for the love of trams

I think public transportation is a brilliant thing - if well thought through, well-built, well-kept and used by people who actually know how to act in a decent way - and I just do not get societies which are built around the excessive use of cars. Bad for the environment, bad for the waistline and bad for the wallet.

As a recent reminder of just how bad a lot of excessive driving really is for the environment and health, with the recent presidential visit in Stockholm, pretty much the majority of the inner city streets where closed off for traffic and the emissions dropped drastically. I wish politicians could learn from this, put more money and resources into public transportation, I wish drivers could make an effort and cut down on their excessive driving.



Which brings me to my favourite type of public transportation, the tram. Adore it. But I don't fancy the Stockholm trams we have these days, too modern and therefore dull and uninspiring. (Apart from the special cafe tram above. Which I, believe it or not, have yet to try.)



What I thoroughly enjoy is riding trams when on trips, love the Helsinki tram-system (not only because they have free wi-fi, which in itself is awesome) and the way in which you can have a great and unpretentious sightseeing around the city with it. I digged the trams in Lisbon, because they were so pretty, old, rickety and a bit scary due to their borderline ramshackleness. And I totally fancied the trams in Budapest, their opened windows offered sweet relief from the summer heat as well as lovely views and easy transport.



What's your favourite kind of public transport?
And do you have a favourite city/place for it?