Rail travel has been having a moment, especially in Europe. It’s often cheaper, easier, and far less annoying than flying once you factor in airport transfers, security lines, and the time it takes to get from an airport back into the city.
New data from travel planning site Rome2Rio backs that up. The company analyzed internal searches for rail journeys across 2025, then filtered the results to cross-border train routes.
France came out as the standout. According to Rome2Rio, France appeared in 8 of the top 20 most-searched international rail corridors, with 16 million searches overall. These are the top 10 results from the last year.
10. Donostia, Spain ↔ Hendaia, France
This short cross-border route connects Spain’s Basque Country with France in under an hour. Rome2Rio recorded 1,205,429 searches for the journey in 2025.
It’s also one of the more scenic routes on the list, with easy access to the coastline, food-focused cities, and that particular part of Europe where crossing into another country can feel surprisingly casual.
Milan, Italy – March 19, 2025 : High speed train at Milano Centrale railway station
9. Lugano, Switzerland ↔ Milan, Italy
The Lugano to Milan route had 1,491,154 searches, according to Rome2Rio. It’s a practical connection between southern Switzerland and northern Italy, especially for travelers pairing the Swiss lakes with a city break in Milan.
This is the kind of train route that makes flying feel unnecessary. By the time you got yourself to an airport, dealt with the usual waiting around, and transferred back into the city, the train starts looking like the more civilized option.
8. Budapest, Hungary ↔ Vienna, Austria
Budapest to Vienna drew 1,584,878 searches in 2025. It’s one of those classic Central European routes that makes a multi-city trip feel very doable.
Both cities are major travel draws on their own, but they also pair nicely in one itinerary. The train connection makes it easy to see them without dealing with a rental car or squeezing in a short-haul flight.
7. London, UK ↔ Brussels, Belgium
London to Brussels came in seventh, with 1,591,822 searches. Eurostar has made this route one of the most obvious international train options for travelers starting in the UK.
It also gives travelers another gateway into mainland Europe without having to fly. For anyone who has ever landed at a major airport and then spent another hour getting into the actual city, that appeal is pretty clear.
Brussels Belgium 2025-07-11
6. Brussels, Belgium ↔ Lille, France
Brussels to Lille ranked sixth, with 1,614,564 searches. The route takes just over 30 minutes, making it one of the quickest cross-border connections in the top 10.
This is also one of those routes that shows why trains work so well in this part of Europe. It’s not a big dramatic travel day. It’s more like hopping between two cities that happen to be in different countries.
5. Brussels, Belgium ↔ Paris, France
Brussels to Paris had 1,669,609 searches in 2025. The journey takes under an hour and a half, which makes it an easy link between two major European capitals.
It’s also another reason France shows up so heavily in this data. Paris is already one of the most visited cities in the world, and the train links make it easy to tack on nearby countries without building a trip around airports.
4. Munich, Germany ↔ Salzburg, Austria
Munich to Salzburg ranked fourth, with 1,738,040 searches. This is a popular route for travelers who want to pair Bavaria with one of Austria’s most photogenic cities.
It’s also a very manageable train journey for a day trip or a short add-on. Salzburg is compact enough to explore without needing a long stay, though it’s easy to see why people linger.
Scenery of two connected trains parking by the platform on a sunny winter day and snowy Nordkette mountains of Karwendel Alps dominating the background, at Innsbruck Main Station, Tyrol, Austria
3. Innsbruck, Austria ↔ Brenner, Italy
Innsbruck to Brenner came in third, with 1,857,907 searches. This route connects Austria and Italy through the Alps, which gives it a little more scenery than your average point-A-to-point-B transfer.
For travelers building a mountain-heavy itinerary, it’s an especially useful connection. It also shows that the most-searched rail routes are not only between capital cities.
2. Barcelona, Spain ↔ Lyon / Paris, France
Rome2Rio listed Barcelona to Lyon / Paris as the second most-searched international rail corridor, with 3,857,743 searches. The Barcelona to Lyon journey takes around five hours by train, according to the data provided.
That timing is part of why this route stands out. Once you add airport transfers and security, the train can compete surprisingly well with flying, especially for travelers who would rather stay closer to the city center the whole time.
LONDON, UK – JUNE 17, 2022: Modern The Eurostar high speed bullet train – connects Paris Gare du Nord and London St. Pancras train station in London, UK
1. London, UK ↔ Paris, France
London to Paris was the most-searched international train route in the world, with 4,098,408 searches in 2025. It’s the clear winner on Rome2Rio’s list.
This one makes sense. Eurostar connects London St Pancras with central Paris in just over two hours, which is hard to beat for convenience. No long airport transfer. No waiting around at baggage claim. Just city center to city center, which is exactly why rail travel keeps winning people over.
France’s dominance in the data is also hard to ignore. Between Paris, Lille, Lyon, Strasbourg, Hendaye, and other well-connected cities, the country appears again and again as travelers search for easier ways to move across borders.
For travelers planning a bigger Europe trip, the bigger lesson is pretty simple: don’t automatically default to flying. In a lot of cases, the train may be faster, easier, and a lot less stressful. And if you’re looking beyond the big city-to-city routes, Europe has plenty of trip ideas worth building around, from hiking-focused island escapes to everyday habits that can feel surprisingly different to Americans.