Flight free rail holidays
And so while the Brexit process to date makes lifeboat management on the Titanic look slick and professional, the UK has at least managed to preserve one of the great benefits of a harmonic relationship in Europe.
The Interrail scheme was launched in the early 1970s, allowing young Europeans limitless travel around the continent for a month, with adult passes were introduced in the late 1990s. The Eurail scheme is pretty much the same thing, but for non-Europeans.
Interrailing became a new Grand Tour, a rite of passage for generations of young people, enabling them to enjoy cultural exchange, foster friendships that would endure for their whole lives, and consume staggering quantities of alcohol from Helsinki to Naples. In 1991, 29 European countries took part and 400,000 passes were sold. But by 2005, that had slumped to just 100,000.
The reason: the European Union began deregulating its airspace in the mid-1990s. A proliferation of new destinations appeared, served by a swathe of budget airlines and small airports, and suddenly it no longer seemed so glamourous to travel Europe by train when the journey could be made cheaply and in a fraction of the time by plane.
Our Flight free Holidays
London to Croatia by train holiday
Overland adventure from London to the Adriatic coast
West Highlands guided rail tour in Scotland
Discover Scotland's Highlands & distinctive islands by train
Scotland guided rail tour, Skye & Glencoe
Visit Scottish castles and beautiful gardens by train
Southern Europe rail tour, 16 days
Tour through the best of Southern Europe in 3 weeks!
England tour by train
Explore England's diversity and fascinating history by train
London to Cairo over land & sea tour
Travel flight free to Africa! Adventure from London to Cairo
West Highland Line railway holiday in Scotland
Take the "The World's Best Rail Journey" to the Isle of Skye
Tour of Britain by train
Explore England and Scotland's cities & landscapes by train.
Scotland by railway holiday
Experience authentic Scotland independently and car-free
Loch Ness & Skye guided rail tour, Scotland
Discover Scotland’s Highlands & Isle of Skye by Rail
Wild Atlantic Way guided rail tour in Ireland
A fully guided tour around Ireland's famous touring route
North of England by train holiday
Tour Yorkshire and Hadrian's Wall by train
Flight free England to Iceland holiday
Amazing opportunity to travel flight free to Iceland
London to Vietnam by rail holiday
Unique flight-free adventure from UK to Vietnam
London to Morocco by rail holiday
A rousing short adventure from London to Africa!
London to Sudan by rail and sea
A unique adventure by rail and cargo ship
London to Georgia by train holiday
Overland adventure to the far extent of Europe
Ireland holiday by train
Discover contrasts of Dublin, Galway and Belfast, car-free.
London to Uzbekistan by rail holiday
An epic overland adventure from London to Uzbekistan
Ireland train holiday, wild Atlantic way
Spend a week on Ireland's acclaimed touring route by train
Scandinavia by rail holiday, London to Tromso
Unique no-fly adventure through the Arctic and Scandinavia
Wales tour by train
Spend a fabulous fortnight on the rails in Wales
European rail tour, 29 days
Tour Europe's best cities on this 29-day adventure!
Central Europe rail tour, 15 days
An exciting trip around the continent's fairytale cities
Rail tour in North Highlands & Orkney
Scotland’s geographic extremities & ancient history by train
London to Beijing by rail holiday
An epic overland adventure from London to China
Making things easy
Our top Flight free Holiday
London to Croatia by train holiday
Overland adventure from London to the Adriatic coast
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Is a European rail holiday
right for me?
If you’re new to travelling around Europe by rail, then even with an Interrail pass in your pocket it can seem a daunting prospect to get further than Paris. Potentially, you’ve got to juggle the language and timetables in several different countries. That’s why there is a clear advantage in using responsible tour operators such as Euroventure that can put together practically everything for you step by step, allowing you to build up your confidence and capability.
Plus, if you’re interested in a more environmentally friendly way of travelling, going by rail allows you to substantially cut your carbon footprint while still covering a lot of ground in a short space of time.