Sales of Interrail passes have increased sharply during the first months of the year.

More tickets are also being sold for the express train from Sweden to Berlin, reports Sveriges Radio Ekot.

”"We are seeing increased interest, perhaps especially among families who previously chose car or flight," says Snälltåget's marketing manager Marko Andersson to Ekot.

During the first quarter of this year, Snälltåget sold twice as many trips as during the same period last year.

Many people choose to travel by train for environmental reasons, says Ivar Karlsson at Centralen travel shop in Kalmar, who sees a noticeable trend.

”Then they say, 'We've always flown before, but now we're starting to think about it and want to find out if it's possible to go here or there by train,'’ he says.

The peak season for Interrail pass sales begins in May, and Swedish retailer Silverrail expects to sell 15,000 passes compared to last year's 10,600.

Despite the expected increase, the figures are much lower than in the early 1990s, when around 70,000 Interrail passes were sold per year.

Source: TT