By train abroad, even further afield: More and more holidaymakers are forgoing air travel because of climate protection and are happy to accept longer travel times. When it comes to net travel time, many European cities can even be reached faster by train.
Travelers save themselves the journey to the airport, where they should arrive at least two hours before departure due to check-in and security controls. The airport itself currently recommends this; for long-haul routes it should even be three hours. Getting to the airport from the city center takes around 45 minutes, sometimes longer. And when you reach your destination you first have to get back into the city.
When traveling by train you don’t have this lead time. An overview of travel times to various European capitals, prices vary depending on the day and ticket category.
Paris: From Munich Central Station you can take the TGV without having to change trains in five hours and 44 minutes to the Gare de l’ Est, which is also centrally located in the 10th arrondissement. A train leaves Munich every day at 6:49 a.m. You can travel even faster with the ICE. Anyone who gets on the train in Munich at 8:46 a.m. will reach Paris within five hours and 27 minutes. However, you have to change trains in Stuttgart, which only leaves nine minutes. So the train should be on time.
London: England’s capital can be reached by train in eight hours and 44 minutes. For example, if you take the ICE to Paris at 8:46 a.m., you will reach Paris Est station at 2:13 p.m. with a change in Stuttgart, if everything goes according to schedule. There you have plenty of time to catch the Eurostar to London at 3:10 p.m. It starts at Paris Nord train station, 800 meters away.
Rome: If you take the EC 83 at 9:34 a.m., you will arrive in Bologna at 4:19 p.m. after six hours 45 minutes. The connecting train then continues to Rome at 4:37 p.m. After a total of nine hours and six minutes you reached Termini train station. However, many travelers prefer to use the ÖBB Nightjet to Rome without having to change trains, which starts from Munich at 8:10 p.m. and ideally reaches its destination at 9:10 a.m. – you should pay attention to the day when booking, as some trains travel longer.