Today we're used to being on plans for short periods of time. We get on, sit down, wait, and then arrive at our destination. Airships came about when long distance travel meant you were spending multiple days in a vehicle, either a train or boat.
An airship was a place that was set up for you to spend a few days on it, so it was set up more like a boat, with a place to stay, lounge, and eat; than a plane where you don't stay on it for an extended time.
We sometimes see this in new technologies where someone holds onto assumptions of the past.
There is also slow rail travel, with pretty trains, sleeper car and restaurant. I think Europe has sleeper trains too. I am also interested to go to Europe once by the trans Siberian railway.
We live in France and often spend the summer visiting family in the north of England. For a family of four, it works out about the same price to take the Rotterdam to Hull night ferry (outside cabin, meals and all) as it would to go through Calais and spend the night in a hotel instead.
And then it’s 2 hours of driving instead of 8 at the end.
Even when plans take us south, we’ll often take a night ferry from Portsmouth instead of the tunnel, just because it’s a better experience for roughly the same price.
Loads in the Baltic and Mederteranian too, Spain to the Canaries and Mallorca, Sicily to Naples, Venice and many other Italian ports to Greece, several in Greece. Alas no longer a ferry from Greece to Cyprus/Israel/Egypt.
Bulgaria to Georgia too [0], cross the caspian sea [1].
[0] https://horizonhunt.com/en/a-slightly-differen-cruise-ferry-...
I'm sure there are many overnight ferries all over the world and I can't say I have traveled with many, but one I can recommend is the overnight ferry from Ziguinchor/Senegal to Dakar – it's reasonably priced (for a foreigner), and the cabins are very comfortable and even include a shower!
Meanwhile, the 3-day ferry from Puerto Montt (central Chile) to Puerto Natales (Patagonia) is very expensive (> 500 USD per person for the most basic cabin) and very unreliable (expect last-minute cancelations).
Europe has sleeping boats too: you can go from, say, south east of France to the Baelaric island (like Ibiza) in 12 hours overnight.
As clearly seen in the Indiana Jones movie number 3, with Sean Connery. Loved these scenes!
When EVs can reliably (including charging infrastructure) do charging as fast as ICE refuels, with 300 miles/500 km between 20-80%, they will win with most people in the US and Canada. Otherwise, we just drive too far, too often. It’s not far off. But until then, it’s not truly a replacement for ICE. Yes, I really do drive for 4-5 hours without stopping, several times a year.
