Tips For Long Train Rides You May Not Have Considered

Guest Blogger: Wendy Dessler 

Comfort, Class, And Considerations

There are a lot of ways to save money this holiday season; from buying bulk confections online to staying at relatives’ houses rather than hotels, if you keep your eyes open and your mind clear, you can conserve hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars; helping to overcome the loss which comes from buying presents and taking time off work.

​One great way to save money on travel costs is to take trains rather than planes; though it will depend on where you’re traveling to and from, and additionally what your time constraints may be. That said, it can be a much less stressful choice than taking a flight. Trains aren’t as crowded, and your baggage can’t get diverted to some obscure airport.
 
As UniBaggage.com points out regarding shipping a suitcase, “In years gone by, shipping luggage or parcels abroad used to prove an expensive nightmare.” Thankfully, there are shipping solutions today for when even a train can’t help you carry all that you need to. That said, with many train rides, you won’t have an issue.
 
If you’ve never taken a train somewhere, there are things to consider, however. Surprisingly, what you may find is that there are a lot more positives to recommend train travel than negatives. In fact, it’s likely due to PR that public transit cross-country via train isn’t more mainstream in the US; because it is downright comfortable.

​The Positives

​With train travel you’ve got leg-room, and you can move around. There are multiple bathrooms and multiple cars. You’ll have a first-class car as well as second and third-class cars. Some cars will have two “levels”. You are likely to find an entertainment car, a socialization car, a dining car, a cocktail car, and even a smoking car in some trains.
 
Today, there are certainly trains that won’t have the smoking car, so you should plan accordingly if you’re a smoker. There are, thankfully, regular stops with most trains. You can expect one every hour or two, in many cases—at least when it comes to passenger trains.
 
Your luggage will remain safe, staff is courteous and laid-back, and you may meet some people with whom you form a lasting connection. Then there’s the scenery. There is a train that can be boarded in Miles City, Montana and travels northwest across the state until it reaches Glacier National Park. This train has an observation car, and what you see is downright gorgeous.
 
Some of the most scenic travel will be experienced on a train, so prepare by bringing a camera. It’s easy to spend hours just watching the world go by, and you may find it very calming in conjunction with the rhythm of the tracks.

​The Negatives

​When it comes to traveling, especially on a long train ride like the Trans-Siberian track that crosses Russia, you’ll have many hours of downtime to fill. It can be difficult to beat boredom. You can only stare at beautiful scenery for a few hours before it’s night-time and there’s nothing to see. And that track, if you’re riding the whole thing, takes days to cross.
 
You should bring books or work with you. If you’ve got a laptop, the train you’re on probably has free WiFi. While traveling, there is a lot of work you could get done. Or, you could surf the internet, watch a movie, and socialize. Socialization may not be your strong-suit, but this is a great way to overcome boredom on a train.

​All Aboard!

As you can see, beyond idiosyncratic quibbles, there really isn’t much negative about train travel. The only thing is that it takes longer to get there, and you may get bored. But the scenery is better, you can meet people, have a few drinks, get some work done, take in the scenery, and have a generally more laid-back journey.

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Penned by Guest Blogger: Wendy Dessler

Wendy is a super-connector with Outreachmama who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.