I prefer train than...

[bloodhound96]

While Europe and Asia and basically any other country than the USA may have awesome train service....in the US, I hate it. I'd rather fly northworst. Or AA. Or anything. At least on a plane, I only have to deal with crappy service for a couple hours. The train...to go a mere 600 miles takes 13 freakin hours on bumpy tracks and stopping at every tiny town.

Maybe I'm just bitter taking the train through the midwest. The service sucks, and the amtrak employees are always rude.

[screaming_emu]

wait, I thought you liked Amtrak

Yeah Chasen, the one in Japan was just for testing, the one in Shanghai is the first one to be used for paying passengers. Was definately one of the coolest things I've ever done. Its perfectly smooth until you pass about 300km/h, then it starts to buffet a little. And there's a considerable bump when you pass the train goin the other direction.

[herpa2003]

I would take anything over an American train...when a scheduled 6 hour train ride takes 14 hours, you aren't exactly jumping over people to book your next trip on Amtrak.

European trains are another story, however. A lot more efficient, particularly when you ride the ICE trains. Those are actually pretty fun to ride..

[Crunk415balla]

Yeah Chasen, the one in Japan was just for testing, the one in Shanghai is the first one to be used for paying passengers. Was definately one of the coolest things I've ever done. Its perfectly smooth until you pass about 300km/h, then it starts to buffet a little. And there's a considerable bump when you pass the train goin the other direction.

That sounds like a cool thing I'll have to do if I ever find myself in China. We were supposed to get a Futuristic Bullet-Train that would go from San Francisco to Las Vegas. They were persuaded to stop the plans, not because of cost, but because naturalists complained it would "interrupt" a rare breed of field mouse. We may not get our train, but at least the mice will get a full nights sleep.

[screaming_emu]

We were supposed to get a Futuristic Bullet-Train that would go from San Francisco to Las Vegas. They were persuaded to stop the plans, not because of cost, but because naturalists complained it would "interrupt" a rare breed of field mouse. We may not get our train, but at least the mice will get a full nights sleep.

See, that's why communisim isn't all bad. The Chinese decided to build it, and then got it built...whole process took like 3 years. I think a government sponsored project like that wouldn't even make it through congress in that long. If anybody had any objections to it, they just went "so?"

[a78jumper]

Having flown in a Tu154M from Kabul to Baku, I would have to take AAbysmal Economy as the lesser of two evils.

http://www.jetphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=27624&highlight=aabysmal

The train can be a great way to travel, eg from Toronto to Montreal especially if you go VIA 1 which is a lot cheaper than J class on AC. I can vouch for the trains in Germany, the ICE goes 260 km/hr and relly gets you to where you want to go-FAST! (I took it from Berlin to Karlsruhe and return in 2000). AMTRAK on the east coast is OK , I have taken it(non ACELA) a number of times from Wilmington, DE to New York Penn Station return and it sure beats going by road, or dealing with the hoards at PHL/EWR/LGA/JFK.