Imagine planning a trip across Europe or Asia and juggling half a dozen websites – one for trains, one for buses, one for flights, and the ever-present Google Maps. That used to be us, until we discovered Rome2Rio.
It was literally built to solve this problem: the founders say they were “frustrated that travel websites focused only on flights, with very little information available to plan trips by train, bus, ferry” .
Their goal was “to create an experience where people could quickly discover all transportation options for anywhere to anywhere, all around the globe” . In practice, Rome2Rio became that one-stop trip planner: enter any address or landmark as origin and destination, and it shows every possible way to get between them – by plane, train, bus, ferry, car, and more .
Rome2Rio is an Australian multimodal journey planner (founded in 2010) that serves travelers worldwide . In fact, its homepage motto is “Discover how to get anywhere by plane, train, bus, ferry and car” . Simply type in any two places (even just city names or airports), and Rome2Rio instantly returns a list of routes: everything from direct flights to long scenic drives .
The iOS/Android app notes you can compare trains, buses, ferries, flights, and driving routes – even unusual modes like gondolas or hovercrafts – all in one place . The database is enormous: it covers over 240 countries and claims nearly 200,000 train lines, 970,000 bus routes, 13,000 ferries, and 53,000 flight paths worldwide .
In 2019 Rome2Rio joined the Omio travel group (formerly GoEuro) , which means its planning is now backed by Omio’s ticketing platform – although Rome2Rio itself remains the independent trip-planning engine it always was.
How Rome2Rio Works
Using Rome2Rio is easy and powerful. On the desktop or mobile site, you enter your origin and destination (cities, addresses, or landmarks) and hit Search. Immediately, Rome2Rio shows all viable travel options with summary cards – each card lists the mode (train, bus, flight, etc.), total time, and price range.
Under the hood it combines Google Maps data with its vast transport database , so searches are lightning-fast. For each option you can drill into step-by-step details: which train or bus to take, transfer points, or which airline serves the flight. For example, we searched London → Paris and Rome2Rio listed 10 different routes .
It showed the Eurostar train (2h27m), a cheap overnight bus (9h20m), a rideshare, several flights (Heathrow–Charles De Gaulle, Gatwick–Orly, etc.), plus driving routes via the Eurotunnel or ferry. Each one had its duration, distance and cost estimate right there.
Even the price of the boat ferry (£100–148) or the bus (€14–24) was shown alongside the train fare (€100–200) . In short, Rome2Rio puts the fastest and cheapest routes side by side so you can instantly compare modes. It even includes rideshares (like carpool options) with distance and price , which most other planners won’t show.
Scenic Route Planning. Imagine you’re considering a mountain road trip (as pictured above) instead of a flight. Rome2Rio will calculate that driving route’s distance, time, and even fuel cost, and show it next to alternative trains or flights to the same destination.
For instance, a 6‑hour mountain drive might appear alongside a 3‑hour train, so you can decide if the extra sights are worth the extra time. Seeing each option’s travel time, price and steps (e.g. “Drive 2h, take ferry 2h, drive 1h”) in one table makes planning effortless.
We’ve used Rome2Rio for many real trips. Once we needed to get from Barcelona to Mallorca. A flight was obvious, but Rome2Rio showed we could also drive to Valencia, take a ferry to Palma, or even a combined bus+ferry route – all in one search.
Another time, planning Chiang Mai → Luang Prabang, it listed a 12‑hour bus, a 3‑hour flight, and mixed minivan + ferry options. In each case Rome2Rio gave me prices and times so I could weigh comfort vs. budget. One especially neat case: the site even suggested taking the train from Berlin to Gdańsk instead of a plane via Copenhagen – something we never would have thought of on our own .
Rome2Rio also links directly to booking partners. Once you pick a route, you can often click through to buy tickets on sites like Omio, Skyscanner or Railways. (Since the Omio acquisition in 2019, Rome2Rio has integrated Omio’s booking engine, giving “more options to book flights, trains, buses and ferries” .) In short: use Rome2Rio early to discover your route (including surprises), then use the carriers or Omio/Skyscanner to book.
Rome2Rio vs Other Travel Tools
Rome2Rio is best thought of as a supplement to, not a replacement for, your favorite travel apps. Here’s how it compares:
- Google Maps: Free and fantastic for city navigation. Google Maps excels at driving directions, cycling/walking routes, and local public transit (with real-time traffic, street views and offline maps) . If you want turn-by-turn or local bus info, Google Maps is unbeatable. However, it doesn’t cover flights or many long-distance train/ferry routes, and it won’t show cross-border bus networks or rideshares. In practice we often use Google Maps for on-the-ground wayfinding, then switch to Rome2Rio when we need to compare intercity or international trips (airplanes, ferries, etc.).
- Omio (formerly GoEuro): Omio is a popular booking site especially in Europe (and now U.S./Canada) – you can book trains, buses, flights and ferries through one interface (Omio’s tagline is “Book, search & compare trains, buses, flights & ferries” globally ). It has slick booking and usually very accurate schedules/prices for those regions. In fact, Rome2Rio now taps into Omio’s back end . The difference is that Rome2Rio focuses on planning routes from any origin, while Omio focuses on selling tickets on known routes. For example, Omio might not list a tiny local bus or share-ride option, whereas Rome2Rio tries to include everything. Conversely, Omio can sometimes offer slightly better guarantees or discounts when you actually purchase tickets. We find Omio useful once we have a chosen route, but if we’re still exploring “how” to get somewhere, Rome2Rio gives a broader picture.
- Skyscanner: Skyscanner (and Google Flights) are great for what they do: searching airline tickets worldwide. Skyscanner offers flexible date searches, fare alerts, and finds deals across many airlines . If our trip is simply “which plane is cheapest,” Skyscanner can handle that. But it only covers flights (and in some regions, a few trains). It won’t show buses, local ferries or combined car+train journeys at all. In contrast, Rome2Rio includes flight results too (often via Skyscanner or Kayak engines), but its edge is that it also shows ground and sea transport. So we often check Skyscanner for best flight prices, then use Rome2Rio to see if a bus+train might be a competitive alternative for part of the trip.
- Accuracy Caution: One important note from experienced travelers – use Rome2Rio for planning, but double-check details with the carriers. In practice, Rome2Rio’s data is vast but not 100% real-time. A rail schedule might have changed or a small operator’s service might be missing. As one travel forum commenter advises: “Rome2Rio is great for initial trip planning but it’s not always accurate. I’d always go to the source to buy train tickets, if possible” . We’ve experienced this too: it’s wise to confirm critical trains or ferries on the official site. Treat Rome2Rio as a powerful trip visualization tool – then book through the provider.
Why Every Traveler Should Bookmark Rome2Rio
In our adventures (be it a weekend road trip or a month-long trek through multiple countries), Rome2Rio has become indispensable.
It literally shows all the cards on the table: no more switching between apps to compare flight vs. train vs. bus.
The site combines everything into a simple list. We’ve used it to uncover cheaper or more eco-friendly routes (like a cheap bus instead of a short flight), to plan complex island hops or cross-border trips, and to ensure we didn’t miss a hidden ferry or rail route.
Best of all, Rome2Rio is free and easy – no registration needed for basic use. Just head to Rome2Rio.com or grab the mobile app, type your itinerary, and let it work its magic. It can even suggest hotel partners for your stops. We still use Google Maps for city walks and Skyscanner for airfare, but bookmarking Rome2Rio has saved us countless hours on planning.
So next time you’re mapping a journey – whether from Paris to Prague, Toronto to Tofino, or Tokyo to Nara – try plugging it into Rome2Rio. You’ll see flight times and budget buses, trains and taxis, all in one place .
This “one-stop” travel map truly lives up to its name by helping you figure out everything from A to B . Trust us, your future self (and your travel budget) will thank you for bookmarking it.
