Johnny Foreigner can't run trains either

Telegrammed by the Velopodist
I know anecdotal evidence is pointless. But I thought I might follow PJ's example by using my personal experience to make a wider point.

In my case, its about the reality of train travel on mainland Europe and how it compares with the imaginings of those like Lord Adonis who assume things are automatically better on The Continent.

Ive just come off a journey on a vastly expensive ICE3 train heading from Nuremberg to Leipzig, a distance of 322km, a shade longer than the 290km between London and Manchester.

The train left Nuremberg 10 minutes late, like, as far as I could see, huge numbers of trains this morning.

There was no explanation why but it gradually got later and arrived 16 minutes late.

Even before that, the journey was due to take three hours nine minutes an hour longer than the standard London-Manchester journey time, for a journey only 32 km longer.

As ever on an ICE3, it felt as if the air conditioning was broken while the annoying hum reminded one it was just a rubbish system.

I was able to tell the booking office the precise, off-peak trains I wanted to use today and Friday but that bought me no reduction in price. It cost €130, which included two National Express-style seat reservation fees of €4 each, which made it a particular pity they didn't post my reservation on the snazzy electronic reservation signs.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by the edibility of my baguette, given my previous grim experiences of DB catering.

So I'm wondering have the things-are-better-on-the-continent brigade ever seriously tried getting around European countries by train?