Europeans are slowly shifting how they move, according to fresh data from Eurostat. While the car remains the continent's undisputed king of transport, the latest figures for 2024 reveal a notable milestone: trains have overtaken buses for the first time in ten years.
Cars still account for 69.2% of all passenger travel across the European Union, a share that has been steadily declining. Rail now carries 7.5% of journeys, just ahead of buses, coaches, and trolleybuses at 7.3%. It is a narrow margin, but it marks a significant reversal of a trend that had held since 2014. Sea travel remains marginal, unchanged at 0.4%.
A decade of shifting preferences
Looking back over the past ten years, the most striking change is the rise of aviation. Air travel has grown by 3.6 percentage points since 2014, the fastest of any mode. Rail, by contrast, has gained a more modest 0.9 points. Meanwhile, cars have ceded 2.9 points, and buses have lost 1.3. The overall direction is clear: fewer road journeys, more rail and air travel, even as cars maintain their commanding lead.
These EU-wide averages, however, mask stark national differences. In Lithuania, cars dominate more than anywhere else in the bloc, accounting for 83.7% of all travel. The Netherlands (77%) and Finland (over 75%) are close behind, making them among the most car-dependent member states.
Air travel is almost a way of life in Croatia, where it represents 45.6% of all journeys—a reflection of its island geography and heavy reliance on tourism. Bulgaria (30.3%) and Cyprus (25.3%) also rank high in air dependency for similar reasons.
Rail is strongest in Hungary, at 11.3% of travel, and Austria, just over 10%. Buses, meanwhile, hold their ground in Malta, Ireland, and Hungary—countries where rail networks are comparatively limited.
The crossover between trains and buses is a modest but telling signal. It comes as European policymakers push for greener transport, though the growth of aviation complicates that narrative. For travellers, the choice between rail and air often hinges on cost and convenience, as seen in the ongoing debate over short-haul flights. Meanwhile, the rise of low-cost carriers has made flying increasingly accessible, a trend that shows no sign of abating.
As Europeans weigh their options, the data suggests a continent in transition—one where the car remains central, but where alternatives are slowly gaining ground. Whether this shift accelerates depends on infrastructure investment, pricing, and policy choices in the coming years.
