As someone living in Europe and trying to use train more, it is often a clusterfuck of changing trains, delays and cancellations. We checked many different routes around Europe and it would all take much longer (sometimes multiple days) than a simple direct flight.

It boggles my mind that this isn't the norm. Train travel should be competitive with highway travel and yet in Canada it is the most expensive way to travel (except maybe small flights bouncing around way up north).

If you are interested in international train travel, particularly in Europe- a shout out for the totally excellent https://www.seat61.com/

… a passion project that has been going for years and years and basically tells you the best way to get from anywhere to anywhere by train

I wish, but it ain't it chief. Low cost flights are too cheap and cross border trains way too expensive still. I've been booking a lot of journeys in the last week and unfortunately for long distance trips I'm forced to fly or I break my bank. Things might change relatively soon though.

Oh boy, this bogus article again.

Yes, train is cheaper than plane if you tack on an extra hotel night for no reason.

There's no difference between leaving on a Friday night and arriving on a Saturday morning by night train, and leaving on a Saturday morning and arriving on the same morning by plane.

Add to this that sleepover trains aren't available for the vast majority of destinations in Europe, and this article feels more and more like an ad paid for by the companies, which basically represent the entirety of the sleeper train option.

Addendum : I love the "a family of 4 saves £94, vut an even larger family could save up to £300!" part. Yes, if I took my entire extended family with me, we could even save over a grand on the trip !

"You’re also less likely to get stranded by a last-minute flight cancellation or lengthy delay - a nightmare that can destroy the most meticulously-planned holiday." Ah yes, the train, a mean of transportation that is notoriously known for it's reliability and lack of delay.

You want a cheap, low-impact holiday transportation? Coaches will get you across Europe for actually cheaper than planes, no ifs or buts, and aren't too polluting as long as they're full (also, trains are only "clean" transportation as long as they run on electricity and said electricity isn't produced by burning coal or oil)