For business travel you can't beat the train. It is comfortable, predictable, and slower than flying but sometimes is, by far, the best solution. Cellular phones work on board as the trains have repeaters built into them. Power is available for computer connections. Some trains even have nurseries and play areas for the kids.

Food is so-so and kind of expensive for what you get. But you can always pick it up at the station before boarding or pack a lunch to eat on the way.

The train station in Zurich is the portal to a below ground shopping complex free of rain and wind. 

The stations vary with comfort and convenience. Some of the platforms get really cold if a wind is blowing. People huddle behind the signs and wait for the trains to approach.

Look at the Model Trains

or

  Deutsche Bahn Railroad Museum

Train stations are as different as the towns they anchor.  It is not uncommon to have the center of activity be the HBF, a place to meet friends, have coffee and a pastry, or connect to a distant town.

2nd Class Compartment

Usually 2nd class is sufficient and if you plan accordingly you can get a table seat by the window. Reservations cost a bit more but if you need the assurance to be able to work on the train it is a great convenience. There are also lounges available in the HBF's of the larger cities which are free if you have a 1st class ticket.

   The ICE trains boogie along at a good clip and are quite smooth. Gone are those jostling swinging railcars.

The electric trolley is ever present in the cities. This one in Augsburg Germany is typical and they are constantly being upgraded in design and comfort. In Stuttgart the trolleys have easy to follow maps with a icon that shows your trolley's location.

The new local trains around the Nuremberg and Munich area are sleek, comfortable, convenient and its easy to get on and off in the stations. The one below was sitting on a side track in Munich as I went by.

The countryside flies by and the scenes out the windows are like watching a slide show. The train goes through a myriad of landscapes, rivers, towns, and cities changing endlessly.