Trains vs Planes

Another of seemingly infinite reasons why trains > planes.

Trains are better unless you need to cross an ocean

The one advantage I've heard about taking the train is that prices are usually flat. If you need to book a trip the next day you will pay through the nose for most airfare. Train trips on the other hand will mostly be the same price no matter when you book. Aside from that small exception, air travel is MUCH faster/cheaper/convenient.

I took the train from Toulouse to Paris last summer and it was very pleasant—especially in comparison to air travel. A few hours of picturesque landscapes with plenty of legroom, baggage space, and opportunities to walk around. I think it’s too bad that we can’t seem to get that working here in the US. (See, eg, California high speed rail project...)

I did a bunch of trips recently. Flying is usually faster and cheaper, but more likely to go awry. Taxis to airports can vary widely in speed and cost. Flights can be delayed, security lines, etc.Train is easy, consistent and comfortable. Always power, Wi-Fi and cell signal too.

Train travel tend to be much more comfortable than bus, car or plane. Especially if the plane takes as long time due to airports being located outside the city, security hazel, lots of stress at the airport and so on.The train cost more, but you enter the train in the city centre, sit down and relax, go to the restaurant car and eat a nice dinner, relax som more and you arrive in the destination city.This works better in continental Europe, where you have shorter distances and high speed t

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.

I would love to take trains or boats over planes but I’m just not wealthy enough. At least in North America and East Asia, the costs of these modes (sometimes flat out, but always when factoring in the resultant costs of room and board and such from the extended travel time) exceeds any flight. I was looking at getting from the west coast to the Midwest recently and the Amtrak ticket was similar to the flight ticket (or $800 more for an bed) and the travel time was four times as long. Would have

Same in the US. I would love to take the train from Seattle to SF, but, it costs so much more than a flight would, and takes a very long time compared. Sleeper cars make the price nearly double, and for such a long trip, train seats without a sleeper are somehow worse than plane seats.I have taken many Amtrak short trips, like 1h, and 50% of the time the train leaves more than 1h late (and 100% it leaves late, some amount). So I leave my departure location after I was meant to arrive at my ar

5 hours in train is probably nicer than a 5 hour flight trip (1h to go to airport, 1h in the airport, 2h flight, 1h from airport to destination).