Of 33 European city pairs we checked, the train is faster door to door, or the short flight is banned, on 13. Brussels–Paris takes 1h22 and Brussels–London under 2 hours by train. On longer routes like Paris–Barcelona the plane is faster, and we say so. Checked 2026-11-01.
From Brussels
| Route | Fastest train | Door to door | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels – ParisEurostar (ex-Thalys) | 1h22 | Train wins by 2h01 | Air & rail |
| Brussels – LondonEurostar | 1h57 | Train wins by 2h37 | |
| Brussels – AmsterdamEurostar (ex-Thalys), NS International / SNCB Eurocity Direct, European Sleeper (evening leg) | 1h52 | Train wins by 1h12 | Air & rail |
| Brussels – FrankfurtDeutsche Bahn ICE | 2h53 | Train wins by 14 min | |
| Brussels – CologneDeutsche Bahn ICE, Eurostar (ex-Thalys) | 1h41 | Not modelled | |
| Brussels – LuxembourgSNCB/NMBS InterCity (with CFL) | 3h10 | Not modelled |
Across Europe
| Route | Fastest train | Door to door | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris – LondonEurostar | 2h16 | Train wins by 1h34 | |
| Paris – AmsterdamEurostar (ex-Thalys) | 3h20 | Train wins by 9 min | |
| Paris – LyonSNCF TGV INOUI, OUIGO | 1h43 | Flights banned: train | Air & rail |
| Paris – MarseilleSNCF TGV INOUI, OUIGO, Intercités de nuit | 3h03 | Not modelled | Night train · Air & rail |
| Paris – BordeauxSNCF TGV INOUI, OUIGO | 2h02 | Flights banned: train | Air & rail |
| Paris – BarcelonaSNCF TGV INOUI (France-Spain) | 6h50 | Plane faster | |
| Paris – GenevaTGV Lyria | 3h17 | Train wins by 10 min | |
| Paris – ZurichTGV Lyria, SBB | 4h04 | Plane faster | |
| Paris – CologneEurostar (ex-Thalys) | 3h21 | Train wins by 52 min | |
| Paris – FrankfurtDB ICE / SNCF TGV INOUI (DB-SNCF cooperation) | 3h52 | Plane faster | |
| Amsterdam – LondonEurostar | 4h04 | Plane faster | |
| Amsterdam – FrankfurtDB ICE (with NS International), ÖBB Nightjet (evening leg) | 3h42 | Plane faster | Air & rail |
| Amsterdam – CologneDB ICE (with NS International) | 2h31 | Train wins by 1h13 | |
| Amsterdam – BerlinNS International / DB InterCity, European Sleeper | 6h50 | Plane faster | Night train |
| Frankfurt – MunichDeutsche Bahn ICE | 3h22 | Not modelled | Air & rail |
| Frankfurt – BerlinDeutsche Bahn ICE / ICE Sprinter | ~4h00 (DB: Sprinter 'rund 4 Stunden'; a third-party guide lists 3h45) | Plane faster | Air & rail |
| Berlin – MunichDeutsche Bahn ICE / ICE Sprinter | ~3h55-4h00 (DB: hourly fast ICE in 'knapp vier Stunden' from Dec 2025) | Not modelled | Air & rail |
| Berlin – HamburgDeutsche Bahn ICE, ÖBB Railjet | 1h47 | Not modelled | |
| Munich – ViennaÖBB Railjet, DB ICE, WESTbahn, ÖBB Nightjet (early-morning legs) | 4h09 | Plane faster | Air & rail |
| Zurich – MilanSBB / Trenitalia EuroCity | 3h17 | Train wins by 25 min | |
| Madrid – BarcelonaRenfe AVE, Renfe Avlo, Iryo, OUIGO España | 2h30 | Not modelled | Air & rail |
| Rome – MilanTrenitalia Frecciarossa, Italo | 2h50 | Not modelled | Air & rail |
| London – EdinburghLNER, Lumo, Caledonian Sleeper | 4h08 | Not modelled | Night train |
| Berlin – CopenhagenDeutsche Bahn ICE (with DSB), Snälltåget (night), RDC Deutschland | 7h04 | Plane faster | Night train |
| Berlin – PragueČeské dráhy / DB EuroCity, DB ICE, ÖBB, European Sleeper | 3h47 | Not modelled | |
| Vienna – PragueÖBB Railjet (with České dráhy) | 4h13 | Plane faster | |
| Vienna – BudapestÖBB / MÁV Railjet | 2h20 | Train wins by 1h00 |
Door-to-door verdicts come from sources that model them (pickthetrain.com's open-data model, Deutsche Bahn). We don't compute our own. Rail times/frequencies from operator pages (SNCF Connect, SNCB International, bahn.de, LNER, Italo/Trenitalia via dated checks) or official-open-data aggregates (pickthetrain.com, data checked Oct-Nov 2026). Door-to-door figures only where a source models them (pickthetrain, DB). CO2 only where an official/operator source publishes it; never estimated here.
Questions
When is the train better than flying in Europe?
On routes under about 4 hours by train, the train usually wins door to door because it runs centre to centre with no airport check-in or security queue. On longer routes the plane is usually faster; a night train can still beat it on time lost.
Does the train really emit less?
EEA briefing (Mar 2021, study by Fraunhofer ISI and CE Delft): trains are the most GHG-efficient motorised passenger mode in the EU (well-to-wheel, per passenger-km); passenger flights and cars are the least efficient. Rail and aviation efficiency improved 13% and 12% respectively from 2014 to 2018. The EEA warns its averages should not be used to calculate specific trips, as aviation emissions per km depend on distance and electricity carbon intensity differs by country.
Can I use airline miles on trains?
Some airlines sell rail legs as part of a flight (KLM and Air France Air & Rail, Lufthansa Express Rail) and they earn miles; Flying Blue miles can be converted into TGV vouchers. Each route page lists what applies.