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Many people ask us how fast our 2CV goes. Well, for awhile Charlie was going at 160kmh and travelled a thousand kilometers. Pretty damn impressive, huh? Well, also pretty unlikely. Charlie let the train take the strain as we motor-railed our way to Amsterdam.

All aboard for Dusseldorf

All aboard for Dusseldorf

To be honest we didn’t realize that motor rails still operated in Europe and had come across the service by accident – but it’s brilliant! The motor rail brings together a regular sleeper train and a car carrier and leaves Italy from Alessandria, just north of Genoa. There are other services from other places as well, so we strongly recommend you check it out. The car can remain fully loaded when it is driven on, and because Charlie has a soft top, he was loaded at the bottom and behind another vehicle for added protection. At those speeds he would have had quite a nasty face lift on the top deck! It was still a pretty tight squeeze.

Charlie is ready to roll

Charlie is ready to roll

We left Alessandria in the late afternoon, with a five-person carriage all to ourselves. All that was left to do was sit back and enjoy the ride.

Nothing to do but relax

Nothing to do but relax

Later in the year, with longer days, we would have seen the Alps speed by, but not long after we left Italy it was too dark for a view.

Last views of Italy

Last views of Italy

Charlie is back there somewhere

Charlie is back there somewhere

The morning dawned misty and grey, but we breakfasted with river views and Rhineland castles as we rattled toward Dusseldorf.

Grey days and morning haze

Grey days and morning haze

Imposing castles and dwarfed caravans near Koblenz

Imposing castles and dwarfed caravans near Koblenz

Misty moutain morning

Misty moutain morning

Rhine castles even in the river

Rhine castles even in the river

Speeding through Germany

Speeding through Germany

By 10:30 we had arrived in Dusseldorf and Charlie came rolling off, none the worse for our high speed adventure.

Slowly coming off the carrier

Slowly coming off the carrier

Setting our sights on Amsterdam

Setting our sights on Amsterdam

Another three hours and we were back home to Amsterdam, with a new-found love of motor rails!