Greenpeace study: Train travel in Europe still more expensive than flying

International

A new Europe-wide investigation by Greenpeace reveals that on most cross-border routes, flying remains cheaper than taking the train.

Of 142 routes analyzed across 31 countries, only 46 percent offered cheaper train tickets than flights. For half of all journeys within, to, and from Germany, the train was also the more expensive option.

Rail travel was significantly cheaper only to cities in Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Belgium. In contrast, those traveling to France, Spain, the UK, or Italy often paid substantially more for rail than air tickets. The starkest example was the Cologne–Manchester route: last-minute train travelers paid €300 – 15 times the airfare of €20.

“It is absurd that European travelers are pushed into climate-damaging planes through generous subsidies and tax exemptions, while climate-friendly rail travel is burdened with fees,” said Lena Donat, transport expert at Greenpeace. “Anyone who chooses the train for climate reasons should always and everywhere pay less than for flying.”

The full study is available online: https://act.gp/4oIxMt9

Detailed findings

· Greenpeace compared the lowest available one-way ticket prices at various booking times. Striking differences emerged, particularly on international routes:

· On 70% of the 33 domestic routes studied, the train was cheaper.

· On 109 international routes, this was the case on only 39%.

· In France, Spain, and the UK, trains were more expensive than flights on up to 95% of cross-border connections.

All routes analyzed were shorter than 1,500 kilometers and connected cities with both an international airport and a railway station. Researchers looked at nine different booking and travel times to account for price peaks such as short-notice bookings or holiday periods.

Slight improvement since 2023

Greenpeace had already analyzed 111 of the now 142 routes in 2023. Back then, trains were cheaper on only 27% of routes, compared to 41% in 2025. The improvement is due partly to better rail connections and the decline of some low-cost flight routes via hubs such as London or Dublin.

“These slightly better numbers are a small ray of hope,” said Donat. “But many people are still held back by a lack of direct connections, complicated booking systems, and high fares. They are being pushed into the most climate-damaging mode of transport, while forests burn and droughts worsen in Southern Europe.”

Greenpeace demands

· To make climate-friendly and affordable mobility possible, Greenpeace calls for:

· More European direct train services

· Lower taxes and fees on rail travel

· Fair taxation of flights, especially through a ticket tax on Business and First Class