In the wake of an outbreak in swine flu in Mexico that has been spreading, a health official for the European Union urged Europeans to avoid non-essential travel to the United States and Mexico. And here in the United States many of our listeners are concerned about travel to Mexico. Rudy Maxa is the Host and Executive Producer of the PBS travel series Rudy Maxa's World. He joins us now with answers to your travel questions.

Imagine the ease of riding trains between metropolitan areas in the U.S. Simply buy a ticket, board a train, kick back and read, sleep, listen to your podcasts of The Takeaway. Doesn't that sound better than braving crowded airport drop-offs, hours-long security lines or snarled traffic on the interstate? This vision of the future of travel may become a reality. Yesterday, President Obama expressed his ambition towards building high-speed passenger rail lines in ten regions across the country. To discuss how this will be possible The Takeaway is joined by Matt Dellinger, a writer whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and the New York Times .

Here's a brief look at how one town, Springfield, is planning on upgrading their infrastructure:

During the holidays, weather problems have stranded passengers throughout the nation. But what does future travel have in store for passengers? To tell us about what 2009 may bring is Barbara Peterson, the senior aviation correspondent for Conde Nast Traveller.

Writer and cyclist Ryan Bowen was so inspired by Barack Obama's election win that he was desperate to make it to the inauguration. But he couldn't quite swing a plane ticket. Instead he decided to travel from Los Angeles to D.C. by bike. The Takeaway catches Bowen mid-journey.

Equipped with GPS, a humble shipping container reveals the story of the global economy.