By train to the sea: when the rails beat the motorway

The passenger rail operator publishes its timetable in one place, so for every route you can see duration, changes and the seasonal lines towards the coast.¹

At season peaks, when the automobile club reports heavy traffic and hold-ups at toll stations, the time comparison can favour the train even before the rest is counted in.²

Travelling without a steering wheel means the whole family travels as passengers: children at the window, adults with a book, and nobody counts kilometres to the next rest stop.¹

Seasonal lines are introduced exactly for the summer months, so the July and August schedule differs from the winter one and deserves a check before every trip.¹

For many coastal towns the train stops in a larger city and the last leg goes by bus or ferry: such a combination takes one look at several schedules but frees the whole day.^1,2