We have taken several train trips in Europe expecting to see the countryside. Guess again, the train quickly dropped into a ditch and we saw NOTHING until we arrived at our destination.
Don’t even think about crossing the English Channel in that boat that really isn’t a boat (can’t think of what it is right now).
I have been all over Europe on trains and you must have found different ones than I ever traveled on. The ones I used were clean, on time and offer spectacular views of the passing countryside...
The name changes by country, but the super high speed trains tend to make it harder to see the countryside. Though the ICE from Mannheim to Munich was very nice.
Other trains are much more scenic as they travel on different tracks.
I lived in Germany for 9.5 years, anytime the drive time was more than two hours I considered the train. Driving was just too stressful for me. Some people drove just way too slow and I wanted to go FAST! Slamming on my brakes every few minutes and Mrs. Gamecock screaming look out was too much.