YOU CAN'T TAKE A TRAIN TO HAMBURG

[cimorene]

How many times do I have to remind the members of my immediate family that Finland is separated from most of Europe by the sea?

Comments

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

But can you take a hamburger to the train? *she ponders*

[cimness.livejournal.com]

Yes! And on the train too. I think. At least, if you stuff it in your bag first.

[dreamnnightmare.livejournal.com]

she said ferry and then train.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

*I* told her that. After I told her that there was an ocean in the way!

[dreamnnightmare.livejournal.com]

you mean at first she thought she could do the entire route by train? That is very said. Although, I think you could do that. It's just that the route would be wastefully long and expensive.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

Yes, we've discussed it when you and Mom suggested we take a train to France or Germany, and again when Grandpa and Debby suggested it. Finland is connected to Russia in the northeast, Estonia just below that, and Sweden and Norway in the northwest. But it is a long, slender peninsula, so a train trip to mainland Europe, which is almost directly south of here, would be... LONG. It's not that the average high school student should have a clear idea of Finland's locations or borders, but I HAVE lived here for four years now, you know? Not to mention that we had a Norwegian exchange student at one time. I might expect you guys to grasp what part of the map we're talking about!

Furthermore, a roundtrip ferry fare to Germany is a full 600 euros and the train trip from Lubeck to Hamburg would probably not be cheap, either. Trains are not a cheap way to travel. Buses are a cheap way to travel. And I sincerely doubt that airfare would cost as much as the train+ferry route. Anyway, even if it were less, we're talking multiplying the cost of her vacation by 1.5. That is a HUGELY expensive side-trip. It's barely any cheaper than making a separate trip to Germany. Sometimes transatlantic airfare is as low as 600 or so! I've flown for that little before. Lillian tends to get an idé fixee about something and become very inflexible. Right now she is determined that she "can't" wait a WHOOOOLE YEAAAARRRR to see her friends, and you know, it does seem like a long time when you're that age, but she should seriously expand her thoughts a little to other breaks from school and seriously compare the costs of the trip at different times. It's gonna require saving money.

Transatlantic trips are not for those who can't handle delayed gratification. Unless they're RICH.

[dreamnnightmare.livejournal.com]

yeah!