From London to Verona: travelling the IGUANA way across Europe

The trip - Train vs Plane

This trip marked my first long-distance train journey across Europe. I left Stratford International in East Village, London just before 6am and, from St Pancras, I boarded the Eurostar to Paris, officially starting what would become a 15-hour journey to Verona.

I had flown this route two years earlier, and while flying was quicker overall, I did not miss the airport queues, security checks, and long waiting times. The train felt more comfortable, with enough space to work properly and move around during the journey.

The Eurostar felt almost too quick. By the time I had finished my coffee, we were already arriving at Gare du Nord, in Paris (France). From there, I transferred to Gare de Lyon, which I had expected to be complicated but turned out to be straightforward thanks to the RATP mobile app and a smooth metro connection.

After a short break (and lunch), I boarded the TGV to Torino, for the longest part of the trip (approx. 6 hours). This section of the journey was a bit more chaotic with a full train and limited luggage space. I did not have much room to work but the landscape provided beautiful entertainment as we moved through France and towards the Alps.

The final journey from Torino to Verona felt like a release. I arrived shortly before 9pm, tired but satisfied that the journey had gone smoothly overall (no delay, no strike, no major inconveniences!).

A key part of making this trip possible was the Decarbonising European Conference Travel initiative known as “IGUANA” at King’s College London, and the support of Uzma Zahid (Thanks again, Uzma!!), who suggested using and helped me navigate the Interrail system. I used an Interrail Global Pass (around £250, https://www.interrail.com/en/interrail-passes/global-pass ), which made the journey significantly more affordable than booking individual tickets.

Learn from my mistakes

There were some early mistakes in how I booked segments, which made ticket retrieval more confusing than necessary, but Interrail customer service resolved this quickly. It was a reminder that the system works best when followed in a specific order: pass first, then activation, then bookings through the app.

Verona – Pain vs Gelato

The conference itself was held in Verona historic centre, and the setting played an important role in shaping the experience!! The weather in May was starting to feel warm and sunny. Between sessions, there was time to walk through the city, grab a coffee, a piece of focaccia or an ice cream, which set the place for interesting discussions.

As a postdoc researcher working on immune mechanisms in chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, it was an important opportunity to meet with other researchers and discuss emerging directions in pain research. I spoke with researchers from different disciplines and countries, and several conversations developed into concrete ideas for future collaboration. Some of the most meaningful exchanges happened informally, during coffee breaks and evening discussions, rather than in formal sessions. Moreover, beyond the science, being in a shared academic space is always energising in itself!

Take-home reflections

This trip also made me reflect on how we travel for academic work. Rail travel took longer than flying would have, but it felt more continuous, more usable, and less fragmented. It also made the journey feel like part of the academic experience rather than something separate from it.

With initiatives like IGUANA supporting more sustainable travel choices, I hope more researchers are able to take similar routes in the future. My journey to Verona showed that long-distance rail travel across Europe is not only possible, but also a genuinely valuable way to experience academic mobility.