Railing through Europe is a top choice for Brits

The Brits and the Spanish are the biggest fans of European rail according to a study conducted last year by Eurail Group, the managing and marketing company for the InterRail Pass.

The study included the eight key InterRail markets: UK, Italy, Spain, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and France.

Aiming to get a grasp of the perceptions of rail travel in Europe, the quantitative and qualitative study found travellers saw the rail as safe and a comfortable environment to relax, read and work.

Rail travel was also perceived as one of the most environmentally friendly, with the amount of carbon dioxide generated per passenger on a train trip four times less than on a short-haul flight.

The number of InterRail passengers increased from 36 percent to 238,000 in 2008 compared to 2007, showing more people are warming to rail travel within Europe.

Customers now have the option of purchasing an InterRail Global Pass which travels to 30 countries throughout Europe by train. Prices start from EUR159 for a five-day youth pass and EUR249 for an adult pass.