| r if you are European or not, the most important | | | | Cost Airlines, which could have made this 6 hour |
| thing when it comes to plan your vacations in the | | | | trip last for only 1 hour plus the 2 you waited on |
| old continent is to select and optimize the means | | | | the queue... for 50 euros the round trip with taxes |
| of transport. What I mean with that is not only to | | | | and fees included! |
| find the best airfare hunting for hot deals on the | | | | In the end, the results vary around only two |
| net 8 hours a day, but to make the process of | | | | factors. Time and money. As a general rule, and |
| trip planning in an intelligent way. As everyone can | | | | exposed to thousands of external factors that |
| notice, it makes no sense to find the best airline | | | | can make it change, I wouldn't recommend to |
| ticket if then you realize it would have been | | | | take any flight if you can make the same |
| better with train. | | | | itinerary for less than 3 hours by train, as possibly |
| Here is the real discussion and what this article is | | | | train will be cheaper and faster. When the number |
| about. Of course my idea is not to provide with | | | | of hours increases, this balance tends to approach |
| an answer, as I can promise there is no answer | | | | the plane option, as actually in Europe the price to |
| at all to this topic as conditions keep varying | | | | get from Barcelona to Madrid (30 minutes flight) is |
| every day, but to take an approach to the topic | | | | the same as to get from Barcelona to Stockholm |
| by giving some guidelines to follow to the reader. | | | | (3:30 hours flight). Why? Because airlines have |
| Who hates waking up very early to stand up in | | | | managed to drop so much the tickets they sell |
| front of a queue for 2 hours just to give a couple | | | | (of course if you book with time enough) that the |
| of suitcases to the always smiling lady at the | | | | only thing you are paying in the end is just taxes. |
| end? Is the prize to see her smile? Well, most | | | | As a final note, I would like to mention an |
| probably it is to get this small piece of paper that | | | | exception to this rule, that appears when you get |
| supposedly authorizes you to get into the plane. | | | | a eurail or inter rail pass. Those tickets allow you |
| And I say supposedly, as you will need to pass | | | | to take a certain number of travel days within a |
| the thousand barriers (police control, passport | | | | determined amount of time, restricted to 1 or 2 |
| control...) that are placed between you and your | | | | countries or zones, or even can provide a global |
| dream destination. | | | | pass with some traveling days restrictions also |
| Of course things are getting a bit better recently | | | | during an amount of time that can be 1 or 2 |
| with the possibility to check-in online or with | | | | months. This is a very good option for the railway |
| machines, but still the process of getting on a | | | | lovers. And you need to really get in love with the |
| plane can really be annoying. What I mean with all | | | | rails as you are going to spend very long hours |
| this is: have you really checked that all this is | | | | looking through your window. To put it in different |
| necessary? Are you serious that a train service | | | | words: if you are able to enjoy the trip by train |
| could have not worked in the same way avoiding | | | | as much as when you walk in your destination, |
| all this time lost at the airport? | | | | this option is for you. |
| No. I don't work for the rail service if that was | | | | So, after all, if you are looking to travel within |
| your question. Let's put this in another way. You | | | | Europe, simply keep in mind that it is not only |
| plan your quick trip with train, 6 hours in one of | | | | about price, but also about time invested and how |
| those super-fast machines that will take you to | | | | much you are able to enjoy this time you spend |
| your destination for about... 300 euros. Well, don't | | | | between one place to another. |
| take me wrong but it exists something called Low | | | | |