One of the things I love about going to Europe is the train travel.  During our Summer vacation in September we rode the train from Amsterdam to Brugge, then from Brugge to Brussels.  Train travel is easy, it gives you some restful down time during your vacation plus there’s the added value of the ever changing landscape.  As I roll into the various towns and cities, the countryside slowly disappears and gives way to apartments, office buildings, and graffiti.  Then there is the people watching when you pull into a train station.  I like seeing it all.  To me, traveling on a train is like watching a live movie.

If you’re visiting Europe I highly recommend train travel, especially if your destination is less than 4 or 5 hours away (by train).  The cost is probably going to be less than airfare (and that is with a 1st class ticket), you get the experience, the scenery, the downtime, and you don’t have to deal with going to the airport.  If your destination is further away, that doesn’t mean you should rule out train travel.  At this point airfare is probably cheaper than taking the train, but with train travel it’s the entire experience, air travel is about getting you from point A to point B.  And, the flying experience is becoming a pain in the you-know-what, so you have to weigh all of that to see if it’s worth it for you.

Check out the view from my seat. 

Enjoy!!