Train travel
Within continental Europe, the train is often the most comfortable way to cover 300-900km — you board in a city center, not an airport 40 minutes out of town, and you can work, sleep, or just watch the country go by.
Pros
- City center to city center, no security theater
- Comfortable for working or sleeping en route
- Scenic on routes through mountains, coastline, or countryside
- Lower emissions than flying or driving alone
Cons
- Slower than flying for anything past ~900km unless it's a high-speed line
- Cross-border routes sometimes mean a change or two
- Peak fares on popular routes can rival flight prices if booked late
Best use cases
- City-to-city trips under roughly 6 hours
- Scenic routes where the journey itself is part of the trip
- Travelers who want to skip airport transfers entirely
Environmental note
Electrified high-speed rail produces a fraction of the CO2 per passenger-km of flying — often cited as 80-90% lower on comparable European routes.
- Speed
- Fast on high-speed lines, moderate elsewhere
- Cost
- Low to mid if booked ahead, rises sharply closer to departure
- Comfort
- High — more legroom and freedom to move than a plane
- CO2
- Low, especially on electrified lines