Spoiler alert: most Intrepid trips don’t start from right outside your front door. But we think getting to and from your trip’s start and end points should be part of the journey, and now you can do that while reducing your footprint, too.
We’ve partnered with Byway, a UK-based slow travel company and fellow B Corp, to help our travellers reduce or eliminate flights to and from their trips by taking the train instead. Byway runs a range of incredible train trips throughout Europe, many of which connect up perfectly to Intrepid trips, especially between London, one of our top gateway cities, and a couple of our top European destinations, Italy and Spain.
Why connect by train?
It’s better in so many ways. On average, travelling by train from London to Venice leaves an environmental footprint of about 7 kg CO2 per passenger, whereas by plane that same trip generates 177 kg CO2. Emissions are nearly 96% lower for this one-way train trip! While there are no intercontinental trains (yet!), eliminating connecting flights is a really great step to lowering your impact.
But riding the rails is also such an incredible way to get around – a little slower, more relaxed and the views from a train window as you weave your way through new landscapes, far away from the roads… you can’t beat it.
Whether you’re based in the UK or flying into Gatwick or Heathrow from abroad, Byway offers a whole bunch of planet-friendly routes to get you to some of Intrepid’s most popular trip starting points in Italy and Spain and back again after your trip.
Extendable trip highlights in Italy and Spain
London to Venice – Hiking the Dolomites – Venice to London
This 8-day hiking trip through Italy’s Dolomites starts and finishes in Venice. You can get between London and Venice – there and back – via train without retracing your steps. On the way there, spend four days travelling through Brussels, Ulm and Innsbruck. On your way back, spend another four days riding the rails home through Milan, Chur and Zurich.
London to Rome – Premium Tuscany – Venice to London
See the best of Tuscany on an 8-day Premium Tuscany trip from Rome to Venice, and extend your trip on either end with a 3-day rail journey from London to Rome via Cologne and through the Rhine Valley and a 4-day trip back to London via Milan, Chur and Zurich, through the spectacular Swiss Alps.
London to Venice – Italy Real Food Adventure – Rome to London
Pair an 8-day Italy Real Food Adventure from Venice to Rome with two very different rail journeys to and from London. First up, spend four days travelling through Paris, Zurich, Chur, Tirano and Milan. After your Intrepid trip, head back to London via Munich, Cologne and Brussels.
London to Seville – Highlights of Andalucia – Granada to London
Discover the Highlights of Andalucia on an immersive tour from Seville to Granada and bookend your trip with a 3-day commute from London to Seville via Lille, Avignon and Madrid. Stretch out your travels with a 4-day return journey to London from Granada via Madrid, Barcelona, Girona and Paris.
When you book an Intrepid trip in Italy or Spain, we’ll let you know about good Byway connections after you book. Learn more about travelling with Intrepid and Byway.
