But if you're short on time or have long distances to cover, flying can be worth considering. For cities relatively close together, the train is still more practical. From London to Paris, the Eurostar Chunnel train can be faster than flying, when you consider the train zips you from downtown to downtown directly. While flying gets you from city to city faster, you must factor in the time it takes to get between downtown and the airports, and the extra time needed for check-in and security. Train and car travel keep you closer to the scenery, not to mention closer to the Europeans than you would feel strapped into an airline seat.
Ground transportation is also less likely to be disrupted by bad weather or mechanical problems.
But if the distance from Point A to Point B is long, flying is now a much more attractive option than it has been in the past.