Europe by Rail

In Europe, the shortest (and cheapest) distance between two points is lined with railroad tracks. Here's everything you need to know about trains in Europe

In Europe, the train is the preferred mode of travel by everyone, from farmers and grannies to businesswomen and visitors. European trains run on time, are clean and comfortable, and have a vast network that covers almost every minor city.

Some trains still have the old-fashioned couchette configuration: Each car has a corridor along one side, lined with windows on the outside and doors on the other. These doors open onto 10 little couchettes, or compartments, which seat six to eight people (or, in first-class compartments, four to six people in slightly cushier chairs—but that's not worth the added expense).

Sadly, most short-run trains and new highs-speed long-haulers are increasingly switching over to the modern straight-through cars with seats running down both sides of an open aisle. These always make me feel more like I'm at home commuting to work than traveling in Europe on a grand tour, but hey, that's progress for you.