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We’ve partnered with flight-free holiday provider, Byway, to create three special sustainable itineraries. All Byway trips include transport and accommodation, with these three routes featuring some of our places to stay. There’s a romantic ramble through glorious Italy, a sunny escape to the south of France and a coastal adventure in Cornwall, all designed to get you deeper into some wonderful destinations.
Take a look at the itineraries and follow the links below to book your trip with Byway, or see our other inspiring flight-free content for more suggestions on places to savour slowly and sustainably.
Leave London behind and whisk yourself off to the south coast, spending five nights in two glorious waterfront spots, where you can linger on the terrace and watch the waves.
An epic journey made easy, as you hop over to Paris before heading all the way down to Florence and Venice, coming home on a dramatically scenic route through the alps.
All the sun and sea you could want, as you nip down to Nice, spend a couple of days basking in the grandeur of Cannes then indulge in a Parisian stopover on the way home.
The Byway team can you help you tailor your itinerary in every way, from lengthening stays and changing destinations to equipping you with hints and tips to the best discoveries at every stop. If you like the look of our itineraries, get in touch with Byway. You could be riding the rails next week!
Book your journey to Cornwall with Byway >
From coastal journeys across the French Riviera, and rack railways clacking up Spanish mountainsides to express trains cutting through the heart of the Sicilian countryside and winding around Italy’s cliffs, there are limitless journeys to take through Europe. Travel writer and train expert, Monisha Rajesh, shares four journeys with spectacular scenery at every twist and turn.
For solo travellers, trains provide a wonderful cloak of anonymity – or a readymade group of friends. The sense of belonging is innate, the knowledge that from the moment you board until the moment you leave, you’re drawn into the fold of a unique railway family, one that unites you for those few hours or minutes, whatever your reason for travel. Journalist and author, Monisha Rajesh, who has written several books and countless articles on train travel, shares a few of her favourite routes for solo travellers.
France is so easily reached by train and therefore, as French expert and travel writer Carolyn Boyd, has discovered, it’s simple to discover charming new corners of France and arrive with ease and comfort. Your destination need not be a big city hub, either. With smaller train lines linking up to the main TGV lines, you can find a cosy bolthole surrounded by woodland, vineyards, or sea.
Italy is a joy to travel by train; they’re fast, tickets are easy to buy and the network is so extensive you can explore the history, flavours and culture of multiple regions in one holiday. Our Italy expert, Nicole Franchini, shares four routes to inspire your next trip, from spectacular lake and mountain views to ancient, colourful towns tumbling down into sparkling seas.
Travelling by train through La Marche is a delicious way to discover a region that has the luscious landscapes, sparkling blue seas and impeccable food of neighbours Tuscany and Umbria, but a fraction of the crowds. The route spans 59km, from Pesaro to Ancona, making nine scenic and sumptuous stops along the Adriatic coast.
With the landscape of travel changing as more of us look for cost-effective, greener holiday options, we decided to go, slowly and sustainably of course, in search of new ways to explore the UK.
We asked our community of owners in Portugal and immediately started planning trips to Porto’s new wine districts, the São Jacinto Dunes, waterfront markets, art galleries and the warm waters of Madeira.
There’s something decidedly old-fashioned and romantic about boarding a sleeper train and waking up at your destination, and once you’ve made your way to Scotland, there are plenty of rail trips that allow you to carry on into the stunning scenery at a rumbling pace.
Byway are experts in flight-free travel. They create travel and accommodation packages away from the traditional tourist trails, using trains, bikes, buses and ferries. Personalised support from the team via WhatsApp before and during your holiday means they can tweak your trip for you right up to the last minute and even while you’re away.
With Byway’s commitment to the same slow, enriching form of travel that we’ve been championing for three decades, it made perfect sense to team up with them.