Welcome to the Alps2Coast blog! If you are looking for ideas to plan a European trip that is as unique as you are and kind to our planet, you’re in the right place.

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You may be based in Europe and dreaming of visiting a different country from your own, or you may have booked a flight to Europe from a remote island or another continent, but hope to reduce your international travel footprint by travelling through the 'old' continent the 'slow' way.

Your dream can come true. I know it because I have done it. I have taken many trips from one part of Europe to another using only public transport (trains, buses, coaches, ferries, local drivers/taxis), and at other times a private car. Flightless travel in Europe is possible, even just for a long weekend getaway. It is also incredibly rewarding!

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Holidays used to be journeys

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We have been programmed to think that a holiday is a quick hop from A to B, followed by a few days sightseeing in a city or one/two weeks exploring a small small area, or relaxing by a beach. Holidays do not have to be like that.

I once read that the word 'travel' Is etymologically linked to 'travail,' so has connotations of labour, of struggle. When we jet from A to B, we are 'travelling.' Flying is something we put up with to reach a destination.

When you travel by train, or car, or ferry, everything changes. We switch from 'travel' to 'journey' mode. A train journey through the rolling hills of Italy or the Swiss Alps, a drive from London to Berlin, or a ferry through the Greek islands... I like to think of them as mindful holidays, where every moment counts,

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The first form of holiday was called 'pilgrimage.' It had a spiritual dimension, but in most cases the healing/blessing was not miraculously granted on arrival at the shrine of choice, it was the result of the experience of the journey, the road, the mystical 'way.'

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Ready for a flightless break?

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Through Alps2Coast I am sharing flightless trip ideas and itineraries to tempt you to explore Europe by rail and road. You can become the 'way,' your 'way', and embark on some truly life-changing journeys.

​This leads me nicely to the most important question: