If you're planning a trip down south during Easter, you might think that the quicker, more convenient journey by plane would cost you more, but that is often not the case.
New research has found that you would be paying a third more on average to take a long trip by train than by plane.
Consumer group Which? conducted the research that found the largest price difference was for an Edinburgh to Bournemouth trip, which costs 239 percent more to complete by train.
The cheapest Edinburgh to Bournemouth route available costs £127, even when using split ticketing on the outward journey and an advance fare for the return. In contrast, the return flight costs just £38.
The researchers looked out for the cheapest available options for travelling by train and by plane over the Easter break on ten UK routes.
Only three routes, Newcastle to Southampton, Edinburgh to Newquay and Bristol to Aberdeen were cheaper by train. Overall, train tickets are 35 percent dearer.
| Route | Flight cost | Train Cost | % difference |
| London to Edinburgh | £51 | £90 | 75% more by train |
| London to Newquay | £100 | £107 | 7% more by train |
| Glasgow to London | £67 | £101 | 50% more by train |
| Manchester to Newquay | £154 | £221 | 42% more by train |
| Bristol to Edinburgh | £131 | £147 | 12% more by train |
| Newcastle to Southampton | £175 | £107 | 39% less by train |
| Edinburgh to Bournemouth | £38 | £127 | 239% more by train |
| Edinburgh to Newquay | £289 | £250 | 13% less by train |
| London to Inverness | £124 | £125 | 1% more by train |
| Bristol to Aberdeen | £294 | £236 | 35% less by train |
The research comes as cuts to air passenger duty are set to encourage new and cheaper domestic flights from April 1, 2023.
The Which? research found that plane journeys emit 118 percent Co2 on average when compared with travelling by train.
Rory Boland, Which? Travel Editor, said: "As travellers become increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their journeys, many face a difficult trade off between the price of their ticket and the cost to the planet, with just three out of ten journeys we looked at working out cheaper by rail.
"For those who prefer to travel by train, there are steps you can take to cut costs.
"Take the time to compare dates and times to see if cheaper fares are available, and look into what railcards you might be eligible for, as these can save you up to a third of the ticket price.
"You may be able to make further savings by checking if split-ticketing is an option on your chosen route."
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