{"id":2159827,"date":"2026-09-23T08:28:39","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T05:28:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2159827"},"modified":"2026-09-23T08:28:39","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T05:28:39","slug":"for-the-first-time-in-a-decade-more-europeans-travel-by-train-than-by-bus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2159827","title":{"rendered":"For the first time in a decade, more Europeans travel by train than by bus"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/14\/82\/1200x675_cmsv2_4d7c6416-7aad-50f5-9e2d-7e26f3fd7517-9921482.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2928178-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2928178\" data-cid=\"9925473\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928178-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/54\/73\/189x106_cmsv2_662447ac-a1d8-5c67-b5e6-f0f4c06840cc-9925473.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Ukraine&apos;s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters. 23 September 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Zelenskyy calls for continued pressure on Russia at UNGA\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928056-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2928056\" data-cid=\"9925190\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928056-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/49\/09\/189x106_cmsv2_40ac2e97-a60f-5304-9b4f-dc00e1190b72-9924909.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Maricarmen, who is 87-years-old. Pictured speaking to media on the street. \" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Spain: Protests after 87-year-old woman evicted from home by force\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928092-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2928092\" data-cid=\"9925305\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928092-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/50\/36\/189x106_cmsv2_8b84ca08-5d39-5697-82ec-76181e56a81c-9925036.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Pope Leo XIV will be visiting France from 25 to 28 September.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Day devoted to the Pope in French Catholic schools sparks controversy\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927986-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2927986\" data-cid=\"9924617\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927986-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/46\/17\/189x106_cmsv2_a0864b7d-4484-547d-a208-7d8e0954a403-9924617.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The Ring in Athens\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    The Ring<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Who can afford to live in Greece? The Ring in Athens\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928178-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2928178\" data-cid=\"9925473\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928178-label-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/54\/73\/189x106_cmsv2_662447ac-a1d8-5c67-b5e6-f0f4c06840cc-9925473.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Ukraine&apos;s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters. 23 September 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Zelenskyy calls for continued pressure on Russia at UNGA\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928056-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2928056\" data-cid=\"9925190\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928056-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/49\/09\/189x106_cmsv2_40ac2e97-a60f-5304-9b4f-dc00e1190b72-9924909.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Maricarmen, who is 87-years-old. Pictured speaking to media on the street. \" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Spain: Protests after 87-year-old woman evicted from home by force\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928092-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2928092\" data-cid=\"9925305\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928092-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/50\/36\/189x106_cmsv2_8b84ca08-5d39-5697-82ec-76181e56a81c-9925036.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Pope Leo XIV will be visiting France from 25 to 28 September.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Day devoted to the Pope in French Catholic schools sparks controversy\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927986-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2927986\" data-cid=\"9924617\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927986-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/46\/17\/189x106_cmsv2_a0864b7d-4484-547d-a208-7d8e0954a403-9924617.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The Ring in Athens\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    The Ring<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Who can afford to live in Greece? The Ring in Athens\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Europe<\/p>\n<p>                          My Europe Series<\/p>\n<p>                          Europe in Motion<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            For the first time in a decade, more Europeans travel by train than by bus<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-controller=\"video-player\" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"js-playercontrols u-height-full u-position-absolute u-width-full is-autoplaying\" data-translations=\"{&quot;error&quot;:&quot;This video could not be played.&quot;,&quot;geoblocked&quot;:&quot;Sorry, this content is not available in your country&quot;,&quot;slow&quot;:&quot;This is taking longer than usual&quot;}\">\n<div class=\"js-loadtrigger js-loadtrigger__button c-loadtrigger__button\" role=\"status\"><span class=\"js-loadtrigger__label c-loadtrigger__label u-visually-hidden\">Loading the video<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/14\/82\/1536x864_cmsv2_4d7c6416-7aad-50f5-9e2d-7e26f3fd7517-9921482.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"Euronews\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              Euronews<br \/>\n           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                     Copied<br \/>\n                            <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        Cars remain Europe&#8217;s top way to travel. However, trains have overtaken buses for the first time in a decade, while planes grew fastest of any mode of transport over the same period.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>Planes, trains and cars&#8230; Are Europeans changing how they get around?<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>According to the latest Eurostat data, the answer appears to be yes, albeit slowly. Nevertheless, cars remain by far the continent&#8217;s favourite way to travel.<\/p>\n<p>Cars carried 69.2% of all passenger travel across the EU in 2024. That&#8217;s still overwhelmingly the most common way to get around, but it&#8217;s a share that&#8217;s been slowly shrinking.<\/p>\n<p>For the first time since 2014, trains have overtaken buses, coaches and trolleybuses. Rail edged ahead to 7.5% of all travel, just past buses at 7.3%. <\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a modest crossover; both modes still trail cars by a wide margin, but it&#8217;s a milestone that hasn&#8217;t happened in a decade. Sea travel remained the smallest slice of all, largely unchanged at 0.4%.<\/p>\n<p>Look back a full decade, and the picture sharpens considerably. No mode of transport grew faster than air travel, up 3.6 percentage points since 2014. <\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s well clear of rail&#8217;s smaller 0.9-point gain over the same period, a second, quieter shift running alongside the trains-over-buses milestone making headlines now.<\/p>\n<p>Cars, meanwhile, gave up 2.9 points over the decade, and buses lost 1.3. Put together, the direction is unmistakable. Fewer journeys are happening by road, and more by rail and by air, even as cars keep their commanding lead over everything else.<\/p>\n<h2>How travel habits vary by country<\/h2>\n<p>Zoom into individual countries, and the EU-wide averages break apart into very different national stories.<\/p>\n<p>Lithuanians rely on cars more than anyone else in the EU, with 83.7% of all their travel happening on the road. The Netherlands (77%) and Finland (over 75%) aren&#8217;t far behind, all three among the bloc&#8217;s most car-dependent nations.<\/p>\n<p>Flying, meanwhile, is close to a way of life in Croatia, where it accounts for nearly half of all travel, 45.6%, likely a byproduct of its island geography and heavy reliance on tourism. Bulgaria (30.3%) and Cyprus (25.3%) also rank among the EU&#8217;s most air-dependent countries, for similar reasons.<\/p>\n<p>Rail carries the most weight in Hungary, at 11.3% of all travel, and Austria, just over 10%. Buses hold their strongest ground in Malta, Ireland and Hungary, all countries where rail networks are comparatively limited. <\/p>\n<p>As for sea travel, it&#8217;s the island and coastal nations that lead the way: Estonia, Malta and Croatia, though even there it remains a small fraction of overall travel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Israel denounces &#8216;grotesque absurdity&#8217; of French president&#8217;s remarks on West Bank at UN<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  October 2026 travel guide: Where to go, what to see and the new hotels to book<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  The European commute: Which EU country spends the most time getting to work?<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto\">\n<ul id=\"adb-article-tags\" class=\"c-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Air transport<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Transport<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Rail transport<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Sea transport<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tp-vuukle\">\n<div class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton__header\"><span class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton__title\">Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"o-article-newsy__aside\">\n<div class=\"c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-1\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-top-stories\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-top-stories\">\n<h2 class=\"c-top-stories__title\">Top stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2928112-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2928112\" data-cid=\"9925371\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928112-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/53\/71\/320x180_cmsv2_fde5fe82-f1c7-5091-b65b-61329d786eca-9925371.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Iran&apos;s President Masoud Pezeshkian holds an image of late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the 81st session of the General Assembly at UN headquarters, 23 September 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Pezeshkian tells UN Iran will not be bullied but will negotiate<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2928056-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2928056\" data-cid=\"9925190\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928056-label-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/49\/09\/320x180_cmsv2_40ac2e97-a60f-5304-9b4f-dc00e1190b72-9924909.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Maricarmen, who is 87-years-old. Pictured speaking to media on the street. \" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Spain: Protests after 87-year-old woman evicted from home by force<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2928178-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2928178\" data-cid=\"9925473\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928178-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/54\/73\/320x180_cmsv2_662447ac-a1d8-5c67-b5e6-f0f4c06840cc-9925473.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Ukraine&apos;s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters. 23 September 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Zelenskyy calls for continued pressure on Russia at UNGA<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2928092-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2928092\" data-cid=\"9925305\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928092-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/50\/36\/320x180_cmsv2_8b84ca08-5d39-5697-82ec-76181e56a81c-9925036.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Pope Leo XIV will be visiting France from 25 to 28 September.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Day devoted to the Pope in French Catholic schools sparks controversy<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2928081-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2928081\" data-cid=\"9925177\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928081-label-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/49\/87\/320x180_cmsv2_9e36682d-2934-5d0c-99d3-1c614fee00a1-9924987.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A Russian Mi-8 helicopter crossed the Polish border.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Russian military helicopter violates Polish airspace<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-2\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto c-most-viewed\">\n<h2 class=\"c-most-viewed__title qa-section-title\">Most read<\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-most-viewed__list\">\n<div class=\"c-most-viewed__item\"><span class=\"c-most-viewed__item__number\">1<\/span><\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2927863-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927863\" data-cid=\"9924049\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    El Ni\u00f1o transforms Atacama desert as thousands of hectares burst into bloom<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-most-viewed__item\"><span class=\"c-most-viewed__item__number\">2<\/span><\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2927980-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927980\" data-cid=\"9924515\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Taylor Swift announces new single \u2018Patient Zero\u2019 &#8211; 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Are Europeans changing how they get around?According to the latest Eurostat data, the answer appears to be yes, albeit slowly. Nevertheless, cars remain by far the continent&#8217;s favourite way to travel.Cars carried 69.2% of all passenger travel across the EU in 2024. That&#8217;s still overwhelmingly the most common way to get around, but it&#8217;s a share that&#8217;s been slowly shrinking.For the first time since 2014, trains have overtaken buses, coaches and trolleybuses. Rail edged ahead to 7.5% of all travel, just past buses at 7.3%.It&#8217;s a modest crossover; both modes still trail cars by a wide margin, but it&#8217;s a milestone that hasn&#8217;t happened in a decade. Sea travel remained the smallest slice of all, largely unchanged at 0.4%.Look back a full decade, and the picture sharpens considerably. No mode of transport grew faster than air travel, up 3.6 percentage points since 2014.That&#8217;s well clear of rail&#8217;s smaller 0.9-point gain over the same period, a second, quieter shift running alongside the trains-over-buses milestone making headlines now.Cars, meanwhile, gave up 2.9 points over the decade, and buses lost 1.3. Put together, the direction is unmistakable. Fewer journeys are happening by road, and more by rail and by air, even as cars keep their commanding lead over everything else.How travel habits vary by countryZoom into individual countries, and the EU-wide averages break apart into very different national stories.Lithuanians rely on cars more than anyone else in the EU, with 83.7% of all their travel happening on the road. The Netherlands (77%) and Finland (over 75%) aren&#8217;t far behind, all three among the bloc&#8217;s most car-dependent nations.Flying, meanwhile, is close to a way of life in Croatia, where it accounts for nearly half of all travel, 45.6%, likely a byproduct of its island geography and heavy reliance on tourism. Bulgaria (30.3%) and Cyprus (25.3%) also rank among the EU&#8217;s most air-dependent countries, for similar reasons.Rail carries the most weight in Hungary, at 11.3% of all travel, and Austria, just over 10%. Buses hold their strongest ground in Malta, Ireland and Hungary, all countries where rail networks are comparatively limited.As for sea travel, it&#8217;s the island and coastal nations that lead the way: Estonia, Malta and Croatia, though even there it remains a small fraction of overall travel.<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2026\/09\/23\/for-the-first-time-in-a-decade-more-europeans-travel-by-train-than-by-bus&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/14\/82\/1200x675_cmsv2_4d7c6416-7aad-50f5-9e2d-7e26f3fd7517-9921482.jpg&#8221;] Europe News Zelenskyy calls for continued pressure on Russia at UNGA Europe News Spain: Protests after 87-year-old woman evicted from home by force Europe News Day devoted to the Pope in French Catholic schools sparks controversy The Ring Who can afford to live in Greece? The Ring in Athens Europe News Zelenskyy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2159827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2159827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2159827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2159827\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2159827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2159827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2159827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}