In Europe, speed of rail trips varies a lot

Paris, London trains faster than in those in east

Tourists visiting Europe are often advised to travel by train rather than by plane or car. Trains are considered reliable, fast and relatively cheap. But as a new research project shows, there are major differences within Europe: Although you can travel from London to Paris in less than four hours, travelling the same distance can take more than 22 hours in eastern Europe.

Peter Kerpedjiev, a PhD student at the University of Vienna in Austria, gathered data that offers stunning insights into Europe’s railway network. He selected 28 European cities and illustrated which surrounding cities or areas could be reached within a certain time.

IF YOU PREFER FAST RIDES, START SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO PARIS OR LONDON

Europe’s fastest train network is located in the west of the continent. London, Paris and Brussels form a triangle connected by highspeed trains.

“I was really surprised how well connected Paris is. Both London and the Mediterranean coast are less than four hours away,” Kerpedjiev said.

Parisians do not only have easy access to their own country and London, but also to Germany.

“Cologne is a little over three hours away, and most of the populous North Rhine-Westphalia region is less than six hours away. That’s an enormous area that can be reached in less than half a day of travel,” Kerpedjiev said.

EASTERN EUROPE IS INCREDIBLY POORLY CONNECTED

In comparison with western Europe, the continent’s east is lagging far behind in the development of its train network.

“It takes a little over eight hours to travel from Paris to Berlin by train, while the nearly equivalent distance between Sofia and Sarajevo takes 46 hours,” Kerpedjiev said.

Whereas Belgrade in Serbia is still relatively well connected, Podgorica in Montenegro, for instance, is virtually cut off from the rest of Europe.

SCANDINAVIA IS SURPRISINGLY WELL CONNECTED

Despite a low population density, and long distances between the few large cities, the Scandinavian rail network is surprisingly fast.

From Sweden’s Stockholm you can reach Norway’s capital Oslo as well as Denmark’s Copenhagen in less than eight hours.

Most of the data is based on information provided by the Swiss public transport agency.

“One of the limits, however, is that not all timetables in Europe are available, and some connections are missing,” Kerpedjiev acknowledges.

WHAT’S THE BEST TRAIN ROUTE FOR TOURISTS, ACCORDING TO THE DATA?

Kerpedjiev recommends that visitors start in London, Brussels or Paris and explore the cities by high-speed rail. Next, he would travel to Geneva, which is located in the Alps in Switzerland, using a high-speed TGV rail connection.

Alternatively, you could decide to travel to Cologne, Hamburg or Berlin in Germany. You might end the trip in Copenhagen, in Denmark.

Kerpedjiev himself would probably choose yet another option and take a night train from Paris to the Mediterranean coast or from Cologne to Prague and Vienna.

“While slower than the highspeed trains, they have the enormous advantage of letting you sleep comfortably throughout your journey and wake up at your destination,” he said.