If you want to roll away in style from the January blues into the fun of February then listen up! This week we are talking about a zorbing Traincation to Prague…

What’s all the fuss?
We’ve shown you before why zorbing is both (Global) Cool and the hottest adrenaline filled fun ride around at the moment. The experience involves a freefall roll down the side of a hill whilst strapped into a giant inflatable hamster ball. The roll can reach up to 50km/h and is truly one of the easiest ways to get a rush with very little risk. Zorbing is becoming very popular and has taken over many countries, but today we have chosen Prague. Travel Out There runs a great zorbing experience in Prague for an extreme run with an English-speaking instructor. It’s easy to do and relatively cheap so what are you waiting for?

Getting there
The best route is to go via the Cologne-Prague City night line sleeper, as it is the most time-effective option. Firstly you travel from London to Brussels by the comfy Eurostar.  Then after arriving in Brussels you catch the ICE high-speed train to Cologne, spend some time there getting dinner. Before catching the City night line sleeper train, this is the modern Czech sleeping-car with comfy seats and couchettes. Make sure you open up the blinds in the morning for beautifully scenic River Elbe! Then before you know it, you’re in Prague ready for your zorbing trip! Visit Loco2 or RailEurope for tickets and help with booking

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Here comes the science bit…
Global Cool wants you to lead a green and happy life. This article can help you to be green by taking the train instead of the plane to keep the planet happy.

Pics: Rob&Jules (CC), 

Picture it now: just you, the sunshine, a horse and the open road. This week we’re galloping into a new Traincation horse riding in Spain…

What’s all the fuss?
This horse riding holiday in Spain is run by a friendly couple called Miranda and Giles, whose love of horses is genuinely infectious. They live on a ranch in the town of Coin, on the borders of the Sierra de las Nieves National Park. They provide the perfect horse riding holiday experience with a home from home feel to it.

Several packages are available; you can either stay for a week, four days or just three. Each day contains four to five hours in which there will be a break to eat and drink, and also to stretch your legs! There are never more than six riders in one group to provide you with a well-managed and intimate ride. Each horse comes with a different personality, so they make it their upmost job to match each rider with the right horse.

The rides take you through rivers and valleys, through orange and lemon tree plantations, over hills and mountains into the countryside that is Andalucía. Make sure to bring your camera because the views are stunning and something to record and remember.

For when it’s time to relax there are fully equipped apartments which can sleep up to four people on the ranch. The majority of your time will be dedicated to horse rides but there is time to use the swimming pool, relax on sun terraces and in the gardens. They offer a great atmosphere filled with homemade food and wine.

Getting there
Coin is only a 30 minutes away from Malaga, so is nice and easy to access from the major stations. Simply take the Eurostar to Paris Audrey Tautou style, then the superb overnight ‘train hotel’ from Paris to Madrid. From Madrid you catch the high-speed ‘AVE’ train through the scenic mountains (pictured) all the way to Coin. Visit Loco2 or RailEurope for tickets and help with booking.

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Here comes the science bit…
Global Cool wants you to lead a green and happy life. This article can help you to be green by taking the train instead of the plane to keep the planet happy.

Pics: PA Images, Tupolev und seine Kamera (CC) and turtlemom4bacon (CC)

What do you get when you cross a train, some perfume and the beautiful French model/actress Audrey Tautou? We know this advert has been kicking about for ages, but we spotted it on TV again the other day and fell in love with it all over again. The advert for Chanel No5 perfume features the Amelie star taking a Traincation, with stunning scenes of a night in a sleeper car and the views along the way.

We think it really encapsulates the glamour and elegance of taking the Eurostar: just another reason to ditch the plane for the train. Check out the video here…

Here comes the science bit…
Global Cool wants you to lead a green and happy life. This article can help you to be green by taking the train instead of the plane to keep the planet happy.

Pic: PA Images

This week it’s time to inject a little more sophistication into your life with a wine tasting Traincation to Bordeaux…

What’s all the fuss?
Grape Escapes are a company dedicated to the wine industry and specialise in knowing what’s hot in the world of wine tasting. They offer the public wine tours to five top French wine regions and one in Spain too. They’re a very successful company with a large number of clients that return year after year. Their growing popularity is the result of providing excellent trips, fantastic customer service, and (most importantly) the best tipple.

Get away from the daily grind with a trip to The Bordeaux Wine Tasting Tour. This tour includes a two night’s stay in a choice of city centre hotels, and a fully guided day tour in either Medoc, Graves and Sauternes or St Emillion. Also you’ll be treated to an early evening tutored tasting session of three or the best regional wines in a traditional bordelaise bar. Along with the wine there will be a selection of cheeses and meats, as well as a host to keep you informed and entertained. To finish off the day there will be a four course gourmet dinner in a city centre restaurant, again accompanied by three of the local wines.

As mentioned above there are four different day tours you can choose from, we at Global Cool have chosen Graves and Sauternes tour. On this tour you firstly go on a tour of the Pessac-Leognan, which is known for both reds and dry white wines. You will then visit two chateaux for a tour and tastings of their wines. After you’ve spent some time for lunch, then you will head to Sauternes which is well known for its sweet dessert wines. After enjoying the tastings of the wines, don’t forget to capture the stunning view of the vineyards. However you can check the website for more information on the other day tours.

Getting there
Travelling to Bordeaux, France from London is very easy, and you can even enjoy a couple of glasses of wine on route to get you in the mood! Firstly you catch the Eurostar to Lille then make a simple same station interchange onto the direct TGV to Bordeaux. So what are you waiting for?

Picture it

Here comes the science bit…
Global Cool wants you to lead a green and happy life. This article can help you to be green by taking the train instead of the plane to keep the planet happy.

Pics: PA Images

Did you make yourself a daring New Year’s resolution for 2012? Well maybe a canyon jump in Switzerland will tick your box! It’s called Alpsurf and takes place in Interlaken…

What’s all the fuss?

To fulfill your need for an adrenalin rush, get yourself to Switzerland for the swing of your life. The experience is basically getting strapped into an 80m long swing and flying through a narrow alpine gorge. You’ll also have a chance to take in the beautiful sights of the Swiss Alps too while you’re there (pictured). Take along good shoes or boots, a camera and a windbreaker. There are obviously minor details that apply like age and weight restrictions (minimum age of 16 years old and the maximum weight of 220lbs), but other than that it’s all about having a good time.

Getting there
Travelling to Switzerland from London is very civilised and, quite frankly, if getting on a train is good enough for Audrey Tautou, it’s good enough for us. Unlike planes, the trains run from city centre to city centre, which makes your journey enjoyable and stress free.
It’s an easy route from London to Interlaken. Pick up the Eurostar to Paris, which takes an easy 2 hours and 20 minutes. Then on to a speedy TGV-Lyria from Paris to Basel. From here, catch a regular Swiss InterCity train from Basel through the mountain and along the lake shore to Interlaken OST. This journey can comfortably fit in just one day, and you’re there ready to take your almighty leap of faith! Visit Loco2 or RailEuropefor tickets and help with booking.

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Pics: PA Images

Happy New Year! We hope you’ve had a great one so far and that you’re enjoying all the extra bank holiday days we’ve been treated to this year. Today we’re taking you on a rather extraordinary Traincation to Venice. Enjoy…

What’s all the fuss?

Have you been on Traincation recently? Tell us all about it in the comments box below or on Twitter @Traincation…

Pics: Mark Heard (Creative Commons)

Christmas is over for another year, and that can only mean one thing – it’s time to get your glad rags on and party your way into 2012 in style. But this year we bring you a New Year’s Eve with a twist on Traincation to Prague…

You’ll float past Prague Castle, Mala Strana, Vysehrad Fortress and many more of Prague’s famous landmarks, while munching away at the yummy dinner buffet. Then it’s time to hit the bar and continue the celebrations (make sure you bring cash as cards aren’t accepted at the bar). Once you’ve got a bit of dutch courage in your belly, hit the upper decks and dance the night away. Close to midnight the boat will sail towards the Charles Bridge for the spectacular fireworks display.

Have you been on Traincation recently? Tell us all about it in the comments box below or on Twitter @Traincation…

Pics (CC): Fotopedia, RachelH_ and Zeitfixierer

Happy Boxing Day everyone! We’re counting down The 12 Days of Christmas, bringing you our best features of the year. Today we’re remembering all the amazing Traincations we have reviewed over the past year. Those in the know are turning to trains for all their short haul travel needs, especially now airport check-ins have become peep shows for overworked security guards.

From crossdressing in Amsterdam and belly dancing in Vienna, to dancing with skeletons in Spain and skiing with spatulas in Austria, we hope you’ve enjoyed all of our adventures.

Tell us what you think of our Traincations in the comments box below or on Twitter @global_cool…

Pic: PA Images

Anila Babla from Loco2 will be writing a series of @traincation travel-inspired posts, so make sure you come back next month to find out the latest, or join the conversation on Twitter with Loco2…

Forget the four season sleeping bag, the real accessory for any globetrotter worth their salt is a sweet smart phone loaded with the latest apps. Here are our faves, and there isn’t a flight comparison/search/confirmation app in sight…

Tour Wrist

Earworms
You know how frustrating it is when you can’t get the lyrics of a catchy tune out of your head? And then wonder why you can’t make your brain apply the same principle to learning a new language? Well Earworms has gone for the musical approach, helping you memorise foreign vocabulary with the power of song. Guaranteed to get you toes tapping and bring a little joy back to French lessons. Altogether now, ““Je vex un Coca Cola…”

Lightbox
What’s prettier than a picture of the Eiffel Tower? A picture of the Eiffel Tower with a beautiful image filter applied to it, that’s what. With the likes of Instagram, and its evocatively named filters (Apollo, Nashville, 1977) users have the ability to transform the most mundane of photographs into works of art, let alone epic Parisian monuments. And now, with Lightbox the entire Android army can do the same.

Tipster
If, like me, the thought of mental arithmetic leaves you cold, figuring out how much you owe at the end of a shared meal, not to mention a tip, is best left to maths brains. The beauty of apps is that no matter how obscure the problem, you can be sure someone, somewhere has solved it. The Tipster Global tip calculator has 8 tip categories and 60 countries, so you’ll never be at a loss of how much to tip.

Sitorsquat
The desire to spend a proverbial penny always seems to come at the most inopportune time. If you didn’t take our advice last time to get a BoginaBag, SitorSquat is the next best thing. Use it to find a toilet or bathroom anywhere in the world and you’ll never be caught short again!

Google Sky Map
While this can’t exactly be filed under essential travel apps, it’s nice to end on a bit of fun. With Google Sky Map, you can turn your phone window into the night sky, just like that. And if you’re really sneaky you can pretend you knew where Ursus Major was all along.

Pics: ILamont.com, Emmanuel Gadenne

Brought to you by Snowcarbon…

What’s all the fuss?
If you want to ski all day and eat and drink all night, Soll is pretty much perfect. This friendly Tyrolean village forms part of Austria’s largest linked ski area, the 279km Ski Welt. This area is full of some of the most amazing runs, such as Hohe Salve to Hopfgarten, with a 1200m vertical drop, or the thigh-burning blue piste from Brandstadl to Scheffau. Lunch at the Gipfelrestaurant at the top of Hohe Salve will have you in a spin – literally. The sun terrace rotates though 360 degrees over the course of an hour, with spectacular views over the WilderKaiser mountain range. Once the sun sets, head for the Moonlight Bar, where you are almost sure to end up dancing on tables – most probably to ubiquitous local legend DJ Otzi.

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Pics (CC): Skistar and nozomiiqel