I paid $560 for a 7-day Eurail pass to country hop by train in Europe. I took 8 rides between 6 cities and it was so much better than flying.

It was my first time using Eurail, and I bought a weeklong pass for $477. A ticket for the same journey in 2024 would cost about $360, according to a search on the company’s website.

I paid additional fees on top of my Eurail pass for two overnight trains, and when I upgraded from coach to first and business class on three rides. Each added fee was between $10 and $45, depending on the trip duration. The total cost of train travel was $560 with the upgrades.

But I’d still travel by train on future trips.

From attendant service to oversized bathrooms with mood lighting, traveling in business class through Italy was a dream. Comparable cabins on a plane would be too expensive for me.

I could lie flat and get some sleep, which would have been much more difficult on a red-eye flight in coach.

Rather than going through a lengthy check-in and security process at the airport, I could just walk right onto the train platform.

I also didn’t miss how flights dehydrate my body.

As I traveled from Italy to Switzerland, looking out the window kept me off my iPad for the entire ride.

Travel sustainability experts previously told BI that opting for train travel over flights can lower the carbon footprint of a trip.

I would definitely do it again.