Best flight-free travel tips for getting around Europe by train, from an expert insider

Catherine Livesley is a sustainable vacation skilled who has traversed nearly every single country in Europe overland. She has created desire outings at some of the world’s leading rail and sustainable travel firms and labored as a specialist for unbiased vacation providers. She is the founder of flight-free of charge tour operator and travel club, No Fly Journey Club.

When doing work as a tailor-produced travel professional, repeated flights have been as considerably a section of my life as a beer following do the job. But when the pandemic strike, I was pressured to keep grounded much for a longer time than anticipated. This led to a gradual revelation. Significantly concerned about the local climate disaster, it grew to become apparent that my flight patterns had to improve. Not only that – I needed to aid some others make the change much too.

In November 2020 I give up my task to start off No Fly Journey Club, working with my skills in overland vacation to support some others swap their wings for rails.

We specialise in overland visits commencing and ending in the United kingdom – as nicely as offering a membership club for individuals looking for flight-totally free journey suggestions and inspiration.

If you are searching to slash your carbon footprint without the need of reigning in your adventures, here’s all the insider details on how to travel Europe flight-free of charge.

Prepare vacation is great price for all people – but particularly one particular variety of traveller

When arranging an overland journey, inquire on your own these two inquiries: how a lot time do I have and what sort of holiday getaway do I want?

Are you searching to metropolis hop? Hike in attractive environment? Or just rest on the beach front?

The additional ahead you approach, the more affordable your journey will be. Preferably you must e book trains 2-3 months in advance. This will give you the most selection for the least expensive value.

One more way to save cash is to be flexible with your dates. For the greatest specials goal to travel outdoors of faculty holiday seasons and weekends. For journeys with numerous legs, you need to also look into regardless of whether an Interrail pass would be less expensive in the stop.

With a little bit of insider know-how, travelling by coach can be in particular affordable for families, since many teach operators offer free and discounted seats for kids.

Taking the train with children could be much more affordable than flights

Most European coach corporations supply free tickets to little ones (actual age restrictions differ but it can be up to 6). There’s no want to acquire a ticket – just invest in a ticket for any other passengers and deliver your young ones along for the journey.

If you want to reserve your little types their own seat, you can do so with a ‘child seat supplement’ from just €9 for each human being.

Some trains in France, Italy and Switzerland even have carriages specifically designed as enjoy regions, so young children can operate close to freely.

For little ones less than 12 savings ordinarily quantity to about 50 for every cent off. Just insert the ages of each passenger when booking and you are going to immediately see the charges. This is notably helpful if you’re travelling on an overnight train as you can protected all the beds in a cabin for your household at a discounted value. It is a terrific way to profit from excess privateness provided by rail travel.

How to journey to top places

France – the land of cheese, wine and image-fantastic villages

France has invested a long time investing in its high pace rail community, making it fantastic for exploring by educate.

Acknowledged as TGVs, France’s highspeed trains join main metropolitan areas at an spectacular 320km/hour. When you variable in time travelling to the airport, checking in and collecting baggage, travelling to France by higher speed coach becomes a lot more or a lot less similar to flying. The most common route for British isles travellers is, of training course, the Eurostar, connecting London to Lille in 1 hour 15, and Paris in just 2 and a 50 {32bc5e747b31d501df756e0d52c4fc33c2ecc33869222042bcd2be76582ed298} hrs.

Both these Eurostar hubs offer you a great deal of choice for onward vacation. Connecting in Lille is great if you want to stay clear of acquiring to cross chaotic Paris. Big cities in areas these as Brittany and the Loire Valley Alsace can be quickly attained in 4-5 several hours from London, and you could be sipping Pastis in the Mediterranean area of Provence in as minimal as 7 hrs.

Regional trains, identified as TER companies, join scaled-down locations as nicely as offering a less costly, slower selection for intercity journey. There are also a compact selection of right away trains connecting Paris with the south of France (locations include things like Good, Toulouse, Marseille and Perpginan). Reclining seats are the lowest priced alternative – commencing at all-around 19 euros for every human being. Alternatively decide for a ‘couchette’ for price range (and family members) lodging, or enhance to a sleeper cabin for the ultimate in overnight convenience.

Italy – beaches, vineyards and pizza are all inside of simple attain

When in France, Italy is simple to attain. Higher speed connections operate direct from Paris to Milan and are provided by both SNCF and TrenItalia. With routes priced to rival funds airways, there are loads of bargains to be uncovered. Fares begin at €39 for every particular person and the journey will take all over 7 several hours.

If you stay in London, it’s possible to go all the way to Turin or Milan in a working day – or for those people coming from even more afield, I endorse breaking up the journey with a pitstop in Paris or Lyon.

From Milan, onward travel to most sections of northern and central Italy is quick and simple many thanks to the superb higher velocity rail network. Right away companies also run to the south, enabling you to drift down to Rome, Naples or Sicily in design and style. Tickets can be bought from TrenItalia, as very well as non-public higher speed coach operator Italo.

Greece – hop from train to boat to explore hundreds of Grecian isles

Manufactured it to Italy? Then you’re just a boat journey away from Greece. Ferries cross the Aegean from numerous places together Italy’s east coast.

Large speed rail connects important Italian ports like Ancona, Bari and Brindisi. These give day by day sailings to Igoumenitsa (on Greece’s west coastline) and Patras (the place you can pick up a bus to Athens). There are also repeated sailings to Corfu and other Ionian Islands – but check out your dates as these don’t run every single day. Most supply overnight journey, having concerning 8 and 24 hours based on the destination. As with overnight trains, you have many solutions for diverse selling prices. You can slumber ‘on deck’ for the lowest priced value, or ebook a cabin for an extra expense if you want to guarantee a snug night’s snooze.

Turkey – keep grounded until finally you achieve the incredibly hot air balloons of Cappadocia

Though it could possibly be finest reserved for the much more adventurous traveller, it is attainable to get to Turkey overland from the British isles. The simplest selection (obtainable late April – early October) requires travelling from London to Munich through Brussels. From right here you can acquire overnight trains to Budapest and then on to Bucharest, with a ultimate right away hop getting you from the Romanian capital to Istanbul – and the pretty edge of the continent – on day 4.

Even though it might not beat the 4 hour flight in a race, you will get to soak up the surroundings in three of Europe’s most thrilling cities on the way – and that is something no airline can give.