Our European odyssey has included inter-city trains from Gothenburg, Sweden to Copenhagen, Denmark; from Copenhagen to Hamburg, Germany and then to Berlin; from Berlin to Prague in the Czech Republic; from Prague to Vienna, Austria; and from Vienna to Budapest, Hungary.
While European trains, tracks and depots may not be the world’s best, we had a good experience overall. We experienced one cancellation…..a connection from Malmo, Sweden to Copenhagen which resulted in a mere 20 minute delay. There was one complete breakdown……necessitating the train be towed from an island back to the mainland of Denmark; we were then bused and ferried to a German port and finally rescheduled on another train, arriving in Hamburg four hours late…..but imagine if it had been an aircraft rather than a train that failed mid-journey.
Even with these two problems, I find rail travel is more comfortable and convenient than air travel. Many hours are saved. Trains depart from and arrive in the central business districts of cities, not many miles out of town. When traveling by train it is not necessary to arrive at the station two hours prior to departure and then unpack and undress to clear security. Passengers enjoy more elbow and leg room on trains than in almost any seat on planes.
Rail travel is more democratic than air travel. Everyone boards at the same time, through multiple doors, unlike air travel which classifies passengers by a half dozen or so categories or groups. Making one feel less and less like a full person as you wait for your group to be called forward.
JER
ALL OVER THE MAP 