Do you like to travel by flight or train?
By udaymohan
@udaymohan (437)
India
September 20, 2010 9:17am CST
Recently, I had to visit number of places in India for some important work. Due to paucity of time, I preferred to travel by flight. I had been travelling by flights and I knew how boring they could be. However, I had no option as trains would have taken longer times.
What I don't like in travelling by flight is to reach the airport two hours before the scheduled departure of the flight. Moreover, airports are situated more than 20-25 kms from the cities and it takes longer time to reach there. This time, at least on three occasions, my flight was at about 4.30 to 5 a.m. I had to get up at about 1 a.m. to reach th airports two hours before the departure. Then sitting in the security lounge after check up. This is another boring time and I had to spend my time reading newspapers. The worst thing is that I cannot smoke after entering the airport till arrival to the destination. Another thing is continuous whizzing sound while plane is airbourne.
While travelling by train is better. I could reach the railway station just five minutes before the departure and I can comfortably sleep on berth. Since the compartment has AC facility, I do not have to bother about hot or cold climate. Most interesting is the experience with co-passengers. Sometimes, I learn a lot from them. Well, sometimes I get boring companions as well. Even then I prefer to travel by train.
Only difference is that I can reach my destinations faster by flight.
How do you prefer to travel?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@LaurenInLA (2270)
• United States
21 Sep 10
I've never traveled by train because I am usually in a hurry to get wherever it is that I am going so I fly. I'm retired now and have a bit more time and would like to explore the possibility of train travel because I think that you can see so much more that way. The biggest problem for us in the U.S. is that it really isn't cost effective. The cost is so close to the cost of flying that it really doesn't make sense to spend the time on a train.
@udaymohan (437)
• India
23 Sep 10
Thanks for responding. However, I would request you to once travel by train and let the destination be quite far. I am sure you would enjoy your trave particularly you would enjoy the company of fellow passengers.
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
20 Sep 10
I have never traveled on a train, but I would love to do that. I have only ever traveled by plane, so it is really hard for me to judge at this point. Right now, I don't mind traveling by plane, but do hate having to go through so much security just to get on a plane.
@udaymohan (437)
• India
23 Sep 10
I find trains more comfortable than planes though one reaches the destination a bit late. You are perfectly right that we have to go through rigourous security but we can't overlook the terrorists' threats. Thanks for responding.
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
1 Oct 10
My favorite way to travel is by train. Then I find that the station is close to the city or near to the middle of a town. I can keep my luggage next to me so that is convenient. I sometimes need to get somethings out of my baggage. I can look out of the window in the daytime and sleep in a comfortable compartment in the night time. Some trains can go incredibly fast and smoothly. Other trains go slowly and the journey is relaxing. I can enjoy the outside scenery on such a trip. It is lovely to travel on all sorts of trains.
I have to travel by plane when I go to a long haul destination. Like this summer I flew from London to Vancouver return. The airline had been striking and I am lucky that my flights departed. I was also concerned about the volcanic ash that happened a few months before my trip. It is a four to five hour train journey to the airports at London for me. Then I have to check in hoping to get a window seat. I don't like not being able to take water bottles and think that the liquids rule is silly. When I booked a flight to Cancun I looked forward to my trip. Months later my flight got canceled due to a hurricane.
If there is a train crash people can still be alive sometimes. In an air crash everyone is likely to die. Most train journeys are safe but lately there have been a few plane crashes. I will carry on traveling by train, plane, bus and ferry.
