Can friends choose different routes when one wants rail for environmental reasons?
Travel“If we're taking this trip together, I thought we'd take the train together,” Anya says when Dee sends a flight option for Amsterdam.
They are travelling from London. In their worked budget, rail would be £240 each while the flight is £110 before ground transport. Dee would also need extra time away from work for the rail itinerary they have chosen to compare. Those are illustrative costs and plans, not current fare quotes.
Anya prefers rail for environmental reasons and likes the idea that the journey is part of the holiday. The [European Environment Agency's 2025 mobility report](https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/sustainability-of-europes-mobility-systems-2025) describes rail's high energy efficiency and low greenhouse-gas emissions; it is not an emissions calculation for these particular bookings.
Dee supports trying to reduce the trip's impact but cannot comfortably meet Anya's budget and timing. They have not bought transport or accommodation. Would travelling separately and meeting in Amsterdam preserve the holiday, or should they choose a different trip that both can reach in a way they accept?