Finland to France... by train?

[cimorene]

People keep asking me if it would be cheaper to take a TRAIN to central Europe from Finland than a plane. I wonder if these people have never ridden a train, or simply don't grasp that trains go on the ground and consume combustible fuel? (One need hardly say that they don't grasp Finland is a peninsula.)  Someone once told our exchange student from Norway that she hadn't visited it at all, but she might have stopped there "for gas" while her family was road-tripping around Europe.

Okay, PSA, people: in order to get from anywhere in the Nordic countries to central Europe by train, you would have to first take that train into Russia and south around the Blackaltic Sea, namely: through most of eastern Europe (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and Poland before you even reach Germany (which would take a couple of days and, needless to say, cost a lot more than flying). A ferry will take you quickly to Stockholm, and another will take you to Denmark from there, but it's a toss-up whether that would actually save you any money.

Ahahahhaha. A TRAIN. Thank you, America, for the LULZ.

Comments

[kessie.livejournal.com]

...a train. Oh my.

I mean, I know travelling around Europe is easy and somewhat cheap, but, y'know, it's not that easy.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

And really it's not like a plane hop of forty-five minutes is that expensive! It's the LONG flight that makes it expensive when you're talking about going to another continent. XD

[buddleia.livejournal.com]

No no, you fail to grasp that Europe is a teeny tiny little place. You know, quaint.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

Ahahahah. Pocket-sized, in fact! It could all fit inside Russia! After all, how many countries does it even have? Like, six, right? England... France... Germany... Spain... Italy... Sweden. How big could it be?

[isilya]

Ahahaahah! Like all the funny people who think you can just jump in the car and drive from Sydney to Cairns, or from Melbourne to Perth.

[buddleia.livejournal.com]

You mean...you can't? But, isn't Australia an island?

[claire.livejournal.com]

I once drove from Newcastle to Cairns with some friends. It took some time.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

Heee. You can't even say Australia doesn't look that big on the map!

[kmazzy.livejournal.com]

ha ha and ha! but at least european trains are better than british ones.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

Oh, what are British trains like?

[kmazzy.livejournal.com]

laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame. expensive and prone to delays due to stupid things like 'leaves on the line' or 'cows on the tracks' or 'strong wind' or 'flooded rails' etc etc.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

LOLOLOL

Finnish ones are late in winter because they were bought from Italy and they stop working when it's cold. XD

[claire.livejournal.com]

I want there to be a train from my place to your place. Why isn't there, dammit?

[cimness.livejournal.com]

PAVE THE PLANET! Who needs oceans anyway? Or hey, we could just put the trains UNDER the ocean. Or make a really big bridge!

[claire.livejournal.com]

Under would be much cooler. Or on the ocean floor. That way you'd have to deal with boredom and giant squid while traveling.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

Glass trains, so it would be like being INSIDE a big aquarium!

[futureperfect.livejournal.com]

That's like people who think they'll come to Australia, and nip over to Adelaide for lunch.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

Ahahahha. And then run back to the other side of Australia for the afternoon. It's just an island, right?

[futureperfect.livejournal.com]

Right!

My other favourite is: "Oh, you live in Australia? My friend Steven lives in Sydney, maybe you know him..."

[cimness.livejournal.com]

AHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA. There can't be that many fen in Australia, right? You probably have weekly meetings! You totally know this girl from Queensland on my mailing list...

[futureperfect.livejournal.com]

Totally! If it's not snowing tomorrow I am totally going to drive to Perth for the meet up there tomorrow morning! I have to be back by 2 for work, but Australia's so tiny that that's not going to be a problem. :D