Where to find the Travelling Turtle Adventures:
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🇪🇺 #Schengen200 bsky.app/profile/poli...
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🎞️ YouTube youtube.com/@travelling_...
The second part of an epic journey by @politicanimal.bsky.social and continuing the longest surface journey possible by public transport within the European Schengen area. Trains, buses, ferries and even a tram - but will he make it in time?
#Schengen200
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbjp...
Episode 2 of the #Schengen200 adventure across Europe now up!
THE GREAT SCHENGEN CHALLENGE Part 2: Against the clock on Europe's longest public transport journey
youtu.be/sbjp4KSyOwg
Das hier ist der Anfang einer ganz besonderen Reise: In 200 Stunden die längste Strecke, die im Schengen-Raum per öffentlichem Verkehr möglich ist. #Schengen200 Unternommen von jemandem, der als Engländer selbst nicht im Schengen-Raum wohnt, und mit Betrachtungen zu dessen kommender Abschaffung. […]
It is part 1 of an epic journey by @politicanimal.bsky.social as it's off on the longest surface journey possible by public transport within the European Schengen area. Norwegian ferries, diverting round train landslides, along with the odd Flixbus too!
#Schengen200
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSQa...
New Travelling Turtle video! Delighted to be premiering episode one (of two) of our adventure across Europe, trying to make the longest possible public transport journey in the Schengen zone in 200 hours. Lots of boats, trains, buses, pastries, mountains and Grieg. #Schengen200
youtu.be/qSQapm0UyWU
Here, @politicanimal.bsky.social embarks on a 200 hour tour of the #Schengen area, from the far north to the sunny south. He has finished now, so you can read it all in one go. Bring a bit of time (however, you probably won’t need 200 hours).
Thank you, Jo, for taking us on this trip!
#Schengen200
Ya ha terminado. #Schengen200 bsky.app/profile/poli...
I’ll never get how ‘actual’ YouTubers cope, but it’s been lovely being accosted at stations, pubs, theatres, etc. My poor boss now often starts meetings with ‘Does anyone want to tell Jo they like his travel threads?’
Thanks for it all. It’s not the end, just a v v exciting break. #Schengen200
And finally, as I’ve hinted, because of exciting things happening in my family in December, there’s going to be a Travelling Turtle hiatus. For everyone who’s been part of the fun, from #Bus24 to #Schengen200, thank you! It has been a big privilege to do something others get vicarious pleasure from.
The stats on what it took to get us here are:
🚞 18 trains
🚌2 coaches
🚍 9 buses
🚌❌🚞 2 rail replacement buses
⛴️ 4 ferries
🚇 4 metros
🚋 1 tram
Lots of sums to do on costs (including some compensation to apply for!) so I’ll come back on that as I know people are interested. #Schengen200
Didn’t mean this to end on a maudlin note, but it felt symbolic. However, I’m
a mixture of exhausted and exhilarated to have got to this incredible, end-of-the-world spot after such a journey from the High Arctic. Thanks so much for coming along and for the fun and support. #Schengen200
Right now on the pier, Spanish officials are firmly if courteously interrogating six men in life jackets, while across Restinga’s cove echos the jolly beats of the over-60s wateraerobics in the black sand bay. Open borders are great until you’re on the wrong side of them. #Schengen200
At the end of Restinga’s long breakwater is a sculpture marking ‘Europe’s most southerly point’. Questionable, as not geographical Europe and there’s political Europe far to the south. You can’t get to it now as this end of the pier is used by Coastguard to process small boat rescues. #Schengen200
¡Allá! La Restinga (La Laja bus stop) on the island of El Hierro, the end of the longest point-to-point journey you can make in the Schengen Zone by surface public transport. 5650.2km from Vardø Havn. 192hrs 31 mins. Now excuse me while I go and find my room and shower and I’ll be back. #Schengen200
First sight of somewhere, like another hardscrabble fishing town at the end of the world, that has been on my mind a lot recently. #Schengen200
I believe large parts of the moon landings were in fact filmed here. If you know when to look, you can see the Francoist agents pretending to be craters. #Schengen200
In pretty, second city hill top El Pinar, we are supposed to change buses for the connecting number 8. It turns out we are just going straight through. Saves a palaver, but does knock one off my total number of buses 😢 #Schengen200
Now descending the southern face of the island, and the landscape changes completely - light sun dappled pine forests,
the ground cushioned with their soft needles. #Schengen200
Over 1000m up now, amid the lava fields. And boy do my ears know it. Seems an odd place for a roundabout, but I’m no traffic engineer. #Schengen200
Bus routes that *start* off above wind turbine level are great. #Schengen200
Much confusion as the driver takes the bus away and wanders off. Lady from the recycling depot, who understandably wants to get home goes off to remonstrate. Seems to have some effect. Same bus is brought back with a different driver. #Schengen200
Bus routes that *start* off above wind turbine level are great. #Schengen200
Much confusion as the driver takes the bus away and wanders off. Lady from the recycling depot, who understandably wants to get home goes off to remonstrate. Seems to have some effect. Same bus is brought back with a different driver. #Schengen200
Hotdesking at Valverde bus station. The grind doesn’t stop. #Schengen200
Our much larger bus, on line 2, along the eastern backbone of the island, is waiting time alongside a solid clutch of potential passengers, school age and well beyond. The flat €1.35 fare is great for getting rid of my pile of nearly worthless euro coppers.
#Schengen200
Such an atmospheric little town, Valverde, the only Canarian capital not on the coast. It may have just 5,000 inhabitants but it has 3 banks, 2 supermarkets, at least 4 bars, a trade union training centre and a travel agent (wonder if they can book me a trip to Norway?). #Schengen200
…to get to Valverde bus station, hub of the islands surprisingly comprehensive and regular network. But we have a short wait before continuing on. #Schengen200
Squeezing our way through this highland, whitewashed, middle of nowhere but bustling Canaries town #Schengen200
We’ve climbed 585m in about 7 minutes, and there’s an island capital hiding in those clouds - this is Valverde. #Schengen200
