According to a survey conducted by Rail Europe earlier this year, trains are the preferred mode of transportation when it comes to travelling through Europe.
Of the 4,949 survey participants, 73 per cent thought train travelling was the most comfortable and convenient way to see the continent, reaching a much wider range of destinations than any other mode of transportation, including car and coach.
In the survey results, participants listed convenience, value for money, efficiency, environmental friendliness and the opportunity to interact with locals as the top five benefits of European train travel.
Comparing the time from Paris to London, it’s obvious that the train comes out on top when comparing the time of the trip on a plane plus the time taken for check-in, customs and baggage collection and screening.
In terms of reasons for travelling to Europe, a whopping 84 per cent listed holidays as the key incentive, while others go over to visit family, study and to honeymoon. Rail Europe also reports that couples top the list of visitors (at 34 per cent), followed by solo travellers (26 per cent), groups of friends (23 per cent) and finally, families (17 per cent).
The world’s No. 1 distributor of rail tickets and passes, says Australians and New Zealanders travelling to Europe predominantly visit the UK, France and Italy respectively, with visitor numbers increasing yearly to Spain, Germany and Switzerland. Also, while individual country passes are frequently used, the most popular pass among Aussies and Kiwis is the Eurail Select Pass, which entitles holders unlimited travel to four adjoining countries. Rail Europe is offering travellers the widest and best selection of European rail products across no less than 30 countries and 25,000 destinations on more than 11,000 different routes. Its portfolio of products include Eurail Passes and Swiss Passes as well as rail carriers such as SBB (Switzerland), SNCF (France), Trenitalia and NTV (Italy), DB (Germany), the ATOC (UK), Eurostar, Thalys, TGV Lyria and more.
Rail Europe tickets are distributed by Rail Plus, Rail Tickets, CIT Holidays and Infinity Rail in Australia; and Rail Plus and Go Holidays in New Zealand.
