SEVEN NO-FLY HOLIDAYS CHILDREN WILL LOVE – FROM SLEEPER TRAINS TO BEACHES

Having children might have derailed your sense of what a holiday is for; the spontaneity of not knowing where you would spend the night replaced with the anxiety of whether you have remembered enough snacks. Ditching flying is a simple way to reclaim the adventure.

When you have become used to short-haul flights, it is a shock how exhilarating the experience of travelling by rail or sea can be. More comfortable and often less crowded, it can be the most memorable part of the holiday.

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“Over the past three years we’ve seen a real increase in appetite for holidays that offer a more intimate connection with a place, its wildlife and its culture,” says Justin Francis, co-founder of Responsible Travel, a holiday company that offers no-fly options. “Travelling by rail is one of the ways to find that connection.”

Interrail passes (myinterrail.co.uk) are generally the most economical way to travel by train (under-12s go free, although supplements apply on some journeys and sleepers), while The Man in Seat 61 is an invaluable resource for planning any overland journey on the Continent. Eurostar is also offering 50 per cent off Plus and Premier fares for travel throughout the summer holidays (book by Monday).

Other useful planning tools include the booking platforms Rail Europe, Omio and Trainline.

Here are seven European holidays designed with the journey as part of the adventure…

A long weekend in Berlin

As Europe’s sleeper network expands, ever more European cities become accessible for a long weekend without flying. Since 2023, sleepers run from Brussels to Berlin (and on to Prague). There is nothing more exciting for a child than to clamber into a bunk bed, fall asleep to the rattling of the train and wake up in a new country.

Like many northern cities, Berlin bursts alive in summer, as the locals emerge from the long, cold winter to inhabit the parks and swimming spots.

The city is a dream for families. The playgrounds alone are worth the trip – the Abenteuerspielplatz Forcki is particularly well-designed – while the kindercafés and beer gardens are very accommodating.

Bathing lakes surround the city – try the one at the Fez Wuhlheide Centre, which is also crammed with activities (museum, cinema, space exhibits and more) if the weather turns.

How to do it Depart St Pancras on Eurostar at Friday lunchtime. Have an early dinner in Brussels, then catch the European Sleeper at 7.22pm, waking up in Berlin. Tickets from €79pp (£68) in a six-berth couchette from Brussels to Berlin. Leaving Berlin on Sunday evening will get you back to London early on Monday afternoon. Amstel House Hostel is central, beside a playground, and has family rooms from £64 a night.

Canoeing in Finland 

Canoeing might be the perfect family activity. Children can paddle, or lie back and let you do the work while they lap up the surroundings. Finnish Lakeland is the largest lake district in Europe, more than a quarter of it is covered by water. To travel here is to lose all distinction between the water and the land, as the two blur into each other in the hallucinatory light of midsummer, the dusk fading into dawn.

Lake Saimaa covers almost 4,500 sq km (1,730 sq miles) and takes in two national parks: Linnansaari and Kolovesi. Firewood is provided at camp spots on the islands – pitch up, cook dinner, have a dip – and in the morning paddle on again. If you fancy a night indoors, there are basic cabins on Linnansaari, and this larger island also offers hikes and woods to explore. Back in the water, keep an eye out for the beautiful Saimaa ringed seal, one of the most endangered seals in the world.

How to do it This is the most ambitious trip: take the Eurostar to Paris, a train to Hamburg and then the Hamburg-Stockholm sleeper. From there, it is 18 hours on the ferry across the Baltic to Helsinki (a one-way ticket and cabin for a family is around £160). Nature Travels offers canoe and camping rental for various itineraries across the Nordic region, including Lake Saimaa. There is no minimum age for the Lake Saimaa trip, but children must be able to swim. Prices from £286 per adult for six days, with children under 12 from £98 (camping and cooking equipment included)

Island-hopping on the Stockholm archipelago

It might be the fleetingness of Swedish summers that makes them so perfect: the light stretching out late into the evening, the water cool and fresh – a simple, uncomplicated freedom.

The Stockholm archipelago has around 24,000 islands and only 10,000 permanent residents, although the numbers increase in summer.

Catch a ferry out from the capital and spend days or weeks hopping between them. Rånö, with its shallow, sandy beaches, has wonderful paddling for small children. Many islands have next to no cars, and are perfect for renting bikes.

Try the sauna on Finnhamn, water sports on Vaxholm, hiking on Gålö, or settle down at a café by the water’s edge for a shrimp sandwich.

There are glamping and B&B options, but nothing beats camping. Try Nåttarö, which also has cabins, and is just off the beach (camping from £5pp, cabins from £100 a night).

How to do it Spend a night in Paris (the Hostel Paris Yves Robert, a few minutes from Gare du Nord, is a brilliant option, with family rooms and laid-back atmosphere). The next day catch the train to Hamburg, then the sleeper on to Stockholm. Waxholmsbolaget offers a five-day travel pass for all its ferries for £45pp

Cycling the rivers of Poland

Poland has invested in cycling lately, apparent both in its cities and its growing national cycling network. The Vistula is Poland’s longest river, rising in the Carpathians and bisecting the country before emptying into the Baltic. A bike path is planned for its entire length, but for now there are several long sections that are more than sufficient for a holiday. Flat, mostly car-free, and with the wind generally at your back, it is an excellent choice for families.

The Oswiecim to Busko Zdrój section runs for about 255km (158 miles) through gorgeous countryside, weaving between orchards and family farms, hugging the Vistula’s banks. About 50km (30 miles) a day should be comfortable for teenagers, while trailers are available for younger children. The route passes Tyniec monastery, the country’s oldest, before heading through Krakow – do explore the Kazimierz district.

Continuing east you will pass some of Poland’s most beautiful towns – Zalipie, with its exquisitely painted houses, and Wislica, frozen in a medieval past. From Busko-Zdrój, explore the Nida valley, with its nature reserves and a great beach on the river at Chroberz.

How to do it Catch the Eurostar to Belgium, spend a night in Brussels (the Jacques Brel Youth Hostel has family rooms), then take the train to Krakow. Bird Cycling rents bikes for £70 a week from the historic centre of Krakow, and can arrange accommodation in hotels along the route. Prices for Oswiecim to Busko-Zdrój begin at £485pp for five nights half-board, including bike rental

The beaches of northern Spain 

Forget the teeming, sweating Costa del Sol – northern Spain’s beaches offer an altogether quieter experience, with a welcome breeze off the Atlantic to take the edge off the summer heat. 

It is two nights and a day on a ferry from the UK to Bilbao, but cabins are comfortable and there is plenty to do, with entertainers, a cinema and even a swimming pool on the Plymouth crossing. Keep an eye out for dolphins in the Bay of Biscay.  

From Bilbao, catch the Feve (whose name was the acronym for Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha) a narrow-gauge railway now officially known as Renfe Cercanías (Commuter) Metric Gauge, which meanders west for almost 480km (300 miles) to Galicia.

Snaking through forests and clinging to the cliffs, it won’t get you anywhere quickly, but that is hardly the point. It feels more like a gentle fairground ride, and when the children tire of the views, hop off at dusty stations and walk to the sea and some of Spain’s best beaches.

Fishing town Ribadesella is half-ringed by sand where the Sella river sweeps around it (try the Hotel Don Pepe, with family rooms from £82 and bike rental) while d’El Gavieiru (Silence) beach in Cantabria is a secluded paradise. 

How to do it Brittany Ferries run up to six times a week in summer, from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander or Bilbao. Summer fares from around £1,500 return for a family of four in a cabin. Train tickets are just a few euros between stops, purchased at the station

Exploring Croatia’s islands

Some Croatian islands scarcely sleep all summer, but go further afield and leave behind the thumping basslines to discover another side to the coast.

From Split, take the catamaran to Vis, which weaves between the inner islands before pushing out into the Adriatic. The snorkelling out here is fantastic, and boat trips will take you to the best spots – try the Blue Cave on Biševo Island.

After a few days on Vis, head to Lastovo, Croatia’s youngest nature park. This island is great for bikes and, after a long day of cycling and swimming, find a table at one of the many konobas (traditional taverns) for grilled seafood and homemade bread. Don’t forget to look up – Lastovo has some of the darkest skies and best stars you will ever see.

From there continue to Mljet, almost all forest, which offers excellent canoeing and the chance to visit a Benedictine monastery on an island in a lake. Hotel Odisej, inside the national park, has a kids’ pool and a beach bar, as well as a family room. Complete the circle by taking a boat back to the mainland at Dubrovnik.

How to do it Take the morning Eurostar to Paris, the TGV to Stuttgart, and then the sleeper to Zagreb. It is a beautiful few hours further, through mountains and around lakes, to Split. Krilo catamarans operate between the islands – all the ferry travel for a family of four should cost around £200

Campervanning in France 

If the tyranny of booking the family holiday months in advance goes against what you believed travel was meant to be, then a campervan might be for you. Head off through the Eurotunnel (around £300 each way in summer) and see where the road takes you.

France spans worlds, from the rugged cliffs of Brittany to the Mediterranean beaches of the Calanques, and you can cover a lot of ground in a fortnight, even while keeping to a few hours’ driving each day. There is a real excitement in not knowing what the next evening will bring, and France has an abundance of campsites to explore.

For mountains, try Camping le Pré du Lac, near Lake Annecy. If it is ocean you’re after, Camping les Amandiers, Collioure in the Pyrénées-Orientales is a five-minute drive from the fishing village of Collioure and close to some fabulous beaches, such as Ouille.

Camping les Peupliers, in the heart of the Dordogne, boasts canoeing, castles and caves. The possibilities are endless. Plus campsites have other children, which can bring a nice change of scene for everyone.

Make sure to learn a few car games (try the AA’s website) before you head off, and to call campsites for availability – popular spots will often be booked.

Free stopovers are often available on farmland – hosts list their properties for self-contained motor homes, available for 24 hours, at france-passion.com.  

How to do it There are plenty of campervan rentals in the UK – try Quirky Campers for charming, unique interiors. Prices start from £92 a day. Park4night has a good overview of campsites and other necessities. Expect to pay from £50–£100 a night for a pitch

Lone Wolf – Walking the Faultlines of Europe by Adam Weymouth is out now (Penguin, £18,99).

2025-07-05T05:52:42Z