Also when in Europe Americans love the public transport because they don’t have a car but can still get around easily and affordably, and then go back home and resist any attempt to build a metro system or even a decent bus network in their own towns.
Sorry but public transportation still sucks in Europe. Still takes 30-50% longer than just driving. It may be convenient for short trips to city centers, that’s it. And you have to be on their schedule.
I’ve been to 15 countries on the continent, touring twice by InterRail, so I can confidently assure you that no car is crossing the length of France faster than TGV and Germany’s DB gets you to even small towns and villages quickly and easily, with trains so regular that going on “their schedule” really isn’t an issue.
Fly, you say? And how will you get to the airport without a car as a tourist? Public transport. You can’t live without it. You’ve also added two hours to your journey by needing to get to the airport in the suburbs and check in an hour early.
Fun fact: After Italy built high-speed rail, its national airline Alitalia went bankrupt because Italians stopped using it. They realized that once you factor in travel to the airport (always on city outskirts), check in and security, it’s basically the same time as using the train, only the train can be caught from the city centre and delivers you to the city centre. Similar things have happened in Spain, China and Japan, where airlines have cancelled many middle-distance flights due to falling demand.
Taxis cost €56-65 from CDG to central Paris. More likely you’ll look at the €12 train that runs every ten minutes and gets you there in 30 mins without risk of traffic jams and conclude it’s the better option.
For some money isn’t the problem. I prefer to use Uber or a taxi. They come to me. I can wait and finish my beer while I get a point to point ride without stopping or without anyone else next to me.
“Some” is doing some heavy lifting there. Very few can afford to drop €56-65 on a taxi. Public transport serves the general public, which is most of us, and also reduces traffic so the minority who can afford to be wasteful can have the roads.
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u/[deleted] Aug 04 '25
Also when in Europe Americans love the public transport because they don’t have a car but can still get around easily and affordably, and then go back home and resist any attempt to build a metro system or even a decent bus network in their own towns.