For sightseeing and transportation there is perhaps no better way to do so then by combining the two components of travel - via train. From luxurious journeys on board legendary rail services such as the Orient Express, Flying Scotsman, and the Alaskan Ultra-dome trains, to basic train service between two points; traveling via train has much to offer a traveler. Europe in particular has taken this once basic form of transportation to new heights, along with some scenic areas of most other continents.
~ TRAIN TRAVEL OFFERS:
CONVENIENCE - COMFORT - COST EFFECTIVENESS - UNPARALLELED SIGHTSEEING ~
To elaborate further...
CONVENIENCE due to the widespread network of railways in many areas, especially Europe. Numerous departures and NO need to by at the train station hours in advance like flying!
COMFORT with 2 or more classes of service typically, along with food & beverage service on most routes. Comfortable seats, with many trains offering seating for four with 2 and 2 seating opposing each other across a table. Child friendly areas on some trains, luggage storage and or checked bag service, and you can get up and move around the train much more readily than a flight - no turbulence!
COST EFFECTIVENESS, with fares typically much lower than the same route via air!
SIGHTSEEING is where train travel really excels, traveling along at ground level instead of 30,000 feet above it, priceless! Do you know how stunningly beautiful Alaska is between Anchorage and Fairbanks, or between Zurich Switzerland and Venice Italy? Take a couple of extra hours to travel by train instead of flying and find out, you will be ever so thankful!! If you have not yet experienced this delightful way to travel & sight-see, you are missing out!
~ THE LOGISTICS OF TRAIN TRAVEL ARE AT ONCE BOTH VERY SIMPLE AND BASIC, YET ALSO COMPLEX AND CONFUSING. FOR THIS REASON WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND USING A TRAVEL AGENT * SPECIALIZING IN YOUR DESIRED DESTINATION(S) TO ASSIST ~
More on the simplicity and basics of train travel; you can find trains going on your desired route(s) in highly visited destinations through the internet without much difficulty. Schedules are fairly straightforward, routing can be direct with no stops or multiple stops and tickets can be purchased online. Train stations have airport style monitors with info on upcoming trains scheduled with the platform / track number, if it's on time or not and scheduled stops en route. The trains themselves are clearly marked typically with a car number, seats are numbered and class of service clearly labeled. Announcements are made on board and / or electronic signage to announce the next stop is standard. Luggage racks are conveniently located near the doors, and also overhead.
More on the complex and confusing parts of train travel; for the most part each country has their own website for train travel, sometimes multiple sites operated by different private train services. Many times you need to have a local address to purchase tickets on those sites, proven by a credit card whose billing address matches or else no sale (especially annoying if you have spent time researching and entering info only to be denied at the last step). There are U.S. companies that are authorized to sell train tickets travelling in other countries to residents of North America (for European train travel, it is Rail Europe - which may have extremely long hold times on the phone), however some websites claim to be the official U.S. provider of tickets but aren't (they will take your credit card, charge more than the official price and purchase your tickets for you through the true authorized dealer).
And more... Many seats face backwards which may be a problem for you with no easy way to find this out in advance publicly. Some trains you can buy a ticket but need to reserve seats separately or else you may have to stand. Some trains may disengage some of the cars that will go in a different direction so you have to make sure you are in the right car. Some routes force you to get off of one train along the way and hop onto another one. You may be better off with a multiple day pass, or you may be better off purchasing tickets on a few desired routes. Sometimes you NEED a paper ticket in advance, sometime simply a confirmation number that is e-mailed to you allowing you to print your tickets at the handy ticket kiosks in the station.
YIKES! Ready to call a travel agent? I thought so...
Here below are some photos I took recently while traveling via train around Europe:
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| Physical Train Tickets - England |
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| Train Car Exterior Signage |
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| Station Info Monitor - Newcastle UK |
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| Waiting Room & Train Platform |
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| Platform Signage re Luggage & More |
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| Typical Ticket Kiosk at Station |
~ THE BENEFITS OF TRAIN TRAVEL ARE PHENOMENAL, WITH COMFORTABLE SMOOTH RIDING TRAINS GETTING YOU SAFELY FROM ONE DESIRABLE DESTINATION TO ANOTHER, SOMETIMES AT AMAZINGLY HIGH SPEEDS, ALL WHILE ROLLING THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE EN ROUTE ~
Especially in Europe, but also in the Canadian Rockies, Alaska, Southeast Asia, China, Japan and Peru the advantages of traveling by train vs. flying are plentiful. For those on a tight budget you can sleep on board after spending a full day at a great destination and then waking up at another however I don't recommend it. There are many treasures along the way that you would miss out on.
As the great Robert Louis Stevenson once said...
"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."
So take his advice, and mine, don't just "get there", do so via train!!!
* As part of our rigorous screening process we require all of the Destination Travel Specialists listed on our websites to have an excellent proven knowledge of train systems, and provide us their assurance they will provide you with full support of your train travel needs.