyburn, but you can visit the location at Thorney Street, a few blocks west from the Houses of Parliament.

Temple of Mithras

This Roman temple was discovered in 1954 during the construction of a building. It dates back to the mid-3rd century and is dedicated to Mithras, a cult which had feasting as one of its rituals.

London Stone

Although probably originally part of a building (the Roman Governor’s Palace), this ancient stone is shrouded in pagan myth.

Ludgate Hill

A pagan temple stood here until 597. Now all you’ll find there is St Paul’s Cathedral.