Posted on March 29, 2013
by Nellie Huang
in Europe, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland

Over the winter, we took off on an epic train journey around the coldest reaches of Europe armed with our Eurail global passes and plenty of winter gear. This journey – which we aptly named the Ice Run – was all about the ice, the powdery snow, the raw wilderness and the chilly cold. To mush in the sugar-coated winter land, we tried our hands [...]
Posted on March 27, 2013
by Nellie Huang
in Photoblog, Switzerland

Of all the train journeys we took on the recent Ice Run, the Glacier Express in Switzerland stood out in our memories. The extraordinary rail experience brought us from the eastern corner to the western half of the Swiss Alps, through landscapes of epic proportions. Starting our train journey in St Moritz, we wound past flowing rapids, ice-covered lakes, acres of prairies covered in [...]
Posted on March 26, 2013
by Nellie Huang
in Europe, Norway

Frozen lakes, dark green pines, and white-and-red Scandinavian farmhouses flank both sides of the railway as we swoosh through the white snow on our modern-day polar express. We’re climbing higher and higher into the mountains and the slopes are plunging into the endless depth. As I peer down and look beneath the tracks, my head spins slightly. It’s easy to get [...]
Posted on January 31, 2013
by Nellie Huang
in Europe, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland

At the start of December, we set off on an epic train journey around the coldest reaches of Europe with Eurail.Com. This journey – which we aptly named the Ice Run – was all about the ice, the powdery snow, the raw wilderness and the chilly cold. To mush in the sugar-coated winter land, we tried our hands at all sort of [...]
Posted on January 29, 2013
by Nellie Huang
in Europe, Finland, Norway, Sweden

Extending for hundreds of miles above the Arctic Circle, Lapland is one of the last remaining wildernesses in Europe. For many, this northern extreme is a mystery – where the midnight sun shines endlessly in summer and the stunning Aurora Borealis dances in the sky during the long, polar winter nights. Stretching across four countries and bounded by three different [...]
Posted on January 28, 2013
by Nellie Huang
in Europe, Finland

As part of the Ice Run journey, we’re exploring the Finnish Lapland, one of the coolest parts of Europe. We did plenty of fun winter activities like snowmobiling and ice-fishing, here’s a story about meeting a reindeer herder in Rovaniemi. *** I’ve always imagined reindeers to have the power to whisk me into the sky, just like Santa Claus’ reindeer sleigh. But [...]
Posted on January 22, 2013
by Nellie Huang
in Europe, Photoblog, Romantic escapades, Sweden

Amidst the gorgeous Narnia landscape of the Swedish Lapland stands ICEHOTEL, the world’s first hotel built entirely of ice and snow. It’s hard to believe that everything here is made of ice, until you see it for yourself. We recently visited the ICEHOTEL on a daytrip from Abisko and were blown away by this work of [...]
Posted on January 21, 2013
by Nellie Huang
in Europe, Finland

As part of the Ice Run journey, we’re exploring the Finnish Lapland, one of the coolest parts of Europe. We went crazy with winter activities like snowmobiling and dog-sledding. Here’s our story on ice-fishing in Rovaniemi. *** I jump up and down, like a child pouncing on her bed, eager to see if the ice beneath my feet will crack and fizzle. It’s ridiculously [...]
Posted on January 17, 2013
by Alberto Molero
in By Country, Europe, Norway, Photoblog, Romantic escapades, Short Getaways

Of all the places we visited on the Ice Run, Trondheim has got to be the biggest surprise for us. Surrounded by fjords, the city is a charming Nordic enclave rich in history and traditional flair. The town itself is tastefully built around a hill, studded with narrow cobble stoned alleys, classic Norwegian houses and [...]
Posted on January 16, 2013
by Alberto Molero
in Adventure Travel, By Country, Europe, Norway

“Are we going on these cool trucks?” We were standing in front of three restored military tanks that looked like they were taken straight out of a James Bond movie. “Yes, we normally use these to bring guests up the ski slopes when it’s too windy to run the cable car”. Our guide Svein explained. [...]
Posted on January 9, 2013
by Nellie Huang
in Europe, Romantic escapades, Sweden

“Yap yap, kom igen!” Come on, shouted Lina. The cacophony of howling and barking suddenly ceased and we were instantly engulfed in silence as our troop of huskies took to their heels. All morning, this was what they had been waiting for: running with all their might, with their tongues wagging, saliva dripping in all [...]
Posted on January 8, 2013
by Alberto Molero
in Adventure Travel, Europe, Sweden

Continuing with our Ice Run journey, we’re having our winter fun in the Swedish Lapland, one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights and try all sorts of winter activities. Here’s a story on the thrilling adventure of snowmobiling in Abisko. *** A strong wind whipped our faces as we drove on [...]
Posted on December 28, 2012
by Alberto Molero
in Europe, Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland

As the year comes to an end, we have reached the first half of our Ice Run journey through the coldest parts of Europe. Over the past few weeks, we have ridden a reindeer sleigh and met Santa Claus in Finland, caught the Northern Lights and visited Sweden’s original ICEHOTEL as well as tried our [...]
Posted on December 25, 2012
by Nellie Huang
in Festivals, Finland

Christmas is almost here, and we are excited to take a break from work and just enjoy beautiful Oslo, Norway. Even though we are spending the festive season on the road, traveling around Scandinavia by train on the Ice Run, we will be taking time off to relax, have a Christmas dinner, and immerse in the wonderful atmosphere here. This [...]
Posted on December 19, 2012
by Nellie Huang
in Europe, Photoblog, Sweden

Continuing on with our Ice Run, we zip through the border by train into the Swedish Lapland, where we saw some of the most amazing sights in the region. The Northern Lights were what first drew us to Lapland, and they didn’t disappoint. *** Swathes of green lights danced and shimmered across the sky, almost [...]