Faster and Greener Travel Options Across Europe

More travelers are looking for ways to reduce the carbon footprint of their adventures, but time and money are still the two major factors in deciding what to choose. New research from Omio, a travel transport booking app, has revealed 25 European routes that are actually faster by bus or train than flying.

“The common perception that flying is always the fastest way to get from A to B doesn’t necessarily hold true once you consider the additional time required to get to the airport, queue at check-in or security and wait to board or retrieve baggage,” Bertrand Etienne, regional director at Omio, said.

Consider these train journeys that are more sustainable, spacious, and faster than flying.

London to Brussels or Paris by Train

Eurostar train services across the Channel to France, Belgium and beyond have been running for 25 years, with a new expansion to Amsterdam in 2018. Not only will travelers save up to 32kg (70.5lbs) of carbon dioxide by taking the train, but the journey will be three hours faster than heading to the airport.

Paris to Marseille by Train

Crossing nearly the entire length of France, the journey from Paris to the coastal city of Marseille is nearly two hours faster by train and saves a whopping 62kg (136.6lbs) of carbon dioxide.

Madrid to Andalucia by Train

If you’re headed to the south after visiting Spain’s capital city, Seville and Málaga are actually faster to reach by train than flying by nearly an hour-and-a-half.

Rome to Naples, Florence or Pisa by Train

Crisscrossing Italy can easily be done on the country’s Trenitalia network, and the capital’s quick links mean that at least an hour can be shaved off train travel time.

Stuttgart to Paris by Train

For this route, it’s faster to hop on a train between Germany and France by nearly an hour-and-a-half, and 47kg (103.4lbs) of CO2 is saved in the process.

Paris to Brussels by Bus

Get on board a bus between these cities in France and Belgium for an hour faster journey.

Vienna to Budapest by Bus

Pop between the capitals of Austria and Hungary, which is 57 minutes faster by bus than it is to fly.