Why not take the train? Experts on what’s needed to get more Europeans to ditch flights

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2024/06/02/why-not-take-the-train-experts-on-whats-needed-to-get-more-europeans-to-ditch-flights

by euronews-english

30 comments

  2. Given the picture, and before reading the article, I’d already like to add one measure that needs to be taken:

    The ICE not to break down constantly. That would be nice.

    Edit: and after reading the bulk of the article I agree. Price, ease of planning, travel time and protection when missing a connecting train are important.

    I’d like to point out about the last part that this is an issue that has already been tackled in France/Germany/Benelux. If you miss your TGV, Eurostar or ICE train due to delays on the TGV, Eurostar or ICE, you can hop on the next one.

    I once almost missed 2 consecutive Eurostars (Amsterdam) due to the ICE issues in Bremen, and I was allowed to hop on the next one.

    I also once almost missed the last eurostar (Cologne) due to the ICE. The ICE called the Eusostar and the Eurostar waited.
    If the Eurostar did not, then I would have gone to the DB office dor further steps (which would’ve been hopping on a DB train to Brussels).

    It also works with regular trains. ICE to Brussels broke down near Aachen (yes this is a pattern). I was told to just hop on a Belgian IC train from NMBS or wait until the next ICE two hours later.

  3. Maybe lack of high-speed connections in Europe?

    I mean, whenever I can, I use trains for travels within Poland, where I live. I love trains. Much more comfortable than buses, and usually more reliable. The problem is, if I want to travel somewhere else, train is rarely a time-efficient option. And I’m not getting any younger, I’m not spending two days to travel somewhere on the same continent, when I can just book a flight.

  4. Because flights are faster and we don’t want to waste our precious vacation time travelling.

  6. >”Price is key,” concedes Dr Alberto Mazzola when asked how train passenger numbers can be boosted.

  7. Actually having trains being on time, readily available, fast, clean and comfortable would be a good start.

    Getting from Paris to Hamburg is a nightmare via train. Originally it was 13h. Now it is down to 8h. Or 1h via flight.

    SYL

  8. its not only a matter of costs (but also).
    i live in Malaga, south spain, and a lot (and i mean a lot) of people come here from like finland or the netherlands or poland, for like a 3-4 day long weekend. that is simply not viable by train.
    another question is if that is a desirable model at all

  12. Because the European grid is fragmented. Even though each country has more or less a good train network it’s not viable to move from country to country by train. I’d love to do that instead of the airport hustle and giving money to those vultures of Ryanair but… sometimes you don’t really have a choice

  13. Because i barely have a few days of vacation and I won’t waste half of them just to sit in a train and end up paying even more to get their late and not on time.

    Climate politics is just a shitshow that is bordering on dictatorship by raising taxes and forcing things through laws instead of making the greener alternative actually better so people would choose to use it on their own.

  15. Going from Barcelona to Paris:

    1 hour flight 50€ sometimes less.

    6 hour train ride 150€ or more.

    I really wanted to take the train because I hate flying, but it didn’t make a lot of sense with the cost difference.

  17. Is it actually a problem? I rarely see a train which is not insanely full

  19. > “Sometimes my plane to Turin would cost €9 and I’d pay more than €250 for my train.”

    Moneyshot quote right there.The only time I ever use the Train is to visit a larger town (125k residents) nearby.Because parking is a nightmare.

    It’s 6.10€, one way ticket for a single person.So, do I want to have less flexibility than my car, somehow a longer journey time and spend 12.20€ for the pleasure?

    I’d rather take my chances with parking.

  21. Maybe because , I don’t know, they are EXPENSIVE? Compared to flights.

  22. I don’t have enough time and money to take trains in Slovenia. Train from Ljubljana to Koper takes 2 hours 30 minutes (plus delays) and costs 12,4 €. For a family of 4 that’s 100€ round trip.

    Going with a car takes a bit over an hour and 10€ of gas, but to be fair there is going to be an hour delay on the highway on the way back.

  23. I can fly from Berlin to Trieste under €40 (at least I could 2 months ago). Fast train to München costs me €50+, one way

  24. The train to Vienna IN ONE WAY costs more than the RETURN flight from Vienna to Spain I’m taking.

  25. I would If it would not take me over 20 hours to get there by train. In 2025, I want to go to Bielsko Biala in Poland. A flight takes 2 hours to get there versus over 20 hours by train.

  26. I usually have a 1- 2 Week vacation. I won’t spend 2 full days on travel If I can get there faster and cheaper(!!) by plane.

  28. Why? Fors Speed. About cost depends…

    We got high speed train connection between Milan ( Italy) anche Paris (Gare de Lyon)

    It cost about 80€ it takes 8 hours.

    With RyanAir it is 40€ and it takes 1 hour and half but must add time for security cleareance in the airport, and transportation from airport to the city and its costs …I would say it takes actually 4-5 hours and another 40€ for taxi. So we’re more or less even in terms of cost

  29. Trains are used a lot and are usually quite full.
    So I don’t think they can handle more people than what they already do. There are great for some routes, usually domestic but also some international.
    However they can’t compete with flights for some other routes, it’s just not economically and physically possible.

  30. Better trains, better connections, better prices and reliability on the service.

    It is “easy”.

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