Let's try and get 1,000,000 replies to this post

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

I'm on the train from Trondheim to Oslo for the first time in years. Makes me nostalgic.

It also served as a reminder as to why I have mostly used plane (or car) later. Because frankly, spending 6 1/2 hours on the train is quite boring. Especially when I had finished reading my magazines with more than 1h remaining.

 

[Saapanael]

Trains are kewl.

 

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

Kids with AD/HD are not.

 

[Albie]

But kids with AD/HD travelling on a train sort of balances it out?

 

[The Flash]

I traveled by train only once, 10 years ago. I remember almost every detail of it. Fun experience.

 

[LooseCannon]

It also served as a reminder as to why I have mostly used plane (or car) later. Because frankly, spending 6 1/2 hours on the train is quite boring. Especially when I had finished reading my magazines with more than 1h remaining.

I may end up taking the train to Bergen one of these days. I am expecting to need a lot of books.

 

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

I may end up taking the train to Bergen one of these days. I am expecting to need a lot of books.

Yeah. The part going over the Hardanger plateau is very nice. The rest, pretty dull. Gothenburg-Oslo goes through my hometown, but the parts along the railway are the least interesting parts of it. But from Oslo until you get to the mountains ... well, hope you like trees. You're going to see a lot of them.

 

[LooseCannon]

But from Oslo until you get to the mountains ... well, hope you like trees. You're going to see a lot of them.

I live in Canada. We have a lot of trees.

Part of me would rather drive, but the train seems inexpensive comparatively. I'm told it's a long drive too, due to the twisting and the turning. Of course, what Europeans think is a long drive and what Canadians think is a long drive tend to be disparate.

 

[Saapanael]

We exchanged old Soviet trains for new modern ones a few years ago and they are a spectacularly smooth ride. Haven't been to any long trips with one of those, though, only inside town.

 

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

I live in Canada. We have a lot of trees.

Part of me would rather drive, but the train seems inexpensive comparatively. I'm told it's a long drive too, due to the twisting and the turning. Of course, what Europeans think is a long drive and what Canadians think is a long drive tend to be disparate.

From Oslo to Bergen by car is typically 6 hours upwards. Expect an average speed of well under 80 km/h. The train takes about the same time.

Of course there's also a difference between a 6-7 hour drive on straight, wide roads (which I assume you have a lot of in Canada) and on roads that are curvy and, at times, narrow.

I have made the drive Trondheim-Fredrikstad (via Oslo) a number of times. That is about 600 km, takes 7-8 hours and I'm usually quite tired afterwards, despite the road standard being better than on the shortest route to Bergen.

 

[Brigantium]

But kids with AD/HD travelling on a train sort of balances it out?

Not really, attention deficit and hyperactivity kind of go together. Think of the mind leaping wholesale from one tiny distraction to another because of a difficulty switching between processing multiple inputs.

And I prefer flying to longer rail journeys, which usually involve a lot of drunk and antisocial people.

 

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

I think Albie rather tried to ask if the positive (being on a train) would balance out the negative (being around hyperactive kids).

(Please note - I have nothing against hyperactive kids, as long as I'm not confined in the same room as them for hours )

 

[bearfan]

I would rather drive in general ... you can go at your own pace and depending on where you are going, there are usually some places worth stopping at to check out ... place to grab lunch and walk around a town square or something like that.

 

[Brigantium]

Driving around here is horrible at the best of times. Crowded roads, traffic jams, roadworks. I can see how road rage happens.

 

[bearfan]

Living someone driving and vacation driving can be different though ... you can go off hours, less overall stress, etc

 

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

Driving around here is horrible at the best of times. Crowded roads, traffic jams, roadworks. I can see how road rage happens.

And all the cars are on the wrong side of the road

 

[bearfan]

And all the cars are on the wrong side of the road

Yeah, that does not help at all

 

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

Living someone driving and vacation driving can be different though ... you can go off hours, less overall stress, etc

I really enjoy vacation driving. except when I realize I have less time to catch a ferry than expected ...

 

[Brigantium]

Living someone driving and vacation driving can be different though ... you can go off hours, less overall stress, etc

Yes, if you've got time to spare. I still think the British driving experience is very different to the American one! There are nice roads in some parts of the country, but they tend to be the narrow country ones that don't go anywhere in particular. If you're going further afield, it's a crappy motorway or dual carriageway for you, and lots of pissed off people driving on it. I find French roads comparatively empty.

 

[LooseCannon]

The entire UK is slightly smaller than Texas, but with double the population of California in it. And a ton of the land is uninhabitable - the rest of us call this uninhabitable land "Scotland".