Watching the Detectives on Europe Train Holidays

Europe train holidays have long been associated with the glamour of the classical age of rail travel; an era which coincided with the days of the great fictional detectives. Since Agatha Christie's seminal murder mystery 'Murder on the Orient Express', glamorous European rail travel has been a hallmark of detectives across the ages. There have been several fictional detectives aside from Christie's Poirot who have been associated with the intrigue and glamour of Europe, and you would be forgiven for imagining you might bump into one of these mysterious and dynamic figures at any moment on your Europe train holidays.Sherlock HolmesThe most famous literary detective to have ever picked up a magnifying glass and worn a deerstalker (except for the fact that he does neither in Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories and novels!), Sherlock Holmes will forever be associated with the fog and clip-clopping carriages of Victorian London. However, the Great Detective's cases often included a strong hint of the glamour of Europe train holidays, such as the first short story, A Scandal in Bohemia, featuring a visit from the King of Bohemia. Another famous story, 'The Final Problem', featured a pseudo-train holiday as Holmes and his stalwart companion flee across Europe by train to evade the clutches of villainous Professor Moriarty.Brother CadfaelWhile Ellis Peters' detective, Brother Cadfael, is known in his stories for his travels around Europe, you would never really have crossed his path on any Europe train holidays - the stories are set firmly in Medieval England, in the first half of the 12th century. However, travel is an integral part of the Brother Cadfael stories, as the character is established as having been a wanderer in his youth - a fact often landing the Benedictine monk and herbalist in trouble with other characters.Inspector ClouseauWhile many detectives often embody competence and glamour with their remarkable mental prowess, one detective might raise a very different reaction if you were to meet him on your Europe train holidays. Inspector Clouseau, created by Blake Edwards (and notably brought to life onscreen by Peter Sellers) is often depicted as a bumbling and incompetent member of the French Police, who nonetheless solves his cases through blind luck. His clumsiness and stupidity are often played for laughs, inducing homicidal rage in his superior, Chief Inspector Dreyfus. Europe train holidays will often take in the sights, sounds, and bustling culture of Paris, and for every famous detective such as Poirot who springs to mind, you may also be reminded of investigators like Clouseau on your journey.