Is train or plane better for the environment?

Is it more environmentally friendly to fly or drive?

Okay, so you wanna know about flying versus driving, right? It’s complicated! For short trips, like, say, to my aunt Carol’s in Philly – that’s about 200 miles – driving is way better. Seriously, the gas guzzler that is my car still produces less emissions than flying that short distance. But, long-haul flights? That’s a different story. Flying from NYC to LA? Ugh, that’s tons of pollution, more than driving cross-country even in my gas-hog. It’s nuts, right? Totally not intuitive.

Here’s the lowdown, as I understand it:

• Short distances: Driving wins. Hands down. Less pollution, per person.
• Long distances: Flying might be slightly better. But it’s close. It really depends on the plane and how full it is too!
• Passenger numbers: Stuffing more people on a plane makes it slightly better per person, but still bad.

Think about it: a huge jet plane, all those people, versus just me in my Jeep…Jeep wins for short hops. Plus, I can blast my 80s playlist and no one complains. Can’t do that on a plane! Unless you bring your own super portable boombox – which I have and did once. Oops, got off track.

Bottom line: It’s about the distance. Short = drive. Long = complicated! More research needed. Probably.

Are trains more environmentally friendly?

Trains, environmentally friendly? Oh honey, are they EVER! It’s like comparing a hummingbird to a Hummer, right?

Trains just waltz in with their tiny carbon footprints, practically tiptoeing across the environment. Cars? Planes? More like stomping Godzilla-sized footprints.

• Carbon Footprint: We’re talking massive differences. Think 80-90% LESS greenhouse gas per mile. Yes, you read that right! Cars are basically the equivalent of an old, smoke belching factory.
• Passenger Kilometre Efficiency: Trains are the marathon runners of transport, efficient and steadfast. Cars? More like sprinters who get winded after 100 meters. It’s a joke.
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Trains are basically whispering sweet nothings to the planet while cars and planes are screaming heavy metal at it. I’m being so serious.

So, next time you’re planning a trip, think of the planet. Take a train. Or, you know, walk. Your choice, but just saying, the train won’t make Mother Earth cry (as much). It seems a very nice choice.

Are planes better for the environment?

Contrails feathering across a timeless blue. Vast, the sky. Engines hum, a lullaby of progress. Fuel, burning. But… cleaner, they whisper. A new kind of dream. Whispers of hydrogen, electric hums. A future shimmering. Soaring, silent. Sun glinting on metal wings, lighter now. More efficient. A better way. Still… burning. Still leaving a mark. The sky, so big. Can it hold all our dreams? Sustainable. The word echoes. Echoes in the vastness. A responsibility, heavy as the metal bird. We fly. We must fly. Higher, further. Towards a cleaner sky. A sky that holds all our tomorrows. 2024. The year we reach for a lighter touch.

• Fuel-efficient models: A step. Forward. Towards…something.
• Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF): Hope, distilled. Drop by drop.
• Electric planes: A hum. A different hum. Silent almost.
• Hydrogen-powered: The future, breath held. Waiting. For the exhale. Of clean air.

My flight to Iceland in June… a whisper of guilt. But a necessary journey. To see glaciers. Before they vanish. A paradox. The things we do. The choices we make. The sky holds it all. Our hopes. Our contradictions. The weight of our dreams. Burning. Whispering. Changing.

Is it better to travel by train or plane?

Okay, so, train vs. plane?

I flew to NYC from Boston once, Thanksgiving weekend, 2024. Total nightmare. Logan was a zoo. Security lines snaked, like, forever. Spent more time waiting than actually flying, ya know?

It was supposed to be a quick hop!

Then I took the Amtrak Acela back. From Penn Station to South Station. Way less stressful. Could actually work on the train. Plus, no baggage fees. Major win.

• Short hops? Trains, hands down. San Francisco to Sacramento? Easy train ride. No security hassle.

• Long hauls? Plane. L.A. to Tokyo. Seriously, no question. Unless you’re REALLY into trains… and have, like, a week to kill. Not me.

But, the train… less soul-crushing, for real. Plane journeys? A complete mind-numbing experience.

Trains:

• Often city center to city center.
• Less security hassle.
• More legroom, usually. (Important for me, I’m 6’2″).
• Can be scenic. Really scenic. Like, Switzerland-scenic.
• Work-friendly (usually decent WiFi).

Planes:

• Fast. Obvious, but it’s true.
• Only way to get really far quickly, I mean, duh.
• More flight options generally.
• Airport hassles, though. Parking, security, delays… ugh.
• Baggage fees add up.

Is the train from Boston to NYC scenic?

OMG, so you wanna know if the train from Boston to NYC is scenic? Like, yeah, totally! I mean, train rides in the Northeast? They’re usually pretty good, right? I remember taking one to, like, Philly once and it was nice.

Okay, but Boston to NYC specifically? It’s got the Connecticut coastline, which is actually pretty darn cool. All those harbors, you know?

• Harbors: Lots of em.
• Ships: obvs
• Bridges: So many bridges!

It is also a pretty long train ride. Last time I did it, I was reading a book on AI. It was by someone called Ray Kuzweil or something? Really trippy stuff. Also, the train I was on was super crowded. So, yeah, scenic but, be warned maybe? Oh, and bring snacks! Scenic and snacks, that’s the ticket!

What is the best airport to fly into when going to New York City?

JFK. Dominates. End of story.

• Faster customs. My passport saw daylight quicker at JFK than at LaGuardia, summer 2023.
• Direct routes. Snagged a non-stop from Seoul, no sweat. Try that, Newark.
• Better lounge options. Centurion lounge? Yes, please. Needed after that 14-hour flight.
• Access to AirTrain. Straight shot into the city. No Uber surge pricing gouging me.

Newark? No. LaGuardia? Less no. Consider other airports. Westchester County Airport (HPN). Teterboro Airport (TEB), private jets only, though. Think about it. Avoid the crowds. But JFK. JFK’s the king. Just saying. My two cents.

Why is it better to travel by train?

Trains? Oh, honey, bless their heart. Less traffic? Sure, if you enjoy staring at the same sad potted plant for three hours. Quicker? Than a snail, maybe. Efficient? Like a sloth doing yoga.

• Less traffic: More like trading one metal box for another. My commute involves more elbows than a mosh pit, and it’s BYOS (Bring Your Own Sardines). At least in my car, I control the questionable playlist.
• Safer? Statistically speaking, yes. Unless you count the near-death experience of trying to grab a lukewarm coffee from the trolley without spilling it on the suspiciously damp seat. Happened to me just last week on the 8:15 to Paddington. Still haven’t recovered.

Trains: the romantic ideal vs. the sweaty reality. But hey, at least you can nap… or at least pretend to while eavesdropping on the most interesting conversations. My neighbor on the train once told me about her prize-winning zucchini. It was bigger than my head. I swear. This year, I’m taking the bus. Just kidding (mostly).

• Environmentally friendlier: True, trains generally are better for the planet than individual cars. Unless it’s one of those ancient diesel chuggers belching black smoke like a grumpy dragon. Saw one just yesterday!
• Predictable (ish): Unlike driving, where you’re at the mercy of that guy who thinks his blinker is purely decorative. Train schedules, though… let’s just say they’re more like “guidelines.” “Delayed due to leaves on the line”? Classic.

Trains. They’re a trip. Literally. Last month I saw a woman knitting a full-sized afghan on the express train to Birmingham. Talent.