100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders πŸš€

Slow Trains to Venice

A 4,000-Mile Adventure Across Europe
3.88 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 266 ratings, 25 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Slow Trains to Venice by Tom Chesshyre is a captivating travelogue where the author embarks on a leisurely train journey across Europe, starting in London and ending in Venice. Throughout his adventure, Chesshyre explores lesser-known routes and fascinating destinations, capturing the charm of travelling slowly and the allure of Europe's railways. This book offers delightful insights into the landscapes, cultures, and characters encountered along the way.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2999
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you have a love for rail travel and an appetite for adventure across Europe. You'll enjoy the detailed observations, humour, and unexpected encounters as the author takes a circuitous journey, highlighting the charm of slow journeys through various landscapes and cultures.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Do you love trains and adventure? If so, join Tom Chesshyre on his meandering rail journey across Europe from London to Venice.
Escaping the rat race for a few happy weeks, Chesshyre indulges in the freedom of the tracks with no set plans. As the trains lead the way, his trip takes him as far east as Ukraine before winding back to his destination.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
Do you love trains? Do you love adventure? If so, join Tom Chesshyre on his meandering rail journey across Europe from London to Venice.

Escaping the rat race for a few happy weeks, Chesshyre indulges in the freedom of the tracks. From France, dogged by rail worker strikes, through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland, he travels as far east as Odessa by the Black Sea in Ukraine. With no set plans, simply a desire to let the trains lead the way, he heads back via Hungary, the Balkans, and Austria.

Along the way, he enjoys many encounters, befriending fellow travellers as well as a conductor or two.

Slow Trains to Venice is a love letter to Europe, written from the trackside.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Slow Trains to Venice by Tom Chesshyre has been praised for its lively exploration of Europe's railways, serving as both a delightful travelogue and a poignant commentary on the continent's current challenges. Critics appreciate Chesshyre's ability to capture the joys of slow travel while reflecting on broader themes of European unity in a period of uncertainty. The book is described as engaging, entertaining, and imbued with nostalgia, prompting readers to long for their own train journeys through Europe's scenic and historic routes.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781787832992

Publisher: Octopus Publishing Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 13 August 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Summersdale Publishers

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 220g

Pages: 320

About the Author

Tom Chesshyre is the author of thirteen travel books. He has travelled more than 40,000 miles around the world for his train books, which have included Slow Trains Around Spain: A 3,000-Mile Adventure on 52 Rides and Ticket to Ride: Around the World on 49 Unusual Train Journeys. His book writing has also taken him across North Africa after the Arab Spring, round the "dark side" of the Maldives on cargo ships, along the length of the River Thames, around the Lake District on a long hike, and on a journey through "unsung Britain" (for To Hull and Back). He worked on the travel desk of The Times for 21 years and is now freelance, contributing to the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday and The New European magazines. He lives in London.

Also by Tom Chesshyre

View all
  • Slow Trains Around Britain
    "Easy-going, discursive and digressive, even those to whom trains are a closed timetable will find this a charming travelogue." - Stuart Maconie Join travel writer and self-confessed "train nut" Tom Chesshyre as he celebrates 200 years of passenger railways on a zigzagging tour around the UK β€” where trains (proudly) began. In a small market town in the northeast of...
    Hardback
    $4500
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Slow Trains to Istanbul
    Tom Chesshyre is the consummate traveller, who makes you want to experience all his adventures and mishaps for yourself. - Christian Wolmar, author of British Rail: The Making and Breaking of Our Trains From London via Paris, Naples, Nuremberg, the Swiss Alps, Budapest, Athens and into the furthest corners of Eastern Europe across Romania and Bulgaria, join Tom Chesshyre on...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Lost in the Lakes
    LAKELAND BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 - THE BILL ROLLINSON PRIZE FOR LANDSCAPE & TRADITION RUNNER UP Join travel writer Tom Chesshyre for a Lakeland adventure like no other. Explore towering mountains, wide-open valleys, and magnificent lakes - stopping off at a cosy inn or two along the way - on a 379-mile hike around the Lake District. From Penrith...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Slow Trains to Istanbul
    Tom Chesshyre is the consummate traveller, who makes you want to experience all his adventures and mishaps for yourself. - Christian Wolmar, author of British Rail: The Making and Breaking of Our Trains From London via Paris, Naples, Nuremberg, the Swiss Alps, Budapest, Athens and into the furthest corners of Eastern Europe across Romania and Bulgaria, join Tom Chesshyre on...
    Hardback
    $5000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Pre-order
    Slow Trains Around Britain
    "Easy-going, discursive and digressive, even those to whom trains are a closed timetable will find this a charming travelogue." - Stuart MaconieJoin travel writer and self-confessed "train nut" Tom Chesshyre as he celebrates 200 years of passenger railways on a zigzagging tour around the UK - where trains (proudly) beganIn a small market town in the northeast of England in...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Pre-order
    Out 25 Aug 2026
  • Pre-order
    Ticket to Ride: 10th Anniversary Edition
    The 10th anniversary of Tom Chesshyre's bestselling, whistle-stop tour around the globe in 49 unique train journeysWhy do people love trains so much?Tom Chesshyre is on a mission to find the answer by experiencing the world through train travel - on both epic and everyday rail routes, aboard every type of ride, from steam locomotives to bullet trains, meeting a...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Pre-order
    Out 28 Jul 2026
  • Slow Trains Around Spain
    Between soaring mountains, across arid deserts, parched plains and valleys of fruit orchards and olive groves, down glittering coastlines and along viaducts towering above plunging ravines, there is no better way to see Spain than by train. Rail enthusiast Tom Chesshyre, author of Slow Trains to Venice, Ticket to Ride, and Tales from the Fast Trains, hits the tracks once...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Travel & Adventure

View all
  • The Salt Path
    The bestselling true story of the couple who lost everything and embarked on a journey not of escape but salvation, soon to be a major motion picture starring Golden Globe winning Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, the couple lose their home and their livelihood. With...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Lonely Planet Japan
    #1 Bestselling guidebook to Japan "Classic. Comprehensive. Crucial." - Library Journal Lonely Planet's local travel experts reveal all you need to know to plan the trip of a lifetime to Japan. Discover popular and off the beaten track experiences from visiting Yoshino for Japan's most famous cherry-blossom-viewing festival to sipping sake at a 300-year-old brewery in Niigata, and exploring the...
    Paperback
    $4100
    Elsewhere:
    $4499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maintenance: Of Everything
    The first in-depth exploration of maintenance and a powerful argument for its civilisational importance from the author of How Buildings Learn and creator of the Whole Earth Catalog. Maintenance is what keeps everything going. It's what keeps life going. Yet it's also easy to shirk or defer until the thing breaks, the system falters, and everything stops. The apparent paradox...
    Hardback
    $7999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Abroad in Japan
    The hilarious number one bestselling memoir from YouTube sensation Chris Broad, a Brit trying to assimilate into life in Japan as he unravels the wonders and eccentricities of one of the world's most mysterious cultures. When Englishman Chris Broad landed in a rural village in northern Japan, he wondered if he'd made a huge mistake. With no knowledge of the...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Cat's Tales
    Once upon a time, the enchanting creature that is the cat infiltrated our lives – and our folklore. Cats have a long association with the supernatural – from being worshipped as gods in ancient Egypt to vilified as witches’ familiars in Europe – and they appear in countless fairy tales throughout history. Every part of the world has its own...
    Hardback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Penguin Lessons
    Now a major film, this is the true story of an unlikely friendship between a flightless bird and a teacher out of his depth. When schoolteacher Tom Michell pulls a penguin from an oil slick off the coast of Uruguay, he has no idea what to do. Back at his apartment, Tom cleans him, but upon returning to the beach,...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Rambling Man
    THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING HILARIOUS NEW BOOK FROM THE NATION'S FAVOURITE COMEDIAN, BILLY CONNOLLY "Being a Rambling Man was what I always wanted to be, to live the way I damn well pleased. I've met the weirdest and most wonderful people who walk the Earth, seen the most bizarre and the most fantastic sights - and I've rarely come across...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    22% off
    Lonely Planet Pocket Lisbon
    Lonely Planet's Pocket Lisbon is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life - neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Experience the city's most scenic tram routes, find the best pastΓ©is de nata and discover the winding backstreets of Alfama; all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Lisbon and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Cozy Bookshops: Colouring Book
    Cozy Bookshopsβ€”your ultimate escape into a world of bookish bliss and mindful relaxation in 46 adorable scenes, from the coziest book nooks. Wander labyrinthine bookshelves, sink into soft armchairs by roaring fireplaces, and lose yourself in snug, atmospheric corners. Escape, relax, and unwind with this colouring book for all skill levels and bring your own personality. The possibilities are endless!...
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    22% off
    Lonely Planet Pocket Porto
    Lonely Planet's Pocket Porto is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Experience the historic Se cathedral, marvel at the stunning Palacio da Bolsa, and visit peacocks in Jardim do Palacio de Cristal, all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Porto and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Auto Biography
    From one of the world's most popular motor journalists, a highly entertaining, clued-up and panoramic guide to cars. A highly entertaining, clued-up and panoramic guide to cars by Mat Watson, the world's most followed car journalist on social media. Mat Watson knows everything there is to know about cars. In his 25-year career as a motor journalist, he has driven...
    Hardback
    $4600
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Brilliant Maps
    With a foreword by Tim Harford Which nations have North Korean embassies? Which region has the highest number of death metal bands per capita? How many countries have bigger economies than California? Who drives on the 'wrong' side of the road? And where can you find lions in the wild? Revelatory, thought-provoking and fun, Brilliant Maps is a unique atlas...
    Paperback
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.