The Joy of Train Travel

BY ONEIKA RAYMOND

At the risk of sounding completely strange, I’m going to go ahead and say it: trains make me a better person. No, seriously.

Long train rides teach me patience and the usually quiet journeys bring my hectic spirit peace.  Watching the landscapes roll by through my window make me contemplative and reflective and I read a ridiculous amount as the train chugga-chuggas  (yes, I just made that word up) along to its destination.

And then, there’s just something about European train travel in particular that is… glamourous, romantic.

For this reason I started the first leg of my epic summer journey with Eurail with a broad smile on my face. In Vienna,  Austria, I boarded the slick OBB train that would take me most of the way to my final destination, Ljubljana, Slovenia.  I settled into my first class seat and all the stress of the morning’s journey ebbed away.
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Armed with my trusty Kindle and a handful of snacks, I inhaled deeply and leaned way back into the plush chair.  You don’t get this much space in a plane… ever.

 

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After struggling to read the drivel that is 50 Shades of Grey (I downloaded onto my Kindle because I was curious as to what all the hype was about- don’t make the same mistake!), I perused the food menu and ordered a lovely chicken curry.  At $13 USD for a a curry and a Diet Coke, it wasn’t cheap, but by Jove it was tasty(!)- so I didn’t mind parting with my hard earned farthings.  As I ate, the green Austrian countryside sped past my big picture window.  It don’t get much better than this, folks.
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Unlike planes, boats, and buses, on trains I actually enjoy the “getting there” portion of the journey.  Trains are simple and cut out all of the rigmarole of  air travel: save the Eurostar, there’s no need to arrive early in order to check in.  You just show up before the train leaves and you’re golden. Trains rides don’t induce the stomach-clenching nausea that overcomes me on a bus or boat ride (you may recall I wrote about the terrible motion sickness that I suffer from on a constant basis, what a drag).

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Are you a fan of train travel?  Have you ever done any Europe train travel? What’s your preferred mode of transportation?

Eurail.com provided me with their Global Pass but did not ask that I write a favourable review or gorge myself on their very yummy curry chicken dish.

 

SHARING IS CARING

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