'Unfair privilege': Flights in Europe up to 26 times cheaper than train routes

With wildfires, heatwaves and droughts getting worse in Europe, many people want to make more climate-friendly choices, including when it comes to travel.

But new research by Greenpeace suggests that customers are not getting a fair deal – because taking the train between destinations in Europe is often far pricier than a budget flight.

In an analysis of 142 routes across 31 European countries, Greenpeace found that flights are cheaper than trains on 54 percent of 109 cross-border routes.

The environmental organisation said that low-cost airlines had the upper hand due to unfair pricing. They called out "political inaction that lets airlines undercut rail at the planet’s expense".

Herwig Schuster, transport campaigner for Greenpeace Central and Eastern Europe, said: "Even as the climate crisis worsens, Europe’s tax system continues to favour the most polluting way to travel."

Schuster cited one example of a flight from Barcelona to London that can cost as little as €15, while a train on the same route (costing around €389) "is up to 26 times more expensive".

He added: "Aviation enjoys unfair tax privileges, while train passengers are left to pay the price. These prices don’t reflect a functioning market – they reflect a rigged system."

Passengers can buy cheap tickets from low-cost airlines such as Ryanair, Wizz Air, Vueling and EasyJet.

Campaigners say the prices are so low because of factors like untaxed aviation fuels and international flight tickets being exempt from VAT.

"Meanwhile, rail operators often pay full VAT, rising energy costs and high track access charges," said Greenpeace.

The study did not, however, bring in the added hidden costs that often arise with air travel such as baggage and check-in fees or travel to the airport.

Low airfares 'push travellers towards flying'

The Greenpeace study found that in just over half of the cross-border routes analysed, flying was cheaper on at least six out of nine days. Fares were checked for nine different days for each route and across different time booking periods.

The study found that trains were always or almost always cheaper on 29 (39 percent) cross-border routes, many of them in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly the Baltics and Poland. In France, Spain and the UK, trains were more expensive than flights on up to 95 percent of cross-border routes.

The organisation pointed out the environmental impact, with flights emitting "five times more CO2 per passenger kilometre than trains on average".

"Compared to railways using 100 percent renewable electricity, their impact can be over 80 times worse," said Greenpeace, adding that "artificially low airfares keep pushing travellers toward flying".

However, there have been some improvements.

The analysis said that since 2023, the share of routes where trains are cheaper has risen by 14 percentage points. The push to introduce more night trains in Europe was also cited as a positive development.

READ ALSO: What to know about new night train connecting Belgium, Germany, Austria and Italy

And in some countries – such as Germany – climate-friendly policies do seem to be having an impact.

Greenpeace campaigner Herwig Schuster told German media outlet Tagesschau: "Within Germany, traveling by train is almost always cheaper than flying."

Low-cost airlines have also complained about the rising cost of airport fees in countries across Europe. Ryanair has cancelled routes and closed bases in numerous countries to protest against the rising fees.

In 2024 Ryanair and EasyJet suggested that fees and operating costs at German airports were too high.

“Berlin is among the most expensive airports we operate from,” a spokesperson from EasyJet told The Local, adding, “Airport costs represent about 20 percent of EasyJet’s operating costs and are the second largest cost after fuel.”

Greenpeace is urging EU and national governments to take action and make travelling by train across Europe easier and more affordable.

“Every route where a plane is cheaper than a train is a political failure,” said Schuster. “We can’t keep rewarding the most polluting form of transport. Europe must make trains the cheapest and easiest option – not the last resort.”