Take the train, not the plane

Take the train, not the plane -

take the train, not a plane.

I had spent most of the night acutely aware of every bump in the track, every bridge, every station; this was the beginning of a journey very long process that would eventually take me to the train and Vietnam - Jan Kiepura sleeper - was slowly making its way across northern Germany. I do not know if you've ever tried to sleep on a train , I did a lot and I always find that the first night was rough, my body needs time to get used the rhythm, roller.Sun streamed in through the holes in the curtains, I came down from my bunk and slipped into the silent corridor , morning rose over the Polish countryside. fog was low over the fields and the stage was lit with a golden light I got up, looking out the window, drinking in the glorious dawn blissfully happy that this was the first of many mornings, I saw the world from a train window. Because the experience of the dawn of a train crossing the distant land is one of the most inspiring things of the world, it fills you want adventure, a time gold that will be engraved on your memories forever . it sure beats fly!

dawn on track in Myanmar

few hours later, the Jan Kiepura sleeper pulled into Warsaw from the station to where he was a few steps from our accommodation. Such is the beauty of taking the train :. Most often, you arrive at the center You do not suddenly abandoned in an airport miles from anywhere and there is no waiting at the baggage carousel to see if your bag took the same flight as you did , you can just walk around the city.

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I prefer to take the train to fly on a plane, which is the simple fact that I am exposing here and if you want to see what I'm on about Europe rail offers the opportunity for two people to win an amazing price:

* First Eurail class World passes for unlimited rail travel in 28 European countries . *

That would be my dream ticket! All you have to do is complete a short survey (before June 16, 2015) to take the train instead of flying: 3 minutes and you could be on your way to a great adventure railway

- This questionnaire is now closed ---

So where do -you go if you win this fantastic prize?

unlimited travel throughout Europe opens a continent destinations, jumping from an amazing city to another, effortlessly crossing borders that Europe goes out the window. Pass global Eurail can be used for unlimited travel in all purple country on the map below , just looking at this map and I'm like a little kid in a store candy: I want to go everywhere I recommend sincerely explore northern Europe by train I went !. London Finland via Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden. This spectacular journey past through beautiful landscapes and many major cities: I fell head-over-heels in love with Copenhagen and Helsinki . Switzerland is a passenger rail dream, efficient trains traveling through the scenery jaw dropping. I went in the Swiss Alps a couple of times by train from the UK. It's so much fun exchanging large modern trains for small cog trains that climb the mountains picture-perfect alpine villages

Lauterbrunnen

 

Wengen

 

The two-story French trains

 

a train on a ferry towards Denmark from Germany!

 

I would like to head Eastern Europe to explore :. Prague, Budapest, perhaps traveling to Romania or down to CroatiaEurope has some sleeper trains, like the one I took from Cologne to Warsaw, but to be honest d hopping one country to another can be done within hours , the trains are fast and distances are short enough from town to town. I've flown twice in Europe the UK. once, centuries ago in Italy for a week and a long weekend last summer for a wedding in France. This trip to France was on a budget airline, we had to hike miles of airport parking where we were herded like cattle to the gate, crammed into small seats and deposited 70 kms from our destination: we rented a car was the main reason to fly, and that a super-cheap price. He reminded me what a chore flight was. I travel light , my small hand luggage is perfect for train travel, I can easily wheel along the platform and down the cars, everything is packed carefully, compactly and carefully. I can take liquids and creams I want when I take the train, but to steal carry on I had to adapt my whole liquid makeup and wash stuff in the clear bag needed plastic substance pour into tiny plastic containers, then have it ready out of the bag when it passes through the scanner.We had to queue for ages at the door, there were no seats there, we could not stay back because we wanted to make sure our bags n ' t get relegated to the hold. It was an unpleasant experience and all I could think was at the time oh how I wish I was in the beautiful dining international boarding St Pancras, pending the Eurostar!

Here are my top 10 reasons why I prefer traveling by train instead of flying :.

1. trains generally offer you closer to your destination, often conveniently central For example, during my Scandinavian rail trip I took only ever once a taxi (which was from a ferry terminal, not a railway station), all stations are in walking distance of my home. Airports are generally miles from where you want to be.
   

   Conveniently located in Cologne Station

2. You do not have to pack all liquids in small plastic bags transparent. no baggage allowances (within reason of course, and on the Eurostar), if your bag is too heavy, it does not matter, it will cost you no further; and you can take as much liquid as you want, you can even take your own bottle of wine on board (or large amounts of doubtful minds if you are Russian )!
3. meet the locals. trains can present a country and its culture as you go through it, the planes just drop you in a free country. I met wonderful people on trains across the world: Syrian men Toros Express through Turkey, who presented us coffee and Syrian hospitality, and taught us some Arabic words; the youth form the Burmese staff that regularly popped into our compartment for a cat; Chinese man, the train from Beijing to Xi'an was fascinated by the Channel Tunnel; Natasha and Valiyr who sang Russian folk songs for us in deepest Siberia.
   

   Myanmar Railway Restaurant Car

4. Take the train can often be faster than flying. Ok, so taking the train to Vietnam from the UK takes a lot longer than flying, but for shorter distances the train can often be faster if we take into account the time of check in and transit times with airports. The Eurostar from London to Paris takes 2 hours 15 minutes - you can add a little at each end to get to St Pancras and recording, and Gard Travel North in the center of Paris, but it is nothing compared to go and equivalents airports and heavy security.
5. the environmental cost of the aircraft is terrible. Voyager train is a much greener way to see the world. Unless you are adventurous enough or energetic enough to bike or walk, then take the train wins every time on this issue. Also, you are financially contribute locally when traveling by train, buying food and such in stations and on platforms.
6. is comfortable. Your knees are not rammed to the seat in front of you, and nobody sat on your lap. You can get up and walk up and down the train, standing at the window to enjoy the view, there is no need for seatbelts, no turbulence ( unless you Burmese are on a train! ).
7. Stations are wonderful, they are not sterilized places without character like airports. In places where the rails have been there a long time most of the stations are like palaces, architectural gems: just take a moment you pass through the ticket hall, there may be a mosaic ceiling or an impressive arched roof. They add a sense of romance and grandeur of your trip.
   

   Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai

8. Travelling by train can be really flexible , especially if you have a pass rail, just turn and go up! Booking in advance can save you money in some countries such as the UK, Finland, France and Germany, but a rail pass gives you the ultimate freedom to travel whenever you want without having to worry about high prices last minute.
9. train journeys become stories. I have a lot posts on this blog about rail travel I took and the adventures that trains are held is pulled away stations. I have no messages about flight I took (bar the odd picture in flight). Flights are simply not as blogworthy that travel by train, and if it was it would probably not have been a pleasant flight!
   

   Copenhagen station

10. Sleeper trains have proper beds. As I mentioned above, I took a lot of sleeper trains, and once I got used to the rolling movement, I can sleep well and comfortable. I can not sleep sitting, not on airplanes and not on the bus. real beds, with pillows and sheets help you catch up on your sleep, leaving you refreshed when you arrive.
    

    Aboard the T8701 Nanning to Hanoi train station

I hope I have convinced you that some trips are best taken by train.

Tell me which countries would be in your favorite train adventure in the comments below

Disclaimer: I have been Europe offset by rail to write this post but my absolute love of rail travel is genuine, just dig around this blog for a bit to see that! All thoughts are entirely my own.  

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