Q&A with Graeme Phillips Train Travel Aficionado

How do you plan a trip? I research the places I want to travel to and see how accessible they regard transportation. If I still want to go, I  create my itinerary, book the trips and then my lodgings.

Do you travel alone or with a group?

I travel solo unless there is someone who shares my interest in the places I wish to visit and what I want to do there, which does not happen often. [caption id="attachment_14467" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo Credit: Graeme Phillips[/caption]

What is your favorite form of lodging?

I prefer Bed and Breakfast or half-board lodging -depending on the price and availability in this particular region.

Where do you usually travel to?

Mainly cities as I  don’t like renting a car and feeling bound to use it because “the meter is running.” [caption id="attachment_14464" align="aligncenter" width="604"] Photo Credit: Graeme Phillips[/caption]

Do you ask for any particular accommodations in airports/lodging?

No, nothing in particular.I plan ahead and make sure I have what I need with me.

Do you join guided tours or venture on your own?

I  prefer to make my timetable and wander on my own.I might consider taking a  guided tour if it is offered at a reasonable price though in some instances like hot weather group tours with fixed itineraries would make concentrating difficult.   [caption id="attachment_14461" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo Credit: Graeme Phillips[/caption]

Favorite place you’ve been so far?

Seville, Spain! That’s why I’ve bought a flat there. My close second would be Cartagena de Indias.

What place you would never go back to?

I can’t  think of anywhere.I once spent a month in Syria, and  I guess it wouldn’t be an excellent idea to visit at present.   [caption id="attachment_14456" align="aligncenter" width="640"] photo Credit: Graeme Phillips[/caption]

Personal Travel pet peeve?

I’d have to say that would be assistants who cannot answer questions unless the answer comes from a list of pre-memorized responses. This happened a lot in Malaysia when I asked about books about trains: the shop assistants looked pained when I asked questions about this, as it was outside their usual repertoire of questions. Another pet peeve is transportation to the airport being late. Recently had an experience where I traveled by bus to a city center, where I was catching an onward coach, but my flight was delayed, and it took forever to get to the city center’s coach station in rush-hour traffic, making me about hour-and-a-half late for the bus. Luckily, I was put on the next one.   [caption id="attachment_14459" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo Credit: Graeme Phillips[/caption]

Favorite method of transportation while traveling and why?.

Trains! Traveling by train in comparison to the bus is a good idea since trains don’t interact with rush-hour traffic except at level crossings. I think that choosing transportation modes with a high degree of predictability are better for people with autism, particularly if they are traveling alone. I will often plan holidays in countries with extensive networks like Spain and China just to experience their high-speed trains. I like Spain’s AVE service that promises on the Madrid-Seville line that if the train is more than 5 minutes late, you get all of your money back.   [caption id="attachment_14476" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo Credit GraemePhillips[/caption] The German and Swiss rail systems with their reliable timetables provide sound traveling choices for people on the autistic spectrum, and I like the fact that most of the times, the platforms the trains leave from are announced well in advance. The Swiss railway system prides itself on punctuality and interconnectivity. As far as I know, it was among the first to adopt the clock face timetabling method (trains departing at the same number of minutes past the hour) and to produce a timetable map of the country. The system is designed so that it is easy to interchange, with many major cities having trains arrive five minutes before the hour and departing five minutes after the time. The numbers closest to the station show how many minutes past the hour a train arrives at a station and the number on the other side slightly further away shows how many minutes past the hour the train leaves the station. Would I trade the Swiss system for the British system? Probably not, because the punctuality of the Swiss seems to be achieved by leaving extremely generous allowances. The system of timing nodes around the half and whole hours can be fairly wasteful and reduces the number of destinations reachable within a day’s travel. Nevertheless, the system is easy to navigate when you are in a country you don’t know, and you don’t want to struggle to learn a new regime. [caption id="attachment_14457" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo Credit: Graeme Phillips[/caption] Over the years, I’ve heard some complaints about the appearance of the Chinese metro system, but I don’t personally have a problem with it since for me predictability trumps appearance, especially in a city, I’m not acquainted with. Though I know a lot about high-speed trains around the world, my real specialty (and day job) involves metro trains. Metro systems are in many ways my favorite method of getting around, as they offer the best of both worlds- spontaneity and predictability. Spontaneity in that you can just turn up and, in most systems, a train will arrive in a matter of minutes (generally no need to find out times in advance). Predictability in that you can look up the location of the station, and you know exactly where you are going, unlike by bus where you might not know where to get off and possibly overshoot your spot. However, as much as I do like seeing other metro systems, I have to confess I often don’t bother using the systems if the distances are short enough to walk since as a tourist I want to get to explore the city as much as possible. [caption id="attachment_14462" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo Credit: Graeme Phillips[/caption] Graeme lives in the United Kingdom and works in the railway industry. In his spare time, he enjoys participating in his Reformed Baptist Church, learning foreign languages and finding out about railway systems across the world. To learn more train travel tips, you are invited to join his  ‘Fans of High-Speed Trains’ Facebook group.  ]]>