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.
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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.
The price comparisons below are also based on fares reflected of travel in August 2026.
According to the research data, the train often gets passengers to their destination faster, can be cheaper and helps the environment.
Think flying is always faster? These are the routes where the train wins on total journey time.
Top 10 European routes which are faster by train
How the routes differ by time, plus return ticket price comparisons, where routes are applicable, as per Omio when a single passenger is travelling in August 2026.
Brussels to Paris
- Total flight time and cost: 265 minutes/€209
- Total train time and cost: 125 minutes/€34
- Time difference: +140 minutes
Frankfurt to Cologne
- Total flight time: 195 minutes
- Total train time and cost: 63 minutes/€32
- Time difference: +132 minutes
Madrid to Valencia
- Total flight time and cost: 240 minutes/€69
- Total train time and cost: 130 minutes/€16
- Time difference: +110 minutes
Milan to Florence
- Total flight time and cost: 240 minutes/€197
- Total train time and cost: 140 minutes/€27
- Time difference: +100 minutes
London to Paris
- Total flight time and cost: 255 minutes/€115
- Total train time and cost: 156 minutes/€196
- Time difference: +99 minutes
Rome to Florence
- Total flight time and cost: 205 minutes/€131
- Total train time and cost: 108 minutes/€28
- Time difference: +97 minutes
Madrid to Barcelona
- Total flight time and cost: 240 minutes/€49
- Total train time and cost: 153 minutes/€28
- Time difference: +87 minutes
Paris to Lyon
- Total flight time and cost: 218 minutes/€104
- Total train time and cost: 132 minutes/€47
- Time difference: +86 minutes
London to Brussels
- Total flight time and cost: 208 minutes/€134
- Total train time and cost: 125 minutes/€230
- Time difference: +83 minutes
Madrid to Seville
- Total flight time and cost: 250 minutes/€36.96
- Total train time and cost: 170 minutes/€10.51
- Time difference: +80 minutes
Brussels to Paris, but with a railway edge
This route is the strongest example in Omio’s research of rail’s advantages over air travel.
By boarding a train instead of catching a flight, travellers save 140 minutes and can reach the French capital to ride along its network of more than 1,000 kilometres of cycle lanes.
There’s also no shortage of dining options among its more than 120 Michelin-starred restaurants ranging from classic institutions to innovative newcomers.
Skip the airport between Madrid and Seville
In Spain, Omio found that searches for “Seville holiday” surged by 90% in the past year, while searches for “trains from Madrid to Seville” also grew in popularity.
The research found Madrid to Seville train tickets to be lighter on travellers’ wallets. A return flight sets travellers back around £34 (€36.96), compared to a rail ticket that would typically cost £9 (€10.51). Not only are passengers saving around 73% on travel fare, they also avoid costs such as baggage fees and restrictive allowances on domestic flights.
