The Early Years: 1972-1990

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Writer Miranda Sawyer dons her rucksack to explore the impact of cheap European train travel on generations of Britons. For many, it was a rite of passage, clutching that all important rail pass. Sleeping on trains, running out of money, barely escaping trouble. Seeing new cultures and making friends. But with the arrival of budget airlines a decade ago, is exploring Europe by train as popular as it once was? Part one: the early years: 1972 - 1990.