10 advantages of train travel and why you’ll love taking the train

One of the best perks of train travel is the sightseeing en route. Instead of highways and rest stops, you’ll see forests, glacial lakes, and remote villages from your seat. Plus, unlike in a car, everyone in your group can enjoy the view, rather than one person needing to concentrate on the road.

If scenery is part of the reason you’re going, be sure to look at the route—not just the destination. The Glacier Express journey from St. Moritz to Brig is one stunning example of rail travel through Alpine valleys and ravines. Leave the planning to our experts on our A Week in Switzerland by Train: St. Moritz, Zermatt & Interlaken tour. We’ll arrange your Glacier Express ride followed by a regional train journey to Zermatt the next day for a dreamy stroll with Matterhorn views. (Note: the Glacier Express may be replaced by a regional train and bus transfer.)

Top scenic train ride tours to book now for the best views →

A train ride can give you a little time back to yourself. You might finally open the book you packed, trade stories with your travel companion, or simply settle in and watch the world go by. On a longer journey, those small comforts can make the hours between stops feel like part of your vacation.

Specific amenities depend on the train and the seat you choose, but many are equipped with reading lights (handy for an evening rides), power outlets (great to keep your phone ready for photos when you arrive), and food onboard (which can make a meal part of the journey). Pro tip: The operator’s description will help you see which comforts are available before you book. We like to note that room for bags can be limited and you may need to lift yours into storage, so it’s smart to bring luggage you can comfortably manage.

On our Alps by Train: Germany, Austria, Switzerland & Italy tour, we pre-book your seats on all five scenic trains, so you can settle in and watch Ticino’s vineyards unfold around you.

Taking the train can be one way to lower the emissions from getting between stops on a European trip. Research from the European Environment Agency found that flying has a much higher emissions impact than rail when comparing one passenger traveling the same distance.

So, when both a train and a flight connect the places you want to visit, there’s an environmental reason to look at the rail option. And you’re in luck with us—our Train Tours lean on planet-friendly transportation, like the Munich-to-Lugano leg of our Alps by Train: Germany, Austria, Switzerland & Italy tour, which links four countries via five scenic trains instead of four flights. Of course, flights to reach Europe and other transfers still add to the total, so weigh the train’s advantages for your particular journey without treating the whole trip as emissions-free.

Major train stations usually sit right in the heart of the city, not miles outside town, so you’re often steps from shops, restaurants, and hotels the moment you step off. Picture two arrivals: one close to your hotel and the sights on your list, and another that calls for a stop at baggage claim and a transfer across town. When weighing train vs. plane, this is an undeniable advantage of train travel.

For example, on our Swiss & French Alps by Train: Lucerne to Chamonix tour, travelers ride the GoldenPass Express into Montreux and step off within walking distance of the lakefront promenade, ready to explore before before even unpacking.

There’s an ease to train travel that you don’t find with flying or bus journeys—no worries of long airport security lines or wasting precious time stopping for gas. Plus, guided Train Tours keep the day moving without asking you to decode a foreign rail system or piece together your own schedule. In an unfamiliar destination, timetables, ticketing systems, and transfer requirements may work differently than you’re used to at home, but those are details you can leave to our experts.

Take our Pacific Northwest by Train: Portland, Seattle & Vancouver tour for example: We book your seat on the Amtrak Cascades ahead of time, so you never have to research routes, compare fares, or guess which train to catch.

Guided rail travel comes with the added perk of traveling alongside an expert who already knows which platform you need to stand on and how much time you have before the doors close. That extra support matters on multi-stop journeys, where a missed connection can affect everything that comes next.

On our Train Tours, your Tour Director keeps every detail right on track. They’re pros at turning a moment that may rattle a first-time train traveler into just another beautiful, unhurried stretch of the day. In short: They handle the logistics; you simply get to enjoy the ride.

Entering a new country by train means watching the scenery quietly shift, not standing in a customs line. On multi-country trips, it also means spending less time navigating airports and more time actually experiencing the places you came to see—often catching some of the most thrilling sights right outside your window!

On our Alps by Train: Germany, Austria, Switzerland & Italy tour, ride the Centovalli Railway from Switzerland into Italy over stone arch bridges through forests nicknamed the Valley of Painters, because of the multitude of artists it inspired, then step off in Domodossola ready for lunch in a medieval piazza. We’d take that ease over waiting in airport lines any day.

When you travel by train, your luggage stays with you, rather than being checked separately and collected later (which leads to the unfortunate possibility of lost luggage). One thing to note here, though, is that storage space varies by train. With this in mind, we recommend packing light. This tip makes it easy to store your bags on board with ease, find your seat, settle in, and go.

Just picture journeying between countries on our Alps by Train: Germany, Austria, Switzerland & Italy tour, stepping off in Munich or Zurich and walking straight into your day—luggage in hand.

When it comes to train vs. plane, a flight can win on a single long haul, but string together several nearby destinations and the math flips fast. Trains often run more frequently between close cities, so your day isn’t built around one flight time. Plus, you get the added benefit of a leisurely journey where you can linger in the cafe car to sip a steamy cappuccino or find a spot in the observation car to admire the scenery.

On our Pacific Northwest by Train: Portland, Seattle & Vancouver tour, every moment is a masterpiece in motion as you cross into Canada during a scheduled stop and reach Vancouver’s Gastown by afternoon.

Here’s one of the simplest train travel tips: let someone else handle the logistics. Just like iconic railways, our Train Tours are meticulously engineered. We book your tickets ahead of time—including peak-season favorites like the Glacier Express. Even the quirks are covered: the Bernina Express switches to a local train outside summer months, and your Tour Director already has it worked into the day.

Train travel is scenic, sustainable, and refreshingly simple—and our rail journeys are built to make the most of all three. If you’re still deciding why to take the train, the short answer is that it turns getting there into part of the trip. Ready to see where the rails can take you? Shop our guided Train Tours today.