Dining Cars: The Ultimate Train Travel Experience?
AndyBTravels talks about dining cars, their future, and his favourite foods while travelling by train.
Enjoying a drink or a meal in a dining car on a moving train is one of life’s small pleasures. If there is a dining car on board, I invariably make my way there, whether for a meal or simply a coffee.
I don’t mean to suggest that every dining car is good. Some dining cars offer high-quality food and drinks, while others can be a bit of a letdown in this respect. What I mean to say is that sitting down in a restaurant carriage is such a unique train travel experience. Even if I’m not hungry, I still savour it every single time.
What makes a good dining car?
Several factors distinguish a great dining car from a mediocre one – and it’s not just about the food and drink. The atmosphere and overall environment of the dining car are equally important. Atmospheric lighting plays a part here as well, since you don’t want it to feel like a hospital ward, all brightly lit with fluorescent tubes. The Polish and Czech Railways have a big single carriage dining car, with atmospheric lighting, which provide a great environment to eat or drink something on your journey.
When it comes to the physical environment, it’s not only important how beautiful a dining car looks, but cleanliness is also a crucial factor. In Central Asia, I’ve been in dining cars where I wasn’t confident about the cleanliness and hygiene standards, so I only had a drink and didn’t opt for a meal.
Then there is the quality and range of the food and drinks, and whether the menu offers something to suit everyone’s taste.
Pricing matters too. The SBB – the Swiss Federal Railways – has some beautifully appointed dining cars, but the prices are bloody expensive for anyone who isn’t Swiss. The Czechs have recognised this issue, as their dining cars on international trains have a two-tiered pricing system, with “happy hour” prices in effect while the train runs within the Czech Republic (or neighbouring Slovakia and Hungary), and higher prices charged when it crosses the border into Germany or Austria. This way, local travellers using these trains on domestic routes aren’t priced out and can still enjoy the delights of the dining car, with prices roughly on a par with local restaurants.
Last but certainly not least, the scenery outside the window also plays a big part in what makes the dining car experience great. There is nothing more pleasurable than sipping a cappuccino as the mountains of Tyrol pass by.
Sharing a table
Part of the dining car culture is definitely sharing a table with strangers. In Europe, most dining cars offer a range of seating options, including two-seat tables, ideal if you’re travelling with a friend or partner, and larger tables that seat four. If you’re travelling alone, you can take any of these tables, but it’s generally expected that you share your table if the train is busy and others are looking for a place to sit in the dining car.
Sharing a table certainly adds to the convivial atmosphere of the dining car. In North America, on dining cars on Amtrak trains, you are actually encouraged to share your table with strangers and are almost expected to engage in a bit of small talk with your fellow passengers.
My favourite dining cars
For the dining car experience and the food, my favourite in Europe is the WARS dining car, found on many long-distance trains operated by the Polish Railways (PKP). When you factor in the scenery from the train window, Austrian and Slovakian dining cars can also provide a superb experience, offering views over the Alps and the Tatra Mountains, respectively.
The most disappointing dining cars have to be the Italian ones, especially given that Italy is a country with such a strong food culture.
When it comes to value for money, the Slovak and Czech dining cars are pretty good value, and reasonable quality too. The Polish ones have risen slightly in price but remain fairly affordable.
My all-time favourite dish in a dining car is Żurek (sour rye soup) on a Polish dining car. I also enjoy Svíčková (thinly sliced sirloin with bread dumplings in a cream sauce) in a Czech dining car, while in an Austrian dining car, Schnitzel is a favourite.
Some dining cars serve quite decent coffee – the Austrians and Poles, to name just two, do it well. Otherwise, a dining car can also be a great place simply to relax, such as enjoying a cup of tea on a Turkish dining car. I can’t comment on the booze, as I don’t really drink alcohol while travelling, but I do see others enjoying it on dining cars, particularly when there is beer on draught, as is common on German, Czech, and Hungarian trains with a dining car.
Complimentary at-seat food: no substitute for a proper dining car!
I’m generally against including food in the train fare and having it served at your seat, as it is no substitute for a proper dining car. When food is included in the fare, it tends to be limited, as the bean counters are in charge, monitoring the cost of everything on your plate. By contrast, when it’s a paid facility, you have the choice of whether to eat or not, what to order, and the menu is usually much more extensive, with higher-quality food. It allows you to make a proper occasion out of the meal.
The length of a rail journey makes a big difference here. Take the UK, for example, where complimentary at-seat food is common in first class. A train journey from London to Manchester, lasting just over two hours, is too short for a full dining experience. If you offer some complimentary snacks on such a route, that’s perfectly fine. But on longer routes, such as London to Edinburgh with LNER, a train company which actually has quite decent catering, it could be greatly enhanced by having a proper dining facility rather than just at-seat food in first class and a takeaway café-bar for second class.
Perhaps the best model in this respect is offered by the Spanish high-speed trains of national operator Renfe and private operator Iryo. Standard first class tickets do not include food or drinks, but for a premium, you can choose a first class ticket that includes a meal and drinks served at your seat. Of course, all passengers can still make use of the café-bar on these trains as well.
The future of the dining car
On many trains in Germany and Austria a dining car, first class passengers have the choice of either sitting in the dining car or having food and drinks from it served at their seat in the first class coach. This is also the case on Czech trains with a dining car.
However, the Czechs are now introducing new rolling stock in which the dining car is being converted into a bistro with much smaller capacity. Essentially, this means you have less time to linger, as other passengers may also be waiting for a seat.
Does this spell the end of the traditional dining car?