“Britain has the highest cost per mile anywhere” was one of the responses Independent‘s reported that rail fares in England will be frozen next year as part of the autumn budget.
New research by Independent Across the big five European countries, it shows that the only routes where the UK is disproportionately expensive are Eurostar trains to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.
For an immediate departure there is no substitute for a £219 fare to Paris or Amsterdam, or £207 for the much shorter journey to Brussels. Continental Europe tickets are a few pounds cheaper.
However, for domestic rail travel, the UK is not far-fetched, as it is largely comparable to France and Germany – albeit generally with slower trains.
The research looked at intercity journeys of about 280 miles by 450 kilometers from major cities to the national capital. Instant departure prices were recorded on Monday morning at peak times, along with the lowest available fares for the same journey two months ahead. The lowest/highest fares found are:
- Newcastle-London (275 miles): £26 / £108
- Seville-Madrid (293 miles): £6/£78
- Lyon-Paris (289 miles): £15/£104
- Frankfurt-Berlin (263 miles): £16 / £135
- Milan-Rome (297 miles): £35/£94
In addition, a 45-mile/72-km trip between cities away from the capital was considered. The survey looked at day shopping, off-peak travel, using slower trains where it was cheaper:
- Manchester-Leeds (43 miles): £9
- Alicante Murcia (50 miles): £5
- Strasbourg Colmar (45 miles): £11
- Karlsruhe-Stuttgart (46 miles): £15
- Venice-Vicenza (43 miles): £6
The clear winner for both low fares and Europe’s best high-speed network is Spain. Booked well in advance, the 293-mile journey from Seville to Madrid costs £6. Four rail companies compete on the route, which keeps maximum fares lower for immediate departures. In addition, commuter lines in Madrid, Barcelona and beyond are heavily subsidized.
However, after Spain, no other major country stands out in terms of high or low fares.
Italy, where there has long been competition between private company Italo and state-owned operator Trenitalia, is second-best for immediate departures on the main Milan-Rome route. Trenitalia also has a good score for “classic” train fares between Venice and Vicenza. But for travelers who book in advance, the only really good deals are the slow trains. For some longer journeys, doubling the journey time can halve the fare, bringing the Milan-Rome journey to just £14.
In terms of transport geography – with strong north-south flows – and population, Italy is the closest comparison to the UK. On the Newcastle-London route, state-owned LNER competes with low-cost operator Lumo, with fares keen to book well in advance.
An unprepared passenger asking the LNER for the next train to the capital might be told it would cost £200.80 – ahead of any other domestic intercity journey in Europe. But there is never a need to pay such a high fare. Many retailers offer much cheaper deals by using ‘ticket splitting’ to exploit anomalies in the UK rail fare system. Passengers travel on the same train, but usually pay only half the fare.
Germany and France are generally comparable, but Germany has the most unusual offer for those who are happy with slower travel: the chance to travel for less than €2 (£1.75) a day across the country with Deutschland ticket. The card costs €58 (£51) for a full calendar month, which includes all local public transport.
Thanks to competition on the southeast route from Paris to Lyon and beyond, France is better value than ever for intercity links. But on routes where SNCF is the only provider, fares are more expensive than in the UK.
The biggest factor behind low prices on intercity routes is clearly competition. The UK government has been tentative about opening lines to so-called open access operators, citing a lack of capacity and fears that private operations may require additional funding.
The opposite argument is that the best way to encourage travelers to leave their cars is to offer attractive fares and services, as has happened in Spain.
Railcard discounts were not taken into account, although many travelers in the UK, France and Germany use it.
Switzerland is the most expensive country for domestic travel. The 55 mile journey from Basel to Zurich costs £34. But most Swiss travelers pay £180 for a half-fare card.
All fares reviewed on November 24, 2025.
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