On Thursday I hopped on a train to Interlaken, Switzerland; well, really several trains. The entire trip, consisting of four different trains (five on the way back), took a little over seven hours, one way. And in those seven hours, I discovered the joy of train travel. Now, seven hours on a plane would seem an eternity, don’t you think? But seven hours on a train go by in a flash. One reason is that you don’t feel nearly as confined on a train; the seats are larger than those on a plane, and four seats are grouped facing each other, instead of row after row of two seats. This makes it easier to get up and walk around if you desire. For example, you might choose to walk to the bar car. Remember, though, that a bar is not what we think of as a bar in the U.S.; instead, a bar is a café where all sorts of food and drink can be purchased. And some trains had a rolling trolley that came through from which you could purchase refreshments.
But the main reason that train travel is such a pleasure is that there’s so much to see along the way. It makes the journey itself exciting, not just arriving at your destination. My trip to Switzerland went like this:
Train 1: Florence to Milan (7:08-10:00)
Train 2: Milan to Spiez, Switzerland (10:25-13:50)
Train 3: Spiez to Interlaken East (14:14-14:35)
Train 4: Interlaken East to Interlaken West (14:58-15:04)
Although I had books with me, I spent most of the time looking out the window, enjoying the Italian and Swiss countryside as it went by. North of Milan the landscape became magnificent as we rode by Lake Como, with the snow-covered Alps towering up behind. As we crossed into Switzerland, the architecture changed dramatically; suddenly the grassy hillsides were dotted with small chalets, most of them in dark wood with green shutters, the windows adorned with charming white lace curtains. These small structures were dwarfed by the mountains rising up behind.
But the main reason that train travel is such a pleasure is that there’s so much to see along the way. It makes the journey itself exciting, not just arriving at your destination. My trip to Switzerland went like this:Train 1: Florence to Milan (7:08-10:00)
Train 2: Milan to Spiez, Switzerland (10:25-13:50)
Train 3: Spiez to Interlaken East (14:14-14:35)
Train 4: Interlaken East to Interlaken West (14:58-15:04)
Although I had books with me, I spent most of the time looking out the window, enjoying the Italian and Swiss countryside as it went by. North of Milan the landscape became magnificent as we rode by Lake Como, with the snow-covered Alps towering up behind. As we crossed into Switzerland, the architecture changed dramatically; suddenly the grassy hillsides were dotted with small chalets, most of them in dark wood with green shutters, the windows adorned with charming white lace curtains. These small structures were dwarfed by the mountains rising up behind. 
When we reached Lake Thunersee, I knew we were close. You see, Interlaken lies on a narrow strip of land between two lakes, Thunersee and Brienzersee, hence its name. And as we pulled into the station, I couldn’t believe that seven hours had passed by so quickly.
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