Air Canada Introduces Europe Air-to-Rail Connections

Air Canada is joining the movement to ride the rails with a new air-to-rail booking option connecting European airports with four major passenger rail systems.

Through a new railway and distribution partnerships, you can book AC passengers on trains to destinations throughout France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

"As a leading global airline, Air Canada excels at flying, but we also know intermodal connections can enrich the travel experience through added convenience and by promoting sustainability. In offering easy onward airport connections with the national rail systems in France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, we are creating intermodal hubs and opening the door for customers to reach stations at major cities and popular destinations throughout these countries. Moreover, by facilitating the use of rail for the short-haul segments of our customers' journeys, we can provide sustainable travel options when touring Europe," said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President of Revenue and Network Planning at Air Canada.

The airline has teamed up with Lufthansa Express Rail, AccesRail, and WorldTicket to create a seamless travel itinerary, connecting its flights with train trips on TGV-SNCF Voyageurs in France, Deutsche Bahn in Germany, Swiss Federal Railways, or Austria's national railway, ÖBB.

For added convenience, Air Canada said customers can check in for all segments of their trip before departure, avoiding needing a train ticket at the station. Customers experiencing any flight disruption will also have their air and rail segments rebooked to provide peace of mind. 

Wing-to-Rail Connections

• France: Sold under codeshare on SNCF Voyageurs,  a single ticket connects France's Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris to up to 22 SNCF Voyageurs high-speed rail destinations across France, including Nantes, Bordeaux, Marseille and Strasbourg.
• Germany: Air Canada is building on its existing intermodal rail connections with Lufthansa Express Rail, which provides access to up to 24 stations on Star Alliance intermodal partner Deutsche Bahn within Germany from Frankfurt airport. 

With today's announcement, Air Canada passengers have expanded options to reach more than 5,600 railway stations across the country using Deutsche Bahn's Rail and Fly products from Frankfurt and Munich. As of AUG 2022, Deutsche Bahn became an Intermodal Partner of Star Alliance, the first non-airline partner of any of the major alliances., and Air Canada plans to launch codeshare on the German rail in 2024 via the Lufthansa express rail product, offering added benefits.

• Switzerland: Customers flying to Zurich or Geneva on Air Canada can now connect to Swiss Federal Railways trains at the airport and reach up to 11 stations throughout Switzerland, including such popular destinations as Basel and Lucerne.
• Austria: ÖBB services are now also available from Vienna airport to up to nine railway stations across Austria, including Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck.

More information on Air Canada's website.