Europe Travelers Swap Planes for Trains, but Climate Isn’t the Driver

Long-haul travelers to Europe are increasingly choosing to get around with greener transport methods, in a shift that appears to be driven by slow travel’s draw, rather than climate concern.

New research from the European Travel Commission, released this week, found that travelers are adopting lower-emission transport as part of longer, slower trips across the continent.

The study of responsible travel behavior surveyed 3,000 long-haul travelers from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan and the United States.

The clearest change was in how these travelers move around Europe.The share of travelers who relied mainly on human powered or electric transport, including trains, public transit, walking, cycling and electric vehicles, rose from 13% in 2024 to 18% in 2025, indicating growing demand for intra-European travel that does not involve flying. 

But the research suggests experience, not environmental concern, is driving t