Taking the train can be almost twice as fast as flying for some journeys in France

Taking the train is faster than flying for some short journeys within France, according to a new analysis.

In 2023, France introduced a ban on domestic short-haul flights where there is a rail alternative of under two and a half hours. It was brought in to curb carbon emissions, but swapping a plane for a train could also be the cheaper and, it turns out, faster option.

Research from Trainline compared five national journeys for which the air option is soon expected to disappear and found that some intercity trips are made twice as fast by choosing rail transport.

Some intercity journeys in France are almost twice as fast by train as by plane

Taking the train instead of a plane for journeys of 2.5 hours or less in France can mean significantly reducing travel time, according to Trainline figures.

The rail booking company used its own data to calculate the train journey times and cost, and data from airline booking comparison site Skyscanner for plane travel times and cost.

The difference in travel times is mainly because opting for rail transport means avoiding lengthy security checks and waiting times required when taking a flight.

“While the duration of the flight often seems advantageous, it does not reflect the (actual) duration of an air journey, including travel to the airport, waiting before boarding and security checks, possible delays related to checks and check-in,” Trainline said.

Some intercity journeys in France can be almost twice as fast by train as by plane, the research found.

Rennes to Paris takes 3 hours 21 minutes by plane but only 1 hour 44 minutes by train, while Paris to Lyon takes 3 hours 37 minutes when flying and 2 hours 11 minutes by train.

Rail travel can also cut journey times because passengers are more likely to depart from and arrive in the city centre, whereas many airports require a transfer.

“Train stations, ideally located in city centres and well-served by public transport, enable travellers to reduce the number of additional journeys,” Trainline said.

“Even taking into account the 30-minute advance (arrival time) recommended by train operators, this remains a more efficient option than flying, where remote infrastructures increase the total journey time.”

Trainline figures also showed that the cost of train journeys can be much lower than plane journeys, too. Flying is, on average, 1.8 times more expensive than the train.

Travelling between Paris and Lyon by train means saving as much as €40, while Marseille to Lyon by train cuts travel costs by €41.

Rail journeys can emit almost 100 times fewer emissions than flying

The findings also appear to back up France’s decision to ban short-haul domestic flights.

The regulation, in theory, means that any journeys that are possible in less than two-and-a-half hours by train cannot be taken by plane, with the exception of connecting flights.

The changes are part of France’s 2021 Climate Law and were first proposed by France's Citizens' Convention on Climate - a citizens' assembly tasked with finding ways to reduce the country's carbon emissions.

The Trainline study found that the carbon footprint of trains can be 124 to 151 times lower than that of planes. This data takes into account the emissions emitted by these two modes of transport, as well as those used by the traveller to continue their journey.

For example, the company calculated that a Paris to Lyon flight produces more than 90kg of CO2 per person, whereas the same journey by train only emits 0.690kg.

In practice, however, the flight ban isn’t cutting emissions as dramatically.

The French Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC) estimated that the new regulation could cut up to 55,000 tonnes of emissions, just 2.6 per cent of total emissions from domestic flights in France per year.