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I often travel from Switzerland to Scandinavia or Finland by train, so a journey of about 30 to 40 hours. There are frequent delays, especially in Germany [0],

I often travel from Switzerland to Scandinavia or Finland by train, so a journey of about 30 to 40 hours. There are frequent delays, especially in Germany [0], but it was always easy to get a confirmation from the railway companies, and I was always able to take a later train. I never had to pay more, and I even got quite a bit of money back if the delay was relevant. Even if I booked the tickets at different operators. I also usually use a buffer of about 4-5 hours in the middle of the ride. This can compensate some delays, and if on time, it's nice to visit whatever city you are in. [0] I heard that some Swedish trains are too slow for the express connections in Germany. The trains must take detours or stop every few hours to let the faster trains pass.

nradov 2y ago
Getting a refund hardly matters if you miss an important event. A lot of us have to travel on tight schedules due to work and family commitments, and can't spare an extra 5 hours.
- usr1106 2y ago
  Traveling on tight schedules is always risky, whether you go by car, plane or train.
- thfuran 2y ago
  With that tight of a schedule, international flights will screw you fairly often too. That's just not enough slack for robustness.
  - casenmgreen 2y ago
    The problem is that the distance to be covered is long, and the train is relatively slow. I left early in the morning to get to Paris in time for the train, and that was the only train that day, and that train left early because it had a long way to go.
  - casenmgreen 2y ago
    With a flight, normally I can go directly from where I am to where I wish to be. It's a single hop. With a train, when I'm travelling across multiple countries, necessarily I will take multiple trains; which then brings the problem of missed connections.
- prmoustache 2y ago
  I'd trade reliably late over randomly cancelled any day.
- ta1243 2y ago
  I remember a last minute cancellation on a Toronto-JFK flight meant I couldn't connect to my JFK-MAN flight. Was downgraded to economy and rebooked on a Tornoto-Amsterdam-MAN arriving 7 hours late, having had very little sleep. Plane travel isn't viable for those travelling on tight schedules.

nradov 2y ago

Getting a refund hardly matters if you miss an important event. A lot of us have to travel on tight schedules due to work and family commitments, and can't spare an extra 5 hours.

usr1106 2y ago
Traveling on tight schedules is always risky, whether you go by car, plane or train.
thfuran 2y ago
With that tight of a schedule, international flights will screw you fairly often too. That's just not enough slack for robustness.
- casenmgreen 2y ago
  The problem is that the distance to be covered is long, and the train is relatively slow. I left early in the morning to get to Paris in time for the train, and that was the only train that day, and that train left early because it had a long way to go.
- casenmgreen 2y ago
  With a flight, normally I can go directly from where I am to where I wish to be. It's a single hop. With a train, when I'm travelling across multiple countries, necessarily I will take multiple trains; which then brings the problem of missed connections.
prmoustache 2y ago
I'd trade reliably late over randomly cancelled any day.
ta1243 2y ago
I remember a last minute cancellation on a Toronto-JFK flight meant I couldn't connect to my JFK-MAN flight. Was downgraded to economy and rebooked on a Tornoto-Amsterdam-MAN arriving 7 hours late, having had very little sleep. Plane travel isn't viable for those travelling on tight schedules.