Rail travel is one area in which Europe is miles ahead of the United States. Passengers can buy a 15-day Eurail pass, which allows them to travel almost anywhere on the continent at any time, for as low as €345, or around $500. That ticket would also give riders access to France’s TGV, a high-speed rail train that travels at average speeds of just under 300 miles per hour. The average person in the United Kingdom travels over 750 kilometers per year by rail; in Germany, that figure rises to close to 1000 km/year, and in Switzerland it is a stunning 2,422 km/year! Meanwhile, in the United States, the average rail passenger travels only 80 kilometers per year.
