Flight-free travel has gone from niche to chic – a fully mainstream holiday option anyone can try, whether they fancy hopping on the Eurostar to Paris or catching a sleeper train to Eastern Europe. And no wonder. Not only is swapping the skies for seas and overland journeying far more sustainable – drastically slashing travellers’ carbon footprints – it injects a whole lot more thrill and enjoyment into proceedings.
I should know: I kicked the flying habit in 2020 and have never looked back. Every trip is an adventure — from setting sail across the Bay of Biscay to Interrailing your way around the Continent à la Before Sunrise. Here’s a selection of the coolest flight-free breaks booking now.
Byway gets a gold star for being a travel company that only offers 100 percent flight-free holidays. Their 15-day train adventure to Sicily allows passengers to slow the pace: nights in Turin, Rome, Catania and Syracuse are segued between two separate overnights spent on sleeper trains before the journey returns via Milan and Paris. But the stand-out bit? The train to Sicily itself boards a ferry for the sea crossing from the mainland – the ultimate combination of flight-free transport options rolled into one, baby.
From £1,468 per person, including accommodation, transport, a journey guide with all trip details and WhatsApp customer support for on-trip queries. byway.travel This Unesco World Heritage-listed city in Western France might be best known for its affiliation .