I spent the first seven years of my life in the United Kingdom and still have some British terms and phrases in my vocabulary.
20.07.2023 - 12:15 / edition.cnn.com
Underneath oceans, burrowed inside glaciers or dug deep into the Earth, tunnels have long been an enduring source of fascination for travelers. Whether speeding passage between major cities, hopping between islands or even acting as a final resting place, these are the world’s most amazing tunnels.
Head torches at the ready!
At 57 kilometers (35.5 miles), the Gotthard Base Tunnel is the longest and deepest railway tunnel in the world.
Not to be confused with the shorter, 19th century Gotthard Tunnel or the Gotthard Road Tunnel, this epic feat of engineering first opened in 2016 to boost train freight traffic beneath the Alps.
Passenger services between major Swiss and continental cities also zip through, passing depths of some 2,450 meters.
Tunnels are essential in Norway, a means of connecting its many coastal cities and islands. The Lærdal Tunnel – or Lærdalstunnelen – is the longest road tunnel in the world, covering 24.5 kilometers (15.23 miles), and since 2000 has created the fastest route between Oslo and Bergen.
Aware that the 20-minute drive could cause motorists to lose concentration, engineers carved out rock chambers every six kilometers, with special blue and yellow lighting designed to mimic a sunrise.
A huge tunnel has opened below Niagara Falls
Plans for an undersea connection between the UK and France date back over 200 years, with intrepid 19th-century engineers even trying to burrow beneath the English Channel to prove its viability.
The 50-kilometer (31-mile) tunnel first opened in 1994 following six years of construction work and sits some 75 meters (246 feet) beneath the sea bed.
Today the Channel Tunnel speeds passengers between London and Paris in just over two hours, with a car service allowing motorists and trucks to drive onto a train near UK coastal port Folkestone before disembarking at Calais on the French side.
Japan’s myriad islands and vast bays have long made it a mecca for tunnel makers. The Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line, also known as the Trans-Tokyo Bay Expressway, connects Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures, without the need to drive around the coast.
What makes it stand out, though, is the fact it starts out as a tunnel on the Kanagawa side, before rising out of the water at Umihotaru, an artificial island with a rest stop and viewing platforms for taking in sweeping views of the Tokyo skyline.
The final stretch to Chiba is covered on a bridge, which arrivals at Haneda airport will be able to spot as their plane comes in to land over the water.
The Gotthard Base Tunnel may have taken its crown as the longest railway tunnel in the world, but the Seikan Tunnel remains a remarkable feat of engineering, all 53.85 kilometers (33.46 miles) of it. It
I spent the first seven years of my life in the United Kingdom and still have some British terms and phrases in my vocabulary.
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It’s no longer something to keep hidden.
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If you want to stay at the best hotel in the United States, head to the French Quarter Inn in Charleston, South Carolina. And if you’re looking for the best bargain hotel stay in the world, it’s in a small town in northern Spain. That’s according to TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards, which just shared the best hotel ratings for multiple categories heading into 2019.
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Cushioned by the North Shore Mountains, Vancouver is interrupted by pockets of greenery and bay views. The natural landscapes are matched by the port city’s art museums, vibrant food culture, and wine bars that show off what British Colombia is capable of. Downtown Vancouver, BC, hotels put you within walking distance of the main sights and are just a short subway or boat ride to outlying spots. These are the best luxury hotels in Vancouver for living the high life on Canada’s West Coast.
Repeated heatwaves and growing fears about the climate crisis may spell the beginning of the end for the Mediterranean as a holiday destination, according to a report published by the European Travel Commission.