At Inntravel, we love train travel for its comfort and convenience, and even more so for the environmental benefits: travelling by rail creates around 90% less carbon than the equivalent journey by air. As a company, we have many years’ experience of arranging train travel into and across Europe – our French trips, for example, have been offered by rail for over two decades already – and we’re now working to shift our transport mix from predominantly aviation to include rail alternatives wherever possible.
Where flying remains a necessity we prioritise direct flights in economy class, and we also aim to give the option of completing the journey by public transport, whether that’s on a local train, bus or even boat. We are currently assessing all our holidays with a view to offering a greater range of public transport options across Europe.
As specialists in responsible travel, there are so many ways Inntravel can aid and enhance your journey – including devising the best rail routes and timings, guiding you between connections, and arranging city stays for longer trips; read on for full details.
Easiest by rail
For certain Inntravel destinations, travelling all the way by rail is actually easier than taking a plane and onward train. Check out which of our holidays offer the easiest access by rail from the UK.
At Inntravel, we specialise in international rail journeys, and there are very few places in Europe that we can’t get you to by train. Our dedicated team of rail experts navigate the complex timetables and ticket arrangements on your behalf, so you can just sit back and enjoy the ride.
How can Inntravel help me?
We consider each booking individually and put a great deal of thought into making sure our customers’ rail journeys are as relaxing and enjoyable as possible. We organise all the tickets, provide easy-to-follow instructions for every step of the way, and offer you the benefit of our expertise – for example, if travelling from the UK to Austria, we’d always recommend you spend a night in Zürich to enjoy the most spectacular part of the journey, the Arlberg Pass, in daylight. We can book a great selection of city stopovers, too.
What are the key benefits of rail travel?
With rail travel, your holiday starts when you board your train, not at the other end of a flight. It’s a rich and immersive experience – you can observe the gradual shifts in landscape as you travel, or choose to break your journey to explore a fascinating city en route. Rail is also wonderfully relaxing, with generous luggage allowances, easy check-in processes, and comfortable seating. And that’s before we come to the environmental benefits…
What do your rail prices include?
All our ‘by rail’ prices include return Eurostar from London St Pancras in second class to Paris, Lille or Brussels. For journeys via Paris, we cover the rail or Métro travel between the mainline stations within the city, and we also include return onward rail to the station closest to your holiday. Where appropriate, further connecting travel to your hotel (such as bus or taxi transfers) is also provided.
Where can I travel by rail?
France, Switzerland, Germany and Catalonia (in north-east Spain) are the most popular destinations for holidays by rail, but by taking advantage of overnight trains (or city stopovers) you can also travel by rail to Italy, Austria, Slovenia, southern Spain or Portugal.
Where can I find out more about rail travel?
To find out more about holidaying by rail – about how it works, what’s included and where Inntravel can take you – take a look at our dedicated rail section.
Kylie’s train hacks
Inntravel rail expert, Kylie Anderson, shares her tips for how to make train travel work for you – from securing the best value tickets to advice on packing.
From the Scottish Highlands to the English Channel, and from easy strolls to rewarding hikes, we offer a fantastic range of UK holidays – meaning that, if you’re based in the UK, you can enjoy the Inntravel experience without the need for any overseas travel. Plus, there’s no need to drive to any of our UK breaks – we can organise transfers to and from the nearest railway stations (or ports, in the case of our Channel Island holidays).