this post was submitted on 22 Jul 2023
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This article is a load of bullshit. They basically only compared train prices from the UK to Europe and said it was more than flying. Sure, but that's because train prices in the UK are ridiculous, not because train prices in Europe are ridiculous. The UK is the outlier, always has been.
Taking a train in the UK, even across the UK, is sometimes more expensive than driving - it usually is when you factor in getting from a station to somewhere else. Meanwhile, taking a train within Europe is generally very affordable. The difference is the governments in the mainland actually regulate and ensure investment.
In Germany you can get a train to anywhere in the country for about €20, and children up to 14 are free. There's also Interrail tickets you can get across Europe that cover regions or countries, when the UK was a part of this system the UK-wide ticket cost roughly the price of 3 EU countries, even though the UK is much smaller.
I'm from Germany, and none of the things you said are true. For example, to get from Aachen Central station to Hamburg Central station the cheapest option is 23,90€, but that connection is from 8pm to 3am. If you want to ride in the day, your cheapest price is the Quer-Durchs-Land-Ticket ("Cross-Country Ticket") at 44€. But that way you are only allowed to use regional trains, which will make it a 7 hour train ride. If you want to use intercity trains (still a 5 hour ride), you will pay around 70-90€. And all of that is for 2nd class.
The age cutoff for children to travel for free is 6 years, children from 6-14 and 15-27 years travel at variously reduced prices (39€ for regional-only, 42€ for intercity).
I don't know where you got your information, but here in Germany, we are in the same situation as the UK. And while trains in the UK may be painfully slow on cross-country travel, I have felt that they were much more comfortable to travel on, given the absolutely abysmal state of a lot of our trains.
I was basing it on the information on this page: https://www.bahn.com/en/offers/saver-fare although now that I look at it the prices are "from" ~€20. IIRC there was also a limit on train prices across Germany over the summer, I think I may have confused these two.
€70-90 intercity is still cheaper than £100 to get halfway across England, with prices going up from there. Particularly when you look at the distances travelled. Again, this is standard fare, first class is much more expensive.
While maybe not as cheap as I was saying, train travel most definitely is better and cheaper in Germany than the UK, in my experience. I was in Germany a couple months ago using the train to get around. The situation might be headed in the same direction, but it's far better over there.
For a specific example, Munich to Berlin takes 4-4.5 hours by train, compared to 5.5 hours driving, a distance of 590 km / 360 miles. The 4 hour route can be €70 euros, peak price is €170 while if you travel late in the day you can get it for just €17.90. Meanwhile, Bristol to Leeds is only 209 miles or 330 km, takes 3.5 hours by car or by train, but a train ticket will cost you £108.10 one way super off peak (after morning rush).
So I guess German trains can be as expensive as UK trains, but you get many more cheaper options than we do - all while covering greater distances with trains that are quicker than driving.
This is definitely a bullshit comparison because there's no way that flight doesn't come with a ton of airport and processing fees and taxes, making its final price many times what's listed here:
And then we haven't talked about externalities yet. Planes cause so much more climate damage (which someone will have to pay), air pollution, probably noise pollution and possibly more.
Yeah they're taking the first price Ryanair advertise, rather than the final price you end up paying. Also, you can't bring anything with you at that price, just your carry on bag.
Meanwhile, cutting out the UK, a train from Paris to Barcelona can be had for €45 if you book well in advance (2 months), maybe even less than that.
you can definitely fly at just the advertised price. been there, done that. paid 16 € for a ticket, no extra fees.
No suitcase.
Don't need it.
Have just been to Paris for a week, with just a backpack (included in the price), managed just fine. If you don't pack enough clothes, you can just get them washed pretty much anywhere.
The cost of doing laundry, both in money and time (particularly in a foreign and unfamiliar country), isn't really worth the cost of bringing a proper suitcase.
Saying that though, if you're happy travelling light, more power to you. I like to bring the kitchen sink with me, but that's just me.
While this is true, there's a big asterisk attached to the statement.
DB adjusts the ticket price based on how many seats are still empty (asking other things).
Which means the earlier you book the cheaper the tickets are. But prices can ramp up quickly.
For an unpopular connection (mostly through the night) it can be enough to book 1 week in advance.
However for popular connections at prime times you gotta book at least a month in advance.
Depending on circumstances, it's nice and it sucks at the same time.
Yeah, that was the general impression I had when I dug deeper.
Still, your trains are quicker than those in the UK, and they can be much cheaper albeit maybe sometimes a bit more expensive.