On my travels, I often used the Train as a means of transportation. The train has a special charm and therefore I use it more often than other alternatives. Here I will try to describe the advantages and disadvantages of such travels. I will also describe a couple of my experiences with trains. Finally, I list which routes I would like to do and a couple of links to useful sites for traveling by train.

Lastnosti potovanja z vlaki

Comfortable

Comfort is the main advantage. I, with a height of 6 feet 3, have problems on flights and in buses. There is enough space for my legs on the train. Sleeping compartments are available for longer trips. In the case of a longer trip, it is possible to take a walk. More and more trains have WiFi and electrical outlets available. Then there are the wagons with the restaurant, where it is possible to get something to eat or a drink. It used to be possible to smoke on the train, but now it is forbidden almost everywhere, even at stations.

Otherwise, comfort is not taken for granted on all trains. In India, there is extreme overcrowding in the lowest category. But it is not necessary to go to Asia, in Italy in rush hour when people return from work the crowd is the same. We experienced this on the route Venice – Milan, we were crowded in the toilet

Simplicity

Traveling by train is simple. Compared to the plane, boarding is faster, there are no controls and complications. There is also easy access to the station, which is usually located in the city center. It doesn’t take extra time and money to get there. Compared to road transport, there are no congestion and related delays.

Flexibiliy

There are usually many options for a route between two locations by train. We have several departures available throughout the day. There are usually several routes to the destination. Last but not least, we can stop on the way and complete the whole route in several parts. We also choose in which category we travel and thus determine the level of comfort.

Price

Today, trains are often not the cheapest option for a trip. However, in medium-distance destinations, they may be the optimal choice. We look for tickets in advance and save money with that.

Speed

The speed is similar to the price. Usually, the plane is faster. But if we have a destination a couple of hours away, we are faster by train than by plane with all the procedures and accessibility of the airport. An example would be Paris – Brussels, where a high-speed train arrives 50% faster than a plane.

Experience

Something that is very subjective and everyone has their own opinion. But the train offers the pleasure of seeing the surroundings, especially in the case of a panoramic window. The possibility of communicating with passengers and making new acquaintances is possible in coupes. Relaxation is due to the comfort on the train. All of the above gives me the best travel experience, but everyone has their own perception of this category.

My Experience

So far, I’ve done more than 20,000 km by train, and below are some of the adventures listed

• Mauritania – on top of a train with iron ore
• Transsibirska železnica – Moscow to Beijing (Ulan Bator)
• Romania-Moldavija – changing railway system
• Ljubljana-Pula wrong ticket
• Ljubljana-Amsterdam – changes, problems with personnel
• Ljubljana-Benetke-Milan – crowd, standing in the toilet
• Ljubljana-Messina and back – on the train on a ferry
• India – a lot of rides and experiences, from crows to kindness
• Bangkok-Chiang Mai – took cheapest tickets and regret it
• Ljubljana-Poljska – by mistake finished in Warsaw
• …

Links

• Deutsche bahn – page of German railways, best search for European train connections
• Seat 61 – page with many interesting and useful information about train travels
• Interrail – international train ticket for Europe

My train wish list

• Orient express – luxury and a touch of old times
• Madagascar – the only working train from Fianarantsoe to the coast, unfortunately, we missed it for 2 days
• Canada – from Toronto to Vancouver
• Vietnam – the whole country from north to south. Due to the crown, the plan for this route failed
• Africa – South of the continent with a safari and Victoria Falls
• Australia – Darwin to Adelaide
• South America – the railway between the clouds