The Significance of Train Journeys

For a tourist, there’s no better or more exciting way to explore Europe than to travel by train. Out of the many options of mode of transport to choose from, such as car, bus, or plane, undoubtedly, train travel is the most convenient and most reliable. It is a highly commendable mode of transportation for sightseeing unless you prefer to hire a car and drive on your own. Travelling by train gives you the freedom to easily move from one place to another not only in big cities but in remote rural areas as well and provides the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the countryside.

Whenever I step inside a train anywhere in Europe, I would always feel a chill inside of me. I anticipate starting another fantastic journey, something that to me is more than life. As many have said before, ‘Life indeed is a journey to be enjoyed’; and that is exactly the feeling that invigorates me whenever I’m on-board a train. Another advantage is not having to worry about which direction to take. It also gives me the comfort to do other things whether it’s eating, drinking, reading, taking photos, and sometimes visiting the restaurant for a sit-down meal. It is also a good opportunity to meet fellow travellers and obviously the local people. This scenario reminds me of the movie Before Sunrise, where you could be another Celine (Julie Delpy), or a Jesse (Ethan Hawke).

Train travel maximises the fun by letting you enjoy the fantastic views and giving you the chance to meet interesting people, although there are those times that I prefer travelling incognito in order to become totally self-absorbed in enjoying the moment without constant interruption.

The one that I enjoyed so much was the route from Venice to Zurich via Lugano. Similarly, there were those within and around Switzerland and Vienna where the views were truly fantastic. The scenic Alps, serene lakes, and gorgeous houses all formed part of the picture-perfect landscape. To me, a journey in a train within Europe is exceptionally exhilarating.

Let me share with you an excerpt from one of my favourite movies Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) inspired by the book of the same title by Frances Mayes:

Martini: Signora, between Austria and Italy, there is a section of the Alps called the Semmering. It is an impossibly steep, very high part of the mountains. They built a train track over these Alps to connect Vienna and Venice. They built these tracks even before there was a train in existence that could make the trip. They built it because they knew some day, the train would come.

So thanks to these truly visionary people who enabled me and countless thousands of other travellers who inspired me to experience this wonderful journey. In my experience, it’s not mainly the destination, but it’s the journey on-board the train in this side of the planet that made my few days’ holiday so remarkable, which I highly recommend especially to first-time visitors to Europe.

Looking at the scenery while on-board the train is like looking at colourful postcards. It reminded me of my childhood and high school days when I used to collect glossy pictures mostly from calendars courtesy of the tobacco companies in Philippines. I would cut and decorate them on the walls of our living room. Most of those pictures are landscape and iconic landmarks from different parts of Europe, as indicated on their respective captions. I love collecting those photos without realising it fed and contributed to my knowledge in geography.

And now, here I am, up close and personal, admiring the art, culture, and authentic beauty of nature at its best that is distinctively Europe. It’s understandable why Rick Steves, an American travel writer, regarded Europe as ‘a playground and a classroom’.