There are six European destinations which are cheapest to travel to from the UK by train, which is great news for anyone who is looking for a ecofriendly way to see the world.
According to Voucher Cloud, the six destinations include Rotterdam, The Hague, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Brussels and Rennes. Travelling by train to both Netherlands cities (Rotterdam and The Hague) was 21% cheaper that flying – with the French destinations of Montpellier and Strasbourg coming in at 15 and 13% cheaper respectively. The smallest saving was 5% with Rennes, France – where the cheapest train is £73.73 but the average flight is £77.50.
Researchers at Voucher Cloud calculated the results using Rome2Rio to find cheap available train seats from London to 23 European destinations. Then comparing the average flight price using Google Flights, the fact that only six trains were cheaper says a lot about how much work there is to be done in making European travelling more environmentally friendly
For a few other European destinations, there is only a small price to pay for the more environmental option though. You can travel to Parisby train for £43.55. The average flight is £35. A less than £10 difference to better protect the planet seems like a small price to pay, especially with the ease of train travel compared to the often stressful experience of flying.
A less than £10 difference to better protect the planet seems like a small price to pay
Similarly, trains to Glasgow can be just £4 more expensive than a flight. Voucher Cloud noted that average flight prices do not include baggage fees or transfer costs. So, when you account for those it may still work out cheaper to take the train.
However, on the other end of the spectrum, flights to Edinburgh are 844% cheaper than train tickets, with the cheapest train £146.40 compared to an average flying price of £15.50.
‘Taking the train is a good bet environmentally —but is often overlooked as prices can be high,’ Voucher Cloud’s statement read. ‘But if you book in advance, we’ve found that the cheapest trains are often cheaper than the average flights.’
Tl;dr, it’s worth checking out other travel options when you’re planning your next trip – it may just be hassle-free, conscience-free and cheaper to take the train to your next city break.
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