Train! - Railways, Rail Travel and Great Railroad Journeys
74Take the Train - A Whole New Travel Experience!
Arguably the best and most environmentally friendly way to see the world is from a train window.
Trains have fascinated both children and adults over many generations. When I grew up, every boy wanted to be a train or locomotive driver.
OK, so the end of steam may have taken away some of the magic and charisma of the train but railways remain a uniquely satisfying and fascinating form of transport. A journey by train will instantly transport many of us into a nostalgic recollections of childhood holidays and unforgettable vacations.
There is nothing like eating breakfast with a newly discovered landscape rushing by your window or falling asleep to the rhythmic sounds of the motion of a train.
So lets explore the railways of Europe and the USA. Sit back, relax and enjoy the journey!
The Train is Back!
Air travel has gradually lost its glamour and any enjoyment of travelling in a crowded, cramped space at 30,000 feet is lost completely by the time you've fought your way through the airport traffic, the stringent security checks and the endless queues in order to board the aircraft.
The train is much kinder to the environment and train travel takes you effortlessly to the heart of the world's finest cities without having to spend hours battling through commuter traffic and polluted air, queuing to check in and hanging around crowded departure lounges.
Amtrak
TRAIN HubWay Links
The HubWay is a tightly connected network of Hubs (rather like a subway network). Each Hub is constructed around a single linkword
which also links to other HubWay Hubs via alternative meanings or
associations with the linkword. So what better way to begin HubWays
than with the linkword 'Train'?
1. Who can forget 1981 and Princess Diana moving slowly and majestically up the aisle of Westminster Abbey with a huge 25 feet long TRAIN attached to her Emanuel WEDDING dress?
2. TRAIN is another work for teach. Click here for the HUbWay TEACHER! If you've ever had a crush on a teacher then don't forget to bring an apple!
3. TRAINs like EuroStar are very fast. For more high speed stuff check out JAGUAR! (both cars and cats).
Train travel is back into fashion. Europe, in particular, has an impressive high speed rail network. Because of its geography and the unique place of the automobile, however, the US railroad network has declined and much of it is used only for freight.
One of my most enjoyable rail journeys, however, was via Amtrak from Albany, Upstate New York to New York City along the banks of the Hudson River. Its a fantastic experience to travel through such tranquil countryside and arrive at the heart of the ultimate Big City.
EuroStar
Returning to Europe and European Rail, one of the most interesting journeys in the world must be London to Paris via Eurostar. The journey time is now an incredible 2 hours and 35 minutes (About the length of the check-in time should you chose to fly from London to Paris!).
My first trip on Eurostar was from Waterloo Station and the journey to the English Channel was relatively slow. My wife and I bought coffee in the restaurant car as the train entered the Channel Tunnel. As we finished the coffee, 20 minutes later, the train emerged into the french sunshine and the driver (French) announced proudly that the trail would now accelerate to its full speed (the French built new track for the opening of the Eurostar service, unlike the British).
The UK has now caught up and the new high speed London terminal operates from St Pancras. The Eurostar service is great value and very convenient if you are on a flying visit to Europe and want to see both sides of the Channel.
Check out the extra low Eurostar fares online. Paris return currently from only £59!
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The Louvre in Paris
Orient Express
One of the most famous European trains is the legendary Orient Express featured in the film Murder on the Orient Express from a book by Agatha Christie.
Today it is known as the Venice Simplon Orient Express. The express travels between a number of European cities and the most famous route is probably from London to Venice.
The service on today's Orient Express is second to none and the scenery, particularly the Alps, breathtaking but it does come with a significant price tag. For those with less time or more limited budgets, then Orient Express day trips are also on offer.
The Deal
Next time you plan a trip, consider the possibility of using a train. It may not always be the cheapest form of travel or the quickest but it is almost certainly the most relaxing and enjoyable. And as a bonus you can snooze your way across an exotic foreign landscape safe in the knowledge that you are doing your bit for the environment as well as for your own peace of mind.
Finally, don't forget to explore the HubWay Network (once the links are in place!).
HubWay - Where words and their meanings take you on a journey of infinite possibilities ...
Train Links
- The Man in Seat Sixty One
This is an award-winning site and a must for anyone contemplating serious train travel. It is a mine of useful information, links and timetables. Everything you need to plan your railway journey of a lifetime. - Have Budget Airlines Killed the Glamour of Flying?
A tongue in cheek look at air travel - One Vote for Taking the Train
A view on the Train by William F Torpey - a favourite writer of mine on HubPages - Railroads trying for Comeback
Another Train view from William
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Comments
Interestingly enough my dearly beloved and I spent nearly a month in Europe about two years ago starting (and ending) in Paris. we did the entire trip on trains using a Eurail pass. we covered the French Riviera, Milan, Venice, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Brussels and London. We flew back to Paris fron London rather than going on the Eurostar (our original plan) as by then we were somewhat "trained out"! Perhaps I should do a hub on our trip? You certainly have stirred up some memories. Great hub great idea but I am still on the train (choo choo train) track for now!
I long to ride a train coast to coast, as I have only been on one subway for only a few blocks...and a 1/4 scale Halloween Train near Frankenmuth & Beridgeport Michigan one year, which was a great time. I amost fell out the last car!
Your hub is very attractive and good in content and I like it very much. I did have one electric train set as a child and it was my favorite part of Christmas. I've joined your fan club for that.
It's amazing how just seeing these trains, knowing that they are undertaking such a long journey can give you a little thrill. Recently I was abreast of the Indian-Pacific for a couple of kilometres as she was climbing the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. I had a little smile on my face, knowing that in three days time this train would be seeing the Indian Ocean in Perth, after stopping in Adelaide to see the Southern Ocean. Maybe it's just the idea of the journey.
I've always wanted to do the Orient Express for the same reason. These long rail journeys seem to have a glamour about them, much the same as travelling on ships, which air travel does not. Maybe it's that the journey really is just as important as the destination.
Thanks for this hub. You gave me a real smile. :-)
Even though I always thought that rail road journeys have more sense in Europe, I took a train once from New York to Montreal and I was so impressed by scenery. You are absolutely right about Upstate New York, the nature is so beautiful, and the rail road goes through mountains and forests along lakes and rivers – you cannot see and enjoy it if you travel by car, like most people do. Service however wasn’t that great, and a big delay on the Canadian border wasn’t that great either. Venice Simplon Orient Express from London to Venice sounds really great. Have you ever done it? It would be nice if you provide more information about it…………… Thanks, great hub!
There's a love for trains out there, for sure, great hub! Still recall my first train trip as a child in the USA. While this train service is long gone now, the memory isn't. Thanks for bringing it back :)
wao !! nice post buddy..
Ralph - Ive always fancied Canada coast to coast. Not sure if there is an equivalent now in the US.
sixtyorso - Yes there are some great journeys across Europe. Coordinating tickets and timetables can be complicated although there are specialist tour operators who will take care of all the admin.
Patty - sounds like you are a loco novice - hope you get the chance to do the coast to coast trip!
I've never quite got over the excitement of travelling by train - and even having to wait for a long time at Waterloo because of 'leaves on the line' doesn't really cure me of it...
Hovalis - I guess Australia is a great place for long rail journeys - such vast distances between cities. You're right, its more about the journey than the destination!
Wanderlust - cool that you and I did part of the same railroad journey - I've travelled from Montreal to Boston by Greyhound Bus but that doesn't have quite the same mystique as the train! I've not done the Orient Express yet but may be one day ...
esocial - shame the train has declined so much in the USA as it is very much a part of your early history...
Urdezire - Glad you enjoyed.
Vivenda - What about the Orient Express? - bet they don't have 'leaves on the line' problems!
Rik I did the entire trip; planning, bookings, train timetables, itinerary, myself on the web no agents and saved around R30,000 on the cost!
Great hub, Rik. I've been riding trains for many years, and I love them. I've even done a couple of hubs on the subject. Aside from commuting on the Penn-Central to NYC for years, I traveled by train from Connecticut to Florida about a dozen times and once from CT to Chicago and back. In the 1950's when I was in the U.S. Army, I took a couple of train trips in Germany. I'd love to ride the EuroStar and Orient Express, but it's not likely to happen now. Unless you object, I'll link to this hub from my railroad hubs. By the way, I'd like to put in a good word for trolley cars while I'm here (I grew up with the trolleys in Yonkers, N..Y. They're great, too.)
William - glad you enjoyed - I am reading your train Hubs and very happy for you to link here. I'll be adding links here in the other direction (to your Hubs). Your comparison between the plane and trains is even more relevant today. Certainly there is no competition when comparing flying London to Paris and catching Eurostar.
I was interested to find (via your Hub link) Amtrak is owned by the US government. Our railways were nationalised until around the 1980s but now RailTrack owns the track and various private companies operate different routes. Eurostar is a private company.
I love trolley cars too (known as trams in the UK) but they all disappeared around the time I was born. They are finally making a comeback here, however. About time too!
Thanks, Rik. The rails, and public transportion of all kinds, are "surging" around here now because of the high gasoline prices. Maybe this will renew peoples' interest in trains, buses, trolleys, trams, etc. Personally, I'd like to trade in my car for a golf cart, an excellent (and largely ignored) method of transportation.
Ralph Deeds says:
16 months ago
Great ideas. Good job. Thanks! I've always wanted to do the Orient Express and the Canadian National from Toronto to Vancouver. One of these days!