Exploring Europe by Rail: A Sustainable Journey Across Nine Countries. Gregory Savioz-Buck, University of Sherbrooke, Canada.
This summer, my partner and I decided to travel across Europe, using only trains to reduce our environmental impact. For several years now, I’ve struggled with flying due to its significant pollution. However, I am a passionate traveler, so I’ve been looking for ways to continue exploring while minimizing my carbon footprint. As we considered more sustainable travel options, we concluded that utilizing the European rail network—superior in quality compared to the American system—was the best solution. The two images below show the American and European rail networks, clearly illustrating that the European network offers far more choices. Here is the itinerary we followed in the summer of 2024. To get to Europe, we had no choice but to fly. Our flight departed from Boston and landed in Amsterdam, with a layover in Iceland. However, once in Europe, we traveled exclusively by train: Amsterdam (Netherlands), Warsaw (Poland), Krakow (Poland), Prague (Czech Republic), Bratislava (Slovakia), ...