Tempted to travel Europe by train? Now could be your moment to take the leap.
Jet fuel reserves are running low, prompting fears that airlines could cancel flights and put up air fares for the summer. Cyprus and Turkey have seen bookings slump because of their proximity to the Middle East. British Airways has suspended flights to The Gulf until later in the year.
As air travel enters a turbulent period, rail travel should be waiting in the sidelines ready to save the summer of 2026. However, a recent report shows that European ticketing can be overpriced, burdensome and misleading, with examples of passengers paying many multiples over the odds. How, if at all, can you beat the bureaucracy?
A damning report (with a silver lining)
A recent study by Transport and Environment (T&E), a lobby group for clean transport and energy, found that in almost half of the EU’s busiest international air routes, booking the same journey by rail is either difficult or impossible.
“The mismatch is striking, and highlights a major shortfall in rail competitiveness,” the report says.
For example, despite it being possible to travel directly from Barcelona to Paris by rail, it is impossible to book a single journey between the two cities using the official Spanish railway booking platform Renfe. This, despite the fact there are more than 40 flights operating between the two cities each day.
