Trains over planes? The European routes where rail is faster than air

Published on

03/08/2026 - 12:52 GMT+2

If you’re planning a short- or mid-haul European getaway, it’s tempting to search for airline tickets. But it might be time to rethink taking a flight and boarding a train instead – as it might even be faster.

According to Omio, a global online travel booking platform, summer travellers may be better off choosing a plane over a train, with rail bookings on the continent having grown year-on-year by 32% – more than triple that of flight bookings.

Omio analysed 25 of Europe’s popular city-to-city travel routes across 1,000 providers, comparing door-to-door journey times, city centre accessibility and ticket prices. The research factors in airport transfers, security, boarding, baggage collection and onward travel for a like-for-like comparison with train journeys.