Airplanes are anxiety-filled toasters suspended in the sky, and I never want to go on one again. Flying is one of the worst experiences despite being one of the most impressive technological advancements.

EVERYTHING about flying is horrible: the crammed space, the screen two inches from your face playing movies starring The Rock, the elementary school-quality food, and the disturbing shake of turbulence.

The worst part, however, is the contagious anxiety of packed strangers stressing out in the middle of the sky. I could arrive at the airport (2 hours early of course) completely calm then suddenly start fearing for my life after being shouted out by TSA, people panicking to take their electronics out of their bags, the shoving to get to their assigned seats on the plane and, as soon as the fasten seatbelt sign lights up, suddenly everyone needs to use the restroom. 

That doesn’t even count everyone standing, rushing to grab their luggage as soon as the plane lands as if they’re going to bypass the 70 other people (also holding luggage) down the single aisle.

But, there’s a solution!

My traveling anxiety almost completely disappeared when I first took a train across state lines. Amtrak is the main railway in the US and it offers (almost) stress-free travel. Outside of the US, the trains offer COMPLETELY stress-free travel.

Planes

Cons:

-Grossly close to other passengers to where you can taste their anxiety through their sweat.

-You’re suspended in the air with nowhere to go.

-The “food.”

-There are only two people on the plane that can fly it. Remember, they’re at work. People go postal, slack on the job, and sometimes show up with a lack of interest.

-Dealing with the airport: getting there hours early, TSA, $30 sandwiches, and $6 waters.

-WiFi (I’ve literally never had WiFi work on a plane).

Pros:

-Get to your destination faster (as long as there’s no delays).

-In-flight entertainment mostly works. 

-Price can be surprisingly less expensive.

Trains

Cons:

-Really hard to use the restroom while swaying.

-Takes longer to get to destination.

-Food (this applies to the US only. They serve frozen Jimmy John’s sandwiches and expired tuna for $10 each while Europe serves scrambled eggs, regional desserts, and pumpkin risotto).

Pros:

-Plenty of leg room to help sleep, places to walk around to get away from children, relaxed rules for designated seating.

-WiFi actually works.

-It’s more of an adventure. Especially if you’re a reader like myself, there’s an adventurous, old-timey charm to trains that makes you feel like you’re exploring new worlds. 

-You can see some beautifully rural nature or cool urban areas depending on where you’re traveling through.

-It’s easy to read, work on a laptop, play games on the tables, meet people, and have fun.

-You can get fresh air or vape, at least for a couple minutes at each stop.

-You can leave whenever you want without plummeting 30,000 feet to the ground. Preferably at stops.

My worst train days (delays, having to buy new tickets for missed connections, crying babies, late arrivals) are still less stressful and anxiety-filled than my best plane days.

I’ll admit, watching videos about why you shouldn’t feel anxious when flying has decreased my flying anxiety by a fair amount. Learning how planes work, what certain noises indicate, and why pilots and attendants aren’t afraid of flying helps me to be less stressed. 

However, there are only two reasons why I’ll ever choose a plan over a train ride again:

1. Train rides can be more expensive if there’s too many transfers.

2. I’ll take a 10-hour train ride over a 3-hour plane ride any day, but I won’t take a 20+ hour train ride over a significantly shorter plane ride.

Here are some of the train apps I use:

Amtrak:

For the US, the main train line around the country. Buy tickets, see updates, check out routes.

Rail Europe:

For Europe, connects over a dozen rail companies. Easy to use. Offers longterm plans which is especially great for people visiting Europe for a set period of time.