Skyscanner announced on Monday, Feb. 23, that its search feature will start combining flight and train results, allowing travellers to compare both travel options with a single search.
What will the search show?
The train results are currently only available on selected cross-border and domestic routes from the U.K., Spain, Italy, Germany, and South Korea.
Skyscanner stated that the search aggregator will only highlight train routes when they are a practical alternative to flying, meaning direct journeys of under eight hours or with one simple connection. Departures should also be within 90 days of the search.
The flight results maintain the same format, with different times, prices, and airlines, but will include a banner between the flight options asking users if they “Fancy travelling by train?” and featuring the average cheapest train cost.
By clicking the “View deals” button, interested travellers will see a side window showing train options in a display similar to the flights.
Demand for train travel
Catriona King, Skyscanner’s chief commercial officer, said in a statement that:
“By adding trains to flight search, travellers have more choices when travelling to key destinations and can easily compare those options all in one place.”
According to a survey commissioned by Skyscanner with OnePoll in August 2024, on average, one in four travellers wanted to see train options alongside flights, with 21% of respondents saying they were more likely to book the train if they could see a comparison with flights.
81% of the survey respondents also said that sustainability was important to them when travelling, but that they felt overwhelmed when trying to travel more sustainably.
“We have seen good signals for travel demand in 2026, and by adding trains to our choices for travellers, we will be able to capture more of this demand and serve our travellers’ needs,” King said.
She added that the limited selection of train routes was a start, and that Skyscanner would continue testing and expanding the feature in the coming months.
Do you use Skyscanner when planning your trips? Would you choose a train instead of a flight if you could? Share your thoughts in the comments.
