'Unfair Privilege': Flights in Europe up to 26 Times Cheaper than Train Routes
- Greenpeace has criticized budget flights, stating they are often significantly cheaper than train travel in Europe, which affects fair pricing and climate-friendly choices.
- In an analysis of 142 routes across 31 European countries, flights were found cheaper on 54 percent of 109 cross-border routes.
- Herwig Schuster from Greenpeace stated that aviation enjoys unfair tax privileges while train passengers are left to pay the price.
- Greenpeace highlighted that flights emit five times more CO2 per passenger kilometre than trains on average and urged governments to make train travel cheaper and easier.
21 Articles
21 Articles

'Unfair privilege': Flights in Europe up to 26 times cheaper than train routes
Environmental campaign group Greenpeace has slammed the fact that budget flights between destinations in Europe are still often significantly cheaper than travelling by train.
While it is recommended that you limit your travel by plane to prefer the train, a more environmentally friendly alternative, this represents a significant economic weight. Greenpeace has analysed many journeys...
The NGO analysed 109 cross-border journeys and 33 journeys within the same country. For all, the train route was "reasonably" practicable, either during the day or during the night.
Going from Barcelona to London costs about 17 euros on a plane, but it can reach 389 euros on a train. Greenpeace's study will lead to criticism of exemption from aviation fuel taxes.


Spain is the second European country, behind France, with the most expensive train connections to the plane, according to the report 'Flying cheap pays expensive: how airlines compete with the train and aggravate the climate crisis', published this Thursday by Greenpeace.
Flying within Europe can be 26 times cheaper than traveling by train, according to a Greenpeace study based on 142 routes in 31 countries. It blamed the disparity on tax privileges for flights and called for measures to make rail cheaper.
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