Transport for Londoners

Last week I travelled from London to Amsterdam via Brussels on one of the new Eurostar trains, which have in fact been around since November 2015, but not being such a frequent traveller, it still defintely felt new to me. The e320 Eurostar trains are designed to be more energy and space efficient, and also include upgrades to the onboard passenger experience by way of USB charging sockets and free wi-fi (though I couldn't get it to work). However, the overall onboard experience incapsulated by the new interior design by Italian firm Pininfarina , has received mixed reviews - and I wonder if parts of the interior makeover also hint at an emerging advertising revenue model for Eurostar, also being seen in across other modes of transport. During my standard-class ride onboard the e320, it became obvious that Eurostar interiors seem to have been re-modelled according to the design standards of ubiquitous aeroplane interiors, effacing all previous reference to the continental design ...

image credit: andrusc Not as much as you might think actually - they are both active, relatively low-impact modes of transport which can form part of a wider mobility network. And in essence they are both alot of fun! Ten years ago I worked in a ski school in the French Alps, taking bookings and helping with children's lessons. It was a great lifestyle - although I still had an office job for the most part, nearly every day I would be out on the mountain for a few hours, and if I was going to see a friend in another part of the resort it would normally neccessitate skiing to get there. Days off were spent out on the mountain with friends, stopping off for a picnic, hot chocolate or vin chaud. If you've been lucky enough to get to grips with skiing, you'll no doubt appreciate the wonderful feeling of gliding down the mountain, cutting through the snow or floating over fresh powder off piste. Although a little more challenging to master, once accomplished, skiing it...