Quote:
Originally Posted by spdrun
I'd say more like 600 miles is the break even point. 600 miles = 4 hr by train at 150 mph.
By plane, it's a 2 hr flight, including takeoff, landing, taxiing, and boarding. Add another hour for security/bag check/BS and another hour of travel to airports (which are often far from populated areas), and you have 4 hr. Trains can also stop at smaller cities along the way more easily than planes, making access faster.
|
I say 300-400 because if there's 600 mi between city centers you can't do 150 for the entire duration. For example the TGV runs regular rail from the various stations out to the dedicated TGV railway. I'd say that there's at least 20 miles of slow running from Gare de Lyon to the TGV railway. Takes a good half hour to 45min to run that distance. I don't have a feel for what the distance is at the other stops.
Of course, on the train you are generally closer to town than an airport.