5 reasons to see the world by train
Cheap fares might be steering travellers towards air travel these days, but there are plenty of other ways to get from point-A to point-B. And in many ways, if you really want to have a memorable holiday, it’s smarter to travel by train.
We chatted with Rail Plus expert Lyn Tan, who gave us five reasons why:
1. Easy, convenient and flexible
As anyone who’s taken a 45-minute cab ride from the airport to the city centre would agree, there’s something to be said for being dropped off exactly where you need to be.
Lyn says, “Train travel is straight forward. It goes from city centre to city centre. As opposed to flying, you avoid the additional travel time and long check-in queues. You would also avoid paying for overpriced food and beverages while waiting for your flight.”
2. Views, views and more views!
The view from the plane might be interesting on landing and arrival (and only if you have a window seat), but when catching a train, the landscape opens before your very eyes.
Lyn adds, “On trains, you will journey through the country’s landscape, thus getting a sense of the country frame by frame through the large windows. Train travel is also a more environmentally friendly mode of transportation.”
3. Good facilities and great service
Part of what makes the budget air travel experience is the facilities that have you feeling less like an intrepid traveller and more like a sardine. As Lyn says, “Forget being cramped in cattle class or being squished in the back seat of a car. Trains offer comfortable seats, lots of legroom, the luxury of space and even charging points for all of your electronic gadgets.”
4. Cost efficient
While budget air travel can be very cheap, if you plan your trip in advance there’s no reason train travel has to be expensive. As Lyn points out, “Rail passes offer holders unlimited travel for a fixed number of days (not including seat reservations). This is great if you have quite a few places to visit and a flexible itinerary.”
5. No bag limit
And finally, one of the biggest pitfalls of air travel is completely avoided by those choosing to make their trip via train. With no bag limit on most modern trains you have ample storage space, rather than paying uncessary baggage fees.
As Lyn says, “Don’t worry about mini sized toiletries and keeping cabin bags to the 7kg limit. On modern trains, there is ample storage space. But of course, it’s always best to keep your luggage size and weight to what is required and manageable for the trip. Nobody likes getting all sweaty lugging around items that may never be used.”
When you’re travelling do you catch a train or fly?