L'aura del Campo

See the World ...¯\_(ツ)_/¯... Take a Train

See the World ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ... Take a Train

30DBC prompt: ... what is your favorite method of traveling, and why?

PART 2:

Train. It will get you many places while you admire the view along the way. Plus... it's on land. Smoother than a bus and less nerve-wracking than driving a car or motorbike, they are everyday transport in much of the world... but not everywhere.

BUS: Best when there aren't trains available. There are no trains through the fjords of Norway, for instance. And going in and out of tunnels is exciting. My favorite bus routes? Sogndal to Ålesund and Sogndal to Lom. Plus most small towns are linked by buses. Regiojet: Prague, Budapest, Bratislava is smooth and comfortable. The bus loops around Cape Town are wonderful. Hop-on hop-off buses are available in many major cities. Here in Missoula the rides are free for anyone.

BOAT: Speedboat and ferries can be smooth going in Norway. Skip the cruises, go local and save money. I haven't been on the ferries linking ports in the Mediterranean but the same rule applies. On a long route take a book, but on short ferries, grab some food, find a chair with a view and just soak it in. One of my favorites is the ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera in Costa Rica. Take the one westbound at sunset.

PLANE: Fast and cheap within the Schengen Zone of Europe. 4 hours non-stop from Faro to Oslo is ab-fab for around $100 if you plan in advance. There are numerous carriers, so be careful of the cheap-cheap ones if you have luggage; but, there are many options and short flights can be endured. And, unless you have the time, flying is the best way to get to the other side of the world... and maybe the only way.

BICYCLE and MOTORBIKE: I haven't done either but some countries are flat and easy and set up for bikes like The Netherlands. Everyone has a moped in Taiwan. But beware... around the world not all drivers respect bikes, and its worse in some countries than elsewhere. And distances become a problem in spread out places like Australia.

METRO: Learn the system! México City is cheap and goes everywhere. As long as your lodging is near a station all parts of the city are easy to get to. Same with Taipei. More difficult to figure out in Tokyo. Most USA cities do not have a useful one.

TRAIN: Great in Japan and Taiwan, well connected in Portugal. For scenery my favorite trips include the Romsdalen in Norway and the coastal route of California. Japan is expensive but a seishun juhachi kippu ticket (available 3 times per year) is great for getting around at a reasonable price. The most "interesting" trip was in Romania. Using a squat toilet on a train is something everyone should experience... once.

Peace, Kåre
7.juni.2019

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