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Stay grounded: Faster than flying, better for the planet

It can be a common perception that taking a flight is the fastest way to get from A to B. There’s no doubt that flying can be a quick and efficient way of traveling. But it also has a significant impact on the environment. When you look at the end-to-end journey time, it’s not always as quick as it seems: just think about the time wasted waiting in line at check-in, at security, as well as the times you’ve had to wait to board or to pick up baggage.

The good news is: traveling by train or bus can be just as fast as taking a plane. Another advantage is long-distance trains and buses in Europe are modern, comfortable and well-equipped with WiFi, outlets and refreshments. And then there’s the much bigger baggage allowance!

We have identified 25 routes in Europe from the 100 most popular, where taking a train or bus is quicker than flying. Here, we’ve calculated the CO₂ saving possible by switching wings for tracks or road. What more could you ask for?

Ground rules: 25 routes that are quicker by train or bus

	ROUTE	MODE	TRAIN/BUS DURATION*	FLIGHT DURATION*	SAVED TIME* TRAIN/BUS VS. FLIGHT	CO₂ (KG) FLIGHT	CO₂ (KG) TRAIN/BUS	SAVED CO₂ (KG) TRAIN/BUS VS. FLIGHT
1	London - Brussels	Train	116	304	188	55	25	-30
2	Paris - London	Train	137	318	181	58	26	-32
3	Rennes - Paris	Train	87	236	149	52	24	-29
4	Rome - Florence	Train	72	207	135	39	18	-22
5	Paris - Bordeaux	Train	126	254	128	85	38	-46
6	London - Leeds	Train	133	247	114	46	21	-25
7	Paris - Marseille	Train	187	297	110	112	51	-62
8	Valencia - Madrid	Train	98	206	108	51	23	-28
9	Paris - Lyon	Train	117	224	107	67	30	-37
10	Manchester - London	Train	125	229	104	45	20	-24

* Travel times and time saved are calculated in minutes.