A thirty minute stroll from home to the office could be considered a net benefit, in all honesty.

When I had the option of a 25 minute drive or a 35 minute bicycle ride I took the bicycle all the time. Exercise, sunlight, and the joy of passing stuck motorists in the bicycle lane.

Sightseeing feels also different, in a better way, when cycling or walking than when using a car.

I have 15-20 comfortable train ride followed by a 15 minute stroll. It's pretty relaxing... If I'm in a hurry I can use a bike share to bike from the train station to the office but that's less relaxing since you have to watch out for cars...

In a Mediterranean climate, yes.

Fair point.

and a crowded dirty bus, for me at least, is wildly more preferable than driving unless the drive is some beautiful leisurely rural setting

> train with few and well behaved passengers

Few? If you are commuting you will be doing so in the same drove as all the others that are trying to reach the office space within the same window of a select few hours. And, probably the same when you return. Few is not an option.

As to well behaved, well... we all live in more or less mixed cultural groups these days thanks to i18n, expats, immigration, and travel and stuff... "one man's meat is another mans poison..." ... don't even get me started on the joys of smartphones - other peoples' smartphones...

Added:

With trains there is also the specific issue that your nominated 30 minute one-way commute will at random intervals be of much longer duration, possibly hours (most of these spent idle, waiting for something out of your control). And, the fact that you will not know this in advance. I have no knowledge of any train system anywhere in the world where this does not hold, but I would love to be enlightened.