Travelers to France can hop a high-speed TGV train right at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. (Image: Rail Europe)
U.S. business travelers sometime develop the mindset that flying is the only way to go – probably because in the U.S., rail travel just isn’t very practical from a time standpoint except maybe in the Northeast Corridor. But if a trip to Europe is in your plans this summer, you might want to consider the advantages of a rail system that is not only much faster and more widespread than in the U.S., but can offer intermodal links with air travel as well.
So here are seven reasons why you might want to take trains to get around Europe.
1> They’re fast. If you think France’s TGV trains and the London-Paris Eurostar are the only high speed rail routes in Europe, you are way behind the times. Europeans have been developing high-speed routes all over the continent for the past few decades. Spain alone has four domestic high-speed rail networks, plus a fifth that links it to France. Depending on the route, high-speed trains in Europe travel 125 to 200 mph. Here’s a list of the major high-speed networks in Europe.
Train travel times in Europe are getting shorter thanks to high-speed lines. (Image: Eurail)
2> They can even be faster than flying. While jets are still a lot faster than trains, and thus more time-efficient for longer trips, there are many city-pairs where it’s actually faster to take the train when you consider total travel time – i.e., getting to the airport early for heightened security checks; travel time to and from the airport instead of a city center train station, etc. GoEuro (www.goeuro.com), a search engine that compares air and rail travel times, put together a list of 10 key routes in Europe where travelers can save one to four hours if they go by rail instead of flying.
3> Intermodal connections can be very efficient. Some key gateway airports have built-in rail stations right next to or underneath the terminals where travelers can easily transition from air to train travel. At Frankfurt International Airport, for instance, travelers can connect to trains going all over Germany and beyond, including the nation’s high-speed ICE network. And French National Railroads has a TGV station at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Lufthansa and Air France even sell air and connecting rail trips combined in a single ticket – Lufthansa’s Rail&Fly program and Air France’s Air&Rail.
4> They’re comfortable. Seats are generally bigger than airline seats, with plenty of legroom – especially in first class. Many trains have bar/buffet cars; for first class travelers, meals and drinks are included in the ticket price, and may be served at your seat or in the bar/buffet car. Increasingly, European trains have on-board Wi-Fi. And you can sleep on some trains: For longer rail journeys, some routes operate overnight with trains that offer private sleeping cabins. Here’s a list of Europe’s night trains.
Spain’s Renfe AVE high speed train preparing to depart Madrid Atocha for 2.5 hour trip to Barcelona (Chris McGinnis)
5> They take you to the heart of town. Airport stations aside, European rail terminals are generally in the center of cities, so you can easily get to or from your hotel with a short cab ride. In fact, there are usually some hotels within walking distance.
6> Forget about delays. While a big storm can play havoc with airline schedules, trains keep operating through all kinds of weather. And they’re not subject to the kinds of air traffic control congestion that can disrupt on-time flight operations. In terms of operational efficiency, about the only thing that can (and sometimes does) disrupt train travel in Europe is a labor strike.
7> They can be quite scenic. You won’t see much of Europe from the air, but trains bring you up close to alpine vistas, dramatic forests, majestic rivers and other things to see through those big windows from the comfort of your seat. Here’s a list from Eurail of some of Europe’s most scenic train routes.
Here’s a list of the 10 most popular high-speed rail routes in Europe:
Source: Eurail
Readers: Have you traveled around Europe by train? How was your experience?
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“for first class travelers, meals and drinks are included in the ticket price.” That’s not necessarily true. Meals are not included on Germany’s high-speed trains (the InterCityExpress) even in first class – you get service at your seat but you still have to pay for the meal.
So your argument is that because all trains in the US are ridiculously slow, that makes Amtrak Cascades “modern”. Despite the fact that most of the world would be falling over themselves laughing at our “modern”. Ok then, whatever you say!
All right, but it’s the non high-speed track, not the trains, which are indeed modern and made and used in Europe.
The highest Amtrak speed in the U.S. is 150 MPH and that’s on a very short portion of track in the Northeast. “High-speed” here is usually no more than 125 MPH and that’s limited to one route.
“The 450 mile trip takes 11 hours and 30 minutes!!”
Obviously I was referring to Adirondack Cascades, not TGV
Kirk,
“The current TGV world speed record is 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph), achieved on 3 April 2007 on the new LGV Est.” – Wikipedia
There are sections of TGV lines that do offer have high-speed running due to environment concerns about re-lining track, but these are minimal.
Beautiful and worthwhile? Yes! But modern?? The 450 mile trip takes 11 hours and 30 minutes!!
Have taken three French TGV trips, two in first class and one in second. Wonderful experiences all. In my opinion, TGV first class seats outclass American domestic ones in sheer comfort. The food too is . . . well French. Highly recommended.
In North America, I recommend Amtrak’s state sponsored “Cascade” service that runs Eugene, Oregon to Vancouver, British Columbia via Portland and Seattle. Totally modern equipment and Seattle’s Ivar’s clam chowder on board! Portions of the trip are very scenic.
The wife, daughter, and I took the Trinitalia Frecciarossa from Rome to Venice, a 3 hr 45 minute ride. We were in business class on advance-purchased tickets that we bought on-line before we left–€297 all-in for the three of us. It was a wonderful, restful ride. The seats were roomy and comfortable. We played cards, read, napped, and enjoyed looking at the beautiful countryside. We were free to walk around, and the coach was only about half full. It was so much easier than flying or driving; I would have liked the trip to have lasted longer. I very much recommend taking the fast train!
Love trains. Yes, they are often more convenient than airplanes. Even in USA, mostly the Northeast corridor. DC to NYC, for instance. Downtown to downtown on the train, no 90 minute early security arrival. I contend that it is faster.