If you want a gourmet meal on a high-speed train at an affordable price, Spain has just what you're looking for.
TikToker Anna's Taste (@annastaste) shared her first-class ride aboard Iryo, Spain's first private high-speed rail operator that began its service last November.
@annastaste Everything I ate on a high speed train with an Infinite Gourmet ticket❤️🚊 #trenaltavelocidad #iryo #highspeedtrain #gourmet #everythingiate #travelspain #train #annaenglish #traveltrain #interrail #foodielover #spanishfood ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
The self-proclaimed "foodie guide" upgraded her experience with the Infinita Bistro ticket for her trip from Madrid to Barcelona, providing her with a larger seat and a meal.
She received a warm towelette and some refreshments, like chocolate-covered peanuts, to start. The employees then served her main course, which included Russian salad, Iberian ham, salmorejo, olive oil, manchego, crackers, bread, consomé, and wine. To cap it off, she had two Lindor chocolates.
Some of the meal offerings came with single-use plastic, which shows an example of room for improvement in the travel industry, but much of the dishware and cutlery was fortunately not plastic. Anna said she was especially glad to have proper silverware.
"Let's just say I had low expectations, but these were definitely exceeded," Anna said, rating her experience an interestingly fine-tuned "9.002" out of 10.
This all came during a 385-mile trip that lasted just two-and-a-half hours, with the train topping out at 181 mph. Depending on the time of day, the Infinita Bistro ticket price can range from $80 to $120, while the basic economy fare costs $60.
Compare those rates to those that Tony Melone, the chair of the 44th Assembly District Committee in Brooklyn, shared, showing an Amtrak ride between New York City and Boston that cost $774. Granted, it was during the busy Thanksgiving season, but the train was scheduled to take nearly four-and-a-half hours to complete the 200-mile trip.
Either way, both modes of travel are better than driving or flying. According to one study, "commercial air travel emits seven times the carbon emissions per passenger kilometer than [high-speed rail]."
Meanwhile, Amtrak trains in the northeast United States "emit up to 83% less greenhouse gas emissions compared to car travel and up to 72% less greenhouse gas emissions than flying," per the Biden administration.
Hopefully, with the Federal Railroad Administration investing $1.4 billion from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law into rail development, the U.S. will soon have its own high-speed rail.
Whether or not some of those funds will be allocated to Iberian ham and wine is another story.
"Amtrak could never," one commenter said in response to the original post.
Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
