“Take a sleeper train, make a friend”
Freedom is the one word that comes to mind every time when I think of train travel. Not just in the sense that you can hop on and off at will, but also that you are free while you are onboard, too. You can look out the window, you can go and have some dinner, you can read, you can snooze or you can go and chat to people. I always chat.
Once in a dining car, my husband and I were seated opposite a couple of German Baptist Brethren with bonnets and braces. We broke bread and they said grace and we learnt all about their life. You don’t get experiences like that with other modes of transport.
The best trains, though, are in India. They are accessible to absolutely everyone, no matter what budget you’ve got. You can travel down in general class with a wooden flap bed or spend £1,000 a night and travel like a maharajah. You’ve got fantastic food that comes up and down the aisles and you get your bedding in brown paper bags with ironed sheets and a little pillow. It is like a mobile camping trip. You share chapattis, someone will start a game of cards, slide up and watch someone film over their shoulders. The real key to making the most of it is to engage with people. Always share a sleeper cabin. Don’t set yourself aside from it. Be part of it.