On a lot of European routes the train simply wins
Counted door to door — the trip out to the airport, security, the wait, and the trip back into the city at the other end — rail beats flying on more city pairs than most people expect. These pages cover the practical question of whether it does on your route, whether a pass is worth buying, and the journeys people take for the ride itself.
Is the train the better call?
City pair by city pair, measured door to door rather than airport to airport — and whether a rail pass actually beats buying the tickets outright for the route you have in mind.
Which city pairs are faster by rail once the airport journey and security are counted, and which are not close.
When a rail pass saves money and when point-to-point tickets are cheaper — including the reservation fees passes do not cover.
Journeys worth taking
Where you can get to and back inside a day from each base, and the routes where the journey is the point rather than the arrival.
Day Trips
What is reachable and back in a day from each city, with the honest travel time rather than the timetable best case.
The rides worth booking for the view — which side of the carriage to sit on, and when the season makes or breaks them.