Whether you’re fed up with airport chaos, trying to reduce your carbon footprint, or just can’t stand the thought of being stuck in a metal tube at 30,000 feet (and who could blame you?), no-fly holidays
are becoming seriously popular with British couples and families. You can still discover new cultures, stunning coastlines, and incredible food without stepping foot on a plane. You just need to think a bit differently about getting there.
The beauty of ground-level travel is that the journey becomes part of the holiday rather than something to endure. You’ll actually see the landscapes changing as you move through them, meet locals along the way, and arrive at your destination already relaxed rather than frazzled from security queues and flight delays. Plus, there’s something wonderfully liberating about knowing your holiday carbon footprint is a fraction of what it would be with flying.
Here’s everything you need to know about planning a brilliant getaway that starts right here at home.
- Take the Train to Europe in Proper Style
There’s something rather civilised about starting your holiday on the Eurostar. You glide out of London St Pancras and find yourself in Paris or Brussels within hours, no need for security queues or cramped seats in sight. From there, Europe’s high-speed rail network opens up incredible destinations like the French Riviera, Lake Geneva, or Italy’s gorgeous lakes.
You can travel from Central London to Paris on the Eurostar or the soon to be launched rival service, Gemini. With new routes connecting London to Geneva and Frankfurt, it will be a breeze to get to big Western European cities by train. Within Europe, they are connecting Amersterdam to Geneva within six hours and 20 minutes, and Brussels to the Swiss city in four hours and 20 minutes.
Just know that travelling by train you are also saving the planet as trains produce around 90% fewer carbon emissions per passenger than flights.
Continental trains are genuinely impressive. They’re faster than you’d expect, remarkably punctual, and surprisingly affordable, much cheaper than similar length train journeys in the UK. If you’re feeling adventurous, taking a sleeper train will still get you there and you save one night’s hotel bill. The overnight journeys can be wonderfully nostalgic, and if you splash out on a proper cabin they can be quite luxurious too. This is one sleeper train that I really want to try is the Brussels to Venice sleeper train that goes through Innsbruck and the Dolomites, for a mere €139.
Drive across to the continent
The alternative to taking a ferry to Europe is the Eurotunnel LeShuttle which can take you from Folkestone to Calais in 35 minutes. You can drive your car onto the train and it takes you straight from across the channel.
This is a great way to travel if you are heading off on a European road trip and want to explore little towns and villages in France or further afield. You can take a car load of people for the price of the LeShuttle ticket. There are no luggage restrictions and the best thing is you can load up the car in the French hypermarkets on your return.
- Scenic Rail, Drive and Walking Holidays Across Britain
You don’t have to fly off somewhere else when Britain offers some of the world’s most beautiful landscapes. Combine local train journeys with walking holidays in places like the Lake District, Cornwall, or the Scottish Highlands.
These trips are perfect if you want tranquillity and natural beauty without the hassle of airport chaos or hefty carbon emissions. From Edinburgh or Glasgow, you can rent an electric car or hybrid car to continue exploring the Scottish Highlands at your leisure.
The pace might be a bit slower but this gives you time to actually notice where you are rather than rushing from one tourist spot to the next. You’ll find that slow travel might be your new favourite way to explore.
- Cruises Sailing Straight from British Ports
If you fancy combining convenience with proper adventure and new experiences, cruises from Southampton or Portsmouth offer a brilliant no-fly route to both Northern and Southern Europe. The best bit is that you can visit loads of different places and not have to change hotels. You just unpack once and wake up somewhere new each day.
You can sail to Scandinavia, the Mediterranean, or the Canary Islands without wrestling with airport transfers or worrying about baggage allowances.
Modern cruises offer genuine luxury, expertly planned excursions, and the peace of mind that comes with having everything sorted for you. Many feature excellent all-inclusive packages too, meaning your meals and drinks are paid for before you even step aboard.
There are cruises for all age groups and people with different interests. If you don’t fancy cruising on a cruise ship with thouands of people, you can opt for the smaller cruise ships like Azamara (about 500 passengers) or big yacht cruises like Sea Dream Yacht Club (150 passengers) .
- Ferry Routes to Ireland and Continental Europe
If you like the idea of sea travel but prefer something more intimate than a floating city, ferries offer another excellent flight-free option.
Services from Portsmouth, Plymouth, and Liverpool connect you easily to Ireland, France, or Spain.
Try pairing a ferry to Bilbao with a scenic train journey to San Sebastián, or take the overnight ferry from Anglesey to Dublin for a culture-packed escape full of music, brilliant food, and fascinating history.
The crossing itself becomes part of the adventure, offering fresh perspectives on both British and Irish coastlines that you’d never get from 30,000 feet up.
You can take ferries as a passenger or you can take your own car with you so that you can just drive off and explore on the other side.
For the climate conscious, travelling by ferry (even with a car) generates roughly 80% fewer emissions than flying.
Why no-fly holidays is the new travel trend
These alternatives to flying aren’t just about avoiding airports (though that’s certainly a bonus). They offer something fundamentally different: travel that enhances rather than exhausts you. You arrive at your destination genuinely rested, having enjoyed comfortable seats, proper leg room, and the chance to watch the world go by at a civilised pace.
There’s also the satisfaction of knowing you’ve made a genuinely sustainable choice. The numbers are quite striking: trains produce around 90% fewer carbon emissions per passenger than flights, whilst ferry travel (even with a car) generates roughly 80% fewer emissions than flying. This isn’t just marginally better for the environment – it’s dramatically better. And financially? You’ll often find these options surprisingly competitive, especially when you factor in airport parking, baggage fees, and those overpriced airport meals.
Most importantly, you’ll discover that the journey really can be just as rewarding as the destination. Sometimes the slow road turns out to be the scenic route to the best holiday you’ve ever had.
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