5 ms·

> I arrived in Lyon recently and figured, hey, this is Europe, why not try the European app again, and used Bolt. A bit off topic but IMHO your first thought s

by twiss 1y ago

> I arrived in Lyon recently and figured, hey, this is Europe, why not try the European app again, and used Bolt. A bit off topic but IMHO your first thought should instead be: "hey, this is Europe, why not try the train?" In Lyon, the train from the airport to the city takes half an hour, same as a car. My guess is that you'll have a vastly better experience than taking the train in North America, and also a better experience than at least the OP had when taking a Bolt.

mlinhares 1y ago
Having a train from the airport isn't a given in most US cities.
- SargeDebian 1y ago
  Lyon is not in the US.
  - Freedom2 1y ago
    True, but I think we can be charitable and forgive Americans for defaulting to "apps" versus actual infrastructure, given the poor state of public transportation in the US and the lack of exposure to quality publicly funded infrastructure.
aredox 1y ago
The problem isn't Bolt. The problem is Lyon and the turf wars between taxis and we-pretend-we-arent-taxis like über and bolt. https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/rhone/lyon/uber-c-est-un-systeme-mafieux-les-chauffeurs-vtc-de-lyon-annoncent-une-semaine-d-actions-coup-de-poing-3062221.html https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/r... https://www.ledauphine.com/faits-divers-justice/2025/01/24/taxis-vtc-versus-uber-c-est-la-guerre-dans-toute-la-savoie https://www.ledauphine.com/faits-divers-justice/2025/01/24/t... https://actu.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/lyon_69123/voitures-brulees-uber-accuse-tensions-autour-du-business-juteux-des-trajets-lyon-alpes_62224742.html https://actu.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/lyon_69123/voitures-bru...
- pepa65 1y ago
  In Chiangmai the main ones are Grab, Bolt, and Maxim, and Bolt is pretty good, works well, well priced.
devilbunny 1y ago
> "hey, this is Europe, why not try the train?" I have two people and four items of luggage plus a personal bag each. City trains are poor for this and subways are worse, but I am here for two weeks - I do need clean clothes.
- dontlaugh 1y ago
  That sounds like a huge amount of luggage for just two weeks.
  - rawgabbit 1y ago
    My wife does not pack light either. She loves giant suitcases. It is always an argument that I rather bring four carry on size suitcases so I can manhandle them up the many stairs in Europe. Instead of two jumbo suitcases.
    - ghaff 1y ago
      That's still a fair bit of luggage, however subdivided. Can't always be avoided but still hard to navigate on trains, etc.
      - rawgabbit 1y ago
        It is her chance to dress up. She packs ten different outfits… I can handle the FrecciaRossa and SNAV with all that the luggage. Can’t do it on local bus or train. I was pleasantly surprised by Rome’s buses. Now I tap my credit card. No more having to go to a local shop to buy a ticket or pay by cash.
  - devilbunny 1y ago
    You have never met my wife. However, it’s not that much. Two weeks in one carryon is tight for me; she has trouble doing a weekend in one, and that doesn’t include hanging clothes.
  - devilbunny 1y ago
legitster 1y ago
Depending on where you are going, ridesharing provides much better point to point service. Also, if you are not familiar with a city or it's language, sometimes trying to understand the public transit on your first day can be a nightmare. I love taking public transit, but also, after a really long flight I can understand not wanting to think really hard about getting to the hotel.
- slau 1y ago
  Apple Maps, Google Maps, and I’m sure anything else under the sun will tell you specifically which train to take, in which direction. Usually, also with platform information, and in some cases even pricing/ticketing information. Yes, traveling is a skill. It gets easier (and more comfortable) the more you practice it.
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
pclowes 1y ago
In most major European cities I have been in the airport to train connection is pretty subpar unless traveling light. There is typically no integration of the airport baggage handling with the train baggage handling. So you need to move everything with carts that you can't take on the train. An international trip to Europe for a longer duration is also a significant trip and not something you want to "one bag". Add in jet lag, multiple young kids, car seats, stroller etc. and it quickly becomes easy to see why the train is cumbersome for the initial airport to lodging connection.
- ghaff 1y ago
  I assume young kids, car seats, etc. change the equation. As an adult doing basically urban travel, a few weeks with carryon is perfectly doable in my experience,

by twiss 1y ago

mlinhares 1y ago

Having a train from the airport isn't a given in most US cities.

SargeDebian 1y ago
Lyon is not in the US.
- Freedom2 1y ago
  True, but I think we can be charitable and forgive Americans for defaulting to "apps" versus actual infrastructure, given the poor state of public transportation in the US and the lack of exposure to quality publicly funded infrastructure.

aredox 1y ago

The problem isn't Bolt. The problem is Lyon and the turf wars between taxis and we-pretend-we-arent-taxis like über and bolt. https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/rhone/lyon/uber-c-est-un-systeme-mafieux-les-chauffeurs-vtc-de-lyon-annoncent-une-semaine-d-actions-coup-de-poing-3062221.html https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/r... https://www.ledauphine.com/faits-divers-justice/2025/01/24/taxis-vtc-versus-uber-c-est-la-guerre-dans-toute-la-savoie https://www.ledauphine.com/faits-divers-justice/2025/01/24/t... https://actu.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/lyon_69123/voitures-brulees-uber-accuse-tensions-autour-du-business-juteux-des-trajets-lyon-alpes_62224742.html https://actu.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/lyon_69123/voitures-bru...

pepa65 1y ago
In Chiangmai the main ones are Grab, Bolt, and Maxim, and Bolt is pretty good, works well, well priced.

devilbunny 1y ago

> "hey, this is Europe, why not try the train?" I have two people and four items of luggage plus a personal bag each. City trains are poor for this and subways are worse, but I am here for two weeks - I do need clean clothes.

dontlaugh 1y ago
That sounds like a huge amount of luggage for just two weeks.
- rawgabbit 1y ago
  My wife does not pack light either. She loves giant suitcases. It is always an argument that I rather bring four carry on size suitcases so I can manhandle them up the many stairs in Europe. Instead of two jumbo suitcases.
  - ghaff 1y ago
    That's still a fair bit of luggage, however subdivided. Can't always be avoided but still hard to navigate on trains, etc.
    - rawgabbit 1y ago
      It is her chance to dress up. She packs ten different outfits… I can handle the FrecciaRossa and SNAV with all that the luggage. Can’t do it on local bus or train. I was pleasantly surprised by Rome’s buses. Now I tap my credit card. No more having to go to a local shop to buy a ticket or pay by cash.
- devilbunny 1y ago
  You have never met my wife. However, it’s not that much. Two weeks in one carryon is tight for me; she has trouble doing a weekend in one, and that doesn’t include hanging clothes.
- devilbunny 1y ago

legitster 1y ago

Depending on where you are going, ridesharing provides much better point to point service. Also, if you are not familiar with a city or it's language, sometimes trying to understand the public transit on your first day can be a nightmare. I love taking public transit, but also, after a really long flight I can understand not wanting to think really hard about getting to the hotel.

slau 1y ago
Apple Maps, Google Maps, and I’m sure anything else under the sun will tell you specifically which train to take, in which direction. Usually, also with platform information, and in some cases even pricing/ticketing information. Yes, traveling is a skill. It gets easier (and more comfortable) the more you practice it.

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]

pclowes 1y ago

In most major European cities I have been in the airport to train connection is pretty subpar unless traveling light. There is typically no integration of the airport baggage handling with the train baggage handling. So you need to move everything with carts that you can't take on the train. An international trip to Europe for a longer duration is also a significant trip and not something you want to "one bag". Add in jet lag, multiple young kids, car seats, stroller etc. and it quickly becomes easy to see why the train is cumbersome for the initial airport to lodging connection.

ghaff 1y ago
I assume young kids, car seats, etc. change the equation. As an adult doing basically urban travel, a few weeks with carryon is perfectly doable in my experience,