You don’t need to board a plane to take a holiday. Much of Europe is now accessible via trains, ferries and the open road, so it’s time to slow down and enjoy the journey – and make the most of savings on travel with Boundless.
Travelling without flying needn’t clip your wings. Whether you journey by rail or road, or sail away from the UK on a ferry or a cruise ship, Europe is relatively easy to reach without air travel. Your motivations may be environmental or simply financial; experts warn that flight costs will hit a record high this year.
The benefits of flight-free travel are equally diverse, from swapping the tyranny of baggage limits for the convenience of filling the car boot to the thrill of waking each morning in a new cruise port, or the meditative joy of watching a shifting landscape through a train window.
Rail is a real growth area with new options steadily coming online, from the cost-effective – low-cost sleeper train services such as Go Volta and European Sleeper are making city breaks by rail practical and inexpensive – to the luxurious, with Belmond’s new Britannic Explorer luxury British sleeper train starting from £11,000 for a three-night itinerary.
Anyone used to domestic commuting will find the European rail experience a joy – I’ll never forget my delight at being offered coffee on board an Italian Frecciarossa train and discovering the trolley dispensed barista-quality espressos.
What’s more, as a Boundless member you can enjoy discounts and deals on travel on everything from ferries to hotels and travel insurance. See our Travel Hub to view the full list of savings.
Not yet a member? If you're working in or retired from the public sector or civil service, join Boundless and benefit from travel discounts on your next holiday.
The epic rail tour
Explore Vienna’s historical delights/Credit: Getty Images
Connect some of Central Europe’s most iconic capitals by train and you’ll not only be able to tick off cultural highlights including Vienna’s palaces and Berlin’s museums, but also enjoy panoramas of the continent’s landscapes as you travel.
Let flight-free experts Byway deal with the details; their 16-day Europe’s Imperial Cities itinerary includes time in Brussels, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Vienna and Amsterdam, and includes rail tickets and accommodation in the price, which starts from £1,626. They’ll even suggest which side of the train to sit on for the best views. trip.byway.travel
Read on to discover how travel writer Sarah Baxter enjoyed slow travel by train in Europe with Byways.
The French river cruise
Sit back and drink in the view on a cruise/Credit: Getty Images
Sail on the Seine from Paris and you’ll see a host of Northern France’s signature sights yet only need to unpack once. River cruise ships are by necessity smaller than their ocean-going cousins, and so have the feel of a floating boutique hotel, and Uniworld’s Joie de Vivre has a classic French bistro on board, plus Parisian-inspired design.
A seven-night Paris to Normandy itinerary will show you the highlights of the capital, Monet’s garden in Giverny, Rouen, Honfleur, Versailles and the D-Day Landing beaches. Prices start from £2,449, and include Eurostar travel, transfers, accommodation and all-inclusive food and beverages, plus one-of-a-kind experiences including a private concert in Rouen Cathedral and a glimpse inside the secret apartments at Versailles.
The Channel Island adventure
Head to the Channel Islands for golden shores/Credit: Getty Images
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Channel Islands from Nazi occupation, and on Guernsey, perhaps the prettiest member of this British archipelago off the French coast, you can follow the Occupation Trail to learn about episodes from this period in history at the locations they took place.
You’ll also find sandy beaches, winding cliff paths and – lining the cobbled streets and yacht-filled waterfront of St Peter Port – excellent restaurants too. A three-hour ferry trip from Poole with Boundless partner Condor Ferries starts from £330 for two passengers, including a car. Plus don’t forget, Boundless members can save 5%* on ferry crossings from Poole or Portsmouth to Guernsey.
The fuss-free family holiday
Take Le Shuttle for a flight-free journey to Europe/Credit: Getty Images
Try Le Shuttle – formerly Eurotunnel – for low-stress family travel. You can load everything the kids need into the back of the car, drive the car into Le Shuttle and 35 minutes after the train leaves Folkestone you’ll be driving on to the autoroute in Calais.
Pair up the crossing with accommodation at one of Eurocamp’s family-friendly sites, with parks all over Europe, including France, Spain, Italy and Portugal, choosing where to stay will be your hardest choice. Boundless members can save up to 35% off Eurocamp stays in 2025.
Try Marvilla Parks Kaatsheuvel in the Netherlands – a year-round spot with a heated indoor pool and slides set between a peaceful national park and Efteling, the huge Dutch theme park. A week’s stay in a three-bedroom holiday home sleeping up to six plus Le Shuttle crossings starts from £1,268 in May half term.
The Alpine ski trip
Hop off the train and hit the slopes/Credit: Getty Images
Why fly to the slopes when you can reach them by rail – and get an extra day’s skiing into the bargain? Eurostar’s Snow Train leaves London at 9am on a Saturday morning and reaches Bourg-Saint-Maurice, the final Alpine station, eight hours later. Choose from popular resorts including Valmorel, Meribel, Courchevel, Les Arcs, Tignes and Val D’Isere.
The generous luggage allowance means two cases, one piece of hand luggage and your skis or snowboard are included in your ticket. Plus, with the return journey on a Sunday, you’ll get an extra day’s skiing in while those who fly are already off to the airport. Lead-in prices this season start from £139 each way.
The Norwegian fjords cruise
Admire Norway’s spectacular fjords from water/Credit: Getty Images
Majestic peaks and mirror-calm waters await in Norway’s famous fjords, and you’ll find some of the finest views are from the deck of a ship – not to mention the fact a cruise allows you to explore whole stretches of the coast with ease.
Many lines offer round-trip sailings from the UK so you can swerve flying altogether; choose a ship with plenty to do on board and you can make the most of the sea days you’ll spend reaching the region. Barrhead Travel Cruises offers seven-night Norwegian Fjords sailings from Southampton on the stylish Celebrity Apex from £1,070.
The sleeper train
Travel in style on the Caledonian Sleeper/Credit: Getty Images
Inject a touch of excitement into your domestic flight-free holiday with a trip on board the Caledonian Sleeper – the rail service that’ll see you fall asleep after leaving London and wake up in Scotland.
You could go to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness or Fort William, but why not head for under-the-radar Aberdeen? You’ll find an array of street art, a dynamic foodie scene, and even urban wildlife – the city’s Greyhope Bay is the best place in the UK to spot dolphins from land. Prices start from £118 for a seat, or £360 for a cabin based on two sharing – not bad when you’re saving the cost of a night in a hotel.
The Spanish city break
Sail to Spain with Brittany Ferries/Credit: Getty Images
A view of the clouds is all very well, but you’ll see far more from the deck of a ferry. Brittany Ferries’ crossings to Santander bring Spain within flight-free reach, and when you cross the Bay of Biscay in the summer months you can spot dolphins and whales on the way.
Enjoy a couple of nights in Santander itself for urban beaches and superlative seafood, then take the bus east to Bilbao, an hour and a half away, for modern art and pintxos – Basque-style tapas.
Sailings take just over 20 hours but you’ll find a cinema and swimming pool on board to while away the journey. Foot-passenger prices start from £131 for a reclining seat, or from £351 for a two-berth cabin.
As a Boundless member, you can save 5% on ferry crossings to France and Spain all year round on routes from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth.
Do more with Boundless
If you're working in or retired from the public sector or civil service, Boundless has two great membership options to choose from: Boundless and Boundless Plus.
With Boundless, you get unlimited access or discounted entry to many of the UK’s top attractions, including Kew Gardens and Wakehurst and WWT centres across the UK, as well as year-round deals on restaurants, holidays, shopping and much more. With Boundless Plus, you can enjoy additional benefits including unlimited access to Historic Royal Palaces sites, National Trust for Scotland places, access to The Ramblers' extensive walking community, and peace of mind with roadside assistance and local recovery by LV= Britannia Rescue.
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