Greenpeace condemns that on some routes in Europe, the cost of taking the train may be double that of flying, even though flying has a much greater impact on the climate. However, on some common routes, the train is still the most economical choice.
In a recent report, Greenpeace compared the prices of plane tickets and train tickets on 112 routes in the European Union, the UK, Switzerland, and Norway for nine different time periods. About 94 of these routes are international, and 18 are domestic. While train tickets are more expensive in most cases, the analysis found that on 23 routes, train tickets are cheaper than plane tickets most of the time.
Half of these routes involve long-distance travel, slow trains, multiple transfers, or inconvenient connections, making them less attractive to long-distance travelers and not a feasible alternative to flying.
However, 12 routes are considered “great,” with frequent, fast, and reasonably priced services. These include Berlin to Prague, Zurich to Vienna, Zurich to Berlin, Warsaw to Berlin, Hamburg to Munich, Madrid to Barcelona, and Trondheim to Oslo, among others. Train tickets on these routes are usually cheaper, and using trains can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The report highlights the following routes:
- Berlin — Prague: This route has a relatively short travel time (fastest train takes 4 hours and 25 minutes), with six direct trains daily, starting from 29.90 euros. Flying from Berlin to Prague via Dusseldorf or Warsaw, the cheapest flight option, would be more expensive and result in at least 30 times more carbon emissions.
- Zurich — Vienna: There are six direct trains between these two cities daily, with a total travel time of 7 hours and 52 minutes. Trains are on average 30% cheaper than planes. In 2019, 941,000 people flew between Zurich and Vienna. If all these people took the train, it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75,000 tons, equivalent to the annual emissions of all cars in Lucerne.
- Zurich — Berlin: Five direct trains run between these cities daily, including one overnight. The fastest train takes 8 hours and 32 minutes, with prices starting from 49.90 euros. In 2019, over 1.1 million passengers traveled this route by train, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 97,000 tons compared to flying.
- Warsaw — Berlin: There are five direct trains on this route daily, taking less than 6 hours, with prices ranging from 27.90 euros to 49.90 euros. However, the report notes that tickets are not sold too far in advance.
- Hamburg — Munich: This route offers frequent and fast trains, completing the journey in 5 hours and 56 minutes. Trains are consistently cheaper than planes. In 2022, 1,039,000 people traveled this route, causing 161,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the emissions of 107,000 gasoline cars. Considering the time and frequency of trains, Greenpeace suggests banning flights between these two cities.
- Madrid — Barcelona: There are many direct trains between these cities, with the fastest taking only 2 hours and 40 minutes. Depending on the booking time, ticket prices can go as low as 14 euros. In 2019, this route was the fifth most popular short-haul route in Europe, with nearly 2.6 million passengers. Choosing the train could reduce emissions by 176,000 tons, equivalent to the annual emissions of all cars in Granada.
- Trondheim — Oslo: This highly used short-haul route in Norway (with 2.1 million passengers in 2019) has a good train alternative. There are six direct trains daily, one of which runs overnight. The fastest daytime train takes 6 hours and 39 minutes, with prices similar to flights, ranging from 65 to 70 euros. Choosing the train could reduce emissions by 110,000 tons, equivalent to the annual emissions of all cars in Trondheim.
According to the report, other convenient train routes that are cheaper than flying include Helsinki to Oulu in Finland, Athens to Thessaloniki in Greece, Porto to Lisbon in Portugal, Kosice to Prague in Slovakia, and Prague to Budapest in Hungary.
