A train tour of Europe’s cool northern capitals: from London to Vilnius, via Berlin and Warsaw

[Booed Off Stage]

A train tour of Europe's cool northern capitals: from London to Vilnius, via Berlin and Warsaw

My epic rail journey to some of the continent's most creative and edgy cities mimics a cruise – I hop on and off, eat too much and soak up the culture

The people queueing for the Eurostar at London St Pancras station, rushing in from the rain in hoodies, look noticeably less enthusiastic than the usual holiday crowds. But then, we aren't heading to the usual hot, heady holiday destinations of Spain or the south of France, but boarding a train to north-east Europe. For me, it will be a journey of more than 1,000 miles – via Amsterdam, Berlin and Warsaw to Vilnius – visiting some of the coolest capitals in the north. At least in terms of temperature.

As England sweltered this summer, and Spain reached a hellish 46C, it made sense to head away from the heat on what is now fashionably being called a "coolcation". I left in August, with a suitcase full of jumpers.

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