2 EUROPEANS BUILT the earliest rails in mines in the 16th century, with me or horses providing the power. The first steam engine operated in Wales in 1804. Perhaps this is why the Brits are loco for locomotives: In the U.K., at least 20 magazines are published about them.
3 TODAY'S FASTEST trains travel close to 200 mph. Sometimes called bullet trains (most famous among them Japan's Shinkansen lines), many run on electricity. But the fastest of them all, the Shanghai Maglev in China, uses the attraction and repulsion forces of magnets to shoot forward, racing as fast as 285 mph. The fastest American train, the Acela, hits 150 mph in Connecticut and Rhode Island.
4 TRAVELING BY high-speed rail can actually be quicker than taking a plane-if you account for time spent at the airport. Train stations tend to be centrally located, while airports often lie outside of city centers. Another plus: Rail travel is typically greener than going by air. The train ride from London to Madrid, for example, emits 95 pounds of carbon dioxide per passenger, compared to 260 pounds for the same trip by plane.
5 THE ORIENT Express-the setting of the best-selling Agatha Christie mystery-is a real route, and among the most luxurious, featuring marble bathrooms and a live pianist in the bar car. But it'll cost you: The five-night Paris-to-Istanbul trip starts at $23,000.
この記事は Reader's Digest US の June 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Reader's Digest US の June 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Why Water Workouts Work
Swimming and other aquatic exercises have special benefits
A Week Under My Son's Roof
When roles reverse, it’s payback time
Cue the BBQ
A bowl of bulgogi is a treat for your taste buds
Surf's Up... Again
A Hawaiian helps victims of a devastating fire in the most Hawaiian way possible
IS EVERYONE ON OZEMPIC?
Everything you need to know about the new diabetes drugs shaping the weight-loss revolution
Hey Dad, Can You Help Me Return the Picasso I Stole?
A painting went missing in 1969, then turned up at a museums doorstep. No one knew how or why—until now.
WHEN A SNAKE FELL FROM THE SKY
THE WOMAN ON THE LAWN MOWER THOUGHT THAT WAS BADESPECIALLY WHEN IT HIT HER. THEN THE HAWK SWOOPED IN.
Popping the Question
Engagement stories from both sides of the bend
HOA HORROR STORIES
The good, the bad and the utterly bizarre!
Doing Dad's Bucket List
Laura Carney's father died suddenly, with unfinished business. So she started checking off the items for him.