How to get your caffeine kick on a train trip
Do you also sometimes wish you could just travel with a portable coffee machine, so you don’t have to miss out on your daily coffee intake while on the road? Well, I sure do. Unfortunately, I haven’t really found one that’s portable enough, so I had to find other alternatives.
Hi! I’m Lizet, and I’m a full-time traveller. Because of the environment, I choose to mainly travel by train. Because of the views, I keep doing that. And I teach other people about the joys of train travel and how to make it a fun way to travel. Let me tell you how I manage to still get my daily coffee doses on a train adventure.
On board coffee options
Like everything on the planet, trains keep developing and improving. Sure, this process goes a bit faster in some countries than others. In fact, quite a few countries receive old trains from other countries. So, it could take quite a few years for certain countries to receive the newest trains with the most recent luxury updates. However, this doesn’t always have to mean that the most modern trains are the best. Especially not when it comes to coffee.
Sometimes updates mean more seats, but not any additional services. So, for example, modern trains in The Netherlands hardly have any restaurant or coffee options, while older trains in the Czech Republic do. Both coffee carts and full restaurants on board are a thing, and you can easily check the local booking website if either of those will be on board. The biggest plus on restaurants on board, is that there’s an unlimited amount of coffee. For the real coffee addicts among us, this means you could get multiple cups during a long journey.
In my experience, the coffee cart often only comes by every once in a while, so I’ve never been able to get more than one cup from a coffee cart.
Train station coffee
No coffee service on board? No worries, most train stations will have plenty of coffee options. From Starbucks or other chain alternatives to cute local coffee places with speciality coffee, depending on where you are. The bigger the train station, the more choices you’ll have in your caffeine kick.
Are you starting from a teeny tiny train station? Then, unfortunately, your chances might be limited. I’ve noticed that small stations often either don’t have a coffee place at all, or one that’s locally run at whatever times they seem fit. Meaning, their opening hours might be very unreliable or limited (or both). In some of those cases, there will be a coffee place close-by. Just check Google Maps if that’s the case and take some extra time to pass by for your coffee.
If there’s no option anywhere around the train station, and there won’t be any service on board, you have 2 more options. One is to go to a bigger train station if there’s any close by and get your coffee there. (Yes, I have done this before) Or, of course, to bring your own.
Bring your own coffee
If you want to be a 100% sure you will get coffee, which is also up to your expectations of what a good coffee is supposed to taste like, the only option is to bring your own coffee. Unfortunately, many trains don’t have plugs, so bringing the machine really isn’t an option. 😉 But there are ways.
Although thermos seem to have gone out of fashion years ago, they’re still your best friend when it comes to bringing hot beverages. Just make a batch of coffee at home, put it in a thermos big enough to quench your thirst, and enjoy hot coffee on your train. Do make sure that it’s one of good quality. It can make the difference between cold coffee after two hours and still burning your mouth after 5 hours. Honestly, if you care a lot about your coffee and are on the go a lot, a thermos is the best investment you’ll ever make.
Don’t like old coffee? Meaning, coffee you made 3 hours ago. I get that. I like it fresh as well, nothing beats the smell of fresh coffee. Then there’s 1 last option. Bring your own coffee making set. And no, I still don’t mean a full-on coffee machine. There are tiny coffee filters that you can fold and put into your bag. Bring the right amount of coffee grind, that thermos with boiling hot water and a cup if it’s not on the thermos. And make your own, there and then.
People might look at you like you’re crazy. But if you care that much about your coffee, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?
So, now you can go on any long journey without running out of coffee. Enjoy your trip!
Want to read more about of Lizet’s travels? Check out her awesome website here!
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