Avoiding plane journeys actually improves the fun and experience of a holiday - after all, modern air travel is surely the worst form of public transport purgatory yet invented. Hideous early morning starts, fraught queues, endless security checks, petty carry-on luggage “security” rules and cramped seating make it all an awful experience. Cheap maybe, awful certainly!

My family went on holiday to Austria this Summer, travelling all the way by train. Our first train was at the civilised time of 10.30 am, and a stop of two nights in Brussels to break up the journey made the whole experience of travelling an enjoyable part of the holiday. Seats around tables were reserved in advance for each train – most pleasant, especially as the whole journey from Cologne to Salzburg and back was first class! The friendly staff at Deutsche Bahn persuaded me the offer of an upgrade for just £8 for the whole family was not to be missed!

air travellers - eat your heart out!

The only fly in the ointment was that our carefully booked train from Bristol was cancelled! However, the best of British train travel came to the rescue: the previous train was so late we caught that one instead! Things could only improve, and they did, everything worked perfectly from then on.

On the return, we looked forward to visiting known haunts again in Brussels, and were welcomed back at our favourite restaurant by the waiter (we must have tipped him too much on the way out!).

Jon B

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