Backpackers old and new have always travelled across Europe and the world by train. As relatively characterless and antiseptic high-speed trains gradually take over the travelling landscape, it shouldn’t be forgotten that there is a wonderful architectural heritage in our train stations (and some pretty rubbish ones as well, but we’ll ignore them).

St Pancras, London

Not so much a train station as a temple to train travel. A triumph of neo-Gothic Victorian architecture, it was almost demolished in the 1960s (thank you John Betjeman) but re-furbished and re-opened in 2008 when it became the London destination for Eurostar. A destination station if ever there was one. Like many a modern station, it has become a shopping centre, but that doesn’t distract from the stunning architecture. And it does have a champagne bar, so it’s not all bad…

Strasbourg

Strangely enough, with one or two exceptions (Marseille St. Charles or the Parisian stations), the French don’t give their stations names like St. Pancras or Estatio de Francia in Barcelona. The boringly named Gare de Strasbourg is also something of an architectural marvel as befits a station located at one of Europe’s rail and political crossroads. Renovated in 2007, a new glass cocoon was added creating an interesting contrast to the 1883-designed original station.

Berlin Hauptbahnhof

Europe’s largest station with no buffers, it is also Europe’s largest two-level station. Located on the site of the original Lehrter Bahnhof station, every day more than 1100 long-distance, regional and rapid transit trains run through the 14 platforms. Another glass and steel temple (and no shortage of shops), it’s the sign of a confident, reunited nation and a statement. It somehow represents what Berlin was, a collision of two worlds, and what those worlds have become, the triumph of commercialism.

Milano Centrale

The cornerstone was laid by King Victor Emmanuel III as early as 1903, but real building work didn’t start for another 10 years and was hampered by the onset of the First World War. Influenced by Mussolini, it is often seen as representing the power of the fascist regime. It has no definite architectural style except imposing, the current station sees 600 trains a day running through its 24 platforms carrying something in excess of 320,000 people right across Italy and beyond. TGVs now run directly to Paris.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai

Indian Railways is a force of nature in itself. The world’s second largest railway company, it has 7,000 stations, employs 1.6 million people and almost 64,000 meters of track. CST, as it is known for short, is the former Bombay Victoria station and it could be said it dwarfs its not inconsiderable little sister in London. Victorian neo-Gothic in style, it is a superb example of nineteenth century railway architecture and the confidence of that age. If you can’t get to see the real one, it features a lot in the film Slumdog Millionnaire.

Grand Central Station, New York

Actually, the name is Grand Central Terminal, but popular culture knows it as a station, not a terminus. Whatever you call it, it’s the world’s largest with 44 platforms and 67 tracks on two levels. Its focal point is an enormous concourse that is usually filled with crowds. The ticket offices remain although they haven’t really been used since the introduction of ticket machines.  It also gives you “68 shops and 35 places to eat and a ride home” as the web site says. Train stations have definitely changed since my day!

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Great stations for backpackers to admire | World First Travel Insurance Blog

The exams are over and summer holidays are here again. Well, for some of us anyway. If you’re a student and you’re kicking your heals wondering what on earth you’re going to do for the next year because you deferred going to university, you may well consider taking a gap year off and seeing the world. It’s a unique opportunity, you’re young, healthy (hopefully) and enthusiastic. Here’s a few tips and guides to help you make it a success.

Do the research

One of the great things about a gap year is discovering new places and new cultures. It’s the ideal springboard for a university education. However, a bit of research before leaving about local conditions and customs will go a long way towards keeping you out of embarrassing situations or worse, trouble. Also, don’t forget to take a look at the Foreign Office web site for updates on travel advice. That was quite useful in the recent Bangkok crisis. If there is trouble where you are, you could also subscribe to their RSS feeds to get the updates sent directly to you and register with the FCO LOCATE service so you can can be found if need be.

Get proper travel insurance

When you’re 19 or 20 and you first fight off the shackles of the parents and you make your bid for independence and freedom, you think you’re invincible. The problem is however that you’re not. You are just as much accident prone as anyone else (in fact, arguably more so). A sensible move therefore is to get travel insurance that will cover you for delays and cancellations along the way but more importantly for medical bills and repatriation if something nasty happens to you. Also think about any activities you might be doing that may be considered dangerous, specific cover is essential for this. Oh yes, and if you have a pre-existing medical condition like diabetes for example (types I and II), let your insurer know as failure to do so will almost certainly invalidate your policy.

If your policy doesn’t include a 24-hour multilingual emergency medical assistance service, don’t buy it. If you feel unwell or want advice, you should able to ask for it. Insurance will also pay all your medical bills and if you’re really poorly, fly you home in a medicalised aeroplane.

Make sure your passport is valid

If you’re going away for a year, your passport needs to be valid for another year. Obviously. And then, most non-European countries require you to have another 6 months because that’s the maximum time you can stay without a residents’ permit. You may be refused entry to a country if you don’t have it. And if your mates do, you’ll look an idiot.

Get the right visas

We live in a world where you no longer need a visa for Poland, Hungary or even Albania. It’s also much easier to get into Russia these days. However, many countries do still require you to buy pieces of paper for the right to visit. These include India (where your passport must be valid for 190 days and have at least two blank pages in it), Kenya or Australia (but you can apply for that online). This also applies if you’re planning to fund the trip by working, check you have the right residents’ and work permits. For example, you don’t need a work permit in the EU (if you’re an EU citizen), but you do need a residents’ permit to stay in each of the EU countries for more than 6 months.

Make sure you’re healthy

You’d be well advised to make sure you’re in good shape before you go. Have your GP give you a proper health check. Make sure you tell him where you’re going so he can advise you about any vaccinations you might need. Trust me, malaria may sound a remote possibility, but you really don’t want to get it.

Set up a web mail account

You’ve probably already got one but a webmail account from providers like Hotmail, Google Mail and Yahoo! can be accessed from any computer from anywhere in the world. You can keep in touch with photos and videos with it and just think what you’d save in postcards!

Do a budget

Get a good idea of how much you’ll need on a daily basis. The Foreign Office won’t bail you out if you run out of money. Also, don’t forget to tell your bank; there have been many cases of cards being stopped because they’ve been used at cashpoints across the world. You must tell your bank your frequent usage in all for corners of the world is not fraudulent.

Keep out of trouble

Know your drink limits. Even more so than a night out on the tiles at home, you’re more likely to get into trouble if you’ve had one over the odds. Your insurance won’t cover you if you do. It goes without saying that you should steer well clear of illicit drugs, especially carrying them. the Foreign Office can’t get you out of jail if you get caught. Lastly, if you’re with a group of mates,  blend in with the crowds and try not to stand out. You’ll get two things from that, you’ll be less likely to get into trouble and you’ll have a better “cultural” experience of wherever you go – and that’s the reason why you’re travelling isn’t it?

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An easy guide to getting a gap year right | World First Travel Insurance Blog

Many students decide to take a year off after school before committing themselves to university or a job. It’s a great way of seeing the world or getting some experience before moving on the the next stage. And increasingly, older people are also feeling the urge due to unexpected unemployment or just sheer burnout, to take time out and a break.

So you’ve got your passport, your tickets and your money. What about your health when you go abroad? Fancy some Delhi belly? Some sunburn? Or even worse, a dose of malaria? Here’s a few basic rules about staying healthy on the road.

1. Have a check up

Go to see your GP for a quick check. It’ll be fairly summary but he’ll be able to tell you what jabs you need and general health precautions to take. You could also go to the dentist and check your eyes. My wisdom teeth are playing up at the moment, that’s fine, I live in Somerset. But do you want your wisdom teeth to play up in Thailand? (nothing against Thai dentists, they are probably very good, but what’s your spoken Thai like?)

2. The sun is hot

There are large parts of the world where it gets a lot hotter than in our Northern European temperate climate. It’s regularly 40+ degrees anywhere between Dammas and Tehran, in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Horn of Africa. Don’t think you just have to pile on the factor 50, you can’t go sunbathing for very long periods in countries where the temperature is in the late 30s. Even less between 11am and 3pm. What do they say about mad dogs and Englishmen? Also, if you have a heavy night on the town without much sleep, it would be very easy to fall asleep on the beach next day. I think we all know that’s not a good idea.

3. Don’t forget your medicine

I know most of you are fit and healthy but if you do have to take medicine regularly – even just for hay fever – make sure you have adequate supplies of them and pack it in your hand luggage.

Did you know that some some prescription and even over the counter drugs, including inhalers, are illegal in some countries? If you need to take medication you should ensure that you have a note from your doctor and that the medicine is in its original packaging. Consult the embassies of the countries you are visiting before you leave.

4. Keeping fit on the plane

Without being tabloid-style alarmist, there is some danger in sitting in one place for long periods, especially if you’re flying to New Zealand. Get up and walk around regularly, even if you’re in the window seat it and annoys your neighbour. Your legs will love you more than he doesn’t. It would be a good idea to have a long walk before getting on the plane as well just to get the blood circulating and drink plenty – of water, the other stuff doesn’t count! – to keep yourself hydrated. And stretch your legs whenever you can.

5. European Health Insurance Card

A replacement for the old E111 form, the European Health Insurance Card entitles travellers in the European Economic Area or Switzerland to reduced or free emergency care. Apply for an EHIC online at www.dh.gov.uk/travellers, by phone on 0845 606 2030 or at post offices. However, it’s only available to residents of the European Economic Area or Switzerland and it really doesn’t replace proper travel insurance.

6. Stomach ailments

In Europe and the US, you can generally ignore any “don’t drink the water” warnings. European water is often better than ours. In other places however precautions should be taken. Stomach problems are the most common source of misery endured by travellers and often go beyond a simple case of the runs.

They are often caused by dirty water or food and poor hygiene practices such as reheating cold food. They can also be caused over-exposure to the sun, too much alcohol or too much fresh fruit. Diarrhoea can be mild but, if it develops blood or pus, it becomes dysentery. Then you’ll be in trouble and you’ll need urgent medical attention.

Prevention is the best policy. Where possible, drink water from a bottle but check the seal hasn’t been broken. Failing this, check the tap water is safe to drink or boil it. Street food can be great in many parts of the world, but be wary. A bit of caution may save you a lot of problems. Also avoid ice cubes as these are often made from tap water. Make sure any vegetables you eat are cooked properly and that meat and fish are very well cooked.

7. Things to do if you get ill

Drink as much as you can, as you’ll lose a lot of fluid: flat or carbonated drinks, tea (with sugar), soups (with salt) and clean water. Definately no booze.

Get treatment ASAP. Find out the local emergency number and the address of the nearest hospital when you arrive overseas. Your rep/local guide or hotel/guesthouse will know. This information could help save a life.

8. Don’t go out without a cover

If you’re going to party then there’s every chance you may be having sex. Treat it as you would a Friday or Saturday night at home and take the condoms with you. They’re not always easy to find in many parts of the world and when you do find them, the quality may vary. Always check the expiry date and throw away any that are out of date, you know the consequences of failing to do so.

9. Take out proper travel insurance

We all think we’re invincible and “it won’t happen to us”, but just as an example, every year thousands if people are airlifted or flown home to safety at a cost of thousands. There’s a far better chance of that happening than you winning the lottery. Can you afford it? Get travel insurance cover just for peace of mind.

10. Take a first aid kit

Vital. From everything to repairing cuts and bruises to avoid infection later to paracetamol and malaria tablets. Depending on where you go it’s contents will vary, but take one.

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10 things to keep you healthy in a gap year | World First Travel Insurance Blog