People can also be very talkative on trains. When I first arrived in Germany, I flew into Frankfurt and then took a train to Trier. On the way, I sat next to a woman who was originally from Qatar. She taught me some words in Arabic, and I taught her some English, but we mostly just spoke in German. Together, we watched as the cityscape of Frankfurt turned into countryside, passing by rivers and thick forests. I could tell that the train was getting close to Trier, as we started to see more vineyards and farmlands popping up on either side of the tracks.
One reason trains could be really popular here is that Germans tend to be very environmentally-conscious. More and more Germans take trains instead of cars or planes. Many of the railroads in Germany have also been there for a long time. Historically, trains have been a pretty popular way to travel, and Germany has continued to promote this practical mode of transportation. Gas is also really expensive here, so although there are still Germans who prefer to drive in their cars, it’s ultimately cheaper to take the train. The central station (or Hauptbahnhof) in a city is also, typically, situated at the center of a town, and the station often has stores, a cafe and a grocery store inside.
