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Since train fans always like to point this out when it comes to flying: this is how far you can get in 8 hours on the train. It doesn’t include the time to get

Since train fans always like to point this out when it comes to flying: this is how far you can get in 8 hours on the train. It doesn’t include the time to get to the station, the buffer time you need (if your train leaves at 0700 you can’t plan to get there at 06:59), and the time to travel from the destination station to your actual destination. Actual travel time for an 8 hour train ride is probably at least closer to 10 hours if not more.

pjmlp 2y ago
Also luggage, not all wagons are built to accommodate the typical set of plane luggage, unless one is a hand baggage traveller.
Scrapemist 2y ago
How is this different when flying?
- madcaptenor 2y ago
  If anything it’s less of an issue with trains than with flying - time from the street to the vehicle and vice versa is smaller with trains, and train stations are generally less remote than airports.
- ghaff 2y ago
  It's not but a lot of people tend to write it off for trains because it's often city center to city center with no security. So it can be (usually is) at least less overhead.
- Kwpolska 2y ago
  You can board a train within a few minutes of the departure time. You can just enter the train station and walk to the train you want to take. Train stations tend to be in the city center, where it’s very easy to get to. Boarding an airplane ends a long time before the planned departure time. You need to go through security and border control. Airports tend to be in remote locations.
- numpad0 2y ago
  More startup/shutdown overhead in exchange for bigger peak velocity
- Svoka 2y ago
  also, you can take overnight trains. I find it very comfortable - you wake up and enjoy your day in some nice town, then go back home. Great weekend getaway without really spending awake time on travel, airports, security etc
timomaxgalvin 2y ago
The point this it out because it is true of flying. It isn't true of trains. Most trains you can board up to the departure time. There no need to be there more than 5 minutes before. The also take you to the city centre, which is probably both where you are coming from and where you are going to.
matwood 2y ago
> if your train leaves at 0700 you can’t plan to get there at 06:59 True, but 6:50 is plenty early enough depending on if you know the station and the size. Getting to and from the stations are a wash because it's not like the airport drops you at the door either. Though, many EU cities have the train station near the city center which makes it easier for people to get to than the airport.
- FartyMcFarter 2y ago
  > True, but 6:50 is plenty early enough I don't think so. That gives you a 10 minute margin, which can get uncomfortable quickly if there are any delays in getting there. If I can walk to a station and I know the route, 10 minutes margin is plenty enough. But if I have to drive+park or take public transport, I won't trust a 10 minute margin.
  - louthy 2y ago
    If there’s a train every 30 mins then sure it’s worth optimising, missing a train isn’t like missing a flight most of the time.
    - FartyMcFarter 2y ago
      That is only true in the simplest scenario of taking a train on a flexible ticket and without any transfers. As soon as you have transfers in the mix (as you often would if travelling longer distances) or stricter tickets, not making it to the train is usually a really bad option.
      - macintux 2y ago
        Can we at least agree that for better or worse, train stations are typically smaller, faster to navigate, and missing significant security bottlenecks that cause significant delays in accessing airplanes?
        2y ago
throw646577 2y ago
> if your train leaves at 0700 you can’t plan to get there at 06:59 Millions of train commuters in the UK optimise for just this sort of thing. Not one minute before, because the doors typically close 30s to a minute before departure, but 06:55 for sure. I am not a commuter, but later in the day I don’t leave the house much earlier than twelve minutes before the train I want to get will leave the station, which is a third of a mile away on foot, and I will have time to get a ticket from the machine.
- Symbiote 2y ago
  For a one-off journey with limited flexibility, I would normally plan to be at the station 15 minutes prior to departure. If it's a train that runs every half hour or so, and my ticket is flexible (which is common) I might cut that to 5 or so.
skerit 2y ago
And if you need to catch some connecting trains, forgot about connections that are less than 15 minutes apart.
chmod775 2y ago
I always just arrive 5 minutes prior to departure. If I miss a train, not a big deal. I'll just take the next one sometime later. Most train tickets are flexible and merely specify the day you're going to take a particular connection. You might miss out on your seat reservation though. Also I might just be unlucky that it takes me >1h just to get from my apartment to the airport in Berlin, but generally trains beat airplanes for most destinations I have in Germany. For some destinations they're competitive, but rarely ever beat trains by more than a few minutes, while still being much more of a hassle. I'd rather relax in a comfortable train for 4 hours with every amenity I could wish for, going straight from city center to city center, than deal with airports for two hours just to spend an hour in a cramped airplane while still having to organize transportation between the airport and the city each leg.
- pjmlp 2y ago
  Good luck doing that in Iberian Penisula trains.
CalRobert 2y ago
Train stations tend to be in the middle of the city, or close to it, while airports are a ways out. I also don't deal with bag check, security lines, etc. on the train.
orwin 2y ago
my wednesday morning train is at 0654 and i arrive by bike between 0650 and 00652.

pjmlp 2y ago

Also luggage, not all wagons are built to accommodate the typical set of plane luggage, unless one is a hand baggage traveller.

Scrapemist 2y ago

How is this different when flying?

madcaptenor 2y ago
If anything it’s less of an issue with trains than with flying - time from the street to the vehicle and vice versa is smaller with trains, and train stations are generally less remote than airports.
ghaff 2y ago
It's not but a lot of people tend to write it off for trains because it's often city center to city center with no security. So it can be (usually is) at least less overhead.
Kwpolska 2y ago
You can board a train within a few minutes of the departure time. You can just enter the train station and walk to the train you want to take. Train stations tend to be in the city center, where it’s very easy to get to. Boarding an airplane ends a long time before the planned departure time. You need to go through security and border control. Airports tend to be in remote locations.
numpad0 2y ago
More startup/shutdown overhead in exchange for bigger peak velocity
Svoka 2y ago
also, you can take overnight trains. I find it very comfortable - you wake up and enjoy your day in some nice town, then go back home. Great weekend getaway without really spending awake time on travel, airports, security etc

timomaxgalvin 2y ago

The point this it out because it is true of flying. It isn't true of trains. Most trains you can board up to the departure time. There no need to be there more than 5 minutes before. The also take you to the city centre, which is probably both where you are coming from and where you are going to.

matwood 2y ago

> if your train leaves at 0700 you can’t plan to get there at 06:59 True, but 6:50 is plenty early enough depending on if you know the station and the size. Getting to and from the stations are a wash because it's not like the airport drops you at the door either. Though, many EU cities have the train station near the city center which makes it easier for people to get to than the airport.

FartyMcFarter 2y ago
> True, but 6:50 is plenty early enough I don't think so. That gives you a 10 minute margin, which can get uncomfortable quickly if there are any delays in getting there. If I can walk to a station and I know the route, 10 minutes margin is plenty enough. But if I have to drive+park or take public transport, I won't trust a 10 minute margin.
- louthy 2y ago
  If there’s a train every 30 mins then sure it’s worth optimising, missing a train isn’t like missing a flight most of the time.
  - FartyMcFarter 2y ago
    That is only true in the simplest scenario of taking a train on a flexible ticket and without any transfers. As soon as you have transfers in the mix (as you often would if travelling longer distances) or stricter tickets, not making it to the train is usually a really bad option.
    - macintux 2y ago
      Can we at least agree that for better or worse, train stations are typically smaller, faster to navigate, and missing significant security bottlenecks that cause significant delays in accessing airplanes?
      - 2y ago

throw646577 2y ago

> if your train leaves at 0700 you can’t plan to get there at 06:59 Millions of train commuters in the UK optimise for just this sort of thing. Not one minute before, because the doors typically close 30s to a minute before departure, but 06:55 for sure. I am not a commuter, but later in the day I don’t leave the house much earlier than twelve minutes before the train I want to get will leave the station, which is a third of a mile away on foot, and I will have time to get a ticket from the machine.

Symbiote 2y ago
For a one-off journey with limited flexibility, I would normally plan to be at the station 15 minutes prior to departure. If it's a train that runs every half hour or so, and my ticket is flexible (which is common) I might cut that to 5 or so.

skerit 2y ago

And if you need to catch some connecting trains, forgot about connections that are less than 15 minutes apart.

chmod775 2y ago

I always just arrive 5 minutes prior to departure. If I miss a train, not a big deal. I'll just take the next one sometime later. Most train tickets are flexible and merely specify the day you're going to take a particular connection. You might miss out on your seat reservation though. Also I might just be unlucky that it takes me >1h just to get from my apartment to the airport in Berlin, but generally trains beat airplanes for most destinations I have in Germany. For some destinations they're competitive, but rarely ever beat trains by more than a few minutes, while still being much more of a hassle. I'd rather relax in a comfortable train for 4 hours with every amenity I could wish for, going straight from city center to city center, than deal with airports for two hours just to spend an hour in a cramped airplane while still having to organize transportation between the airport and the city each leg.

pjmlp 2y ago
Good luck doing that in Iberian Penisula trains.

CalRobert 2y ago

Train stations tend to be in the middle of the city, or close to it, while airports are a ways out. I also don't deal with bag check, security lines, etc. on the train.

orwin 2y ago

my wednesday morning train is at 0654 and i arrive by bike between 0650 and 00652.