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So, do normal people not feel like they’re going to throw up literally the entire train ride? I had a hard time taking a half hour train ride, much less a long

by wincy 4y ago

So, do normal people not feel like they’re going to throw up literally the entire train ride? I had a hard time taking a half hour train ride, much less a long one, but I also have a hard time being in the back seat of someone else’s car. I feel like they must not because it’s very seldom talked about. But googling it says 1 in 3 people experience motion sickness. Maybe mine is just really severe? Without Dramamine or meclazine I’m hopeless on a train.

pwg 4y ago
> So, do normal people not feel like they’re going to throw up literally the entire train ride? No, no issues with the motion at all. And absolutely none of that onboard a cruise ship for me either. > But googling it says 1 in 3 people experience motion sickness. Maybe mine is just really severe? That sounds to be the case. Perhaps discuss with your MD?
laurencerowe 4y ago
I’m unable to read on a bus or car due to motion sickness but never have that problem on trains.
fumeux_fume 4y ago
I find it pretty unsettling how many people are raving about travel by train. If your standards are insanely low then I suppose you can say the food is good, dining with random people is fun and the cabins are comfortable.
- zerocrates 4y ago
  It's a low bar to clear when you're comparing to the comfort and food on a typical flight nowadays. Of course, the train trip will be longer so, tradeoffs.
  - Akronymus 4y ago
    With the whole check-in/boarding process planes actually become close to as slow as trains on short-ish trips.
  - sofixa 4y ago
    > Of course, the train trip will be longer so, tradeoffs. If you count everything in, a high speed train is faster or close enough (but compensating with much higher levels of comfort and most of the time being spent in the train itself, not separated in travel to airport, queuing there, wasting time there, boarding, flying, disembarking, waiting for luggage, travel from airport) with air travel less than 3 hours.
- logifail 4y ago
  > I find it pretty unsettling how many people are raving about travel by train Last August I travelled from Paris to Innsbruck by train with my 6 year-old daughter. Despite a misconnect in Germany after a delay to our TGV and then a cancelled ICE causing us over an hour's delay (although that was an excuse for a surprisingly good impromptu stir-fry for lunch at Mannheim station), then subsequently having to run, with five separate items of luggage, none of which she was carrying :) to connect in Munich, we had a great day. I did an almost identical trip by car with my eldest years ago when he was also 6, the only things I remember about it were watching sun rise over Paris as we left, and sun set over Munich as we drove round on it on the Autobahn. The rest was just hours of keeping my eyes on the road. Given the choice, I'd take the train every time.
  - steelframe 4y ago
    > then subsequently having to run, with five separate items of luggage When my spouse and I did a 3-week vacation in Europe and then a 2-week vacation in Japan, my one steadfast condition was that we were allowed one 19-liter backpack and one 23-liter backpack, full stop. If it didn't pack into one of the backpacks' zippered pouches, we didn't take it with us. It takes some planning and hacking to do well, including optimizing clothing, toiletries, and electronics for traveling with that little space, but the handful of times we had to get from point A to point B quickly through a crowd, it was glorious. It's also nice knowing that all of my luggage trivially fits under the seat on the airplane. Takes away any stress relating to "OMG will there be enough overhead space?" panic that everyone goes through when jockying for a spot in line to board. I try to be the very last person on the plane, because I don't ever see the point of being in a hurry to squeeze myself into that tube before I absolutely have to. It turned out we didn't miss the luggage we couldn't fit in the backpacks at all. The last time the family went to Hawaii and then to San Diego, it was the same story. One 19L backpack for me and each of the kids and a 23L backpack for the spouse. Again, no problem at all and totally worth it. I couldn't help but think, "Heh, amateur!" when I read about the OP needing a grotesque 45L of luggage for a few days of travel mostly just sitting on a train. I guess I'm officially now one of those ultralight traveling snobs. If I'm not debating whether I really need 5 pairs of nylon underwear or if I could get by with 4 or maybe 3, I'm feeling like I'm not putting in enough mental effort in preparing for the trip.
dreamcompiler 4y ago
I don't, but if you're upstairs you'll notice the "inverted pendulum swaying effect" much more. I slightly prefer downstairs roomettes on Amtrak for this reason, even though they may be a bit noisier. It doesn't make me sick but it's distracting when I'm trying to sleep.
- hackernewds 4y ago
  what is this effect you speak of?
  - dreamcompiler 4y ago
    The train sways side-to-side as it rolls down the track. The effect is more pronounced at the top of the car since it's farther from the track.
    - ravel-bar-foo 4y ago
      That's an American problem. The Amtrack sleeper I went on was much much more shaky than any of the trains I have been on in Europe or Asia (except for maybe a commuter train in Norway). I think it has something to do with running trains on rails with hundred year old wooden ties.
pyrophane 4y ago
I get motion sickness but generally find it much less severe on a train compared to a car. For example, I usually have a hard time reading when riding in a car, but not on a train.
baby 4y ago
In Europe the trains are much much more stable than anything else (planes, cars, bus, etc.).
- Akronymus 4y ago
  Also, in europe (Or at least austria) the trains are timed to line up with buses for the most part. Which makes commuting a breeze. Oh and they are mostly on time.
  - xur17 4y ago
    Yup. Experienced this in Switzerland when heading to a mountain village. 2 trains and 2 buses, all with 3 to 5 minute connections. Has worked flawlessly every time I've tried it so far.
zweifuss 4y ago
I can't stomach tilt trains. But otherwise trains are better than automobiles or coaches. Flights with turbulence are also not good for my stomach.
FooBarBizBazz 4y ago
I'm perfectly comfortable on a train but also don't see why you're being downvoted. If you have a problem, you have a problem. That's too bad. Me, I knew a person with an inner ear disorder that caused dizziness, who had no problem on trains. And on the other hand, I knew a dog who threw up in any car. So you encounter all kinds of things, it seems. I've heard that seasickness is caused by a mismatch between what the vestibular system senses, and what the eyes sense. So, on a boat, you don't go belowdecks; you go up top and keep your eyes on the horizon. I wonder if even just looking out the window more would be of any help to you.

by wincy 4y ago

pwg 4y ago

> So, do normal people not feel like they’re going to throw up literally the entire train ride? No, no issues with the motion at all. And absolutely none of that onboard a cruise ship for me either. > But googling it says 1 in 3 people experience motion sickness. Maybe mine is just really severe? That sounds to be the case. Perhaps discuss with your MD?

laurencerowe 4y ago

I’m unable to read on a bus or car due to motion sickness but never have that problem on trains.

fumeux_fume 4y ago

I find it pretty unsettling how many people are raving about travel by train. If your standards are insanely low then I suppose you can say the food is good, dining with random people is fun and the cabins are comfortable.

zerocrates 4y ago
It's a low bar to clear when you're comparing to the comfort and food on a typical flight nowadays. Of course, the train trip will be longer so, tradeoffs.
- Akronymus 4y ago
  With the whole check-in/boarding process planes actually become close to as slow as trains on short-ish trips.
- sofixa 4y ago
  > Of course, the train trip will be longer so, tradeoffs. If you count everything in, a high speed train is faster or close enough (but compensating with much higher levels of comfort and most of the time being spent in the train itself, not separated in travel to airport, queuing there, wasting time there, boarding, flying, disembarking, waiting for luggage, travel from airport) with air travel less than 3 hours.
logifail 4y ago
> I find it pretty unsettling how many people are raving about travel by train Last August I travelled from Paris to Innsbruck by train with my 6 year-old daughter. Despite a misconnect in Germany after a delay to our TGV and then a cancelled ICE causing us over an hour's delay (although that was an excuse for a surprisingly good impromptu stir-fry for lunch at Mannheim station), then subsequently having to run, with five separate items of luggage, none of which she was carrying :) to connect in Munich, we had a great day. I did an almost identical trip by car with my eldest years ago when he was also 6, the only things I remember about it were watching sun rise over Paris as we left, and sun set over Munich as we drove round on it on the Autobahn. The rest was just hours of keeping my eyes on the road. Given the choice, I'd take the train every time.
- steelframe 4y ago
  > then subsequently having to run, with five separate items of luggage When my spouse and I did a 3-week vacation in Europe and then a 2-week vacation in Japan, my one steadfast condition was that we were allowed one 19-liter backpack and one 23-liter backpack, full stop. If it didn't pack into one of the backpacks' zippered pouches, we didn't take it with us. It takes some planning and hacking to do well, including optimizing clothing, toiletries, and electronics for traveling with that little space, but the handful of times we had to get from point A to point B quickly through a crowd, it was glorious. It's also nice knowing that all of my luggage trivially fits under the seat on the airplane. Takes away any stress relating to "OMG will there be enough overhead space?" panic that everyone goes through when jockying for a spot in line to board. I try to be the very last person on the plane, because I don't ever see the point of being in a hurry to squeeze myself into that tube before I absolutely have to. It turned out we didn't miss the luggage we couldn't fit in the backpacks at all. The last time the family went to Hawaii and then to San Diego, it was the same story. One 19L backpack for me and each of the kids and a 23L backpack for the spouse. Again, no problem at all and totally worth it. I couldn't help but think, "Heh, amateur!" when I read about the OP needing a grotesque 45L of luggage for a few days of travel mostly just sitting on a train. I guess I'm officially now one of those ultralight traveling snobs. If I'm not debating whether I really need 5 pairs of nylon underwear or if I could get by with 4 or maybe 3, I'm feeling like I'm not putting in enough mental effort in preparing for the trip.

dreamcompiler 4y ago

I don't, but if you're upstairs you'll notice the "inverted pendulum swaying effect" much more. I slightly prefer downstairs roomettes on Amtrak for this reason, even though they may be a bit noisier. It doesn't make me sick but it's distracting when I'm trying to sleep.

hackernewds 4y ago
what is this effect you speak of?
- dreamcompiler 4y ago
  The train sways side-to-side as it rolls down the track. The effect is more pronounced at the top of the car since it's farther from the track.
  - ravel-bar-foo 4y ago
    That's an American problem. The Amtrack sleeper I went on was much much more shaky than any of the trains I have been on in Europe or Asia (except for maybe a commuter train in Norway). I think it has something to do with running trains on rails with hundred year old wooden ties.

pyrophane 4y ago

I get motion sickness but generally find it much less severe on a train compared to a car. For example, I usually have a hard time reading when riding in a car, but not on a train.

baby 4y ago

In Europe the trains are much much more stable than anything else (planes, cars, bus, etc.).

Akronymus 4y ago
Also, in europe (Or at least austria) the trains are timed to line up with buses for the most part. Which makes commuting a breeze. Oh and they are mostly on time.
- xur17 4y ago
  Yup. Experienced this in Switzerland when heading to a mountain village. 2 trains and 2 buses, all with 3 to 5 minute connections. Has worked flawlessly every time I've tried it so far.

zweifuss 4y ago

I can't stomach tilt trains. But otherwise trains are better than automobiles or coaches. Flights with turbulence are also not good for my stomach.

FooBarBizBazz 4y ago

I'm perfectly comfortable on a train but also don't see why you're being downvoted. If you have a problem, you have a problem. That's too bad. Me, I knew a person with an inner ear disorder that caused dizziness, who had no problem on trains. And on the other hand, I knew a dog who threw up in any car. So you encounter all kinds of things, it seems. I've heard that seasickness is caused by a mismatch between what the vestibular system senses, and what the eyes sense. So, on a boat, you don't go belowdecks; you go up top and keep your eyes on the horizon. I wonder if even just looking out the window more would be of any help to you.