A bit of a random topic but at the moment I am indeed sitting on a train from Antwerp to Hasselt where I shall be working for the weekend. It occurred to me that now was a perfect time to do some writing and while I’m here, why not write about trains.
I travel quite often by train, I always have. Even when I lived in Ireland getting back to my parents house it was my preferred mode of transport. Since I moved to Belgium a week hardly goes by that I’m not on a train even though I live in the apartment above the bar I work in.
In my opinion there are two different types of train journey. The first Is like today just enjoying the journey, chilling out and being generally relaxed, not keeping an eye on the time because thoughts about how far away your arrival is are not really occupying your mind.
The other kind of journey is one similar to what I experienced recently coming back from Rotterdam with my girlfriend, both of us tired and hungover, exhausted beyond belief and the thoughts of boarding the train and making the journey home were simply unbearable. However, we made it back in one piece and have since recovered.
One thing I do miss from the trains back in Ireland is the food trolley that gets wheeled up and down the train. I know on some of the faster trains in Europe they have a bar but on your regular everyday train that option is unavailable.
Do you guys do much travelling? Have you much experience of the rail system in Europe, what do you think? I would love to hear some thoughts in the comments section. Dan.
Daniel Phillips 
I love travelling on trains! They seem not to go for a food trolley as such in Northern Europe like we have in the British Isles, they prefer a bar/cafe area instead I think. I bought some aqua frizzante off a trolley on an Italian train a few years back however 😬
It definitely is a great way to travel! Yeah I have seen those bar/cafe areas before, I think it’s more accustomed to the Thalys trains and the other more expensive ones!
I love trains, or at least I love the only train I know; the Amtrak line along the Pacific coast of the US. No food trolleys. There is a bistro with packaged food, and on some runs a terrible restaurant. But the experience makes up for it. I’m an active train rider, exploring the cars, watching the scenery, and getting a charge out of the rush of a train passing on the other track. I try to do it regularly, because I’m sure the train will be discontinued at some time. And then it will be all over, there’ll just be freeways and aircraft, both of them horrible ways to travel.
The experience definitely makes up for it here in Belgium too, it’s just the most comfortable way to travel, and you precisely down to the minute when you’re going to arrive at your destination. The only form of transport where you can be guaranteed that. Thanks for the comment!