I use my jacket to wipe a circle into the fogged-up train window before pressing my forehead against it, eager to not let any waterfalls peeking through the mountains pass me by. The rain hasn’t stopped since last night and it’s the kind that soaks right through to your skin no matter how good your waterproof gear is. With a sudden jolt, the train gradually picks up speed – its gears meshing with the metal rack beneath me, gripping firmly to prevent slipping with each rotation. This is a 150-year old mechanism I am particularly grateful for on a slippery day like today.
Trains, no planes and richer experiences: discovering France and Switzerland with Intrepid
TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes
Monika Laimaite
23 September 2025
Nine of the 2025 TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassadors in Training discovered the pleasures of rail travel on Intrepid’s first no-fly fam trip, taking the Eurostar to Paris before continuing on to Lausanne and Lucerne – all by train. Monika Laimaite reports from her first fam
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