Travel without flying: holidays you can reach by land

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Cassandre Dufour

Travel expert in France, Switzerland and Italy.

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Estelle Torterotot

Travel expert in France and Switzerland

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Thomas Praire

Technical Travel Manager

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A selection designed for travel by land

When planning each trip, start by checking the recommended station or stop, the meeting time and where the holiday ends. A destination accessible by train may still require a connecting bus, a taxi or an extra overnight stay. The trip description specifies which transfers are included. Travel to the meeting point needs to be arranged separately unless it is mentioned.

Train travel generally produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions per passenger than an equivalent journey by plane or petrol or diesel car. The exact difference depends on the distance, occupancy, type of train and other forms of transport used. To compare a specific journey, ADEME’s Impact CO2 calculator lets you try out several modes of transport.

This approach is part of our commitment to sustainable tourism and complements our selection of low-carbon holidays.

Travel independently or with a group

On a self-guided holiday, we arrange the services listed in the itinerary, such as accommodation, luggage transfers or route documents. Services vary from one holiday to another. On a guided holiday, you meet the group and your guide at the specified meeting point.

In both cases, allow enough time between your train’s arrival and the start of the holiday. For some destinations, arriving the day before gives you more flexibility and reduces the impact of a missed connection.

Hiking, cycling and snow holidays in Europe

The selection brings together hiking holidays in Europe, cycling holidays and winter holidays. The Alps, the Vercors, the Massif Central and several Italian regions can be reached by rail, sometimes followed by local transport. The precise travel arrangements depend on the itinerary: check the practical information in the trip description before buying your tickets.

Families can browse our selections of family hiking holidays and family cycling holidays, checking the difficulty level, minimum age and safety of each stage for every itinerary.

Plan your journey to the meeting point

Book the legs of your journey with the fewest options as soon as tickets go on sale, especially during holiday periods and long weekends. Compare outbound and return timetables, ticket exchange conditions and bicycle transport arrangements if you are travelling with your own bike. Luggage that is easy to carry makes connections simpler.

If the meeting point is a long way from a station, contact us before booking: we can explain the options we know about and tell you whether a transfer can be offered. Timetables, fares and availability are determined by the transport operators.