Train Travel

My current home base in Germany is Kirchheim, a sleepy village in the heart of the country close to Frankfurt. But well chosen for it is an easy train ride to all 12 host cities where the World Cup matches are held. And while we have a car&driver, my growing preference is to travel by rail.

It is really too bad that the US doesn't have such a system. Just walking into a major train station gets your heart pumping. The bustle of activity, vendors selling pastries and coffee, the newstand with all the European papers, all types of people coming and going -- business men, backpackers, tourists.

It puts going through a major US airport to shame. No check-in, no long security lines, nobody asks you to take off your shoes, no boardng passes. And then you find your platform and board your train where you can work, sleep, read or just pass the time watching the countryside go by. You can talk on your mobile phone whenever you want. They don't force bad food or movies on you. If you feel like a cup of coffee you walk down a few cars and take a seat at the dining car. Oh, and you can set your watch by departure and arrival times. I flew 60K+ miles on US airlines last year and I don't think I had a single on-time departure.