Trains are faster than planes for these French routes
New data reveals trains are faster and greener than planes for short intercity journeys
Taking the train instead of a plane can take less time, cost less and emit less CO2, a Trainline study says
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Some intercity journeys in France can be almost twice as fast by train than by plane, new figures have suggested.
The figures, compiled by train booking app Trainline, found that for journeys of 2.5 hours or less, taking the train can significantly cut travel time, mainly because train travel does not usually require as much waiting around or security checks as plane travel.
Trains are also more likely to depart from and arrive in the city centre, whereas many airports require additional transit into the centre, adding to the journey time.
Trainline used its own data to calculate the train travel times and cost, and data from airline booking comparison website Skyscanner to calculate the plane travel times and cost.
Read more: How to save money on train travel in France
Air journey reality
“While the duration of the flight often seems advantageous, it does not reflect the (actual) duration of an air journey, including travel to the airport, waiting before boarding and security checks, possible delays related to checks and check-in,” Trainline said.
“Train stations, ideally located in city centres and well-served by public transport, enable travellers to reduce the number of additional journeys,” it added.
“Even taking into account the 30-minute advance (arrival time) recommended by train operators, this remains a more efficient option than flying, where remote infrastructures increase the total journey time.”
The cost of the train journeys is often significantly lower than the plane journeys too, Trainline said.
Trainline study: the results
|
Route
|
Plane Time
|
Train Time
|
Time Difference
|
Plane Cost (€)
|
Train Cost (€)
|
Cost Difference (€)
|
Plane CO2 (kg)
|
Train CO2 (kg)
|
CO2 Difference (kg)
|
| Paris-Lyon | 3 hrs 37 mins | 2 hrs 11 mins | 1 hr 26 mins | 100.80 | 59.90 | 40.90 | 90 | 0.690 | 89.31 |
| Paris-Bordeaux | 3 hrs 53 mins | 2 hrs 30 mins | 1 hr 23 mins | 76.20 | 52.70 | 23.50 | 121 | 0.869 | 120.13 |
| Paris-Nantes | 3 hrs 12 mins | 2 hrs 27 mins | 45 mins | 69.50 | 45.70 | 23.80 | 86.9 | 0.595 | 86.31 |
| Marseille-Lyon | 3 hrs 3 mins | 1 hr 57 mins | 1 hr 6 mins | 77.90 | 36.60 | 41.30 | 61.1 | 0.483 | 60.62 |
| Rennes-Paris | 3 hrs 21 mins | 1 hr 44 mins | 1 hr 37 mins | 86.30 | 38.50 | 47.80 | 77.6 | 0.539 | 77.06 |
Read more: Over-60s, families, workers: what discount French train cards exist
La loi climat
The study appears to support the rationale behind a 2023 law (first pledged in the 2021 climate law, (la loi climat) that banned domestic flights in France when a train journey of less than two hours 30 minutes is available.
This ban has a number of exceptions – notably it does not apply to connecting flights.
While some flights can still take place under the loopholes, there is still a large difference in emissions between each form of transport. Train travel journeys can emit almost 100 times fewer emissions than the same trip by air.
For example, Trainline states that a Paris-Lyon flight emits more than 90kg of CO2 per person, whereas the same journey by train only emits 0.690kg.
TGV boom contrasts with slow Europe
The rest of Europe does not match France’s favourable city-to-city by train results overall.
This is because the high-speed TGV network operates in sharp contrast to much of the rest of Europe, where the average speed for long-distance trains is much lower than in France, according to one recent European Commission study.
The average speed of a TGV in France is around 200km/h (and sometimes much more). In contrast, only 3% of train journeys in the rest of Europe have speeds of more than 150km/h, and 30% of these even have speeds of less than 60km/h, said the study.
This means that only 68 journeys are faster by train across Europe, out of 297 possible trips where a theoretical train ‘alternative’ to a flight route exists.
