Trains: France vs Italy

For the analytically minded among you here’s my comparison of the trains in France vs. Italy.  I’m preparing a PowerPoint to elaborate on this – please email me if you’d like a copy.

	France	Italy
Pluses	Leave On Time Quiet Helpful attendants Very comfortable ride and amenities (electrical outlets etc) TGV Beautiful countryside	700 trains going all directions from anywhere Dirt Cheap People all talk to each other Helpful passengers Food in station is as good as at a restaurant and it’s cheaper Beautiful countryside
Minuses	Leave On Time (if you are remotely late forget it – you need to be on board 5 minutes before departure or they don’t let you on) Food in Station sucks and is expensive Reservations required for most trains - despite what agent says most trains run empty (reservations cost nothing so lots of folks get them and don’t use them) Passengers that try and be helpful but know less than you do Not a cheap means of travel	350 of the 700  trains late or breaking down Stations tend to be in seedier parts of the town (though we never felt unsafe) Attendants that try and be helpful but know less than you do