I've just returned from a few days business in Edinburgh and as usual I took the train rather than the plane.
I used to enjoy air travel as part of my job but over recent years flying has become more of a chore than a pleasure - regardless of what class you are sitting in!
Far from being herded from holding pen to holding pen, before squeezing into my tiny and uncomfortable seat, the train gave me more space, I was able to work solid for two hours and was able to wander around and stretch my legs, arriving feeling none the worse and ready for business.
So, with the EU suggesting that fewer flights and more train travel is the way of the future it's interesting to see how European train travel compares against the airlines head-to-head.
For the quick hops through the tunnel, only a fool would now choose to travel by air.
The train is not only faster but cheaper. But for further destinations you need to change trains in Paris or Brussels and the journey time and cost increases. For Cologne, Tours, Lyon, Amsterdam and Marseilles, the train takes up to an hour more than the flight.
And even further down the line to Geneva or Bordeaux the journey time by plane is at least two and a half hours faster with return fares about £20 lower.
If the EU is serious about encouraging railtravel as a sustainable policy for future European travel, then they need to look at the fare structures of the rail networks and low cost airlines to achieve some parity.
Fares quoted are the cheapest returns advertised by Eurostar, and the cheapest returns offered from London airports drawn from a search on www.skyscanner.net.
This comparison was made in todays Telegraph.
| TRAIN How long? | How much? | PLANE How long? | How much? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels | 2hr 40m (1hr 55m*) | £69 | 4hr 20m (1hr 10m**) | £153 (with British Airways from Heathrow) |
| Paris | 3 hr (2hr 15m*) | £69 | 4hr 20m (1hr 10m**) | £78 (with easyJet from Luton) |
| Cologne | 4hr 54m (4hr 9m*) | £96 | 4hr 30m (1hr 20m**) | £68 (with easyJet from Gatwick) |
| Amsterdam | 5 hr (4hr 15m*) | £114 | 4hr 15m (1hr 5m**) | £70 with easyJet from Stansted |
| Tours | 5hr 18m (4hr 33m*) | £89 | 4hr 30m (1hr 20m**) | £78 with Ryanair from Stansted |
| Lyon | 5hr 42m (4hr 57m*) | £109 | 4hr 50m (1hr 40m**) | £93 easyJet from Gatwick |
| Marseille | 6hr 16m (5hr 31m*) | £119 | 5hr 15m (2hr 5m**) | £78 with Ryanair from Stansted |
| La Rochelle | 6hr 58m (6hr 13m*) | £109 | 4hr 30m (1hr 20m**) | £78 with Ryanair from Stansted |
| Geneva | 7hr 13m (6hr 28m*) | £105 | 4hr 40m (1hr 30m**) | £68 with easyJet from Stansted, Gatwick or Luton |
| Bordeaux | 8hr 2m (6hr 17m*) | £109 | 4hr 40m (1 hr 30m**) | £77 with easyJet from Luton |
