Travel the World by Train

Starring:Travel the World By Train
Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]
Product Type: DVD

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Africa is given a fascinating introduction in this volume of the Travel the World by Train series. The Morocco train departs from exotic Marrakesh, traverses endless plains of scorched earth, and stops at ancient Oujda, "The City of Fear," whose labyrinthine bazaars evoke the movie Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Carthaginian ruins enhance the journey through Tunisia, which ends at the azure Mediterranean resort of Djerba, refreshing travelers since the days of Homer's Odyssey. The Egypt excursion follows the Nile River to the ancient pyramids of Giza and Luxor's enigmatic City of the Dead.

Riders departing Nairobi, Kenya, pass vast expanses of savanna in Tsavo National Park, where elephants, zebras, and ostriches run free. In the middle of nowhere, this train picks up Masai tribesmen, in full regalia, en route to market. Outside looms 19,340-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro. On one train in Uganda, the leather seat upholstery has been ripped out, to be made into handbags. Another Ugandan passenger line is a former cattle car, with no seats at all. Then there's South Africa's luxurious Blue Train from Johannesburg to Cape Town, where pure gold coats the windows to filter out the ultraviolet rays, and wine is served in crystal goblets. The video prompts us to remember that this, after all, is Africa, continent of stark contrasts. --Laura Mirsky

Description

Travel five continents in a 55 country rail trip in this ten part series. On this journey, we travel through the continent of Africa to Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Kenya and Uganda.

Customer Reviews:

No title comes to mind.......2006-01-27

I like the Travel by Train series. You get to see different parts of the world and their people. They aren't the greatest videos you ever saw, but they are interesting.

This one spends much of its time in Northern Africa, the Arab countries, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and so on. There are some very large cities, but you will also travel past sheep.

Then you go south to Sudan, Kenya, Uganda. Here you get to see the black Africans. Uganda was decimated by war, as you can see from the ripped up seats in the train, where people now sit on the springs of the seats because the seats are sometimes gone.

The video ends up in South Africa, bypassing most of sub Saharan Africa. The train in South Africa is a very fancy and expensive one, like a classy restaurant on wheels.

It's interesting to see parts of the world this way. I saw the South America video, and I plan to see some more.

A Nice Surprise.......1999-06-02

Surprisingly nice trains will whisk you through Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa. Both Morocco and Tunisia prove cosmopolitan and modern, with beautiful seaside scenery and all these so clean-looking white buildings. The Egypt ride provides the obligatory visit to the Pyramids, of course, while the Kenya and Uganda trips afford the always fascinating sights of African wildlife. The South Africa ride is on a luxurious train with amenities that seemed to have gone to the head of one female passenger who, in the end, keeps raising her eyebrows a la Hyacinth Buckett while grinning from ear to ear. A different kind of wildlife, I guess... An enjoyable way to travel.

Average customer rating:

Pretty but superficial coverage
Useful for those considering train travel, weak otherwise
A learning experience

Travel the World By Train: Europe 3
Starring: Travel the World By Train
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Travel the World By Train: Europe 2
Travel the World By Train: Europe Part I
Travel the World by Train - Near & Middle East
Travel the World by Train, Vol. 5: Asia
Travel the World by Train: Africa

ASIN: B00000IBT0
Release Date: 1999-04-20

Amazon.com

Travel the World by Train: Europe, Volume 3 takes viewers on a journey through Germany and some of the more visually pleasing regions of Eastern Europe. Germany's famously extensive and efficient rail system is given a fine showcase here. On the so-called "Fairy Tale Road," the train stops at picturesque old haunts of those famous fairy-tale collectors the Brothers Grimm: towns such as Bremen (of the Bremen Town Musicians) and Hamelin (of the Pied Piper). The "Castle Road" trip departs Frankfurt on the Intercity Express, Germany's fastest train. This route features massive medieval edifices and such bastions of German romanticism as Heidelberg Castle, interspersed among vistas of verdant natural beauty.

Beginning in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, a train follows "The Romantic Road," passing Neuschwanstein, the grandiose castle built by Bavaria's "Mad" King Ludwig II. Looking like "The Little Engine That Could," a tiny Czech "Rail Bus" chugs up a 3,000-foot mountain in the Bavarian forest. The Hungary trip introduces us to the beautiful capital of Budapest, bisected by the Danube River. Magyar horsemen ride Hungary's sweeping plains. Idyllic farms dot the landscape of the Romania route, which leaves the capital of Bucharest for the Black Sea resort of Constantsa. From Belgrade, Yugoslavia, through Sofia, Bulgaria (the "greenest city in Europe"), the video's last route looks eastward toward the gateway to Asia: Istanbul, Turkey. --Laura Mirsky

Description

Travel five continents in a 55 country rail trip in this ten part series. On this journey, we travel from Germany to Eastern Europe and the Czech Republic.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty but superficial coverage.......2003-09-24

Like all the TWBT DVD's, this one covers too much territory for one hour. Great video and audio quality, far superior to the usual "train buff" DVD. Covers Germany and several Eastern European countries, typically showing a few shots of the train depot, some scenic pictures from the train, and pictures of the riders - including an annoying preoccupation with oh-so-precious children mugging for the camera. No coverage of RR details like the type of locomotives or rolling stock used. A high-quality but once-over-lightly treatment. You will have to look elsewhere for in-depth treatment of the trains or locales featured.

Useful for those considering train travel, weak otherwise.......2003-05-04

We've been to Germany twice and are considering a third trip. This time, we're planning to travel around the country by train instead of renting a car, so we we intruiged by this DVD.

For our purposes, it was okay. You do get a sense of what it's like to travel across Germany and eastern Europe by train, with pictures of the dining cars as well as the type of countryside you'll go through. It was worth watching just for that.

But the DVD is far from perfect. Although you get some sense of what happens at country borders (basically, it seems someone gets on the train to check passports), they don't give you explicit instructions about what it's like to buy tickets or cope with luggage or find hotels near the train station or deal with other mundane travel details.

Instead, you see a lot of charming faces of people on the train. It does give local color and imply that you can meet awfully nice people by traveling this way ("Look ma, no axe murderers!"), but I'd rather that they spent a little more time talking about what's to be seen in the places you visit. The hour-long video is a bit short in that respect; I don't think you'd learn enough from this DVD to decide what you wanted to see on your trip.

On the other hand, if you're a train enthusiast, it's rather enjoyable. You'll certainly see every sort of passenger train available, from the sleek ICE to tired old cars that look like Ellis Island In Progress.

In short: it's useful to see this once, but don't go out of your way for it.

A learning experience.......1999-05-24

This very educational train ride takes you first through Germany and the beautiful scenery of Bavaria (with Mad King Ludwig's castle). From there you'll experience trips through the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, before undertaking a trip from pre-bombing Belgrade to a Southern seaside resort. You'll meet a lot of kids (some with pets) and a few young lovers on the train, and will get acquainted with all manners of engines, including a car-train and a bus-train. Another interesting journey...

Travel the World By Train: Europe Part I

Average customer rating:

FOOD, FOOD, and more FOOD
Interesting video introducing famous railways in Europe.
Fast and Comfortable Way to Travel

Travel the World By Train: Europe Part I
Director: Graham Loveridge
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Travel the World By Train: Europe 2
Travel the World By Train: Europe 3
Travel the World by Train, Vol. 5: Asia
Travel the World by Train: Australia & New Zealand
Travel the World by Train: South America

ASIN: B00000IBST
Release Date: 1999-03-02

Amazon.com

From London's historic Victoria Station to the sunny cities of Italy, ultimately climbing into the astounding summits of Switzerland, this video takes the viewer on a stunning trip through Europe by rail. The first leg of the journey takes the fabled Orient Express from London to the English Channel, then, after a ferry crossing, resumes a luxurious train trip through France and into Italy. The scenery shown in the video is spectacular, and it easily establishes the point that a train window might be the ideal vantage point from which to appreciate Europe. The second leg of the journey takes the viewer through Venice, Florence, Rome, and Milan, and in the third leg of the trip, the Glacier Express rolls upward into the Alps. The footage shot in Switzerland is particularly astonishing as the trains doggedly move up the mountains (but inside, things remain calm--wineglasses in the luxurious cars are specially made to sit on tables that are always slanted). This commendable video features an understated narration that lets the scenery and the classic trains speak for themselves; when portraying a combination train station and observatory 13,000 feet high in the Alps, the photography says more than any narrator could. --Robert J. McNamara

Description

Travel five continents in a 55 country rail trip in this ten part series. On this journey, we travel on the Orient Express, which takes us from London to Venice, Switzerland and Paris.

Customer Reviews:

FOOD, FOOD, and more FOOD.......2006-05-11

The far more sensible title for this dvd is "Food Served on Trains", because most of the video shows the sequential serving of various foods on various trains in various countries! I expected from the title that I will get a view of the places around the train routes as the journey continues, but totally disappointed. If you are a food lover, you might like this dvd ;-)

Interesting video introducing famous railways in Europe........2000-07-31

This is a very interesting video introducing famous railway lines in Europe. This is one of the three video series of "Travel the world by train Europe." I myself have travelled some of the railways introduced in this video and this video reminded me of good memories of my former trips in Europe. This video is highly recommendable for people who like travelling in Europe. I have to add that this video format (NTSC) is also accepted by Japanese video players. I have bought all of the three videos of "Travel the world by train Europe" series. Interestingly, this video was produced by "TV Asahi," Tokyo, Japan. We have a similar TV program series in Japan introducing railways all over the world.

Fast and Comfortable Way to Travel.......1999-04-25

You'll travel on very nice trains, in this DVD, and see interesting parts of the world. As one might expect, the DVD falls a little short in its depiction of the cities that are visited, because the focus is on the train ride and what can be seen from the train. You'll occasionally ride up front with the conductor, go through tunnels, over high bridges, alongside rivers, and should enjoy the view. Bon voyage!

Average customer rating:

Europe by train
Average View of European Countries
A pleasant, easy way to ride the train...

Travel the World By Train: Europe 2
Starring: Travel the World By Train
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
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Travel the World By Train: Europe 3
Travel the World By Train: Europe Part I
Travel the World by Train - Near & Middle East
Travel the World by Train, Vol. 5: Asia
Travel the World by Train: Africa

ASIN: B00000IBSX
Release Date: 1999-03-30

Amazon.com

The second European volume in the Travel the World by Train series is a grab bag of locations from western Portugal to northern Finland, at the edge of the Arctic Circle. The first trip departs from Paris and traverses the Loire region of France. This line might well be called the "Castle Express." Then one boards the super-fast TGV to the province of Bordeaux, producer of arguably the world's finest wine. Ancient Roman history permeates the very air here. Another train runs through France's Basque country, passing the resort town of Biarritz, a favorite surfing spot. We cross a bridge into Spain and we're now in Spanish Basque country, in the picturesque Pyrenees Mountains. One of the more affecting Spanish sites is the town of Guernica, destroyed by Nazis in 1937 and immortalized in Picasso's powerful painting of the same name.

After journeys through Portugal, it's on to Luxembourg, Belgium, and Holland. Memorable sites here include gorgeous Belgian Art Nouveau architecture and dazzling Dutch fields of tulips and windmills. When the train leaves Stockholm, Sweden, we are suddenly in a very different environment. The Scandinavian trains pass towering, dramatic fjords, sparkling lakes, and huge evergreen forests where reindeer run. These trips are shot in summer in a land where the sun barely sets at midnight: the effect is magical. As with all the videos in this series, the cinematography is impressive and the narration enlightening. --Laura Mirsky

Description

Travel five continents in a 55 country rail trip in this ten part series. On this journey, we travel from Paris through Loire and Bordeaux. Spain through the Basque Provinces; Luxembourg and Belgium and finally through Holland, Sweden, Norway and Finland.

Customer Reviews:

Europe by train.......2007-05-23

I enjoyed the video trip by train through northern European countries. However, I was disappointed that almost no coverage was given on the country of Portugal.

Average View of European Countries.......2000-09-04

There are some really breathtaking scenes in Sweden,Norway and Finland....they are just mesmerizing!They show sheer natural beauty that is abundant in these countries. However,the effort fails to capture anything about Spain and Portugal at all...there are only passing references to Madrid and Lisbon that might have been a little better. In some places the photography is just high class....but at the same time in other places the camera work is really poor...showing only dark images.This sure doesn't help. In its informational content I feel there is a lot to be desired.It is able to provide only a broader picture...some elaborate descriptions might help. In short,the feature can be rated as average.It could have been presented in a more dramatic fashion.The narration is not very good either.

A pleasant, easy way to ride the train..........1999-05-23

While the first video in this series displayed luxurious or special-purpose mountain trains, this one focuses a bit more on giving us a European tour (through Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Sweden) on the kind of trains ordinary folks are likely to use for day trips. The scenery, as viewed from the trains, is quite interesting, and the narrator takes time to educate the audience about ancient castles seen along the way, and their history. The background music is a bit tepid, but on balance the trips are enjoyable.

Average customer rating:

good
Cute kids
First-rate production values, but superficial coverage.

Travel the World by Train, Vol. 5: Asia
Starring: Travel the World By Train
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
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Travel the World by Train: Africa
Travel the World by Train: Australia & New Zealand
Travel the World by Train - Near & Middle East
Travel the World by Train: South America
Travel the World By Train: Europe 2

ASIN: B00000IBT8
Release Date: 1999-06-22

Amazon.com

Beginning amid the Buddhist temples of Myanmar, the railroad odyssey featured in Travel the World by Train: Asia takes the viewer aboard trains in six nations in Southeast Asia before leaping to Beijing, where the final leg of the trip is an amazing 5,700-mile jaunt through China and across Kazakhstan to the final destination of Moscow. This video often leaves the rail route for side trips to temple ruins and other equally startling sights in the countries along the way, and the footage of scenery as well as of trains is always professional and often quite striking. The trip through Vietnam, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, aboard the Reunification Express surprises with its appreciation for the natural beauty of the Vietnamese countryside. The video really doesn't offer much information about how Westerners could book such a trip for themselves, and some shots aboard the trains indicate that some of the accommodations (hammocks swinging in crowded train cars and lunches of chicken feet served on skewers) probably wouldn't entice most Western tourists anyway. But what the video lacks in practical instruction it makes up for with glorious footage of trains and remarkable scenery. --Robert J. McNamara

Description

Travel five continents in a 55 country rail trip in this ten part series. On this journey, we travel through six countries in Southeast Asia and across the Siberian continent from Bejing to Moscow.

Customer Reviews:

good.......2007-01-27

Wery good to see local trains with local people. Music can take off the film.

Cute kids.......2006-03-21

This is a harmless, pleasant video showing a lot of southern Asia. The best thing about it is probably the children. The Travel the World by Train series shows us lots of adorable little kids of different countries.

First-rate production values, but superficial coverage........2003-09-24

Like all the TWBT DVD's (there are 10) this one has excellent video quality - sharp, good color, professional narration - but it really tries to cover too much ground in an hour. You get a glance of the train station, a few shots of the passengers and a scenic view or two from the moving train, and then you are at the next location, maybe with a shot or two of a few famous sights. There is NO "railfan" data about the types of locomotives, rolling stock, etc. Overall, I believe you do get your money's worth but look elswhere for in-depth coverage of the countries visited or the details of train operation.

Travel the World by Train: South America

Average customer rating:

High quality but rushed coverage of SA trains
Basic Transportation

Travel the World by Train: South America
Starring: Travel the World By Train
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
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Travel the World by Train: Central America
Travel the World by Train: Africa
Travel the World by Train, Vol. 5: Asia
Travel the World by Train: Australia & New Zealand
Travel the World By Train: Europe 2

ASIN: B00000IBT3
Release Date: 1999-04-20

Amazon.com

"Awesome" is the only word to describe the vistas in the South America volume of the Travel the World by Train series. When the train departs from Quito, Ecuador, passengers are permitted to sit atop it, on the roof! (No virtual reality for these thrill seekers.) The conductor warns riders to duck under low bridges as intrepid food vendors make their way along the tops of the swaying cars. We ascend into the Andes Mountains, overwhelmed by the sheer immensity of the natural world.

The tourist excursion from Cuzco, Peru, is cushy by comparison. The views from the train windows may be just as spectacular as those on the Ecuadorian route: 9,800-foot mountains, raging rivers. But here, comely train attendants serve passengers coca tea for altitude sickness. The ride terminates at mind-blowing Machu Picchu, the mysterious lost city of the Incas. Another Peruvian trip provides rare aerial panoramas of the baffling line drawings of Nazca: hundreds of colossal, two-dimensional figures of monkeys, condors, and lizards etched into the desert hillsides centuries ago. The sight of 3,200-square-mile Lake Titicaca, at 12,500 feet the highest navigable lake in the world, is equally stunning.

A wood-powered steam train shoos cattle off the tracks in sleepy, agricultural Paraguay. Journeys through Brazil, Chile, and Argentina (including rugged Patagonia) complete this fascinating train tour of South America; all in all, it's a splendid initiation into the myriad beauties of this vast and varied continent. --Laura Mirsky

Description

Travel five continents in a 55 country rail trip in this ten part series. On this journey, we travel through Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile and finally Argentina.

Customer Reviews:

High quality but rushed coverage of SA trains.......2003-09-26

In typical TWBT format, covers trains in six countries, approx. 10 minutes each. Time for a few quick glimpses of the depot, the train itself, some passengers, and a few scenic views; then on to the next country. Excellent video and audio quality, including many overhead helicopter shots. Starts in Ecuador, then to Brazil and south, including Macchu Picchu. Ends with the "Patagonia Express," a steam train publicized by Paul Theroux; typically, the DVD shows this train arriving at its destination at night missing all the scenery in the area. Really a "sampler" of the subjects covered, providing only tantalizing glimpses of several potentially fascinating rail trips.

Basic Transportation.......1999-04-26

On the comfort scale, these train rides are one step above the Central America train rides. Those riders who choose to ride on top of the cars (with the conductor, no less) obviously have a limited sense of what's dangerous. You will learn a little history as you visit old Inca sites, and will get acquainted with mighty old steam locomotives. These trains aren't ritzy, but your chances of surviving the ride is better than with the Central America trains.

Travel the World By Train: North America

Average customer rating:

Lousy Excuse for Train Trip across North America
Fun Way To See The USA

Travel the World By Train: North America
Director: Graham Loveridge
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
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Travel the World by Train: Central America
Travel the World by Train, Vol. 5: Asia
Travel the World by Train: South America
Travel the World by Train: Australia & New Zealand
Travel the World By Train: Europe 2

ASIN: B00000IBSV
Release Date: 1999-03-02

Description

Travel five continents in a 55 country rail trip in this ten part series. On this journey, we travel through Alaska, Canada, then Seattle, to Chicago, New York, Miami and back to San Francisco and San Diego.

Customer Reviews:

Lousy Excuse for Train Trip across North America.......2000-11-26

I spent $15 for this train trip across North America, being a nature lover. It crams a supposed "trip" across North America into less than 60 minutes worth of time. And in that short time, it "travels" in Alaska, from Quebec in Canada to Vancouver, from Seattle to Chicago, from New York to Miami, from New York to San Francisco, and finally from San Francisco to San Diego. Each of these trips take less than 10 minutes; and they spend too much time on commenting about the TRAIN itself, such as the passengers, the food, the chefs, and they spend little time on the scenery itself. Don't get me wrong: it has several spectacular shots of North America, but very few are included...if you can afford to be disappointed, I guess, you could give this a try. I simply was expecting more for my buck.

Fun Way To See The USA.......1999-06-06

Here, at least, we're in familiar territory. The first train trip, through Alaska, shows off the natural wonders and wildlife of the state. The Canadian transcontinental trip that follows, from Quebec City to Vancouver, --which I personally enjoyed 35 years ago,-- compresses four days and three nights of travel into fifteen minutes, so you do miss a lot; but what you see is enjoyable and worthwhile. The trips that follow, from Seattle to Chicago, NYC to Florida, NYC to San Francisco, and from LA to San Diego, provide a wonderful display of the immensely varied US scenery and may prompt you to call Amtrak for a reservation.

Travel the World by Train - Near & Middle East

Average customer rating:

Good Coverage of Seldom Visited Rail Lines
P R E J U D I C E!
P R E J U D I C E!
S H A M E... and B A D!!!
Where Europe Ain't Where You Thought It Was

Travel the World by Train - Near & Middle East
Starring: Travel the World By Train
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
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Travel the World by Train, Vol. 5: Asia
Travel the World By Train: Europe 2
Travel the World By Train: Europe 3
Travel the World by Train: Africa
Travel the World by Train: South America

ASIN: B00000IBT4
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Amazon.com

The Near and Middle East volume of the Travel the World by Train series takes one on a captivating journey to the cradle of civilization. We begin in Istanbul, Turkey: the entrance to the Islamic world. On the Marmara Express, Muslim faithful chant prayers on the train. In Efes, on the Aegean Sea, looms the colossal Artemision Temple, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Umayyade Mosque, the oldest in existence, can be seen in Damascus, Syria. Also in Syria is the island of Arwad, once home to the ancient Phoenicians. The Israel trip begins in Jerusalem with views of important sacred sites: the Muslim Golden Dome of the Rock, the Christian Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the Jewish Wailing Wall. Tel Aviv's beaches and skyscrapers and the bustling Mediterranean port of Haifa highlight the Israeli trip. The train's tracks abruptly end; in more peaceful times they continued to Damascus.

Boarding in the capital, Teheran, the Iranian train traverses one of the globe's most arid regions, stopping in the astonishing ancient city of Esfahan. Travelers on India's Royal Orient Express from Delhi luxuriate aboard a gorgeous re-creation of a luxury steam train used by Maharajas. The exotic cross-India trip from Bombay chugs by sacred cave temples in Ellora and rice paddies on the Bay of Bengal before debarking in teeming Calcutta, where passengers bathe in the river outside the station. --Laura Mirsky

Description

Travel five continents in a 55 country rail trip in this ten part series. On this journey, we travel through the Near and Middle East and India, Istanbul, Turkey, Israel and Iran.

Customer Reviews:

Good Coverage of Seldom Visited Rail Lines.......2003-09-07

I believe the low ratings given above on the basis of "prejudice" are way off the mark. This is a DVD about TRAINS, not a scenic travelog of the prettiest sights in the countries involved. If the trains are located in unsightly areas and patronized mostly by poor people, then the photographers had no choice but to portray them accordingly. It's not as if the producers had a choice between luxury trains and run-down railroads and chose only the latter. There are plenty of videos available showing the attractive and "touristy" sites in the Middle East; this one is intended for a different audience.

P R E J U D I C E!.......2001-04-28

I think the title of my review says it all..! I see this DVD is made to insult audience intelligence by degrading Middle East countries.

First, the train is rarely available and can be found in deserted poor areas of very few countries in the Middle East and is not available for transportation... which makes this DVD of weak value to cover up such a subject about the Middle East.

Second, a poor deserted side of a city or country can never represent a whole city or country.

Third, the Middle East region is very rich with agriculture, touristy sites, ancient monuments and a holy religious culture... but non-was mentioned in this DVD.

Fourth, the Middle East has major commercial trading areas but non-was covered.

Fifth, non of local people habits nor social activities were covered.

Sixth, the capital cities were not covered except as a train station area!

Seventh, there are so many beautiful natural sites either of hot yellow deserts, white snowy mountains, deep valleys, lakes or rivers... but non was mentioned nor covered!

This DVD covers nothing but the poor life of poor non-educated people in deserted areas at the borders of Turkey, Syria, Iran and India.

For any viewer who has visited this area, ever watched the news, read or saw a documentary would know that this DVD is of no value and a waste of both money and time!