Air Canada Expands Easy Air-to-Rail Connections in Europe and Asia

Air Canada passengers can now take advantage of seamless multi-modal transport connections when traveling in four more countries as the airline has expanded its air-to-rail service in Europe and introduced it in Asia for the first time.

The Canadian flag carrier launched its intermodal travel service in December 2023, allowing passengers to book onward rail and bus connections to select destinations in France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

Photo: Air Canada, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Courtesy of John McArthur / Unsplash

In partnership with AccessRail, the service lets Air Canada customers book certain train and bus tickets along with their flights under a single itinerary, providing seamless access to dozens of destinations across Europe and protecting if they miss their connection should any leg of their journey be delayed or disrupted.

After the success of Air Canada’s air-to-rail service in the initial four countries, it has expanded this offering to four additional countries: Italy, Spain, the UK, and South Korea.

Italy and Spain

In Italy, passengers can now use Trenitalia’s extensive rail network that offers regional, overnight, and international trains across Italy and beyond.

When booking with Air Canada, travelers can book onward tickets to up to 30 destinations, including Florence, Naples, and Reggio Calabria.

Photo: Trenitalia. Courtesy of Nico Ruge / Unsplash

Air Canada currently offers nonstop flights to Rome Fiumicino (FCO) from Montreal-Trudeau (YUL) and Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and to Milan Malpensa (MXP) from Montreal.

When traveling to Spain, travelers can enjoy seamless rail connections to up to 24 destinations with Spain’s national rail operator, Renfe. Onward destinations include Cadiz, Granada, Pamplona, and Zaragoza, with Air Canada offering nonstop flights to Barcelona-El Prat (BCN) and Madrid Barajas (MAD) this winter.

Rail in the UK

In the UK, Air Canada customers can choose from four rail operators—LNER, Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway, and TransPennine Express—for seamless air-to-rail connections to up to 32 destinations.

Additionally, the program includes National Express, a regional bus operator that provides direct links to major UK cities such as Brighton, Bristol, and Cardiff.

Photo: Courtesy of Air Canada

This winter, Air Canada is operating up to 49 weekly flights to London Heathrow (LHR), with nonstop services from Montreal, Toronto, Calgary (YYC), Halifax (YHZ), and Vancouver (YVR).

Rail Connectivity in Asia

Finally, Air Canada is bringing its air-to-rail connection service to Asia for the first time. Passengers flying to Seoul Incheon (ICN) can now book an onward AREX Express connection to Seoul Station, followed by a KORAIL KTX high-speed train to eight destinations, including Busan, Pohang, and Ulsan.

Photo: Courtesy of CNW Group / Air Canada

“Following a successful launch in Europe last year, Air Canada is further growing its international strategy to more European gateways and to Asia, making it possible for our customers to connect on Trenitalia, Renfe, five operators in the UK, including National Express, and KORAIL in South Korea,” said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President of Revenue and Network Planning at Air Canada.

“The expanded offer will make it easier for our customers flying to and from our international hubs to add convenient rail or bus connections on a single itinerary. Our intermodal connections not only provide more choice, but also make available sustainable options for short-haul segments of their journey.”