Train from Tampere to Helsinki

Nicer than the Eurostar from London to Paris and the TGVs in France, the two-hour train journey from Tampere to Helsinki in Finland is a real eye-opener.

I like travelling by train on the whole, even though I’ve spent most of my life in Australia – where nobody does use the train – and the United Kingdom – where even those who would like to use the appalling train network struggle to afford to. There’s just something nice and relaxing about the whole thing.

Train from Tampere to Helsinki in Finland

Getting the train from Tampere to Helsinki in Finland was a real eye-opener though. It is, approximately, a two hour journey between the two cities and I was astonished when the train pulled up. After all, where was the graffiti? Where were the grimy, dust-covered seats that clearly hadn’t had a lick of paint since the 1940s? Where was the utterly miserable ticket collector?

Comfortable seating

It was, quite frankly, the nicest train I’ve ever seen – even better than the Eurostar from London to Paris or the TGVs in France. It was spotlessly clean, split over two levels of pleasant, comfortable seating and moved so quickly and quietly that it felt a little like a cocoon. If only all countries could have such an excellent rail service.