Through the end of July, we’ve got a pretty sweet deal going on for ISIC card holders for two free days of travel on Eurail when you purchase an 8-day Select Eurail Pass.

With an extra two days, you could….

• Vist two of the world’s major food capitals: Paris and Madrid.
• Explore the heart of Eastern Europe with stops in Prague and Krakow.
• See the duomos in Milan, Pisa and Torino.

Besides the additional cities you’ll be able to explore with your two free days, there are also several things you can do on a train, but not a plane.

For instance…

• Take in the surrounding landscape, with the ability to take photos and videos. While possible on a plane, you won’t have to worry about blinding the flight attendants with your flash. Not to mention that you’re several thousand feet in the air, so your photos will turn out to be multiple, multi-colored dots.
• Take a sleeper car to get to your destination without wasting daylight hours. Plus, you won’t be drooling on (or being drooled on) by the guy seating a little to close to you in coach.
• Head to the dining car to choose your food and beverages. For all its critics, airline food has come a long way, but your choices are usually pretty restricted. Trains offer a wider selection of food and even have the ability to utilize kitchen appliances beyond a microwave while on board.
• Mingle with other passengers in often spacious cars. Who amongst us hasn’t been taken by an attractive fellow traveler, but been foiled in our attempts to chat with that person by the flight attendant’s cart or the illuminated seat belt sign.
• Use your mobile phone, laptop or other electronics as much as you want without a warning from a flight attendant. You can even use all of your electronics at one time if you want.
• You can bring more than 3 ounces of a liquid on board.

Plus, trains are more environmentally friendly than their air transportation counterparts. In fact, the take-off and landing of a commercial plane produces most of the carbon emissions from airplanes, so trains are a much more eco-friendly option than a series of short flights around Europe.

What other things can you do on a train, but not on a plane?