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Edward BettsRolling north on a CrossCountry DMU from Bristol to Edinburgh for tonight's Geomob—always a highlight for map nerds like me. Today's train is a nine-car set: a Class 220 Voyager coupled with a Class 221 SuperVoyager, working well together.Early start (06:36 from Bristol), but worth it for £16 first class upgrade and a window seat. Train Wi-Fi was hopeless, so I switched to 5G. It was raining when I cycled to the station, but now the sun’s out and skies are blue.Looking forward to talks about maps this evening—my third Geomob Edinburgh! Staying just one night, then a Wikimedia meetup tomorrow before heading home.<a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/TravelVibes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TravelVibes</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/BetterByRail" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BetterByRail</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/TrainAdventures" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TrainAdventures</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/Geomob" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Geomob</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/GemobEDI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#GemobEDI</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/EdinburghWaverley" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#EdinburghWaverley</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/Edinburgh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Edinburgh</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/WikimediaUK" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#WikimediaUK</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/BristolTempleMeads" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BristolTempleMeads</a>

Edward BettsBack from FOSDEM in Brussels, and what an adventure it was! Tried to catch a train from Brussels-Luxembourg station to Brussels-Midi, but it was running 30 minutes late. No bother—opted for a rental bike instead. One of the perks of travelling with a backpack over a wheelie bag: you can cycle your way out of trouble! 🚴‍♂️Then, my Eurostar got cancelled. They bumped me onto the next one, two hours later. The departure lounge was packed with FOSDEM folk, and the train itself felt like a moving afterparty—nerdy conversations galore! 🚄✨Finally made it back to the UK: Underground to Paddington, GWR to Bristol Temple Meads, and a quick bike ride home to wrap it all up. Proper FOSDEM fringe experience, really.<a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/FOSDEM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#FOSDEM</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/FOSDEM2025" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#FOSDEM2025</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/ConferenceTravel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ConferenceTravel</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/BrusselsMidi" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BrusselsMidi</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/BristolTempleMeads" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BristolTempleMeads</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/GWR" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#GWR</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/Eurostar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Eurostar</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/TravelTales" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TravelTales</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/BetterByRail" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BetterByRail</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/EuropeByRail" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#EuropeByRail</a>

Edward BettsI'm on my way to Brussels for FOSDEM at the weekend.Last night’s hotel room in London has to be the smallest I’ve ever stayed in. That said, it wasn’t pricey, and it was conveniently close to St Pancras for catching the Eurostar to Brussels this morning.Speaking of which, the Eurostar waiting area at St Pancras was surprisingly quiet when I arrived at 7:45.<a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/Eurostar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Eurostar</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/BetterByRail" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BetterByRail</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/EuropeByRail" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#EuropeByRail</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/FOSDEM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#FOSDEM</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/FOSDEM2025" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#FOSDEM2025</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/StPancras" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#StPancras</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/BrusselsMidi" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BrusselsMidi</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/ConferenceTravel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ConferenceTravel</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/HotelLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HotelLife</a>

Edward Betts🚂 All aboard for an obscure rail adventure!Today, I’m embarking on a rather unusual train journey from Bristol to Brussels for FOSDEM 2025 (1st-2nd Feb, Brussels)—the legendary free software conference. But instead of the usual Bristol > London > Brussels route, I’m taking the scenic (and slightly eccentric) path via Cambridge and London. Why? Because trains.Here’s the fun bit: there’s a single daily train that runs directly from Bristol Temple Meads to Cambridge, and I’ve been itching to try it for years. It's a three-car Class 170 Turbostar that departs Bristol at 06:25 and rolls into Cambridge at 11:08. No changes, no Tube dashes between London terminals—just a rare, direct cross-country route. It’s the kind of obscure rail journey that makes my inner transport geek very happy.The catch? It’s not exactly the quickest way to Cambridge (most people would change in London), and there’s no return service. But who cares when you’re ticking off a long-awaited rail oddity? To make it even better, I snagged a bargain by splitting my ticket at Worcestershire Parkway—because why not make it a little more complicated?After two nights in Cambridge, I’ll head to London for Geomob London on Thursday evening—always a brilliant night for geo-nerds. Then, it's onwards to Brussels on Friday, ready for FOSDEM.Speaking of FOSDEM, I’ll be running the Geospatial devroom on Saturday morning, featuring nine talks all about maps. If you’re into geospatial tech, open source, or just love maps, come along—it's going to be a great session.So, here's to obscure train routes, split tickets, and the joy of combining travel quirks with tech conferences.<a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/RailGeek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#RailGeek</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/FOSDEM2025" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#FOSDEM2025</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/FOSDEM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#FOSDEM</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/Geomob" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Geomob</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/GeomobLON" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#GeomobLON</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/Geospatial" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Geospatial</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/Trains" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Trains</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/BrusselsBound" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BrusselsBound</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/EuropeByRail" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#EuropeByRail</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/BetterByRail" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BetterByRail</a>

Edward Betts<a href="https://mastodon.social/@freyfogle" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@freyfogle</a> Sounds great! I really want to try the Caledonian Sleeper.<a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/ConferenceTravel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ConferenceTravel</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/geomob" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#geomob</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/CaledonianSleeper" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#CaledonianSleeper</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/BetterByRail" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BetterByRail</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/SleeperTrain" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SleeperTrain</a>

Edward BettsI’m heading up to <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/Geomob" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Geomob</a> in Edinburgh this Tuesday, ready to dive into an evening packed with fascinating talks on maps and tech. I'll be catching the 08:35 CrossCountry from Bristol Temple Meads, rolling into Edinburgh at 15:01 aboard a Class 221 Super Voyager in coach A, seat 6.Guess what? I snagged a 1st Class upgrade for just £18 using —originally, these tickets were going for over £200 more than standard. Can’t wait to enjoy the journey in style.<a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/geomobEDI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#geomobEDI</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/BetterByRail" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BetterByRail</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/CrossCountry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#CrossCountry</a>

Edward BettsHeading to London on the train for today's <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/geomobLON" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#geomobLON</a>.It's going to be a good one!<a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/BetterByRail" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BetterByRail</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/TechTalks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TechTalks</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/TrainTravel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TrainTravel</a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/OpenStreetMap" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#OpenStreetMap</a>

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