Wave goodbye to airport chaos and hop on a train, says Wood. No more tedious checking in, or hanging around for the obligatory two hours in the departure lounge.

Europe is in the throes of a railway renaissance. And not only do many modern trains jet along at 120mph, but they tend to drop you in the city centre, rather than the local equivalent of Hounslow.

With the right sort of rail pass (she explains how to choose, as well as how to track down bargains) the budget traveller is free to wander at will.

There's plenty to read on the train, too. Here are some selected tips, gleaned from among the 844 pages of the fully-updated Year 2000 edition.

• On Sofia station: "Keep hold of your luggage at all times and don't even think about sleeping there."

• On Ukrainian hostels: "Ukrainians tend to be short and the beds are built to fit!"

• On Russian railways: "All travellers into Russia by train must be prepared for a lengthy wait at the border whilst all the train's wheels are changed to fit the wider Russian tracks."