Thing is, not only it is cheaper, it is much more effective regarding use of time.
Zurich to Paris just takes too long by train, and doing night trains isn't always an option.
Zurich to Paris just takes too long by train, and doing night trains isn't always an option.
For short and medium distances it rarely is, given that
A) for flights, you ought to be at the airport 1 to 2 hours before departure.
B) the train typically takes you from city centre to city centre, while the airport is frequently 1/2 to 1 hours out.
C) on the train, you can work non-stop, while on a short flight a good proportion of the time you spend in security, boarding, take-off and approach, where you can’t be on your laptop.
D) on many routes, trains depart every hour or even more frequently, so you can basically go whenever you want.
It's a nudge over 4 hours by TGV from Zurich center to Paris center. That is almost certainly comparable to getting from city center to airport, checking in, waiting before flight, flying, waiting for bags, and getting to city center at the other end. Of course, if your source and destination are closer to the airport and you have no bags/minimize waiting time that might tip the flight in your balance but I doubt it'd be very far off in many cases. Personally I'd much rather take the train here -- I find it more comfortable and convenient than flying and for me the overall time taken is comparable.
It can also be cheap. I've had several €29 fares on that route.
100€ both ways can be considered a good price, unless one also owns a Bahncard.
Many cities it’s a nightmare to get to the airport, whereas the train station is usually central.
German trains pack as much people as possible and occasionally you can consider yourself lucky if you manage to reach your seat, if the wagon is still available to start with.
None of my train trips in Europe (Scandinavia, Germany, Switzerland) had the issues you mentioned.
In particular, the designers of the German ICEs seem to have realized over the past ~decade that people don't want to lift heavy bags overhead (especially if the compartment is too small), and that when the only other space to store them is the corridor, the corridor will be full of bags. They added dedicated luggage racks with enough space to actually fit your luggage.
In any case, that was just an example, I am not doing Germany - Portugal by train, unless forced to do so. It is more than 24h.
That's the point, we need to expand the rail network to make longer distance trips shorter, more comfortable, and affordable. Flying can't continue to be the default option.