Sure it would be amazing to see that Mediterranean island on your bucket list, or motor the wine country of California – but sometimes traveling can seem daunting. Is airline travel really as nerve wracking as it seems? How can a person drive across country and avoid rush-hour gridlock in cities? What about trains? Do they stop at the best destinations? A Gathering of Experts affirms that traveling can be a once-in-a-lifetime-event – in the best way possible.

Q: Everything in the news about airline travel seems to be a nightmare. Is it really as terrible as it sounds?

A Gathering of Experts: According to the Bureau of Transportation, over 1.73 million passengers fly per day in the United States. So, although anecdotally flying is cumbersome – it’s actually still incredibly safe and efficient.

Q: The old joke used to be that airline food was terrible, and now it seems like the trend is not to offer any food at all. Is that accurate?

A Gathering of Experts: For a while airlines really did cut back on meals. But now the opposite is happening – at least on longer domestic flights. Many airlines have been working with restaurateurs to create dishes that can withstand the challenges of flight to serve passengers excellent fare, either as a meal or for ala carte dishes.

Q: What about driving across the country? How can a traveler manage not to get stuck in massive gridlock in large cities?

A Gathering of Experts: The best way for a car trip to go smoothly is to really plan out the travel route. Either get off the interstate and stop for a meal and a quick sightseeing tour, or choose a secondary scenic route. If that’s not possible because of the specific metropolitan area, break the trip up into areas of interest, and leave in the morning at a leisurely pace so as not to fight with commuter traffic.

Q: What about trains? Are they efficient and do they go through the best destinations?

A Gathering of Experts: For many people, the preferred method of travel is by train. Trains will take passengers through city hubs, and can cost less than flying or driving. Also, many trains have sleeper cars, which is handy for long trips. And when traveling with a group, train travel is by far the most social way to get from place to place.