On Tue, 28 Feb 2012, Loco2 wrote:

What are the things which affect people's decision to travel by plane
or train or car when going on holiday?

Personally, as a non-driver (no car and no driving license) I do not
consider cars and use only public transport (preferentially train vs
buses), but I can imagine that families with lots of children and
luggage, or persons whose holiday concept consists in driving across
places and not moving TO a place may prefer cars.

I prefer trains to buses (whenever both available) because I get
motion-sick on buses, there is less comfort (less space, no toilet, less
luggage space).

I prefer trains to planes because there is no harassment of check in and
security paranoia, and trains take you directly to city centres, or to
minor places. Also often travelling by train is a worthwhile experience
per se (just looking out of the window ... although in many places the
sound barriers along railways - and motorways too - tend now to make
impossible to look at the scenery)

Unfortunately some railway operators (chief Trenitalia here in Italy)
are doing their best to dissuade people to prefer trains to planes.
Crazy tariff system, worsened coordination between long distance and
local trains, cuts on international service, particularly night ones.

There are distances I will possibly never consider for train travel, if
I am interested in just going from A to B (I will never consider a train
trip Milan to London, or Milan to Palermo and use a plane instead,
although I did things like Stockholm-Narvik by train). However on other
distances (Milan to Paris, Frankfurt or even Amsterdam, Munich or
Vienna, Rome, Naples, Bari) a night train (sleeper) would be definitely
a good choice ... but unfortunately many of those have been withdrawn.

Also for instance for a trip like Milan to any minor station in Calabria
a night train (plus continuation during daytime) would be better than a
plane to some obscure and far airport, because it will drop you at the
wished station (in principle, no longer possible since Dec 2011).

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