There is a question that every child has probably asked their parents: When are we finally here?

A holiday by the sea or in the mountains could be so nice if it weren't for the trip there.

It goes on forever.

Even the films in the DVD player are so annoying.

And what does the father say at the wheel?

"Then when we are there."

Thiemo Heeg

Editor in business.

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It is very easy to answer the question.

The internet helps.

And for example Google.

Via an app called Maps.

Drivers and even pedestrians, cyclists, train drivers and air travelers can enter their start and destination there.

You are shown the time that your journey is likely to take.

And if you get stuck in a traffic jam on the autobahn, this is also taken into account and constantly updated.

What

does not

tell

a map

: what is the best mode of transport?

The car?

Or maybe the plane or the ICE?

Sure: The matter is not that easy to answer.

It depends, the experts always say.

And that is also true here.

It depends on whether you want to travel particularly cheaply, particularly quickly or particularly environmentally friendly.

What if you want everything at the same time? Then you would have to be beamed like the crew in the spaceship Enterprise. But this technology didn't exist until the 22nd century. At earliest. We are still in the 21st century. So dependent on the plane, ship, train, car, bike or your own feet. And an example to compare the different modes of transport.

Let's take a family with two children from Munich. She wants to visit friends in Berlin during the holidays. You can do that by car, train or plane. Of course, the fastest way is by plane. Lufthansa needs an hour and ten minutes for the 500-kilometer route in the air. But that's just the flight time. The family still has to come to one airport and then from the other airport to their destination. But in big cities you can easily add another two hours. Total travel time: at least three hours.

It takes a little longer by train.

The fastest ICE takes four hours and 35 minutes.

With the arrival and departure to the train stations you have to add a few minutes.

The advantage: In contrast to the airports, the train stations are already in the city center.

Drivers need the longest: around six and a half hours.

And only when there is no traffic jam on the motorway.

Even without a traffic jam, the many construction sites on the journey cause a lot of frustration.

In terms of time, the matter is clear.

The aviator hits the train and the train hits the car.

And what does it look like when you look at the money?

The order is reversed. The cheapest way to travel is by car. To do this, we have to do a little math: a car needs about seven liters of gasoline for 100 kilometers. The liter costs 1.50 euros. And the route is 600 kilometers long on the road. So how much does the entire trip cost? Right: 63 euros. That is just under 16 euros per passenger. In reality one would have to add something else as well. For example, that a car has to be repaired at some point and is constantly losing value. Without this factoring in, a train ticket is much more expensive. If you don't have a Bahncard, you have to pay 159.10 euros in second class on Fridays, for example. But adults only. Children up to 14 years of age can travel by train for free if they are accompanied by their parents or grandparents.

The most expensive of all is the airplane.

Especially when you book at very short notice.

For example, a flight on the same day.

Then it costs 346 euros for one person.

But there are also much cheaper planes.

If you buy your ticket a few weeks before the trip, you only pay 68 euros for it.

It is similar with the railway, by the way.

It also has “saver prices”.

Then you can even travel from Munich to Berlin for 17.90 euros.

And what do people do who want to protect nature?

You better take the train.

This is a very environmentally friendly means of transport.

Then comes the car.

The plane comes off worst when it comes to the climate.

And best of all: the bike.

By the way, this is also a great way to go on vacation - with the family, without traffic jams and without boredom.