You can travel in different ways and by different modes of transportation. Travelling by train, a type of travel with “the whole world outside the window” and “around the country,” is becoming more and more popular.
Traveling by train is really a great way to see more than traveling by plane. After all, the plane “eats and sleeps” between points A and B. The train is a contemplation, covering a huge area, experiencing nature, non-touristy towns, small, climatic, authentic halfway houses with local food.
Planes and airports have their own atmosphere, but a train trip is a much slower, more intellectual and sensory experience. Train travel is a special affair that every self-respecting traveler should experience at least once in his or her life.
Preparing for a train journey
A person accustomed to getting on a plane and being there for 3-4 hours will ask many intelligent questions: how to travel by train? What to take on such a long trip? What kind of things, medicine? What to eat on the road? How to have fun? All of these problems can and should be solved at the stage of preparation for the trip. Let’s sort it out point by point.
Clothes and things
What to take with a train of clothes and essentials:
A change of clothes so that you can walk in the carriage and sleep in it should be as comfortable and relaxed as possible;
a pair of shoes, which can be traditional flip-flops or flip-flops or lightweight sneakers;
a change of socks and underwear, especially if you are traveling long distances;
Earplugs that allow you to get a good night’s sleep, because there will be absolute silence in the car, at best a few hours a day;
An eye mask to keep you away from the bright lights at halfway stations and to shine the overhead light when your new companion walks into your compartment in the middle of the night;
toothpaste and toothbrush, soap, toilet paper, dry and wet wipes will all end up in the toilet at the most inopportune moment, and it’s better to have your own supply than run to the guide;
Towel.
Travel kit
Traveling by train allows you to take more drugs with you than by plane, but is it worth overloading your suitcase with endless bubbles with pills, sprays and solutions? Take only the essentials.
Here’s a sample list of basic medications for travel by train:
analgesic and antipyretic (many modern drugs combine both functions, it can be paracetamol, nurofen and others);
Drugs that normalize the digestive tract to this position should be treated very carefully, since poisoning while traveling is not uncommon (it can be activated charcoal, stopdiar, imodium, etc.);
Allergy medications (e.g., suprastin); hydrogen peroxide, iodine, or verdigris;
Bandages, gauze, cotton swabs.
If you are going on a trip with children, you can take a more extensive first aid kit, but for a more or less healthy adult is enough. In addition, remember: in every train car there is a first-aid kit, if necessary, help should be provided by the conductor.
Where better to buy train tickets
Before a train trip you need to buy tickets. Of course, this can be done at the station ticket offices, but modern people still prefer to use the Internet.
What are the advantages of the traveler who bought a ticket on the site:
The ability to compare prices, departure and arrival times, travel time, routes and transfer options and choose the most suitable;
the opportunity to buy, register, print, as well as return or exchange tickets online, without leaving home;
the opportunity to accumulate points, participate in various promotions and affiliate programs, and receive bonuses and free tickets;
the ability to track the route of the trip throughout its duration.
Meals en route
If the duration of the trip is not more than two days, this issue is not acute. But what if we travel by train for three days? Baking? Seven? It may seem to the inexperienced traveler that any food has time to run out or spoil over such a long period of time. But this is a misleading feeling. Many foods can be stored long enough without refrigeration.
- What you can have:
- Vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots;
- jacket potatoes (the first 24 hours);
- Fruit: apples, oranges, and tangerines can lie in perfect condition for several days, but bananas, peaches, pears, plums, cherries, especially strawberries and raspberries should be eaten on the first day of the trip;
- Vacuum-packed sausages and cheeses can also be kept out of the refrigerator for a few days;
- most importantly, if you open them, you must eat the entire package within the next few hours;
- grilled or boiled chicken (first 24 hours); boiled eggs (first two days)
- bread or bread substitutes;
- instant porridge in bags; dried fruits, nuts, seeds; Biscuits, wafers, gingerbread;
- Chocolate candy and caramel.
Entertainment on the road
On long flights, passengers can usually use mini-computers built into the front seat, watch movies, listen to music, play video games and read e-books. More often than not, the only television on the train is the same movies and shows. So you need to find entertainment for yourself. So what to do on the train if you are not bored?
You can:
- socialize with other passengers (if you’re traveling for a few days, it’s silly not to just get to know them and exchange travel impressions);
- play board games with other passengers;
- watch movies and TV shows on gadgets (smartphone, tablet, laptop);
- to draw or fill in coloring books, including anti-stress books;
- solve crossword puzzles, Sudoku, logic puzzles, etc. ;
- make crafts taken with you; read books, listen to music; organize a photo session;
- No more sleeping!