Is it cheaper to travel by train in Europe?

Rail travel within the Continent remains 71 percent more expensive than flying, according to research by Greenpeace. The report compared the prices of flights and trains on 112 European travel routes and found that taking the train was cheaper than a flight in only 23 cases.



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Buy European rail passes Purchasing relevant rail passes for European countries can seriously help cut costs when travelling by train. “Consider buying an Interrail pass (for European residents, interrail.eu) or Eurail pass (for non-residents, eurail.com).

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France increases cost of train fares The rail network announced a decision to raise prices last November because of the increase in energy costs. Christophe Fanichet, CEO of SNCF Voyageurs, said the company was “facing additional costs of 13 per cent in 2023.”

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Train travel is often cheaper than flying, in part because you can generally take more with you before paying extra baggage fees. It can also be more convenient and relaxing than driving, especially if you'd be driving in an unfamiliar place or driving for many hours nonstop to get to your destination.

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But if you're planning a longer journey with multiple stopovers and changes, the flexibility and convenience of a Eurail Pass is unrivalled – and for many popular routes it works out cheaper than point-to-point tickets, especially if you're traveling as a group or with children and you can take advantage of Eurail ...

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At the end of the day, traveling Europe by train is immensely more comfortable than flying. There's less hassle, more comfortable seats, more ease of moving around, often better views, and more control over your environment.

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Buses are often the cheapest way to travel around Europe. Bus routes often follow the same routes as trains, but for much less.

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The research said many countries charge railways value-added taxes (VAT), energy taxes and high tolls while exempting plane tickets from VAT and not taxing kerosene fuel.

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How to save on UK rail fares: all the tips and tricks
  1. Use a railcard for a 33% saving.
  2. Do you still need a full-time season ticket?
  3. Going long distance – buy in advance, and look at singles.
  4. Get a free alert when tickets go on sale.
  5. Check online last minute.
  6. Split ticketing.
  7. Claim any Delay Repay refunds due.


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While airlines pay no kerosene tax or VAT across Europe, train operators pay energy taxes, VAT and high rail tolls in most European countries. In the U.K., operators are relieved of VAT, but are notorious for imposing some of the highest ticket prices in Europe.

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There's no need to fly within Europe. It's surprisingly easy, quick and comfortable to travel by train from London to almost anywhere: Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Prague, Helsinki, wherever... The difficult bit is finding out how to do it and where to buy tickets. That's where Seat 61 comes in.

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1. Switzerland. Tucked inside the small but incredibly beautiful country of Switzerland is one of the most efficient and scenic rail networks in the world.

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Shuffle the Train cards and deal a starting hand of four cards to each player ?. Place the remaining deck of Train cards near the board, then turn the top five cards from the deck face up, and lay them one next to the other ?.

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“That said, the findings do not come as a surprise, as air transport is highly subsidised.” In Europe, airlines pay no taxes on kerosene and little tax on tickets or VAT. Their emissions are only priced for flights within Europe – at a level below the social cost of carbon.

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Plane travel is safest, reports Ian Savage, of the Dept. of Economics & Transportation Center at Norwestern University, in the Huff Post Live video clip above. Trains are three times more dangerous than flying but safer than traveling by car (which is 40 times more risky than flying), according to Savage.

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It is very true that when moving on flat ground in a straight line, trains on steel wheels and rails are the most efficient form of transportation. Rolling on steel rails reduces rolling resistance and traveling at slow speeds (compared to jet aircraft) reduced the force of air resistance.

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