7 ms·

I love travelling by train. You are not treated like a criminal before you can board a train. You can sit and watch the landscape pass by. It's comfortable.

OfSanguineFire 3y ago
Some countries (China is the most notable example) have security checks prior to boarding a train comparable to flying. In Poland, if you buy your ticket for an Intercity train online, the conductor will ask for your ID to ensure the names match. The state, or perhaps just the operator, seems to be concerned about who is paying and traveling in this case. One can still buy tickets with cash, though.
- Reason077 3y ago
  Eurostar also has airport-style security between London and continental Europe.
  - rubicon33 3y ago
    Not quite as bad. Yes they scan your luggage but shoes stay on and it’s not some crazy full body X-Ray scan
    - mprovost 3y ago
      And no liquid restrictions. They have special trays for the x-ray machines so you can bring in your coffee without spilling. And you can come back from France with a box of 12 wine bottles no problem.
      - Reason077 3y ago
        The UK ditched airport liquid restrictions in December 2022 (although airports have until June 2024 to implement the change). Specifically, the 100ml rule is now a 2 litre rule. Generally speaking you don’t have to remove shoes at UK airports, either.
    - gchadwick 3y ago
      It's also just quicker turning up 1h30 early for a Eurostar is very early, turning up 1h30 early for a plane can be a bit tight.
  - fy20 3y ago
    I find it interesting that LeShuttle (the same tunnel between France and UK, but where you drive your car onto the train) does not. They barely do any security checks on cars, and only seem to glance briefly at passports.
- dheera 3y ago
  You're right that China has security checks for trains but I don't consider them comparable to flying. The train security checks are much faster. I've rarely had to wait more than 5 minutes in line. You don't have to take off your shoes, don't have to take out laptops and things from your luggage, and drinks and liquids are generally allowed. I've only on a couple occasions been asked by security in China to take a sip of an already-opened drink or reusable water bottle to prove that it's a drink. The more annoying thing about rail in China is that many of the newer high speed rail stations are being built slightly outside of cities, and it often takes an extra hour to get to the station. Most of Europe's train stations are smack in the middle of downtown.
  - occamrazor 3y ago
    The shoe thing is an American peculiarity. In Europe I never had to take off my shoes, even when I flew to the US. And now some airports (eg LCY) don’t even require taking liquids and laptops out of the luggage.
    - dheera 3y ago
      In Beijing when flying to the US they confiscated water that I had bought post-security. There were people on the actual boarding ramp confiscating liquids. Wasn't good for me because my body needs to frequently drink water, I get dehydrated easily. It didn't happen when flying to domestic destinations in China, so it makes me think the US requested that to happen.
      - petre 3y ago
        Better bring a sack of fruit with high water content then. Maybe the security doesn't have enough imagination to clasify them as "liquids". For instance China is an exporter of pomelo. The fruit is also used as a good luck charm, consumed during the mid-autumn festival and used in Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in India, so you could claim it's for "religious use" if they try to confiscate it.
        3y ago
- mijowi 3y ago
  I recently took the train in Poland from Warsaw to Krakow and Krakow to Vienna and they never checked my ID.
  - OfSanguineFire 3y ago
    Did you buy your ticket online from Intercity?
    - mijowi 3y ago
      Yep!
- mcpackieh 3y ago
  In America, Amtrak also asks for your ID. But this is peanuts compared to the way the TSA treats people at airports.
  - j-wags 3y ago
    They say that they check ID, but I've traveled dozens of times in coach and business (both with single-use tickets and 10-ride passes) and a handful of times in a sleeper, and I've never been IDed once.
    - mcpackieh 3y ago
      They've IDed me a few times but they're not reliable with it.
ddejohn 3y ago
> You are not treated like a criminal before you can board a train. Is this a reference to airport security? Edit: not sure why I was downvoted -- I genuinely don't understand this statement.
- kdmccormick 3y ago
  Yes
  - ddejohn 3y ago
    Is there something specific about airport security you think could change to make you feel less like you're being treated like a criminal?
    - fullspectrumdev 3y ago
      Get rid of half of it. Especially the liquid limits, unnecessary pat downs, shoe removal, etc.
      - ddejohn 3y ago
        The shoes and belts thing is ridiculous, I agree. But there's a legitimate reason for the liquid ban to which I'm not sure there's much of a solution, is there?
        kdmccormick 3y ago
        Not the original commentor, but I'd say two things: * Airport security got much more invasive post-9/11. For decades before that, people flew safely without these tight security measures. So, how much of the intensification is actually preventing another 9/11 versus just making us all feel like the government "did something"? I don't have an answer (genuinely I don't know :), but there are opinions all over the spectrum here. * Even if we do accept that all the security steps are necessary and there isn't much we can change, we can still find it miserable and dehumanizing. So, being able to travel by train, where security checks are either noninvasive or not even required, is a breath of fresh air. That's the point the commentor was making. They weren't proposing they could fix airports.
dheera 3y ago
I've travelled all over Europe and Asia by train and I fully agree. Even for night trains where you don't watch the landscape it's awesome that you can just fall asleep and wake up in another country. The only thing I hate about arriving in a new place in the morning (by train or flight) is that hotels don't let you check in till afternoon, so if you by any chance feel slightly underslept you have to wait it out.
elif 3y ago
To be honest this is why I DON'T travel Amtrak anymore. Lots of sketchy people carrying who knows what weapons, no steward to watch bags when I'm supposed to sleep, etc. One bad experience can burst that bubble for you.
MattGaiser 3y ago
> You are not treated like a criminal before you can board a train. I have only taken one relatively long distance train in Europe, but they had security checks on par with PreCheck. Bags still went through a scanner and still went through a metal detector.
- samus 3y ago
  Checking bags is fine compared to the inconvenience of personal searches. Granted, many airports are quite lax (just take off jackets and remove metallic stuff), but scanning at Berlin airport was pretty thorough last time I was there.
- Findecanor 3y ago
  Was it EuroStar? (channel tunnel) That's the only train service in Europe I've heard of that does any luggage check at all.
  - MattGaiser 3y ago
    No, this was in Madrid to Barcelona on Renfe.
    - crote 3y ago
      Spain might be a bit more sensitive about it due to the 2004 Madrid train bombings. Trains to/from Barcelona might also be considered high-risk due to the Catalan independence movement.
- andrewshadura 3y ago
  That is super uncommon in Europe.

OfSanguineFire 3y ago

Some countries (China is the most notable example) have security checks prior to boarding a train comparable to flying. In Poland, if you buy your ticket for an Intercity train online, the conductor will ask for your ID to ensure the names match. The state, or perhaps just the operator, seems to be concerned about who is paying and traveling in this case. One can still buy tickets with cash, though.

Reason077 3y ago
Eurostar also has airport-style security between London and continental Europe.
- rubicon33 3y ago
  Not quite as bad. Yes they scan your luggage but shoes stay on and it’s not some crazy full body X-Ray scan
  - mprovost 3y ago
    And no liquid restrictions. They have special trays for the x-ray machines so you can bring in your coffee without spilling. And you can come back from France with a box of 12 wine bottles no problem.
    - Reason077 3y ago
      The UK ditched airport liquid restrictions in December 2022 (although airports have until June 2024 to implement the change). Specifically, the 100ml rule is now a 2 litre rule. Generally speaking you don’t have to remove shoes at UK airports, either.
  - gchadwick 3y ago
    It's also just quicker turning up 1h30 early for a Eurostar is very early, turning up 1h30 early for a plane can be a bit tight.
- fy20 3y ago
  I find it interesting that LeShuttle (the same tunnel between France and UK, but where you drive your car onto the train) does not. They barely do any security checks on cars, and only seem to glance briefly at passports.
dheera 3y ago
You're right that China has security checks for trains but I don't consider them comparable to flying. The train security checks are much faster. I've rarely had to wait more than 5 minutes in line. You don't have to take off your shoes, don't have to take out laptops and things from your luggage, and drinks and liquids are generally allowed. I've only on a couple occasions been asked by security in China to take a sip of an already-opened drink or reusable water bottle to prove that it's a drink. The more annoying thing about rail in China is that many of the newer high speed rail stations are being built slightly outside of cities, and it often takes an extra hour to get to the station. Most of Europe's train stations are smack in the middle of downtown.
- occamrazor 3y ago
  The shoe thing is an American peculiarity. In Europe I never had to take off my shoes, even when I flew to the US. And now some airports (eg LCY) don’t even require taking liquids and laptops out of the luggage.
  - dheera 3y ago
    In Beijing when flying to the US they confiscated water that I had bought post-security. There were people on the actual boarding ramp confiscating liquids. Wasn't good for me because my body needs to frequently drink water, I get dehydrated easily. It didn't happen when flying to domestic destinations in China, so it makes me think the US requested that to happen.
    - petre 3y ago
      Better bring a sack of fruit with high water content then. Maybe the security doesn't have enough imagination to clasify them as "liquids". For instance China is an exporter of pomelo. The fruit is also used as a good luck charm, consumed during the mid-autumn festival and used in Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in India, so you could claim it's for "religious use" if they try to confiscate it.
      - 3y ago
mijowi 3y ago
I recently took the train in Poland from Warsaw to Krakow and Krakow to Vienna and they never checked my ID.
- OfSanguineFire 3y ago
  Did you buy your ticket online from Intercity?
  - mijowi 3y ago
    Yep!
mcpackieh 3y ago
In America, Amtrak also asks for your ID. But this is peanuts compared to the way the TSA treats people at airports.
- j-wags 3y ago
  They say that they check ID, but I've traveled dozens of times in coach and business (both with single-use tickets and 10-ride passes) and a handful of times in a sleeper, and I've never been IDed once.
  - mcpackieh 3y ago
    They've IDed me a few times but they're not reliable with it.

ddejohn 3y ago

> You are not treated like a criminal before you can board a train. Is this a reference to airport security? Edit: not sure why I was downvoted -- I genuinely don't understand this statement.

kdmccormick 3y ago
Yes
- ddejohn 3y ago
  Is there something specific about airport security you think could change to make you feel less like you're being treated like a criminal?
  - fullspectrumdev 3y ago
    Get rid of half of it. Especially the liquid limits, unnecessary pat downs, shoe removal, etc.
    - ddejohn 3y ago
      The shoes and belts thing is ridiculous, I agree. But there's a legitimate reason for the liquid ban to which I'm not sure there's much of a solution, is there?
      - kdmccormick 3y ago
        Not the original commentor, but I'd say two things: * Airport security got much more invasive post-9/11. For decades before that, people flew safely without these tight security measures. So, how much of the intensification is actually preventing another 9/11 versus just making us all feel like the government "did something"? I don't have an answer (genuinely I don't know :), but there are opinions all over the spectrum here. * Even if we do accept that all the security steps are necessary and there isn't much we can change, we can still find it miserable and dehumanizing. So, being able to travel by train, where security checks are either noninvasive or not even required, is a breath of fresh air. That's the point the commentor was making. They weren't proposing they could fix airports.

dheera 3y ago

I've travelled all over Europe and Asia by train and I fully agree. Even for night trains where you don't watch the landscape it's awesome that you can just fall asleep and wake up in another country. The only thing I hate about arriving in a new place in the morning (by train or flight) is that hotels don't let you check in till afternoon, so if you by any chance feel slightly underslept you have to wait it out.

elif 3y ago

To be honest this is why I DON'T travel Amtrak anymore. Lots of sketchy people carrying who knows what weapons, no steward to watch bags when I'm supposed to sleep, etc. One bad experience can burst that bubble for you.

MattGaiser 3y ago

> You are not treated like a criminal before you can board a train. I have only taken one relatively long distance train in Europe, but they had security checks on par with PreCheck. Bags still went through a scanner and still went through a metal detector.

samus 3y ago
Checking bags is fine compared to the inconvenience of personal searches. Granted, many airports are quite lax (just take off jackets and remove metallic stuff), but scanning at Berlin airport was pretty thorough last time I was there.
Findecanor 3y ago
Was it EuroStar? (channel tunnel) That's the only train service in Europe I've heard of that does any luggage check at all.
- MattGaiser 3y ago
  No, this was in Madrid to Barcelona on Renfe.
  - crote 3y ago
    Spain might be a bit more sensitive about it due to the 2004 Madrid train bombings. Trains to/from Barcelona might also be considered high-risk due to the Catalan independence movement.
andrewshadura 3y ago
That is super uncommon in Europe.