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Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

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Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#391

Post by nec4b »

def_true_false wrote: post #355
rtpg wrote: post #319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do agree with the idea of building out strong localised networks (and roll my eyes at the "US rail network" dream maps people post out). But my impression from France and Germany at least is that you have two sort of failure modes: - For France, rural areas don't really have that good of a rail network. Instead there are several trunk lines that are reliable. But it means that east-west stuff is nearly non-existent…

German trains are unrealiable because they spend like 5-10 times less per km of railway than Austria or Switzerland.

This probably has a lot to do with topography of Germany compared to both Austria and Switzerland.

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#392

Post by monkeywork »

saagarjha wrote: post #367
monkeywork wrote: post #314

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>A west coast HSR network is just obviously practical! Beijing-Shanghai HSR is 1300km; SF to Seattle would be the same. It'd be 4-5h on a train. Right now it's 2.5 hours on a plane plus a recommended 1.5 hours for security and boarding plus transfers on each side--I'd rather take a high speed train If I could! SF to LA could be ~3h. 90 minutes on a plane plus lead time and transfer times and it's competitive. Again.…

Environment? Comfort?

That's worth the price tag, environmental impact, and government land repossession that will be required?

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#393

Post by sourcepluck »

GuB-42 wrote: post #193
Beijinger wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. It was called Interrail. You had to have an EU Passport to buy this ticket. And be below 26 years of age. I think it still exits.

It still exists: https://www.interrail.eu/ You don't have to be younger than 26 to buy one, not anymore, but it is cheaper if you are. If you are a EU citizen, it gets you free, unlimited travel by train in most European countries. If you are not a EU citizen, there is the Eurail pass that is similar. But that's the theory. In practice there are important limitations: - You can't use it in your home country, except f…

The word "free" is being ruthlessly abused here, surely...

If I follow the link there, it costs 239E for a 5-day pass, where each of the 5 days must be used in a 1 month period. That's not "gratis", that's 47.8E per day the train is used?

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#394

Post by bpye »

dspillett wrote: post #341
bpye wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I spent a couple weeks travelling by train across Europe a few years ago on an Interrail pass. I found sleeper cabins were generally pretty comfortable, though you do have to pay extra for them. If you were just sleeping in a seat then yes I can believe you felt awful the next day.

I travel by train regularly in the UK and it isn't unusual to take up to 8 hours to get anywhere :) The closest I've been to a sleeper in recent decades has been five hours on a cold station because cancellations & delays have meant missing the last onward connection of the day so waiting for the first morning service (there are supposed to be provisions for that by way of providing accommodation or replacement taxi…

I’ve had my fair share of poor UK rail experiences, especially during holiday periods. Standing on the train from London Paddington most of the way towards Exeter is never fun.

In the case you couldn’t reach someone, doesn’t every platform have a phone as well?

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#396

Post by qwezxcrty »

gambiting wrote: post #154
lotsoweiners wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m not sure about that. I’d imagine that trains are going to have the worst of both worlds. They will take a long time (closer to amount of time to drive to destination). They also will have costs approaching that of a flight. To me a train trip makes sense if you enjoy trains and feel that the travel itself is part of the reward.

Have you ever taken any trains in Europe? I cannot think of any route in any country where I've lived in Europe where driving would be even remotely close to taking the train, and in some cases it's faster than flying. Newcastle to London is 2h40m by train, about 5 hours of driving. Flight is 40 minutes but you're nowhere near the city centre, so once you take into account going through security plus necessary transf…

Geneve to Munich is probably an example I experienced several times.

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#397

Post by afiori »

lukan wrote: post #286
thfuran wrote: post #285

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And at road crossings and passing loops and so on. Really long trains are a fairly significant logistical challenge.

Yeah, I would rather go with smaller, but automated trains. But in germany for example this would mean, basically changing everything installed electronically there already is.

The problem with trains in Germany is not high tech automation it is the aggressive cost-cutting that removed a lot of redundancy and stability, so now it is a worse service in quality and reliability

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#399

Post by liotier »

GuB-42 wrote: post #280
freetanga wrote: post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or no planning at all, as I did 26 years ago. Meet some people in a cafe in Paris, agree to all go to Amsterdam for 2 days, grab your bag and then find a hostel when you arrive. I spent 2 months without knowing where I was going to wake up the following day. No mobiles, only lifeline home being a pay phone call every week. Not the same stores in every city as it is today. Life was beautiful back then and we did not k…

I understand what you are talking about, and you can still do that, but it is going to be expensive. Or at least, expensive for a typical 20-something heading out to explore the world. Times have changed, and now like it or not, we are in the internet and smartphone age. The best travel deals are online, the cheapest accommodations are also found online. The Interrail pass is a bit of a relic, it can still be useful,…

> while traveling, I consider using money to be like cheating

And even on the cheap, let's keep in mind that money is central to the luxury that any tourism is. In my 90's youth, I figuratively littered the map with pushpins in countries off the path beaten by Westerners, impressing family and friends. But really, I just happened to have the privilege of taking a few months for clueless wandering with no worries about means and the knowledge that if the affair turned sour I could at any point arrange a safety net. Sure, I was a fairly cheap backpacker, but still there was no glory in such adventuring - just money. I still recommend it to anyone who can, and that experience has shaped a large part of my later life in unforeseen ways, but I have long stopped gloating about it.

Re: Where can you go in Europe by train in 8h?

#400

Post by uwagar »

Fnoord wrote: post #368

I went from Belgrade to Aachen about 15-20 years ago. It cost me more than my plane ticket from Dusseldorf to Belgrade (though I got robbed/scammed at Belgrade). From Belgrade to Croatia the old DB train went 60 km/hour. It did have power sockets. I was nearly alone. Then came the evening in Croatia, the train went quicker than 60 hm/hour, people boarded (youth with backpacks), and sleep got a bit more tough. Near Lj…

or chain ur luggage to some iron loops found under the seats?
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