I booked a $14 standard-class seat on one of Europe's fastest trains, Italy's Frecciarossa ETR 500. The train reached speeds of almost 300 kph and got me from Milan to Turin in under an hour.

Europe's Thalys high-speed train is one of the fastest on the continent, able to travel at a speed of 186 miles per hour. The service connects cities in France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands.