About six weeks ago I mentioned one of things I do to relax is  going on Front Cab train trips all over the world. This means the videos of these trips is taken right from the cab of the engineer so you see everything he does in real time. It is a very unique way to take a trip, but what you see along the way is, in many ways, fascinating how other parts of the world really look like.

So far, I have done trips in Sweden, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy, Croatia, France, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands, with more to come. All these trips are on modern railroads and most  run at speeds between 75 and 125 mph. So, hop on board and join me for a quick visit to three countries: Germany, France and Spain.

At the end of this feature, I will give you some links so you can check out your own virtual trip.

Germany – Passau to Munich – This ride was in July 2023 on an 81 degree day and top speed was 100 mph. Like all of Europe this railway is 100% electrified, no steam or diesel. Some beautiful sights along the way and a lot of American looking scenes. Cars and trucks all drive on the right side and the highways are spotlessly clean and absolutely NO billboards of any kind. A wide variety of cars Audi, VW, Kia, Hyundai, Mercedes and others. Most everything at the railways stations is in both German and English. A very enjoyable trip, enjoy the photos I only put up 8, but took about 20.

France – Miramas to Marseille – This 2 hour plus ride in August 2023 on a sunny 77 degree day took us through a variety of settings, mountains, small villages, plenty of open land and industry. Like most all European countries, they drive on the right side, there are touches of Americana (like McDonald’s) and a LOT of apartment living everywhere. This trip was also one of a very few where a good part of it was not by electrified rail. As you can see in the one photo, graffiti is alive and well not only in France, but everywhere in Europe.

Spain – Portbou to Barcellona – This was another 2 hour plus ride in early May 2022, 70 degrees. We traveled through the middle of cities, over lots of open land, mountains and tunnels, even hugging a huge lake for a spell. The foilage in Spain has a different hue and looks different than other countries. Some beautiful homes, loads of apartments, the highways are spacious and they drive on the right side. It is an interesting country that offered up some interesting sights. One thing I can tell you for all the major highways in every country, there are NO billboards of any kind, anywhere.

So there you have a quick virtual train trip to three countries and I hope you enjoyed it. I would love your feedback because I would like to continue this in the future with trips to several other countries including the one that became my hands down favorite of all. So check out the following links and take your own virtual trip and enjoy the view.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRYl1C12IXPs2Uo_25OdrPA

https://www.railrelaxation.com/

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN