Author: Sean Keener

Train Travel: This Week on BootsnAll

Most of us can appreciate the wonder of walking around in a new city, of sampling new flavors in restaurants, and browsing through new shops. But, as the saying goes, it’s not all about the destination – sometimes it’s about the journey.
Now, modern travel has its perks – speeding through time zones on a trans-Atlantic flight should make anyone feel awe-struck – but let’s face it, there’s nothing romantic or wistful about airports or airlines these days. Long lines, security checks, shoe removal, liquids in tiny containers, seats that hardly recline, extra fees for bad airline food… Combined, all this does a fine job of removing the fun from travel until you actually get where you’re going.
Rail travel, on the other hand, retains much of its romantic appeal – which is why we’re focusing on it this week on BootsnAll. You’ll read about ways to make the most of long train journeys, and you’ll learn about some places in Eastern Europe where you can get off the beatean path while still sticking to the train lines.

Week 12 of the Indie Travel Challenge 2012 is all about train travel.
We’ve all heard rail travel described as “romantic,” and that has nothing to do with getting busy with the hot girl from the next bunk on an overnight ride across France. (Well, usually it doesn’t, anyway.) Most travelers can tell great stories about train trips, will choose the train over other methods of transportation, and preach the benefits of riding the rails.
What we want to know this week – the question we want you to answer in your Indie Travel Challenge blog post for Week 12 – is why? What is it about train travel that captivates the imagination of travelers in every corner of the world? What about it makes the word “romantic” so apt? Do you have a rail experience that perfectly captures why we love trains so much? Or are you one of the people who actually avoids trains whenever possible?
Don’t forget to add your blog posts to the main Indie Travel Challenge page – and be sure to include a picture when you do (we love pictures!). Also, the voting is still going on in the Indie Travel Take Down (our March Madness-style travel tournament), so pick your favorites in each regional bracket!

The Indie Travel Challenge is a year-long blogging project. Every Monday, we’ll post a new prompt, question, or challenge that bloggers can respond to via text, photos, or video. Respond on your own blog, and link back to BootsnAll so we can find and highlight the best submissions. 
Check out the Indie Travel Challenge landing page for all information related to the event. You can see the week’s daily prompt, follow the hashtag on Twitter, share your posts, and check out submissions from around the world.
photo by Valerie Everett