1. Introduction
   You could see Europe by driving, so why take the train?
   
   First of all it’s romantic.  We’ve all seen movies that take place on European trains, such as the Orient Express, so we expect to encounter spies, adventure and attractive members of the opposite sex.
   
   More pragmatically, by taking the train you don’t have to fight the traffic going in and out of the cities, nor do you have to search for parking places.  European cities were not, for the most part, planned around the automobile and consequently do not enjoy the wide streets and all the parking accommodations that we have in North America.  Driving in Europe is more nerve racking due to different driving rules, dissimilar road signs and unaccustomed driving mentalities.  Also, Driving Distance between European cities is greater than you may think.  The Distance Between two European Cities, say Paris and Rome, can take many days of driving under favorable conditions.
   
   Not only is the train more relaxing, it allows you to watch the countryside without the need to pay attention to the drivers around you.  It takes you efficiently, and conveniently, to practically anywhere you want to go, and in style.  And, on the train, you can wonder from car to car, read a book, talk to your interesting fellow travelers, have a leisurely meal in an elegant dining car or from a paper bag, while drinking in the quaint hamlets and the scenic beauty of snow capped mountains, green pasture land or balmy Mediterranean water.
   
   Part of the convenience of taking a train is the punctual, frequent service from airports to city centers and from city centers to other city centers.  You can go from your plane to the train and on to your adventure, by passing an uncomfortable trip from the airport to downtown.  And this service is punctual even in the worst of weather.
    

   And, the Train Safety Facts are that you are many times less likely to be involved in an accident while riding in a train than while riding in a car.  The statistics of train safety make for a more enjoyable journey.

   
   One of the best ways to meet Europeans is by traveling 2^nd Class on a European train.  Being in a compartment with several other people will give you an opportunity to strike up a conversation with your fellow travelers.  And, you’ll find that they are just as curious about you as you are about them.
   
   You can converse with your fellow passengers while gliding alone over the vast extent of the European rail network that boasts of some 160,000 miles of track, a distance comparable to the U.S. highway system.
   
   An added pass advantage is that many cities now have train service from the airport to a main station in town.  This will be an area where there are many hotels. 
   
   Airports with railroad stations, in the French speaking countries, are:

   1. Belgium – Brussels Nationaal;
       
   2. France –

                                                              i.      Charles de Gaulle airport, in Paris, has an adjacent train station;

                                                             ii.      Orly is connected to Paris by a subway line, which in turn is connected to all of the Parisian railroad stations;
 

3. Switzerland –

                                                              i.      Genève Cointrin;

                                                             ii.      Zurich Kloten.

© Copyright 1999 - 2008 by Sharon Atchley.  All rights reserved.  Updated:  01/31/2009