Train vs plane in Europe

Door-to-door times and CO₂e on 109 busy city pairs: real sampled rail times against a transparent flight model, no cherry-picking.

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Airport time is the flight's hidden fare: getting out to the airport, security, boarding, and getting back into town at the other end add close to three hours that never appear on the ticket. Count them, and on 29 of these 109 routes the train is simply faster, before the CO₂e math, which the train wins everywhere.

The train wins one city pair in four

On 29 of the 109 pairs compared, the typical train beats a typical flight door to door, 12 of them by more than an hour. The biggest gap is Rennes–Paris: the train saves about 1h 55m on the day.

Under 3h 43m of rail, the plane never wins

Every compared pair the train covers in under 3h 43m goes to rail once airport time is counted. The advantage stretches as far as Marseille–Paris: 663 km apart, 3h 29m by train, and still ~35 min quicker than flying door to door.

The CO₂e gap never closes

Flying emits ≈3.2× the train's CO₂e on every pair, and that is on deliberately conservative official factors (DESNZ 2025, UK part-diesel rail mix). On typical electric intercity rail the EEA's figures put the real gap at 10–30×. London–Paris alone: ~15 kg by train against ~47 kg by plane, per passenger.

Where the train saves the most time

Door-to-door time saved by taking the train instead of a typical flight: all 29 pairs where the train wins, biggest saving first.

How we compute it

The train side is real data: typical (median) station-to-station times sampled from public European schedule feeds (the same figures as our city-to-city guides), plus 20 min of station overhead. The plane side is openly a model, not airline schedules: flight time ≈ 40 min taxi/climb/descent + straight-line distance at 750 km/h cruise, plus 2h 50m door-to-door overhead (25 min city→airport, 90 min check-in/security/boarding, 30 min deplaning, 25 min airport→city). Where no direct flight exists on a pair, the estimate is what a direct one would take, generous to the plane. Pairs under 300 km apart are not compared at all.

Emissions use the UK government's DESNZ/DEFRA 2025 conversion factors: 125.76 g CO₂e per passenger-km for short-haul flying (including radiative forcing, distance +8% for routing) against 35.46 g for rail (distance ×1.2 for the winding track). That rail figure is a deliberate ceiling: it reflects the UK's part-diesel mix; the EEA puts electric intercity rail at 12–33 g and Eurostar reports ~4 g, so the real gap on most of these corridors is 10–30×, not 3.2×. Rail times come from the same open data as the rest of the site, the World Train Map Atlas (CC BY 4.0, archived at DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21322030), free to check or reuse.

All 109 pairs, ranked by the train's advantage

#	City pair	Train door-to-door	Flight door-to-door (est.)	Faster door-to-door	CO₂e saved (kg)
1	Rennes – Paris309 km apart · direct trains	2h	3h 55m	Train +1h 55m	29
2	Strasbourg – Paris396 km apart · direct trains	2h 05m	4h	Train +1h 55m	37
3	Paris – Lyon395 km apart · direct trains	2h 20m	4h	Train +1h 45m	37
4	Paris – Bordeaux502 km apart · direct trains	2h 35m	4h 10m	Train +1h 35m	47
5	London – Brussels322 km apart · direct trains	2h 20m	3h 55m	Train +1h 35m	30
6	Rome – Bologna305 km apart · direct trains	2h 25m	3h 55m	Train +1h 25m	28
7	London – Preston303 km apart · direct trains	2h 30m	3h 55m	Train +1h 25m	28
8	London – Paris343 km apart · direct trains	2h 40m	3h 55m	Train +1h 20m	32
9	Nantes – Paris343 km apart · direct trains	2h 40m	3h 55m	Train +1h 15m	32
10	Madrid – Valencia301 km apart · direct trains	2h 40m	3h 55m	Train +1h 15m	28
11	Avignon – Paris580 km apart · direct trains	3h 15m	4h 15m	Train +1h 05m	54
12	Seville – Madrid390 km apart · direct trains	3h	4h	Train +1h	36
13	Berlin – Nuremberg377 km apart · direct trains	3h 05m	4h	Train +55 min	35
14	Madrid – Málaga416 km apart · direct trains	3h 15m	4h 05m	Train +50 min	39
15	London – Newcastle395 km apart · direct trains	3h 20m	4h	Train +45 min	37
16	Florence – Naples410 km apart · direct trains	3h 20m	4h 05m	Train +45 min	38
17	Marseille – Paris663 km apart · direct trains	3h 50m	4h 25m	Train +35 min	62
18	Rome – Milan479 km apart · direct trains	3h 35m	4h 10m	Train +30 min	45
19	Leipzig – Munich362 km apart · direct trains	3h 35m	4h	Train +25 min	34
20	London – Plymouth309 km apart · direct trains	3h 30m	3h 55m	Train +25 min	29
21	Madrid – Barcelona502 km apart · direct trains	3h 45m	4h 10m	Train +25 min	47
22	Amsterdam – Paris429 km apart · direct trains	3h 45m	4h 05m	Train +20 min	40
23	Santiago de Compostela – Madrid487 km apart	3h 50m	4h 10m	Train +15 min	45
24	Brussels – Frankfurt315 km apart · direct trains	3h 40m	3h 55m	Train +15 min	29
25	Grenoble – Paris483 km apart · direct trains	4h	4h 10m	Train +10 min	45
26	Frankfurt – Munich304 km apart · direct trains	3h 45m	3h 55m	Train +10 min	28
27	London – Rotterdam320 km apart · direct trains	3h 50m	3h 55m	Train +5 min	30
28	Paris – Montpellier599 km apart · direct trains	4h 15m	4h 20m	Train +5 min	56
29	Paris – Basel415 km apart	4h	4h 05m	Train +0 min	39
30	Frankfurt – Hamburg394 km apart · direct trains	4h 05m	4h	Flight +0 min	37
31	Paris – Frankfurt476 km apart · direct trains	4h 10m	4h 10m	Flight +5 min	44
32	Paris – Cologne402 km apart · direct trains	4h 15m	4h	Flight +15 min	37
33	Munich – Berlin504 km apart · direct trains	4h 25m	4h 10m	Flight +15 min	47
34	Madrid – Granada359 km apart · direct trains	4h 15m	4h	Flight +15 min	34
35	Venice – Rome394 km apart · direct trains	4h 20m	4h	Flight +20 min	37
36	Hamburg – Cologne357 km apart · direct trains	4h 25m	4h	Flight +25 min	33
37	Berlin – Frankfurt423 km apart · direct trains	4h 30m	4h 05m	Flight +25 min	39
38	London – Edinburgh531 km apart · direct trains	4h 50m	4h 10m	Flight +40 min	50
39	London – Glasgow553 km apart · direct trains	4h 50m	4h 15m	Flight +40 min	52
40	Malmö – Stockholm512 km apart · direct trains	4h 50m	4h 10m	Flight +40 min	48
41	Gothenburg – Stockholm397 km apart · direct trains	4h 40m	4h	Flight +40 min	37
42	Wrocław – Warsaw301 km apart · direct trains	4h 35m	3h 55m	Flight +40 min	28
43	Frankfurt – Zurich304 km apart · direct trains	4h 35m	3h 55m	Flight +40 min	28
44	Naples – Milan659 km apart · direct trains	5h 05m	4h 25m	Flight +40 min	62
45	Munich – Vienna357 km apart · direct trains	4h 50m	4h	Flight +50 min	33
46	Edinburgh – Birmingham395 km apart · direct trains	4h 55m	4h	Flight +50 min	37
47	Rome – Bari374 km apart · direct trains	4h 50m	4h	Flight +50 min	35
48	Paris – Toulouse590 km apart · direct trains	5h 10m	4h 15m	Flight +55 min	55
49	Madrid – Alicante359 km apart	5h	4h	Flight +1h	34
50	Turin – Rome525 km apart · direct trains	5h 15m	4h 10m	Flight +1h	49
51	Vienna – Innsbruck387 km apart · direct trains	5h 05m	4h	Flight +1h	36
52	Valencia – Barcelona301 km apart	5h	3h 55m	Flight +1h 05m	28
53	London – Amsterdam357 km apart · direct trains	5h 05m	4h	Flight +1h 05m	33
54	Vigo – Madrid466 km apart	5h 20m	4h 05m	Flight +1h 10m	43
55	Berlin – Cologne475 km apart · direct trains	5h 20m	4h 10m	Flight +1h 15m	44
56	Paris – Geneva411 km apart · direct trains	5h 20m	4h 05m	Flight +1h 15m	38
57	Amsterdam – Frankfurt364 km apart · direct trains	5h 15m	4h	Flight +1h 20m	34
58	Paris – Perpignan688 km apart · direct trains	5h 45m	4h 25m	Flight +1h 20m	64
59	Seville – Valencia540 km apart · direct trains	5h 40m	4h 15m	Flight +1h 30m	50
60	Copenhagen – Stockholm522 km apart	5h 40m	4h 10m	Flight +1h 30m	49
61	Lyon – Bordeaux436 km apart	5h 35m	4h 05m	Flight +1h 30m	41
62	Thessaloniki – Athens302 km apart · direct trains	5h 30m	3h 55m	Flight +1h 35m	28
63	Amsterdam – Hamburg366 km apart	5h 35m	4h	Flight +1h 35m	34
64	Paris – Nice688 km apart · direct trains	6h 15m	4h 25m	Flight +1h 50m	64
65	Munich – Paris683 km apart	6h 25m	4h 25m	Flight +2h	64
66	Verona – Munich305 km apart · direct trains	5h 55m	3h 55m	Flight +2h	28
67	Seville – Barcelona826 km apart · direct trains	6h 45m	4h 35m	Flight +2h 10m	77
68	Paris – Zurich489 km apart · direct trains	6h 20m	4h 10m	Flight +2h 10m	46
69	Hamburg – Munich611 km apart · direct trains	6h 30m	4h 20m	Flight +2h 10m	57
70	Stockholm – Oslo416 km apart · direct trains	6h 15m	4h 05m	Flight +2h 10m	39
71	Bratislava – Košice312 km apart · direct trains	6h 10m	3h 55m	Flight +2h 15m	29
72	Barcelona – Lyon534 km apart · direct trains	6h 45m	4h 15m	Flight +2h 30m	50
73	Amsterdam – Berlin574 km apart · direct trains	7h	4h 15m	Flight +2h 45m	54
74	Kraków – Prague393 km apart · direct trains	6h 50m	4h	Flight +2h 50m	37
75	Aberdeen – London637 km apart · direct trains	7h 20m	4h 20m	Flight +3h	59
76	Paris – Milan640 km apart	7h 35m	4h 20m	Flight +3h 15m	60
77	Trondheim – Oslo393 km apart · direct trains	7h 25m	4h	Flight +3h 20m	37
78	Oslo – Copenhagen484 km apart	7h 35m	4h 10m	Flight +3h 25m	45
79	Oslo – Bergen305 km apart · direct trains	7h 25m	3h 55m	Flight +3h 35m	28
80	Warsaw – Berlin519 km apart	7h 50m	4h 10m	Flight +3h 40m	48
81	Barcelona – Marseille341 km apart · direct trains	7h 45m	3h 55m	Flight +3h 50m	32
82	Berlin – Brussels648 km apart	8h 15m	4h 20m	Flight +3h 55m	60
83	Paris – Berlin874 km apart · direct trains	8h 40m	4h 40m	Flight +4h	82
84	Budapest – Prague445 km apart	8h 15m	4h 05m	Flight +4h 05m	41
85	Venice – Munich306 km apart · direct trains	8h 05m	3h 55m	Flight +4h 10m	29
86	Vienna – Zurich592 km apart	8h 30m	4h 15m	Flight +4h 10m	55
87	Amsterdam – Munich668 km apart · direct trains	8h 40m	4h 25m	Flight +4h 15m	62
88	Berlin – Zurich668 km apart	8h 45m	4h 25m	Flight +4h 20m	62
89	Venice – Vienna435 km apart · direct trains	8h 30m	4h 05m	Flight +4h 25m	41
90	Munich – Prague301 km apart	8h 25m	3h 55m	Flight +4h 30m	28
91	Copenhagen – Berlin354 km apart	8h 40m	4h	Flight +4h 40m	33
92	Warsaw – Vienna556 km apart · direct trains	9h	4h 15m	Flight +4h 45m	52
93	Paris – Barcelona834 km apart · direct trains	9h 30m	4h 35m	Flight +4h 55m	78
94	Budapest – Belgrade318 km apart	8h 50m	3h 55m	Flight +4h 55m	30
95	Paris – Turin585 km apart	9h 15m	4h 15m	Flight +4h 55m	55
96	Vienna – Berlin527 km apart	9h 15m	4h 10m	Flight +5h 05m	49
97	Prague – Warsaw516 km apart	9h 20m	4h 10m	Flight +5h 10m	48
98	Inverness – London712 km apart	9h 40m	4h 25m	Flight +5h 10m	66
99	Florence – Paris887 km apart	10h 25m	4h 40m	Flight +5h 45m	83
100	Rome – Paris1,108 km apart	10h 55m	5h	Flight +5h 55m	103
101	Madrid – Paris1,055 km apart	11h 05m	4h 55m	Flight +6h 10m	98
102	Bilbao – Madrid323 km apart	10h 10m	3h 55m	Flight +6h 15m	30
103	Venice – Paris844 km apart	11h 05m	4h 40m	Flight +6h 25m	79
104	Vienna – Paris1,034 km apart	11h 35m	4h 55m	Flight +6h 40m	96
105	Rovaniemi – Helsinki705 km apart	11h 55m	4h 25m	Flight +7h 30m	66
106	Budapest – Zagreb303 km apart	12h 10m	3h 55m	Flight +8h 15m	28
107	Bucharest – Budapest638 km apart	16h 25m	4h 20m	Flight +12h 05m	60
108	Sofia – Belgrade327 km apart	17h 35m	3h 55m	Flight +13h 35m	30
109	Lisbon – Madrid504 km apart	19h 25m	4h 10m	Flight +15h 15m	47

10 of 109

Each pair links to its full journey guide: typical times, direct-train availability and operators. CO₂e saved is per passenger, on the conservative factors above.

Is the train faster than flying in Europe?

On 29 of the 109 busy city pairs compared here (27% of them), the typical train beats a typical flight door to door, and 12 of those by more than an hour. The comparison counts getting to the airport, security and the transfer at the far end, which is where rail makes the time back.

At what distance does flying become faster than the train?

There is no single distance, but there is a clear rule of thumb in the data: every pair the train covers in under 3h 43m goes to rail once airport time is counted. The advantage survives as far out as Marseille–Paris, 663 km apart, where the train is still about 35 min quicker door to door.

How much more CO₂ does flying produce than taking the train?

About 3.2 times as much per passenger on these routes, and that figure is deliberately conservative: it uses the UK DESNZ 2025 factors with a part-diesel rail mix. On typical electric intercity rail the European Environment Agency's figures put the real gap at 10 to 30 times. On London–Paris it works out at roughly 15 kg by train against 47 kg by plane.

Which European route saves the most time by train?

Rennes to Paris, where the train saves about 1h 55m against flying once airport time is included. Short high-speed corridors between city-centre stations produce the biggest gaps, because a flight's fixed overhead does not shrink with distance.