When planning a trip have you ever been at a crossroad not knowing whether to fly or get a train? Well, if you have, this article is for you, I will be outlining the key considerations on whether to fly or get a train for a trip and hopefully help you make the best decision.
Cost
One of my biggest concerns when planning a trip is the cost, as I always want to travel for as cheap as I can. When comparing the price of train vs plane tickets, plane tickets are often far cheaper. For example, a trip from London to Edinburgh would cost £80 on the train but only £17 on a plane. A trip from London to Paris would cost £80 on the train but £50 by plane and from London to Amsterdam would cost £65 on the train and £30 on the plane. All of the above costs are based on journeys travelling at the beginning of March. As you can see, it is significantly cheaper to travel by plane, however if you are someone that travels heavy in terms of luggage, the extra luggage fees may actually even out.
Time
If you are short for time, you may not want to waste it on transport so how much time does flying really save you? A flight from London to Edinburgh is around 1 hour and 20 minutes with the train taking between 5-6 hours. For London to Paris the flight is 1 hour and 20 minutes and the train is 2 hours and 30 minutes. For London to Amsterdam, the flight is 1 hour and 15 minutes and the train is 4 hours and 19 minutes. Whilst flying may seem to be significantly quicker, when you take into account travelling to the airport and being at the airport 2-3 hours before your flight, it isn’t much different on these shorter routes.
Pleasance of Journey
Although this may not be a major factor, it can’t be ignored that travelling by train allows you to have incredible views and see more of the countries that you are travelling between. Sometimes taking the slower route can be more rewarding.
Convenience
The airport is normally located outside of major city and has strict requirements on liquid and baggage size making it quite inconvenient. On the other hand, train stations are usually located in the centre of the city and have no restrictions on baggage as well as allowing you to arrive just before your train making it a lot more convenient.
Environmental Consideration
This is an incredibly important consideration especially in the age of climate change; however it is often overlooked in regard to travelling. A domestic flight emits 133g of CO2 emissions per passenger per km travelled, however the train emits 41g with the Eurostar only emitting 6g. This makes travelling by train far superior for the environment.
Overall, I would always opt to take a train where I can as the extra cost is more than compensated for by the convenience, beautiful sights and smaller environmental impact of taking the train.