I love travelling by train. I use it whenever I can for business travel in Britain, and I use it to travel further afield if the cost isn’t excessively higher than the flight for the same journey.  It is generally more relaxing than air travel, plus you get a view of your surroundings.

Japan is a great place to travel by train.  The trains are clean, comfortable, fast and punctual.

Colourful trains make a fun and easy way to take in the scenic countryside.

At the other extreme is the high speed shinkansen (新幹線), or bullet train.  The name means “new trunk line” and refers to the track or network rather than the trains.  But it’s not just us gaijin that use it to refer to the trains; the Japanese use the term that way too.

If you are travelling around Japan, my tip is to send your luggage ahead by train.  Your hotel, ryokan or tour guide will be able to organise this for you.  You’ll normally send it the day before you travel, keeping hand luggage with you, and when you arrive at your next stopover your luggage will be there waiting for you.

Happy train travels.

Posted as part of the Sunday Stills’ Next Challenge: Trains.