From the route desk
Slow travel, overland
Leg by leg: routes, budgets and packing lists that hold up
Every itinerary is broken into legs with hedged journey times, every budget into line items, every packing list weighed. We note what we got wrong so you can skip it.
9
stories so far, by 4 writers
Latest dispatches
What three months in the Balkans actually cost, line by line
Our real budget for a month each in Belgrade, Sarajevo and Tirana, travelling overland between them: rent, food, transport, work costs and the surprises.
The one-bag packing list for six weeks of trains, weighed item by item
Everything in a 38-litre bag for six weeks across three countries by rail, with weights, the things we cut after week one, and how the route shaped the list.
Working a full week from Sarajevo: desks, data and the admin nobody mentions
How to set up a month of normal work from a rented flat in Sarajevo: choosing the flat, testing the connection, time zones, roaming and a weekly rhythm that held up.
A month on the Alentejo coast, and why we went in June
Four weeks in a small Portuguese coastal town: getting there without a car, a week-by-week rhythm, the wind nobody warned us about and what the month cost.
How to book a European night train without losing an evening to it
Seats, couchettes and sleepers explained, when booking windows open, how to read a berth plan and what to do when the train you wanted is sold out.
Browse by topic
- Rail routes6Overland itineraries by train, broken into legs with hedged journey times and the connections that matter.Browse
- Long stays4A month or more in one place: renting a flat, finding a rhythm and what changes after week three.Browse
- Budgets4Real trip costs, line by line, rounded and dated. Where the money went and where we would cut next time.Browse
- Packing3One-bag lists we have actually carried, with weights, and the things we stopped bringing.Browse
- Remote work2Working a normal week from abroad: desks, connectivity, time zones and the admin nobody mentions.Browse
- Seasons2When to go and when not to: weather, crowds, daylight and the shoulder months that are worth the gamble.Browse
Plan one slow trip this year
Pick a route, book a month somewhere with a kitchen, and leave the airport out of it. We send one costed route a month to help.
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