Trains in EuropeTrains might be the easiest way to travel around Europe, and one of the reasons is because you can visit multiple countries with just one rail pass. With the Eurail Global Pass, you'll have access to unlimited and borderless travel without needing to book several tickets per destination.
Luxembourg, Malta, Austria, Germany, Cyprus and Spain came out on top with high scores for easy-to-use tickets and discounts. Tallinn in Estonia, Luxembourg and Valletta in Malta came in the first three spots for the city ranking.
Rail and air travel are the safest modes per distance travelled, followed by bus. The passengers of trains, bus/coach and planes within the EU have the lowest fatality risk per passenger kilometre.
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.
Public transport in Tallinn has been free since 2013; a political decision taken to help ease the cost-of-living for citizens. Environmental motivations were secondary, but as more and more places seek to decarbonise in this way, the European pioneer has become an unexpected trailblazer.
The Netherlands (6.4) takes the top spot for road quality in Europe ? only outperformed by Singapore (6.5) globally ? followed by Switzerland (6.3) (which is also 3rd worldwide), Austria (6.0), Portugal (6), Spain (5.7) and Croatia (5.6).
It probably comes as no surprise that in a global 2019 survey of railroad efficiency, the top two places went to Japan and Hong Kong, with scores of 6.8 and 6.5 (out of seven) respectively.
If China is the largest exporter of rail technology in the world, its neighbour Japan is certainly the most technologically advanced manufacturer on the market. Having launched the first class of bullet trains in 1964, the country has continuously updated its models according to the latest technological advancements.
Ukraine is the poorest country in Europe, with a GNI per capita of $3,540, while Moldova is the second poorest country with $4,570, Albania the third, with $5.210, the Republic of Macedonia comes fourth, with a GNI of $5,720, and Bosnia and Herzegovina the fifth poorest, with $6,090.