I highly doubt I will be alive in 25 to 30 years. But if I am I vote for an energizer device like on Star Trek to get from place to place.

As @functionthenlook said, I would love to travel by Star Trek transporter or have virtual reality that is so realistic that I don't have to leave my house to visit wonderful places.

In Continental Europe, trains have long been the preferred means of travel for up to medium distances. Train travel is from city center to city center so it's quicker and cheaper than having to do the to and from an airport with plane travel. That's why the channel tunnel exists, to allow rail trips from London to the continent.

There are some discount airlines in Europe - Easyjet,, etc, but otherwise, for personal travel, people typically pick the cheapest route other than for long distances if time permits and the cost is a factor. If cost isn't a factor, as with most medium to longer distance business travel, people fly. Train tickets are sometimes priced accordingly, mindful of the air alternative and needing to be cheaper.

Lawmakers in France have just voted in favour of a bill to end airplane routes where the trip could be made by train in under two-and-a-half hours.

Train travel is much more enjoyable anyhow.

How about charter flights? Will they continue to be popular as they have for this past year?

"Lawmakers in France have just voted in favour of a bill to end airplane routes where the trip could be made by train in under two-and-a-half hours."

No need to think too hard about this. The railway system in France, named the SNCF (an acronym for its name in French, translated as the French National Railroad Company) is state owned. A governmental agency which provides excellent service. So, to pass a law taking business from airlines (some of which still have partial state ownership) and giving it to the government's rail system is self-serving but effective.

I love train travel--or used to when it was decent. And years ago, there were many more convenient train routes than there are now. I'd love to see good train travel return.

Loved using the train system in Japan. Wish we had something like that here. I would use it for sure especially as I get older.

I’ve always enjoyed taking public transportation, except maybe the NYC subway. I hope the future holds more public transportation and that it is comfortable and convenient. Maybe little flying pods to get people who live far from transportation hubs to where they could catch the train.

Id like a Star Trek transporter system, too , although in the movie The Fly, that’s how he ended up as half fly. There was a fly in the transporter with him and their cells got mixed together. Help me!

Mass transportation is fine to get from city to city. Planes, trains, bus -- whatever meets the need for time, cost, and comfort or scenic value is what people will go for. Makes sense that shorter distances favor land travel, longer distances favor travel by air. Makes sense that smaller countries have an easier time connecting the dots than larger countries. None of that will change. What needs to change is how those transport methods are powered. Electric or nuclear -- both are possibilities, both have issues but issues are solvable.

There will also always be a desire for travel between "rural" (non-city) points. Electric car technology is improving fast, as is supporting infrastructure. My bet is that in the 20 to 50 year time frame, electric cars will be the predominant method of travel in the US, and will be seen as cheap and easy as gas powered cars are today. I don't see us giving up the convenience of individual transport, ever.

As for young people substituting google-travel for real life travel -- that's what a generation may be stuck with due to economic reality, but I don't believe it's a preference.

There're buses too, for off-highway road trips - and I understand that a number have free wifi - a big plus!

Hubby and I were discussing yesterday that our city is planning an express bus that would connect the beaches and downtown. I would love to be able to get downtown without a car to have to find parking for and risk getting a ticket. We live out near the beaches.

Of course the nextdoor.com grumps are against it - heaven forbid there be any progress 😠

It is amazing to me how limited public transportation is in the US compared to Europe. I grew up there and buses and trains are so convenient and were/are routinely used by most everyone. The system has expanded so much more since then and you can now easily travel from country to country via Eurostar and ICE high speed trains. I hope the US will eventually get there too.

I agree with you kadefol but there are some underlying reasons, some being more excuses than reasons. To start from scratch to build public transport in the US where none exists today is too expensive and so unlikely.

Public transportation in Europe (and elsewhere, as in Japan) has had long term and consistent governmental support for decades and decades. Government money pays for and maintains the infrastructure and subsidizes fares so that they're affordable, at least at a local level.

Reconstruction after WW2 replaced and enhanced public transportation much more than roads and highways. Car ownership has always lagged in Europe compared to the US and still does - there's probably a chicken and egg effect involved with that. Part of that lag is economic, part of it is practical.

Compared to the US, European countries are smaller and more densely populated, cities are closer together, parking space with old street layouts and buildings is limited. Easy enough to figure out what works better. London has imposed a daily fee for driving into the city by car, that's to reduce congestion but also encourages use of public transportation.

Employer subsidies in whole or in part for commuting costs on public transport are required or encouraged in many countries. Another case of governments making law with the right hand to benefit what it does with the left but all for a good cause.

Lets not forget there is no such thing as government money. The people in those countries are willing to pay to build and maintain public transportation. We arent. We are dim like that. The other thing not being taken into consideration here is Global Warming which is going to be affecting cities early on with so many of them being on water. Boats? Sort of a downer I know but a consideration.

Frankly, while I love to travel to see things, what I really want to do is to travel to see PEOPLE.

This past year really brings that serious urge into greater focus. Zoom is Not Enough.

"Lets not forget there is no such thing as government money. The people in those countries are willing to pay to build and maintain public transportation."

I agree with you in part and not in part. Europeans complain about the high level of taxes they pay so in a way they're not all that willing, But they understand that their taxes pay for the features of their national lifestyles and broad governmental services they want to have. So they complain and (mostly) comply. In most European countries, economic and social activity would slow to a crawl without public transportation and it's been that way forever so they're way past the point of no return. A point we'll never see.

In a similar way, state funding of museums, the arts (like music and theater), and other public benefit activities allows access and continuation of these things for the benefit of all. Another government expenditure we're unlikely to see here.

I'm not sure that I agree about there being no such thing as government money - what about fiat currency?

Government does not create the value that fiat money is based on. Value is based on growth in an economy. Government merely puts a label on it. We create government to do that for us. We create government. Dont forget that and all becomes plain. Why? Because we need an organized will to make what we want to become manifest. We are the will and government is the organization. Our desire makes something happen. We dont take responsibility for that. We prefer to pretend it isnt what WE want to happen. A people who wont be ruled cant be.