Observing the colorful fields, forests and green pastures, small houses, and people with everyday activities is an unforgettable experience if you sit on a comfortable train. Thus, the path itself can be the main purpose of travel. The train is an excellent decision for transportation, regardless of whether you have a driver’s license or not. In addition, the train journey is carefree, without unpleasant traffic jams and finding parking. I do not want to be unfair to the buses, but the Railway has always been closer to me. In Europe, the railways are well organized, trains are running on schedule. Small delays are naturally occurring, but compared with delays of trains in India are negligible. In this Asian country do not rely on the accuracy, as up to par hour delays are not uncommon. But the train always arrives. If you have booked it in advance and you are among the lucky ones in the sleeping wagon, you will be fine. Fresh sheets and thick blankets are necessary if sleeping in air-conditioned sleeping wagon. In the morning locals jump on train and fill the cup with hot tea so you can enjoy it while the colorful landscape is fleeing past the window.
The ticket vendors are those who determine with who we will be spending time in the coupé and thus make a decisive impact on our hikes. A great deal of new acquaintances is born on long journeys by train, sometimes good sometimes not as pleasant as we would wish. In a large crowd is sometimes necessary to cover your ears if the recipient is a bit unpleasant, and sometimes the nose if someone has stinky feet. However, such experiences I remember in laughter, while those pleasant counterparts always remain as a beautiful memory. When I and my friend traveled in India, we met an elderly gentleman on the train. Talking about cultural differences and our lives brought us together and the next day we sat in his dining room and ate the best Indian food. One night on train we were entertained by the whole band of traditional Indian musicians. Such stories are common in India; people are much more open and without an ounce of hesitation show their hospitality. I believe that travelers in Europe and elsewhere around the world have similar experiences. So, hop on train for new friends!
I always gave priority to train over the bus; one of the reasons is ... toilet. Where the Emperor has to go by foot can go on the train also. It is true that we find more or less clean toilets, but those are on each train, although sometimes we are still surprised by the toilets, where feces free fall on railroad tracks while a train dashing past settlements. In addition, on train you can stretch your legs; most trains also have a dining-car, where you can find something to drink and eat, albeit at slightly higher prices. Another reason why it is smart to travel by train is ecological. Tourism and travel wear a lot of the burden of climate change, according to the World Tourism Organization five percent of greenhouse gas emissions falls on the shoulders of tourism. If measures to reduce those emissions are not taken in the next three decades, they will increase by 130 percent. The transport sector plays a key role in reducing these impacts and it all starts with individuals, so again, choose a train.
We live in an age of information technology; the internet allows us access to all kinds of information and reservations. It is wise to take advantage of such opportunities and book train tickets or buy it in advance, especially if you decide to travel during the season. The best inexpensive choice to travel by train around Europe is
InterRail ticket (more on
www.interrailnet.com). You can choose from a global ticket; whit it you can visit the thirty European countries. Available are also tickets for individual countries. Prices vary depending on travel time, although younger than 26 years are traveling especially favorable. Those enthusiastic over čevapčiči (grilled minced meat), burek (something like cheese cake in pastry) and Balkan culture may buy
Balkan Flexi Pass that offers travel over the Balkan Peninsula; younger than 26 years with this ticket also travel at lower prices. For the nearly 10,000 kilometers journey on railroad tracks across Siberia with Trans-Siberian Railroad you will need to reach a little deeper into the pocket. An epic journey from Moscow to the famous Great Wall runs through the most remote landscapes, vast steppes, evergreen forests and the Russian villages (more on
www.transsiberianexpress.net and
www.seat61.com/Trans-Siberian.htm ).
