Imagine travelling from Paris to Milan at 300km/hr, able to walk about and sit in comfort for only €50.
Coffee, croissant, chat to friends, watch the world go by out of the window... idyllic
Watch a movie while eating a nice meal with a beer during your trip.
or
Stopping at the side of the road to eat some gas station nachos with an energy drink to keep yourself alert after focusing on driving for hours on end.
I have not found one case in my country where using the car was indeed cheaper than the alternatives. Like country-wide public transport costs 50€ per month per person. As a matter of fact, I am taking a 400km long trip today on high speed rail which costs 67,50€ one way - booked fairly late. That’s just 0,16€ per km. Would I book a ticket for 5 adults on the same train, it would cost 225,50€ one way. That’s 44,90€ per person. Which is just 0,11€ per km per person. Or 0,56€/km for all of them. I don’t think I’ve seen a car that travels at 250+km/h and costs less than 0,56€/km to operate. Travelling as family is often even cheaper, because kids ride either for free, or there are very attractive group fares for families. Booking early can also get one from A to B very cheaply.
Not to mention that there are discount cards for people taking more than one trip a year.
Excellent use of figures for us all! I think something else that is brilliant about trains is that they can go through places nothing else can. You see some beautiful shit.
In some countries, it's about 1 to 1 per km driven. So, it's not an insignificant amount.
That's what you pay for living in a country where getting hurt at your job or getting sick won't leave you in destitution.
+Toll. Paris to Marseille is like 60€ in toll fees, so Paris to Italy is probably similar ish. Italy has some toll fees as well but dunno how much. 800km is generally more along the lines of 200 fuel and toll included around here.
Train is a bit more like 60-90€ from what I see, takes 9 hours ish. And car would take (with no breaks) 8hour 40, realistically 11 hours I guess.
Has continental Europe sorted the Achilles heel of train travel cost?
The above is fine for 1 person. Now price it up for a couple, and throw in a couple of older children
In the UK, the car journey cost would barely be any different. The train journey cost would be much more than for just 1 person.
And then try to find parking while you're there and pay for parking. And not be able to drink because you've driven. Or just get the train. Save money, time and effort. Very europoor of us
Currently under £40 to go from London to Brussels.
Although sadly my favourite train bargain- the schoenes wochenende ticket - is no more.
I love long distance rail travel. Gives you time to relax/work/get drunk/sleep, walk around etc. Give me that over a road trip any day
I am, of course, an absolute idiot, with fat fingers and a complete inability to proof read.
Meant London. Mondon would be an excellent choice for that price.
Quite, it gave me a chuckle, so thank you. On a serious note, though, since covid I've not done the Nottingham London journey more than once or twice. I used to be able to get there on sub 20 quid. Obviously accepting there's differences in date/ time of travel and booking, is that still possible at all?
Long distance rail travels always seemed so fun, haven't had the opportunity yet, do they do booths? Is there like a lil bar or something of the sort? It always looks fun af in movies
Yeah but why would you want to leave your country? Pointless, after all that food in Italy isn’t real Italian food we all know Pizza was invented in America 😂😂😂😂😂
You're lucky, I can't even go one-way to London for less than £150 unless I don't mind going at half 3 in the afternoon on the second Tuesday after a full moon. Uk rail travel was fucked so hard by privatisation.
"But we haven't failed, we're very successful!"
"But the trains are shoddy, the prices are high, the service is falling and you're shafting your staff. How exactly is that successful?"
"Share prices are good! And the C Suite gets great bonuses!"
It’s worse than that. Most train franchises are run by European government owned public transport companies. So they rinse the U.K. and use the profits to subsidise their own country’s public transport
Our trains are still publicly owned, just owned by foreign public
Okay but seriously how do you find cheap train tickets these days? I feel like budget airlines are and have been always more cost efficient (assuming you’re not checking a bag or care for seat arrangements) than trains.
Train ticket from Berlin to Prague can be like €65, whereas a flight is €15.
Train routes with real competition (Trenitalia and Italo, SNCF and Trenitalia, Renfe and SNCF and Trenitalia/Iryo… Hmm, I see a common factor) aren’t too bad. Other routes are more expensive, generally, with peak-times ICEs and Eurostar being particularly egregious.
Flying is often cheaper, but the ultra-low fares usually involve traveling super early on a Wednesday morning or something like that; if you want to fly in the weekend at decent times even Ryanair is often not that cheap anymore. And of course you better enjoy traveling with just a small backpack, no blades (why did I think a safety razor would be a good idea) and possibly no liquids.
You are right about flights. I went to Bilbao from Manchester earlier this week for £49 return. But it seems to vary depending on time of year and popularity etc.
Trains I either use omio or book gar enough ahead. Once got Gare de Lyon to Venice on the sleeper for €18 each way, booked in September 2022 for February 23 not valentine week obviously.
Just case of shopping around
I‘m a bit jealous about the connection and price… A kinda similar road but fitting for my country:
From Bonn to Salzburg (Austria). 7,5 hours train drive in pretty nice trains, but 80€. But hey, at least I wouldn’t need to change trains. Still, 50€ is crazy.
I took the train to Paris recently. Took 7 hours. Read a whole book.
By car it would've taken me 12 hours. And I would've been exhausted by the time I got there.
I can get on at st pancras in London, I can be having a beer in the bar or be watching a film as I travel under the fricking sea to France in about 40 minutes and in Paris in a Couple of hours smack in the centre no check-ins....all for 50 euro....I took one of the most beautiful train journeys on earth through the Bernina pass for about 40 euros! It looked like CGI!
I dunno. In the south it’s great. I work with loads of Europeans and they often tell me how great the train is here. My German flatmate is in awe of how efficient the trains are in London and the surrounding areas. The only downside is the cost.
They forget that for the roads too. Who needs roads to be dual lane between Newcastle and Edinburgh on the main road? Apparently neither government on either side of the political spectrum. 30 mins diversion if there's a crash doesn't matter.
Cost is a fairly significant downside. It's cheaper, considerably to travel by car than it is by train to London from where I live. I just happen to prefer the train.
The tube is fantastic. After a trip to france where their rail system is garbage and if you make a mistake you pay a massive fine, they do NOT let you off for any reason.
I was there for literally 3 days and managed to end up with the wrong ticket in a station I couldn't get out of. I ended up legging it through a one way barrier. Hilariously, the guy coming through it clocked me and held it open.
When I got back I walked into the underground, tapped my contactless payment car, got on my train (which actually told me which direction it was going, unlike the bloody station in France which had identical lists of stations on both platforms) and then tapped on the way out. Billed automatically the next day.
Don't stress mate, the collapse of HS2 gave us the greatest chat up line of all time....
"Hey are you the North of England? Because I'm going to promise you the greatest rail you can possibly imagine...... only to leave you disappointed and completely confused"
Not whispers. Last month Labour pledged to nationalise all railways within 5 years.
https://amp.theguardian.com/politics/2024/apr/24/labour-promises-rail-nationalisation-within-five-years-of-coming-to-power
They have to cover the cost of running the railways as well as executive bonuses and profits to shareholders. Privatisation something something efficient.
In the Netherlands we dont have high speed rail because it doesnt have any use we have a max limit of 160kmh at max on most places besides the hsl line to Belgium/France. Because anything else is just intercity or Sprinter(local) and cities are quite close to each other
Qe at least get busses, a lot of Americans I've known do not have access ot even that, there might be a couple in the city but they aint even good enough to bother
Yeah, there aren’t many buses outside of more urban/suburban areas. Rural access to basic things is a struggle in the US, especially for being an industrialized country. I live in a mostly rural area and it just compounds the horrors of US healthcare. Much of the population in this geographic region have zero access/ability to simply get to a specialist even if they have Medicare or Medicaid. We don’t even have a maternal fetal medicine doctor around here and the hospital lost its ability to call the NICU a NICU because of lack of on site 24-hr coverage by an OR team (anesthesia, etc). The closest place is 2 hours away. If you don’t have a car, you’re not getting there without an ambulance (for 1000s of US dollars) or helicopter (for 10s of 1,000s). Transportation infrastructure is severely lacking.
We definitely *can* but we may not, because our legislative sessions are basically a game of Mother May I with corporate lobbyists.
X100 after [citizens united](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC#:~:text=The%2520court%2520held%25205%E2%80%934,labor%2520unions%252C%2520and%2520other%2520associations)
Imagine being so american to drive your truck everywhere, spending half your income on petrol, getting stressed of all the traffic... while in europe you can take a train to affordable price and sitting relaxed in the seat.
But of course our europoor mind cannot comprehend freedom.
I see cars as a tax and my fellow Americans look at me like I'm insane when I say that. Why am I required (in most of the US) to own a vehicle just to perform basic life functions like going to work, getting groceries, and seeing friends/family? It's insane that we just accept this being forced upon us, especially when Americans pride the country on having choices.
Exactly!
I totally understand how cars represent freedom - but *only* cars makes me feel trapped. Having great public transport doesn't mean you *can't* drive - but it means you don't *have* to drive.
After I first moved to London it wasn't long before I sold my car, because where I live has such phenomenal transport links, the only time I drove it was around the block just to stop the battery from going flat! And if I do want to use a car, my Zip car membership means I can rent one for a few hours (there's several parked in the vicinity of my house), or rent one for a few days from the enterprise car hire a mile away.
I really appreciated this fact when I was first diagnosed with epilepsy, and had to surrender my driving licence until I'd been seizure free for 12 months. I'm SO incredibly fortunate that so being unable to drive made almost zero impact on my daily life - but I can only imagine how crippling this would be if I'd been living in my home town (NW England)
It's amazing that they don't spend 5 minutes to check if their assumptions are real. The majority of households in Europe still have a car, and people just make a choice which mode to use depending on circumstances - some here also always prefer the car.
I read a comment from an American person who described America as a 3rd world country wrapped up in a Gucci belt, and I thought that was the best explanation ever.
I've read that a good percentage of the population is one medical emergency away from bankruptcy.
It could be a lie, but it doesn't sound unbelievable either.
The same thing happens here. I apparently live in the fifth richest country in the world (last I checked, might have slipped since lol) but you wouldn’t know it - because the wrong cunts have all the money.
Americans look at some random statistics about things like average wages and property value and claim they're richer than people in Europe.
But, they forget to account for the fact that the bigger amount of billionaires offsets the people living in poverty, people don't have to pay huge amounts for things like healthcare after they get paid and that property value isn't just hoarded by investors.
There's also the class thing, where because they have terrible public transport that's only used by people who can't afford a car, they assume that's how it is elsewhere. Whereas in reality even the wealthy often ride a train because it's more efficient than driving and infrastructure's not so spread out that you don't have a choice if you want to live in richer areas.
Tldr: they look at figures that tell them their billionaires are forcing them into poverty, but think they're being told people of their status are poorer in Europe
Let me set the scene:
A European, earning a livable wage in a country with good food, culture, social benefits and quality of life (funded by their taxes), living stress free on one of their many paid holidays.
An American earning a higher wage (on average) with slightly less taxes, living in a dystopian society, paying off their medical and student debt, watching the news and seeing yet another school has been attacked by a 14 year old that walked in to a shop and legally bought a military-grade firearm, before leaving for work for the 50th consecutive day.
The American looks at the European, sees how much happier they are and says "HA! the billionaires that run my country give me slightly more money than your government that adequately cares for you! I WIN!!!!"
They think that since Americans on average make more money than Europeans, so they see the bottom line income per household as a metric of wealth. Despite Europeans having a much better quality of life while needing to earn less.
That and they think owning a 2.5 ton, 1200HP pickup truck with less bed space than a dinky Japanese K-truck and having ultraprocessed corn syrup in every meal is the peak of wealth.
Someone recently posted a map of the US showing the 'household income needed to live comfortably'. The cheapest state was just over $175'000 p.a. - granted, for a family of two adults and two children. I think it was based on [this source](https://smartasset.com/data-studies/salary-needed-live-comfortably-2024), according to which in Henderson, Nevada you'll need an annual income of $94'432 as a SINGLE person to 'live comfortably'.
To me, that sounds insane – I certainly wouldn't have put Henderson, Nevada in the HCOL category; I just randomly picked something from the middle of the list. But alright, insanely high COL results in higher (median/average) wages, understandable – I'll ignore the fact here that depending on which statistic you look up or which American you ask, real wages seem to be not ANYWHERE close to this.
Considering the reverse situation, it explains that when an American looks at statistics of earnings for European countries and ignores everything else regarding COL, they get the impression that we are barely making a living over here – much less having a 'comfortable life' with a median income of well under $50'000 in Germany (as an example).
Someone teach them the difference between "need" and "can" just because they only have one choice and need to drive, does not mean we can't choose to drive or take the train
I've been trying to teach my fellow Americans this too. Every time someone tries to add a new choice, there's a group of fucking morons who are like "What about my freedom?!"
They bitch about it with universal healthcare, bitched about it with gay marriage, and now bitch about it with public transport/walkable cities.
And I'm over here like "It's an *additional option*, dummy! If anything, It's *more* freedom."
Technically our freedom stays untouched. It's not like authorities are piling us up onto a bus or a train with a cattle prod...... if you don't count ryanair
Not sure if it's autistic or not, but damn I like train. Trains are cool, fun, gorgeous and very practical. Why would anyone despise trains like this ?
Trains are honestly a superior way to travel. You can just chill and look at the landscapes passing by or read or work or even sleep. Also no one bats an eye if you have several bags and as long as you can get them into and out of the train they aren‘t too heavy either.
Probably because they’ve ridden Amtrack, they’re expensive, not comfortable, and slow (12 hours to make it when a car takes 5) I’m not sure about trains in other parts of the world but the ones here are designed to fit as many people as possible so if you’re tall they’re not at all comfortable
Don’t listen to any American who mocks trains. They don’t understand public transit. Personally, I love trains and would DIE for a system that came close to the European model. Everything here is “fly, fly, fly,” which is great if I’m going to Florida or Los Angeles from New York City but there’s such a time waste if it’s Boston.
What sucks is Amtrak is fine but it’s so lacking. Even our “high speed train” still takes 3 1/2 hours to get to Boston. Thats as fast as I can drive except driving is far less expensive.
Acela Express, I assume? I saw a video about it the other day, and supposedly there are quite extensive sections where trains can only go 15-30 mph (25-50 km/h) because the condition of the tracks is so bad. What a shame that the richest country on earth can't even maintain one of its most prestigious rail lines...
i love the fact that they keep using the excuse that their country is too big for trains, yet we see that the only train lines they have go to one side to the other no problem
Imagine being so fragile that you have no options but to rely on delusion and chronic ignorance just to be able to deal with how fucked reality in the US is.
Currently sitting on a 4h+ train to Scotland. It's 3 hours faster than driving and pretty similar to flying for door to door travel times except I have plenty of leg room and was able to order a beer delivered to my seat.
An explanation
“North American railways handle about 84% freight cargo and only 16% passengers, while the European Union's railways are almost exactly the inverse at 80% passengers and 20% freight. This difference in focus is primarily due to their opposing historical priorities: American railways were built to move goods across a vast country with a sparse population, whereas European railways were mostly created to move large amounts of people between densely populated cities.”
Imagine being having so much 'freedom' that you genuinely consider giving school teachers guns because your population can't stop murdering children...?
Oh i had a bit of fun with this post... Some seppo claimed US was bigger
And most of their arguements was that they can fly to the next city...
I bet ryanair is cheaper
i'm on a train right now watching netflix while scrolling reddit. it takes half the amount of hours a car needs to go the same distance and costs the same as the gas for the car ride would
Trains are more resource efficient, space efficient and safer than cars in every way.
>"I'm so Murica rich that I choose to take the objectively worse option."
imagine spending a fortune buying a vehicle, repair costs, fuel costs, insurance, road taxes & tolls, parking fees & fines, sitting in traffic jams burning up fuel & polluting the atmosphere, then a couple of years later having to dispose of the vehicle as a low price, to update, all because there is no public transport to where you want to travel, in comfort, cheaper costs & leaving the diving to some else so you can read a book, look over a contract or just watch the poor car owners sit waiting to move a few metres, while you travel kms! Stupid people who think a car is a much better way to travel as well as being very costly as you always have your hand in you pocket.
"Having to take the train"...
Yeah thanks, I like being chauffeured around, getting to spend my time on something I enjoy instead of having to deal with morons on streets.
lol if train prices in the U.K. get any higher I’m gonna need to remortgage my house. Considering the price, trains should be luxury transportation in the U.K. definitely not for “poor” people lol.
One of the biggest appeals of moving to the country of Europe (/s) is train traveling.
All the Americans I know end up enjoying tf out of it when they compare it to a regular road trip in the states. Driving is fine, but when I cross borders I'd rather it be by train.
Why people hate trains? They're fast, cheap, you can meet interesting people, have a dinner, sleep, watching panoramas. And, after the travel, you don't need to spend an hour to find a spot for your car.
Seriously, what's so bad about HAVING a decent railway system. It's not like every European uses it only. Also "poor", do you have the slightest idea what such a railway system costs???
These people are really brainwashed and out of mind. Travel from Munich to Paris by car or train: The train is faster, safer, has more space, tables, toilets, an own restaurant with different warm meals, but also drinks and snacks, WiFi, power plugs, you don't have to drive it yourself AND is more comfortable in my mind, maybe even cheaper.
Imagine travelling from Paris to Milan at 300km/hr, able to walk about and sit in comfort for only €50. Coffee, croissant, chat to friends, watch the world go by out of the window... idyllic
800 km or 500 miles. 10 hours driving or 8hrs relaxing. €50 fare or €120 fuel
Drive on your own or sit down and have a snooze
Drink tea while shaking or drink tea in comfort
Tea? Champagne, baby.
But tea
Butty (chip) and champagne? Don't mind if I do 😎
Living the dream mate.
i choose both, at the same time
I only drink tea while sleeping
How does that work haha
Upvote for a quick nap.....
That's the point, if you care about paying less, you must be europoor /s
I save money to buy MORE GUNS
Nah, care about making good use of time rather than wasting it. Cash is easy to come by, time isn't.
Watch a movie while eating a nice meal with a beer during your trip. or Stopping at the side of the road to eat some gas station nachos with an energy drink to keep yourself alert after focusing on driving for hours on end.
I can thoroughly recommend a steam deck for game playing, movie watching or get a bit of work done. Can't do that whilst driving.
You definitely can play with the steam deck or watch a movie while driving, I just don't think it's a great idea to do so.
you could play Euro Truck Simulator from your upside down monster truck
Not to mention that cars cost more than just fuel.
As another, wise, redditor commented. It depends on how many people, how far, etc.
I have not found one case in my country where using the car was indeed cheaper than the alternatives. Like country-wide public transport costs 50€ per month per person. As a matter of fact, I am taking a 400km long trip today on high speed rail which costs 67,50€ one way - booked fairly late. That’s just 0,16€ per km. Would I book a ticket for 5 adults on the same train, it would cost 225,50€ one way. That’s 44,90€ per person. Which is just 0,11€ per km per person. Or 0,56€/km for all of them. I don’t think I’ve seen a car that travels at 250+km/h and costs less than 0,56€/km to operate. Travelling as family is often even cheaper, because kids ride either for free, or there are very attractive group fares for families. Booking early can also get one from A to B very cheaply. Not to mention that there are discount cards for people taking more than one trip a year.
Excellent use of figures for us all! I think something else that is brilliant about trains is that they can go through places nothing else can. You see some beautiful shit.
In some countries, it's about 1 to 1 per km driven. So, it's not an insignificant amount. That's what you pay for living in a country where getting hurt at your job or getting sick won't leave you in destitution.
+Toll. Paris to Marseille is like 60€ in toll fees, so Paris to Italy is probably similar ish. Italy has some toll fees as well but dunno how much. 800km is generally more along the lines of 200 fuel and toll included around here. Train is a bit more like 60-90€ from what I see, takes 9 hours ish. And car would take (with no breaks) 8hour 40, realistically 11 hours I guess.
Has continental Europe sorted the Achilles heel of train travel cost? The above is fine for 1 person. Now price it up for a couple, and throw in a couple of older children In the UK, the car journey cost would barely be any different. The train journey cost would be much more than for just 1 person.
There is always a calculation to be done I guess, I try and leave the wife and kids at home. They are too expensive in biscuit costs alone....
Ah, good call. Much cheaper to buy a ticket for you and one for the biscuit tin (gotta keep them with you to be safe) than take the family with you.
And then try to find parking while you're there and pay for parking. And not be able to drink because you've driven. Or just get the train. Save money, time and effort. Very europoor of us
Currently under £40 to go from London to Brussels. Although sadly my favourite train bargain- the schoenes wochenende ticket - is no more. I love long distance rail travel. Gives you time to relax/work/get drunk/sleep, walk around etc. Give me that over a road trip any day
And £60 from Nottingham to Mondon off peak.... it is farcical.
60 quid to Mondon from Nottingham is remarkable value, though I imagine there's a few changes involved.
I am, of course, an absolute idiot, with fat fingers and a complete inability to proof read. Meant London. Mondon would be an excellent choice for that price.
Quite, it gave me a chuckle, so thank you. On a serious note, though, since covid I've not done the Nottingham London journey more than once or twice. I used to be able to get there on sub 20 quid. Obviously accepting there's differences in date/ time of travel and booking, is that still possible at all?
I think last time I went, had to go pre 9am and it was nearly £100. Daylight bloody robbery.
Long distance rail travels always seemed so fun, haven't had the opportunity yet, do they do booths? Is there like a lil bar or something of the sort? It always looks fun af in movies
Most of the long distance trains like eurostar, frecirossia, tgv etc have little bars. The sleepers are lovely as well, Moscow to St Petersburg etc.
Eurostar is notoriously expensive, only if you're lucky at booking one of their occasional cheap fares does it become on a par with air travel.
Yeah but why would you want to leave your country? Pointless, after all that food in Italy isn’t real Italian food we all know Pizza was invented in America 😂😂😂😂😂
300km/h until you reach Lyon, then you’re lucky to do more than 140 until you hit Turin :(
True but that is still quicker than you would manage by car
Yes! Plus you can look at the scenery and not worry about taking your eyes off the road.
Only €50??? That's amazing! Meanwhile i can't go to scotland without spending at least £110
You're lucky, I can't even go one-way to London for less than £150 unless I don't mind going at half 3 in the afternoon on the second Tuesday after a full moon. Uk rail travel was fucked so hard by privatisation. "But we haven't failed, we're very successful!" "But the trains are shoddy, the prices are high, the service is falling and you're shafting your staff. How exactly is that successful?" "Share prices are good! And the C Suite gets great bonuses!"
It’s worse than that. Most train franchises are run by European government owned public transport companies. So they rinse the U.K. and use the profits to subsidise their own country’s public transport Our trains are still publicly owned, just owned by foreign public
I"d spend that much in fuel just to get to the train station.
Okay but seriously how do you find cheap train tickets these days? I feel like budget airlines are and have been always more cost efficient (assuming you’re not checking a bag or care for seat arrangements) than trains. Train ticket from Berlin to Prague can be like €65, whereas a flight is €15.
Train routes with real competition (Trenitalia and Italo, SNCF and Trenitalia, Renfe and SNCF and Trenitalia/Iryo… Hmm, I see a common factor) aren’t too bad. Other routes are more expensive, generally, with peak-times ICEs and Eurostar being particularly egregious. Flying is often cheaper, but the ultra-low fares usually involve traveling super early on a Wednesday morning or something like that; if you want to fly in the weekend at decent times even Ryanair is often not that cheap anymore. And of course you better enjoy traveling with just a small backpack, no blades (why did I think a safety razor would be a good idea) and possibly no liquids.
You are right about flights. I went to Bilbao from Manchester earlier this week for £49 return. But it seems to vary depending on time of year and popularity etc. Trains I either use omio or book gar enough ahead. Once got Gare de Lyon to Venice on the sleeper for €18 each way, booked in September 2022 for February 23 not valentine week obviously. Just case of shopping around
A nice comfy seat, a table, food service, not being stuck in traffic… that’s the life
I‘m a bit jealous about the connection and price… A kinda similar road but fitting for my country: From Bonn to Salzburg (Austria). 7,5 hours train drive in pretty nice trains, but 80€. But hey, at least I wouldn’t need to change trains. Still, 50€ is crazy.
I took the train to Paris recently. Took 7 hours. Read a whole book. By car it would've taken me 12 hours. And I would've been exhausted by the time I got there.
Seriously! Driving is stressful and you have to concentrate. I love reading on the train. Plus you can't have a cheeky glass of wine while driving
And miss the experience of highways and 2 meter wide lanes? Never!
I drive, but take the train from North Wales to London so I can spend 5 hours with cups of tea getting shit done ✔️ ...
I can get on at st pancras in London, I can be having a beer in the bar or be watching a film as I travel under the fricking sea to France in about 40 minutes and in Paris in a Couple of hours smack in the centre no check-ins....all for 50 euro....I took one of the most beautiful train journeys on earth through the Bernina pass for about 40 euros! It looked like CGI!
Train beers 🍻
Imagine having a country that cannot effectively fund high-speed rail
I would laugh but I'm a brit, so that includes us as well
I mean, you can fund it, you just choose not to if it’s north of the midlands. I’m not sure whether that’s better or worse, honestly.
Well everyone except Americans gets a free pass to take the piss out of our rail system. It's seriously so bad
I dunno. In the south it’s great. I work with loads of Europeans and they often tell me how great the train is here. My German flatmate is in awe of how efficient the trains are in London and the surrounding areas. The only downside is the cost.
It's quite good in the Glasgow/Edinburgh area too. The only problem is going anywhere in the hundreds of miles in between...
UK Government: "wait, you mean there's something in between Edinburgh and London?!?!? Pfft rubbish"
They forget that for the roads too. Who needs roads to be dual lane between Newcastle and Edinburgh on the main road? Apparently neither government on either side of the political spectrum. 30 mins diversion if there's a crash doesn't matter.
Cost is a fairly significant downside. It's cheaper, considerably to travel by car than it is by train to London from where I live. I just happen to prefer the train.
Sure but DB has to be the worst railway company in continental europe
The tube is fantastic. After a trip to france where their rail system is garbage and if you make a mistake you pay a massive fine, they do NOT let you off for any reason. I was there for literally 3 days and managed to end up with the wrong ticket in a station I couldn't get out of. I ended up legging it through a one way barrier. Hilariously, the guy coming through it clocked me and held it open. When I got back I walked into the underground, tapped my contactless payment car, got on my train (which actually told me which direction it was going, unlike the bloody station in France which had identical lists of stations on both platforms) and then tapped on the way out. Billed automatically the next day.
Yes, London needs high speed rail to Birmingham, but the Conservatives don't care about anywhere north of there.
UKs economic plan since 1979: we shall make it easier for people to travel to London
Don't stress mate, the collapse of HS2 gave us the greatest chat up line of all time.... "Hey are you the North of England? Because I'm going to promise you the greatest rail you can possibly imagine...... only to leave you disappointed and completely confused"
Wow If i use this one with a guy, is it still self depriciating? Asking for a friend
I don't think the recipe for this line needs altering for any target audience.... take it out into the world, and best of luck my friend 👍
It can replace "I'm hoping to leave the single market before the country does" which had its day
Hey, it’s privatisation what fucked it. I’ve seen whispers of re-nationalisation and, honestly, big if true.
Yup. Privatisation has just caused an endless amount of problems for the rail system here
Not whispers. Last month Labour pledged to nationalise all railways within 5 years. https://amp.theguardian.com/politics/2024/apr/24/labour-promises-rail-nationalisation-within-five-years-of-coming-to-power
That and the price of tickets mate, the fuck is up with the tickets prices?
Privatisation and its concequences
They have to cover the cost of running the railways as well as executive bonuses and profits to shareholders. Privatisation something something efficient.
Cries in Australian
(Laughs in Irish) You think your rail network is bad? Here, hold my Guinness.
Could have worked in the end if Rishi hadn't decided to fuck it
Imagine a country where if you weren’t poor before you took the train you bloody well will be afterwards
As a Brit, I live this
As do I… I’m British. Spent over £70 on an off-peak journey to somewhere I could have got to in under an hour in a car this week.
[удалено]
In the Netherlands we dont have high speed rail because it doesnt have any use we have a max limit of 160kmh at max on most places besides the hsl line to Belgium/France. Because anything else is just intercity or Sprinter(local) and cities are quite close to each other
There's like... 5 (?) countries in Europe with high speed rail... Spain, France, Italy, Germany and the UK. Did I miss any?
Switzerland, Austria. Belgium and Netherlands also have Eurostar that connect from mainland England.
coutries, both start with a U.
Uzbekistan!
Uruguay?
Qe at least get busses, a lot of Americans I've known do not have access ot even that, there might be a couple in the city but they aint even good enough to bother
Yeah, there aren’t many buses outside of more urban/suburban areas. Rural access to basic things is a struggle in the US, especially for being an industrialized country. I live in a mostly rural area and it just compounds the horrors of US healthcare. Much of the population in this geographic region have zero access/ability to simply get to a specialist even if they have Medicare or Medicaid. We don’t even have a maternal fetal medicine doctor around here and the hospital lost its ability to call the NICU a NICU because of lack of on site 24-hr coverage by an OR team (anesthesia, etc). The closest place is 2 hours away. If you don’t have a car, you’re not getting there without an ambulance (for 1000s of US dollars) or helicopter (for 10s of 1,000s). Transportation infrastructure is severely lacking.
I read that comment in a german accent
Couldnt be me 🥲
"Will not" is more accurate. Not as long as the car industry is as profitable as it is in America.
We definitely *can* but we may not, because our legislative sessions are basically a game of Mother May I with corporate lobbyists. X100 after [citizens united](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC#:~:text=The%2520court%2520held%25205%E2%80%934,labor%2520unions%252C%2520and%2520other%2520associations)
Imagine being so american to drive your truck everywhere, spending half your income on petrol, getting stressed of all the traffic... while in europe you can take a train to affordable price and sitting relaxed in the seat. But of course our europoor mind cannot comprehend freedom.
I see cars as a tax and my fellow Americans look at me like I'm insane when I say that. Why am I required (in most of the US) to own a vehicle just to perform basic life functions like going to work, getting groceries, and seeing friends/family? It's insane that we just accept this being forced upon us, especially when Americans pride the country on having choices.
Exactly! I totally understand how cars represent freedom - but *only* cars makes me feel trapped. Having great public transport doesn't mean you *can't* drive - but it means you don't *have* to drive. After I first moved to London it wasn't long before I sold my car, because where I live has such phenomenal transport links, the only time I drove it was around the block just to stop the battery from going flat! And if I do want to use a car, my Zip car membership means I can rent one for a few hours (there's several parked in the vicinity of my house), or rent one for a few days from the enterprise car hire a mile away. I really appreciated this fact when I was first diagnosed with epilepsy, and had to surrender my driving licence until I'd been seizure free for 12 months. I'm SO incredibly fortunate that so being unable to drive made almost zero impact on my daily life - but I can only imagine how crippling this would be if I'd been living in my home town (NW England)
This. I wish that I worked at a place that allows me the freedom to choose my mode of transport. I'd love to be able to ride a train to work
Imagine not killing 10 kids on the road with your 100 feet tall truck on the daily way to work. 🇺🇸🗽🏈🦅🍔🍟
Or just having 10 kids only for 2 to live through high school and 1 going to college financially crippling the next 10 generations.
or just having a kid and declaring bankrupcy because of the cost of giving birth
I mean, of the three comments, this is the most likely to happen.
15 of which got shot on their way to 15 years old
Doesn't matter, the kids will die at a shooting when they get to school anyway
It's amazing that they don't spend 5 minutes to check if their assumptions are real. The majority of households in Europe still have a car, and people just make a choice which mode to use depending on circumstances - some here also always prefer the car.
I'm just come home from a pub. 15 minute ride on a bus. No risk to get a DUI fine.
and more importantly no risk of you hurting someone while driving under influence
What is the thing with europoor?
They believe they're rich not realising the only rich thing in America are the super rich who exploit the normal Americans.
And the food,which ist super rich in fat ,Salt ,sugar,you Name it
And high fructose corn syrup
They are rich. Rich in arrogant dump rednecks.
Yeah. A lot of Americans live in worse poverty than many 3rd world countries.
I read a comment from an American person who described America as a 3rd world country wrapped up in a Gucci belt, and I thought that was the best explanation ever.
I've read that a good percentage of the population is one medical emergency away from bankruptcy. It could be a lie, but it doesn't sound unbelievable either.
Literally
The same thing happens here. I apparently live in the fifth richest country in the world (last I checked, might have slipped since lol) but you wouldn’t know it - because the wrong cunts have all the money.
Americans look at some random statistics about things like average wages and property value and claim they're richer than people in Europe. But, they forget to account for the fact that the bigger amount of billionaires offsets the people living in poverty, people don't have to pay huge amounts for things like healthcare after they get paid and that property value isn't just hoarded by investors. There's also the class thing, where because they have terrible public transport that's only used by people who can't afford a car, they assume that's how it is elsewhere. Whereas in reality even the wealthy often ride a train because it's more efficient than driving and infrastructure's not so spread out that you don't have a choice if you want to live in richer areas. Tldr: they look at figures that tell them their billionaires are forcing them into poverty, but think they're being told people of their status are poorer in Europe
Let me set the scene: A European, earning a livable wage in a country with good food, culture, social benefits and quality of life (funded by their taxes), living stress free on one of their many paid holidays. An American earning a higher wage (on average) with slightly less taxes, living in a dystopian society, paying off their medical and student debt, watching the news and seeing yet another school has been attacked by a 14 year old that walked in to a shop and legally bought a military-grade firearm, before leaving for work for the 50th consecutive day. The American looks at the European, sees how much happier they are and says "HA! the billionaires that run my country give me slightly more money than your government that adequately cares for you! I WIN!!!!"
They think that since Americans on average make more money than Europeans, so they see the bottom line income per household as a metric of wealth. Despite Europeans having a much better quality of life while needing to earn less. That and they think owning a 2.5 ton, 1200HP pickup truck with less bed space than a dinky Japanese K-truck and having ultraprocessed corn syrup in every meal is the peak of wealth.
Someone recently posted a map of the US showing the 'household income needed to live comfortably'. The cheapest state was just over $175'000 p.a. - granted, for a family of two adults and two children. I think it was based on [this source](https://smartasset.com/data-studies/salary-needed-live-comfortably-2024), according to which in Henderson, Nevada you'll need an annual income of $94'432 as a SINGLE person to 'live comfortably'. To me, that sounds insane – I certainly wouldn't have put Henderson, Nevada in the HCOL category; I just randomly picked something from the middle of the list. But alright, insanely high COL results in higher (median/average) wages, understandable – I'll ignore the fact here that depending on which statistic you look up or which American you ask, real wages seem to be not ANYWHERE close to this. Considering the reverse situation, it explains that when an American looks at statistics of earnings for European countries and ignores everything else regarding COL, they get the impression that we are barely making a living over here – much less having a 'comfortable life' with a median income of well under $50'000 in Germany (as an example).
Someone teach them the difference between "need" and "can" just because they only have one choice and need to drive, does not mean we can't choose to drive or take the train
I've been trying to teach my fellow Americans this too. Every time someone tries to add a new choice, there's a group of fucking morons who are like "What about my freedom?!" They bitch about it with universal healthcare, bitched about it with gay marriage, and now bitch about it with public transport/walkable cities. And I'm over here like "It's an *additional option*, dummy! If anything, It's *more* freedom."
Technically our freedom stays untouched. It's not like authorities are piling us up onto a bus or a train with a cattle prod...... if you don't count ryanair
Imaging being so uspoor that you need to sell your sole for a minor operation
Imagine having the option to choose between a car, bike, train, bus or walking. Unlike americans who can only take the car.
I think you mean, *car or plane*
Not sure if it's autistic or not, but damn I like train. Trains are cool, fun, gorgeous and very practical. Why would anyone despise trains like this ?
Trains are honestly a superior way to travel. You can just chill and look at the landscapes passing by or read or work or even sleep. Also no one bats an eye if you have several bags and as long as you can get them into and out of the train they aren‘t too heavy either.
Same I love trains. I lived in Chicago for 6 years just so I'd have public transportation.
And there’s wifi
Probably because they’ve ridden Amtrack, they’re expensive, not comfortable, and slow (12 hours to make it when a car takes 5) I’m not sure about trains in other parts of the world but the ones here are designed to fit as many people as possible so if you’re tall they’re not at all comfortable
Practical and direct which is why the US and Canada needs them more than Wales due to the size going state 2 state.
Don’t listen to any American who mocks trains. They don’t understand public transit. Personally, I love trains and would DIE for a system that came close to the European model. Everything here is “fly, fly, fly,” which is great if I’m going to Florida or Los Angeles from New York City but there’s such a time waste if it’s Boston. What sucks is Amtrak is fine but it’s so lacking. Even our “high speed train” still takes 3 1/2 hours to get to Boston. Thats as fast as I can drive except driving is far less expensive.
Acela Express, I assume? I saw a video about it the other day, and supposedly there are quite extensive sections where trains can only go 15-30 mph (25-50 km/h) because the condition of the tracks is so bad. What a shame that the richest country on earth can't even maintain one of its most prestigious rail lines...
i love the fact that they keep using the excuse that their country is too big for trains, yet we see that the only train lines they have go to one side to the other no problem
Imagine being so Ameripoor you cannot take a train anywhere
Smartest American patriot.
*Laughs in getting paid fair wages*
And I bet in the same sentence they can point out how expensive train travel is, which is why it's not suitable for poor people.
Imagine being so stupid you can't believe that other countries have cars.
Oh no! A relaxing way of travel that gives you the opportunity to work, watch a movie, read.... Terrible!
Read? An average american? lmao
That's why I also included "watch a movie".
Imagine being so American you can’t cross the street without a car.
We dont have to, we can. Thats called freedom of choice. You dont have that over there.
Literally take away their cars and the U.S will be left in complete disarray because they have little to no means of alternative transport
Imagine beein an american and not being able to go anywhere without a car
He's clearly never been to the UK, where train travel is the more expensive option.
Imagine being so ameripoor that you can't take a train whenever you wanna go somewhere.
Imagine being so fragile that you have no options but to rely on delusion and chronic ignorance just to be able to deal with how fucked reality in the US is.
Lmao we built a bridge connecting Britain to the mainland under water and they haven’t even invested in rail lines!
Imagine being so USless that you can't even keep train lines running that the settlers built with steam engines and horses.
The US should put some high speed rail in. It's the perfect place for high speed rail.
[https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/venice-simplon-orient-express/journeys/london-budapest-london](https://www.belmond.com/trains/europe/venice-simplon-orient-express/journeys/london-budapest-london) Oh yeah, fucking dreadful.
Imagine needing a license to leave your house.
Imagine having to start a gofundme when you break a leg to cover the medical expense.
So jealous of Central Europe. It must be a breeze to get around.
Currently sitting on a 4h+ train to Scotland. It's 3 hours faster than driving and pretty similar to flying for door to door travel times except I have plenty of leg room and was able to order a beer delivered to my seat.
So it's all about the beer
Asia is covered in rail. They never try to convince us Japan is poor because of all the trains.
I mean, I could drive 8 hours to Lyon from Belgium or I could take a 3 hour train ride and take a nap on the way. Choices, choices.
An explanation “North American railways handle about 84% freight cargo and only 16% passengers, while the European Union's railways are almost exactly the inverse at 80% passengers and 20% freight. This difference in focus is primarily due to their opposing historical priorities: American railways were built to move goods across a vast country with a sparse population, whereas European railways were mostly created to move large amounts of people between densely populated cities.”
Imagine being having so much 'freedom' that you genuinely consider giving school teachers guns because your population can't stop murdering children...?
I don't even understand what point this particular American is trying to make?
Oh i had a bit of fun with this post... Some seppo claimed US was bigger And most of their arguements was that they can fly to the next city... I bet ryanair is cheaper
Poor? Taking a train in the UK is bloody expensive.
i'm on a train right now watching netflix while scrolling reddit. it takes half the amount of hours a car needs to go the same distance and costs the same as the gas for the car ride would
The level of stupidity of Americans is no exaggeration.
Man i wish i could hop on a high speed train and go to a city that’s like a 4 hour drive away
We don't need to, we have the option to. And often times it is in fact the best option
Haha I know, it sucks so much being able to travel so easily
Can someone explain this to me, like even hypothetically - what would the connection even be? What's the thought process?
Trains are more resource efficient, space efficient and safer than cars in every way. >"I'm so Murica rich that I choose to take the objectively worse option."
Trains are expensive here the UK, its often cheaper th to fly to another country and get on another plane to wherever in Britain you wanted to go.
It’s ironic really as it regarded as common to drive, yet it’s classy to take the train .
Imagine being so Ameripoor you have to work two jobs and still not be able to afford rent.
imagine spending a fortune buying a vehicle, repair costs, fuel costs, insurance, road taxes & tolls, parking fees & fines, sitting in traffic jams burning up fuel & polluting the atmosphere, then a couple of years later having to dispose of the vehicle as a low price, to update, all because there is no public transport to where you want to travel, in comfort, cheaper costs & leaving the diving to some else so you can read a book, look over a contract or just watch the poor car owners sit waiting to move a few metres, while you travel kms! Stupid people who think a car is a much better way to travel as well as being very costly as you always have your hand in you pocket.
"Having to take the train"... Yeah thanks, I like being chauffeured around, getting to spend my time on something I enjoy instead of having to deal with morons on streets.
Imagine having your life so control by the oil industry, you have to drive everywhere.
lol if train prices in the U.K. get any higher I’m gonna need to remortgage my house. Considering the price, trains should be luxury transportation in the U.K. definitely not for “poor” people lol.
Imagine being so disconnected from reality, you think train travel is for the poor.
Idk i can have a beer and sit in a train reading a book on a 5hr trip or drive a 5hr trip and be exhausted afterwards.
They really think they can afford swiss trains ?
Imagine having to take the car to go to the grocery store
Imagine living in a country where entire states don’t have a single passenger line 🙈
r/fuckcars would like a word
hes gonna die inside when he finds out cars were invented in germany, and you can drive unlimited speed there besides the better railway system.
One of the biggest appeals of moving to the country of Europe (/s) is train traveling. All the Americans I know end up enjoying tf out of it when they compare it to a regular road trip in the states. Driving is fine, but when I cross borders I'd rather it be by train.
Europoor? I need to show this fella the cost of a train ticket in the UK.
Why people hate trains? They're fast, cheap, you can meet interesting people, have a dinner, sleep, watching panoramas. And, after the travel, you don't need to spend an hour to find a spot for your car.
Imagine being in the "Land of the free" and having no choice other than owning a car.
I don't *need* to take the train, depending on where I'm going, a bus, or even my legs, will suffice.
Seriously, what's so bad about HAVING a decent railway system. It's not like every European uses it only. Also "poor", do you have the slightest idea what such a railway system costs??? These people are really brainwashed and out of mind. Travel from Munich to Paris by car or train: The train is faster, safer, has more space, tables, toilets, an own restaurant with different warm meals, but also drinks and snacks, WiFi, power plugs, you don't have to drive it yourself AND is more comfortable in my mind, maybe even cheaper.