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Lonely Planet’s Guide to Train Travel in Europe

There is a resurgence in interest in exploring Europe by rail, and Lonely Planet has caught the mood with a new book full of inspiration, information and adventures.

26 May 2022 6 minute read

Six weeks of a British summer

If you had six weeks to go travelling, where would you go? Eddie picked somewhere he'd not really explored before: the UK.

20 Mar 2022 6 minute read

Spain by Train

There's no better way to reach the nation's favourite holiday destination than by relaxing on a train, as Olga Gomez-Cash discovers.

16 Feb 2022 3 minute read

Naples to Manchester

Italian-born Loredana Spadola discovers the joy of travelling by train on a journey from her childhood home in Naples to her adopted home of Manchester.

21 Sep 2021 4 minute read

Turned out nice again!

Even though the British weather isn’t always ideal, Maggie Robertson reflects on the uncertain outlook and shares her tips for enjoying a UK holiday, come rain or shine.

10 Sep 2021 4 minute read

Where the Flight Free UK team goes on holiday

From cycling in Scotland to relaxing in Cornwall and everywhere in between, members the Flight Free UK team share the stories of their holidays this summer.

31 Aug 2021 7 minute read

2021 podcast series: Destination UK

International travel is pretty difficult right now, but why look anywhere else when there are so many fantastic parts of the UK to explore?

13 Jul 2021 7 minute read

Your summer holiday sorted: why we love River Dart Country Park

Summer holidays might be tricky this year, so why head far afield when there are so many places on our doorstep?

15 Jun 2021 3 minute read

Souvenir of Switzerland

When was your last proper holiday? Maggie Robertson casts her mind back to a train journey to Switzerland.

26 Apr 2021 6 minute read

Destination: Channel Islands

As one of the places we can travel to unrestricted, we take a look at getting to the Channel Islands without flying, and why you should make this your summer holiday destination of choice.

24 Mar 2021 3 minute read

Destination: Europe

Our ‘Destinations’ series takes a look at how to get to some of Europe’s most popular cities without flying

21 Dec 2020 5 minute read

#FlightFree2020 podcast episode 11: business travel

CEO and businessman Gope Walker has clients and staff across three continents, and speaks to us about how it's possible to run a successful business without flying.

30 Nov 2020 9 minute read

A young love of train travel

Germana and her son Davide write the No Fly Europe blog, documenting their travels by train around the continent. Now 13, Davide tells FFUK why he's loved train travel from the age of 3.

15 Nov 2020 4 minute read

#FlightFree2020 podcast episode 10: cycle touring

For low-carbon travel, you can't beat the humble bicycle. We speak to Debs and Jo, two seasoned (but very normal) cycle tourers about the wonders of exploring on two wheels.

03 Nov 2020 6 minute read

Clipped wings, great adventures

Josh spent the majority of his life with a serious taste for long-haul travel – now he shares how he and his partner Sarah find adventure through embracing a flight-free lifestyle.

27 Oct 2020 4 minute read

Destination: Scandinavia

How can we experience the magic of Scandinavia without damaging its pristine landscapes and precious tundra? By swapping the plane for the train – and here's how.

13 Oct 2020 10 minute read

The 'New Story' Adventure

The adventure world is full of people who are passionate about the outdoors and the planet. But with exploration comes a significant impact, especially if it involves a flight. How can we change the narrative and create a New Story?

24 Aug 2020 6 minute read

#FlightFree2020 podcast episode 8: stay-at-home travel

We speak to two travel writers about making the #FlightFree2020 pledge and what lockdown has meant for our attitude towards travel

21 Aug 2020 8 minute read

Travelling through literature

Trapped at home by the pandemic? We investigate whether books can stand in for adventures abroad.

09 Jul 2020 7 minute read

Scotland by Rail

Scottish artist Leo du Feu has spent much of the past 15 years exploring Scotland by rail, and shares his experiences, motivations and favourite places with us.

06 Jul 2020 5 minute read

Destination UK: Off the Beaten Track

There's no need to head abroad for holidays when we have so much here under our noses. Away from the crowds, delve into the hidden gems the UK has to offer, from market towns and canals, to castles and beaches.

02 Jul 2020 3 minute read

Light in the lockdown

Lockdown has been difficult for lots of us. But has being forced to stay still – no longer able to ‘get away from it all’ – changed our outlook?

01 Jul 2020 3 minute read

Making the journey part of the adventure

In deciding not to fly, Athlyn Cathcart-Keays discovers how the journey can become the adventure

29 Jun 2020 4 minute read

#FlightFree2020 podcast episode 6: flight-free Europe

We hear from Dr Alexandra Jellicoe about what the climate crisis and covid-19 means for travel

15 Jun 2020 9 minute read

Sleeper train to Sicily

Peter Gilbert travels deep into the Mediterranean by rail, and finds that the two day journey is worth every minute

12 Jun 2020 4 minute read

Adventure begins at home

Renowned adventurer Alastair Humphreys' many adventures include cycling around the world, rowing the Atlantic and walking the Empty Quarter desert. But on a mission to fly less, Alastair sought adventure as close to home as he could – without leaving the borders of his home county of Yorkshire.

19 May 2020 5 minute read

Destination: Scotland

Bonny Scotland is bursting with treasures, and being right on our doorstep it’s an obvious flight-free destination. Why holiday anywhere else?

11 May 2020 7 minute read

A world of experience

Mischa van Kesteren and his partner travelled around the world without flying, and here recounts some of the experiences they would never have had if they'd used a plane.

07 Apr 2020 5 minute read

2020 podcast episode 4: transatlantic travel

Author and adventurer Kate Rawles shares the tale of her transatlantic cargo ship voyage and her 8000 mile bike ride through the Andes

06 Apr 2020 9 minute read

The Community Rail Network

Jools Townsend, chief executive of the Community Rail Network, looks forward to the return of sustainable, community-minded, flight-free and car-free trips

01 Apr 2020 5 minute read

Can the train beat the plane?

The eco-credentials of trains are widely known, but what about the cost and time comparison? Maggie Robertson forsakes Easyjet and takes her family from Bristol to Edinburgh by train to find out.

13 Mar 2020 7 minute read

A flight free holiday in Mallorca

Mallorca is the ultimate package holiday, but there is another side to the island and there is no need to take to the air to discover it, says Rowena Quantrill

25 Feb 2020 4 minute read

Big World Small Footprint

Full time traveller Steph at Big World Small Pockets has taken the #flightfree2020 pledge, meaning not only will her pockets stay small this year, so will her carbon footprint.

24 Feb 2020 3 minute read

Destination: Spain

Our 'Destinations' series takes a look at the nation's favourite holiday destination, Spain.

24 Feb 2020 3 minute read

Prague to Pembrokeshire in a day

How far is it possible to travel in one day? Karen Simmonds shares the story of her 1000 mile journey, crossing five borders, in a single day.

12 Feb 2020 4 minute read

Going with children by train

Long train journeys with children don't have to be a challenge, says Susanne Treadwell, who shares her experiences of travelling by train with a family.

11 Feb 2020 3 minute read

2020 podcast episode 2: skiing by train

In the second episode of our 2020 podcast series we talk to SnowCarbon founder Daniel Elkan about why travelling to the slopes by train is always better than flying

04 Feb 2020 7 minute read

Confessions of a travel writer

Hanna Lindon, freelance travel journalist, explains what taking the #FlightFree2020 pledge means for her life and career.

10 Jan 2020 3 minute read

Winter Sun

Paul Powlesland, founder of Lawyers for Nature and once-frequent winter sun-seeker, shares his experience of spending winter in the UK

23 Dec 2019 3 minute read

Hitting the slopes by coach

Heather Mack tells us how travelling by coach to ski resorts across Europe makes for a less stressful and more scenic journey compared to flying, with the added bonus of being environmentally-friendly.

18 Dec 2019 3 minute read

A very British adventure

Does adventure have to involve a flight? Not necessarily, says Anna Hughes, who went on the adventure of a lifetime without leaving Britain.

09 Dec 2019 4 minute read

Be more Greta, Part II

As Greta Thunberg sails across the ocean again, we ask if new enterprise VoyageVert could be the future of transatlantic travel?

28 Nov 2019 3 minute read

London to Leverkusen by train… in an afternoon

Does a business meeting in Europe have to mean a flight? Definitely not, says Martin Siegert, now he has discovered Europe’s high speed rail network.

06 Nov 2019 3 minute read

The elephant on the travel desk

by Gavin Haines, travel writer (BBC, Telegraph, Positive News)

16 Oct 2019 2 minute read

Overnight by coach

Sarah Clayton from AirportWatch travelled by train and coach for a walking holiday in Italy, and asks if long-distance coach travel could soon become a popular alternative to flying.

05 Oct 2019 4 minute read

Destination: south of France

The glorious south of France is a popular holiday destination for its great weather, fantastic coastline and incredible mountains. Here are seven accounts of getting there without flying.

20 Sep 2019 5 minute read

Wall to Wall without flying

Christine and Peter Lloyd spent thirteen months pedalling to the Great Wall of China, and were determined not to fly home

21 Aug 2019 4 minute read

Family staycations in the west country and Wales

Elizabeth Roper lives with her family in the South Cotswolds, and shares with us the incredible holiday destinations to be found in this part of the world

20 Aug 2019 5 minute read

"I don’t have time!" – a rail and sail journey to Dublin

Flight Free UK Director Anna Hughes travels to Dublin via train and boat, a journey that prompts her to question our relationship with time

14 Aug 2019 4 minute read

Travel tips for train first-timers

Ian Garman, travel blogger at Best Dead Ends, offers his advice for people going on their first ever European train trip. From knowing the train system to things to watch out for, he takes the guesswork out of planning for a less worrisome journey

14 Aug 2019 4 minute read

Gran Canaria by rail and boat

Professor Trevor Dale shares his experience of an overland trip to Gran Canaria, a journey that the vast majority of people make by air

22 Jul 2019 3 minute read

Train-setting across Europe

Arts and sustainability group Creative Carbon Scotland has a general ‘no flight’ policy – here, Director Ben Twist, a seasoned rail traveller, offers some flight-free tips.

17 Jul 2019 5 minute read

Train travel is a gem waiting for rediscovery

Slow travel makes the whole experience far richer, as discovered by environmental scientist Alexandra Jellicoe on a recent trip to Italy.

10 Jul 2019 4 minute read

The great British holiday

Flight Free campaigner Anna Hughes contemplates if asking people to fly less will mean an end to foreign holidays

10 Jun 2019 4 minute read

Forsaking all flights

The honeymoon is traditionally a time to push boundaries and splash out on exotic travel. But when Rebecca Casson was planning her wedding, she wanted married life to start as she meant to go on.

31 May 2019 3 minute read

Adventures in happiness

After travelling for eighteen months, cycling through Europe, South and North America and Asia, Christopher ended up in Bhutan. But the carbon footprint of his journey led him to question his motivations and consider giving up flying for good.

16 May 2019 3 minute read

Long Train to China

Research fellow Roger Tyers shares his plans for an upcoming no-fly field trip to China, and explains the importance of leading by example

11 Apr 2019 4 minute read

The slow boat to South America (and other stories)

A keen traveller, it was difficult for Lewis to reconcile his desire to travel with his ambition to reduce his carbon footprint. But by giving up flying Lewis realised he would gain much more.

25 Mar 2019 3 minute read

Evelina Utterdahl: Earth Wanderess

We meet Evelina Utterdahl, Swedish climate activist and eco-warrior who gave up flying without giving up her career as a travel blogger.

04 Mar 2019 4 minute read

An experiment in No Aeroplanes

Traveller and writer David Charles explains that giving up planes doesn't mean giving up travel

07 Jan 2019 5 minute read

The beauty of slow travel

Flight Free UK Director Anna Hughes travels from London to Copenhagen by train

05 Jan 2019 3 minute read

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