The lost art of taking your time (or: why trains are actually brilliant)

I used to think trains were just a slower, slightly more scenic way to get where you’re going. Why spend hours gliding through the countryside when you can be flung across the sky in a metal tube, subjected to the delights of airport security, baggage fees and the ever-present possibility of a seatmate who takes their shoes off (confession time: I have, on occasion, been that offender. In my defence, freedom for the feet is an underrated travel perk.)

But then I realised something: all that extra time on a train isn’t time wasted it’s bonus time. A gift. A rare pocket of the modern world where you can actually do things instead of just existing in a state of mild panic.

So, if you’re wondering what exactly you can do with all those luxurious train hours when travelling to events in Europe, here my list to inspire you:

1. You can finally read that book you’ve been carrying around for months.

Or, more accurately, you can open the book, read two pages, and then get distracted by people-watching, the snack trolley or the existential crisis that comes with realising you’ve packed five books for a two-day trip.

2. You can have an actual conversation.

On a plane, conversation is limited to nodding at the person next to you before putting in headphones and pretending to be asleep. On a train, you can chat properly with your travel companion, the stranger who seems oddly keen to share their life story, or, if all else fails, the train staff who are surprisingly knowledgeable about regional pastries.

3. You can go for a walk.

Revolutionary, I know. But unlike on a plane (where walking anywhere involves clambering over a sleeping stranger and awkwardly shuffling to the loo), on a train, you can get up, stretch your legs, and take a leisurely stroll to the cafe carriage, where you will absolutely buy something, maybe if you're lucky a glass of decent local wine, because somehow, on a train, that’s a mood.

4. You can eat actual food.

Not a microwaved mystery meal in a tinfoil tray, not a tiny bag of pretzels, but actual food, served at an actual table. With space. And cutlery that doesn’t bend under the weight of your meal. It’s practically fine dining.

5. You can stare contemplatively out of the window.

Gazing at rolling hills, forests and picturesque villages as they pass by feels profoundly different from staring at endless clouds and wondering if turbulence is normal (it is, but still).

6. You can pretend to stare contemplatively out of the window while eavesdropping.

Overhear business people negotiating high-stakes deals, grandparents retelling family gossip, or an argument that you really hope gets resolved before someone’s stop. It’s like a live-action podcast, and you don’t even need headphones.

7. You can actually get some work done.

Trains have tables, Wi-Fi, and enough personal space that you can open your laptop without the risk of someone violently reclining their seat into it. Plus, you get to feel extremely productive while also technically just sitting down and moving through space.

8. You can nap in a seat that was actually designed for humans to sit in.

No neck cramping, no wrestling for an armrest, no seatbelt sign interrupting your sleep at the worst possible moment. Just a comfy seat, a gentle rocking motion and the opportunity to wake up in a completely different country feeling vaguely like a 19th-century adventurer - think Jules Verne, plotting your next great expedition between naps.

9. You can just exist.

No frantic passport waving, no endless security queues, no sprinting to a gate that is somehow always at the farthest possible end of the terminal. Just a smooth, stress-free journey where you can sit back and remember what it’s like to enjoy travelling.

So, next time, when you have the time, consider taking the train. It’s not just about getting from A to B, it’s about everything that happens in between. And honestly? That’s the best part.

Curious to try it yourself? Or thinking, sure, but this would never work for groups?

Well, come and find out. Join me on the Go Sustainable trip to Switzerland via London to Zurich and Lucerne by train this April, with Zurich Convention Bureau Lucerne Convention Bureau and Eurostar and Lyria. No airports, no baggage carousels, just a smooth, scenic ride with plenty of time for snacks, naps & chats - and of course, existential window-staring.

Find out more and apply to join the Go Sustainable trip by clicking this link.