Traveling by train

Traveling by train may sometimes seem like an unnecessarily long hassle, but it offers unique advantages that make it equally, if not more, attractive compared to other means of transportation like cars, planes, or buses.
One of the main advantages of traveling by train is comfort. Trains often offer spacious seats with plenty of room to sit or even lie down comfortably during long journeys, and passengers can get up and stretch their legs, making it incomparably more pleasant than bus or plane travel.
Closely related to comfort, trains allow for carrying a larger amount of luggage compared to, for instance, planes or buses. So, you won’t face significant difficulties if you’re traveling with a bike — there’s space for your two-wheeled friend on the train.
Environmental sustainability is also an important advantage of train travel. Unlike cars and especially planes, which use fossil fuels and significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, trains often use electricity or other clean energy sources, resulting in a smaller ecological footprint.
One of the significant advantages of train travel is the opportunity to enjoy the scenery. Although train journeys are often longer, passengers can observe beautiful natural and urban landscapes that are not visible when traveling by road or plane.
Another advantage is affordability. Train ticket prices are often significantly lower compared to the costs of flights or car travel, especially when considering hidden costs such as fuel, tolls, or parking. This makes train travel an attractive option for a wide range of travelers.
An often-overlooked advantage of rail transport is safety. Trains run on fixed tracks, making them less prone to traffic accidents compared to road transport. Additionally, many trains have advanced safety systems to ensure the safety of passengers and cargo during the journey, making railway accidents extremely rare.
However, despite all these advantages, the use of rail transport in Croatia has significantly declined in recent decades, just like the amount of snowfall the country receives annually, making the scenario of the popular children’s novel “A Train in the Snow” practically a fairy tale. Nevertheless, there are increasing initiatives to modernize the railway infrastructure, connect with the European railway network, and generally promote train travel in Croatia.
One example of such initiatives is the recently introduced route of the Slovenian Railways, which will start from Italy, specifically from Trieste, pass through Slovenia, stopping at four stations, and finally reach Croatia, specifically Šapjane, then Opatija, and ultimately Rijeka. This route existed until 30 years ago and has now been revived. If you travel the entire route, the journey should take just a few hours, and the ticket costs 8 euros, making it highly competitive in the public transport market. The route is currently expected to operate only during the summer months, specifically until September 30, 2024, but there is hope that if it is used, it will become part of the everyday rail traffic in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.
And if you take this route to Croatia from Italy or Slovenia, stay in the best accommodations in Opatija and Rijeka, which you can find on the Molo Longo agency’s website.