Compare estimated CO2e emissions per passenger for a train journey against a short-haul flight over the same distance, using indicative European average emissions factors.
Enter a one-way distance (or pick a preset route) to see roughly how much CO2e per passenger a train and a short-haul flight each produce over that distance.
The figures used here - about 35 grams of CO2 equivalent per passenger-kilometre for rail and about 250 grams per passenger-kilometre for a short-haul flight - are indicative European averages, not a precise figure for any one train or aircraft. They are broadly in line with figures published by the European Environment Agency, which has repeatedly found rail travel to produce roughly ten to twenty times less CO2e per passenger-kilometre than flying on comparable short and medium-haul routes, depending on the electricity mix used to power the train and the load factor of the flight.
The flight figure includes an allowance for non-CO2 effects at altitude - contrails and nitrogen oxide emissions that have an additional warming effect high in the atmosphere - which is why it is expressed as CO2e (CO2-equivalent) rather than CO2 alone. Actual figures for any specific journey depend heavily on factors this tool cannot know: how full the train or plane is, the country's electricity mix (an electric train in a country with a very clean grid can be dramatically lower still), the aircraft type, and whether the flight involves a connection, which adds an extra take-off and landing - typically the most emissions-intensive part of a flight.
Use this comparison as a general guide to the order of magnitude involved, not as a precise carbon footprint for your specific trip.
Figures are indicative European averages for planning and comparison, not a certified carbon calculation.
Want the full picture, including why the gap is so large and when flying is unavoidable? Read the full train vs plane emissions explainer, or browse more of our slow travel guides for ways to cut flights out of a trip altogether.
Indicative estimates based on published European average emissions factors, not a certified carbon calculation for a specific train or flight.