5 Reasons Why I Prefer a Long Train Journey to a Flight

Although I am both an aviation and a rail enthusiast, I prefer taking a long cross-continental train journey to a flight.

There is just something epic about taking a long-distance rail journey, which is a feeling you do not really get when taking a two- or three-hour flight.

Take, for example, one of my most recent long train journeys, travelling for 34 hours across the heart of Eastern and Central Europe from Romania to Poland – a trip which you can watch in the YouTube video below.

Five reasons why a long-distance train journey is amazing

Some people might balk at the idea of riding a train when the journey is longer than three or four hours, let alone making a rail journey of over a thousand kilometres across Europe or another continent.

Of course, if you only have limited time on your hands, there may be some drawbacks to a long rail journey, but then you are also missing the point entirely of what actually makes train travel so great.

These are the five most important reasons why I prefer train travel to a flight:

1. Train travel helps you to understand geography

The main reason why I love making long train trips is that you can truly experience a country’s culture and geography, which gives you a much deeper understanding of the world than a bus journey or a flight ever could.

On a train, you can interact with and observe your fellow passengers, and truly appreciate a country’s geography as you take in all the fine details of the natural landscapes through the window.

Even cultural and historical boundaries can easily be seen from a train window.

For example, it is easy to spot the differences between the regions of Transylvania and Wallachia when travelling across Romania by train, as the former still retains a distinct Mitteleuropean character in places, a testament to centuries of Habsburg rule.

You can see traces of the Industrial Revolution when travelling by train across Yorkshire, and experience for yourself just how centralised France is when travelling between two places that are not Paris, as the country has excellent rail links to and from Paris but not between its outer regions.

If you have even the slightest interest in culture, geography, or history, train travel is simply far better than anything else.

2. The views from the train can be absolutely epic

Flying above the Himalayas or landing at a new destination may give you some spectacular views from a plane window, but such moments are relatively rare.

Needless to say, from ground level the views are always far better, as you can take in every detail of the scenery your train passes through.

Whether it is the river landscapes of Bangladesh, the mountains of the Alps, or the Italian coast, train views can be absolutely mesmerising.

There is a reason why certain scenic trains, such as the Bernina Express, are tourist attractions in their own right!

3. Train travel is a civilised affair

Unless you have the luxury of a business or first-class flight, flying is hardly glamorous.

The airport experience is certainly not a glamorous affair for most either.

Even if you have access to business lounges, you still have to deal with queues, check-in cut-off times, and security checks.

Train travel is a world apart from that.

You can arrive just minutes before departure at a centrally located railway station, board your train, and take your seat.

Unlike the modern-day seats on a plane, those on a train are actually comfortable and offer plenty of legroom.

Moreover, you can get up from your seat and walk down the aisle to stretch your legs if you wish.

Instead of getting a mediocre economy-class meal on a plane – or having to pay for poor-quality food on a low-cost flight – you can bring your own picnic on a train, or visit the dining car for a genuinely enjoyable culinary experience while watching the world pass by from the window.

If you are making a true long-distance rail journey and your trip includes a night train, you can retreat to your private sleeper compartment and get proper sleep in a comfortable bed.

That is more comfort than you would get in business class on a flight – let alone at the back of the plane!

4. Trains can be highly competitive in price and speed

Many people who might, in theory, be interested in taking a long cross-continental rail journey cite the high cost of train tickets and the slow speed as drawbacks.

Indeed, partly thanks to low-cost airlines like Ryanair, taking a plane is often cheaper than taking the train, but this is not always the case.

It takes some knowledge and experience, but there are certainly some great deals for train travel if you know where to look and book.

Besides, add-ons such as checked baggage or airport transfers can quickly increase the cost of a flight, and these expenses are often ignored when comparing the plane with a train.

Both on short and long-distance journeys, trains can be highly competitive in terms of speed.

On shorter routes, such as Barcelona to Madrid or Rome to Milan, high-speed trains are faster from city centre to city centre than planes and have won over the majority of business and leisure travellers.

Even on long cross-continental journeys, trains can be highly competitive in terms of speed.

This is especially true if there is no direct flight to your destination, or if your hometown and the place you wish to visit are far from a major airport.

Read the article I wrote about a plane versus train comparison when I travelled between Bratislava and Bucharest, as this is one example of a route where the train was far more competitive in speed than it might initially seem.

5. A train journey is part of the travel experience

Many people see taking a flight as a necessary ordeal to reach their holiday destination.

Although there is certainly some excitement in the air when you are about to embark on a trip, it is often only once you arrive at your destination that you begin to get into a proper holiday mood.

Taking the train could not be more different, as the travel experience begins the moment you step on board and gradually build up all that anticipation.

If you do a long cross-continental train journey correctly, even the rail trip itself starts to feel like part of your holiday.

Train travel is certainly not lost time, as it provides the perfect opportunity to take some time for yourself.

You can read a book, take a short nap, watch the scenery from the window, enjoy some tasty food and drinks, or simply chat with your travel companions or get to know your fellow passengers.

On a true cross-continental train journey, you can easily build in stopovers, whether for a couple of days to explore a new city, or just a few hours to break up the journey with a short walk or a meal at a local restaurant.

Once you arrive at your destination, it will actually feel like you have achieved something.

Instead of just sitting for two or three hours in a cramped seat on a flying metal tube, you have crossed half a continent by train and seen a great deal along the way.

Conclusion

Travel is always a pleasure, but if I have to choose, I prefer taking the train to flying, even on a long cross-continental trip.

From a train, you can truly enjoy your surroundings and experience a country’s geography, culture, and natural landscapes, making a rail journey part of your holiday.

Train travel is also generally a much more civilised experience than flying nowadays.

Moreover, train travel can be highly competitive, and in many cases it is just as affordable and fast as flying.

If you have never embarked on a proper long-distance train journey before, do give it a try at least once!

For those uninitiated in long-distance rail travel, one of my best tips is to take the train in one direction and return by plane.

This way, the experience will not be as daunting as doing the entire trip by train, making it the ideal opportunity to see whether a long cross-continental rail journey is something for you!