Train Versus Plane: When It Makes Sense to Skip the Plane Ride to Cut Carbon Emissions

As travelers around the world increasingly heed the call to be proactive in the face of climate change, it brings about the question of how best to reach destinations in an eco-friendly and time-effective manner while seeking to cut back on carbon emissions.

It’s a quandary that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the travel experts at Hipmunk, who recently took a deep dive into their data to identify routes around the country where it might make the most sense to swap your plane ride for a train.

“The most comfortable, convenient, and cost-effective alternative to a plane ride is taking the train. In fact, if you take a train, you cut carbon dioxide (CO2) by half compared to a plane ride covering the same distance,” said Hipmunk in releasing the data.

While travel via rail may indeed be greener and even cheaper than travel by air, that doesn’t mean the length of a train trip will always work best for your schedule or make the most sense.

With those competing concerns in mind, Hipmunk has broken down the data to identify the options for travelers hoping to be more eco-conscious and cut back on carbon emissions associated with flying.

Here's a sampling of the routes identified by Hipmunk as offering the largest savings (based on median round trip booking prices) for train routes when compared to flight routes, along with the in-trip time difference you will be tacking on (hours, one-way) when opting to travel by train:

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St. Louise to Chicago

—Median train price: $55

—Median flight price: $309

—Extra trip duration: 4.3 hours

Seattle to Vancouver

—Median train price: $54

—Median flight price: $257

—Extra trip duration: 2.6 hours

Pittsburgh to Philadelphia

—Median train price: $97

—Median flight price: $458

—Extra trip duration: 6.0

Vancouver to Seattle

—Median train price: $72

—Median flight price: $278

—Extra trip duration: 3 hours

Tampa to Ft. Lauderdale

—Median train price: $59

—Median flight price: $173

—Extra trip duration: 3.7

San Diego to Los Angeles

—Median train price: $46

—Median flight price: $129

—Extra trip duration: 1.8

Portland to Seattle

—Median train price: $56

—Median flight price: $153

—Extra trip duration: 2.6 hours

Detroit to Chicago

—Median train price: $96

—Median flight price: $204

—Extra trip duration: 3.6 hours

The full table of Hipmunk data on train versus plane options can be found here.

Hipmunk's data comes at a time when travelers are increasingly looking for alternatives to flying. Led by the efforts of high-profile figures like Greta Thunberg and filmmaker-naturalist David Attenborough, a growing number of flyers have become pollution conscious and are acting on their concerns.

One last parting note about those looking for greener options when booking travel. Hipmunk has long been a leader when it comes to offering travelers more environmentally friendly alternatives for transportation.

Since 2011, the site has been showing users Amtrak train trips alongside flight results on routes where Amtrak provides service.

The site provides train schedules and prices where available in both Hipmunk and Concur Hipmuk search results and also shows such details as to whether the train offers Wi-Fi, which we all know is critical to travelers in this day and age.

As you book your travel, look for sites that offer a variety of transportation alternatives.