First Choice and Byway join forces

First Choice and Byway have partnered up to provide First Choice customers with flight-free holidays.

Byway’s multi-stop trips by train, boat and bus allow First Choice customers to explore new destinations such as the UK and Corsica, as well as the opportunity to travel to their long-standing favourites such as Italy and Spain in a new way. 

“For First Choice, it’s about helping people pick the trip they really want, and sometimes that means introducing our customers to something they might not have considered before. Our partnership with Byway means that customers can now travel flight-free by train or bus or boat, experiencing new ways to journey as well as new destinations.”
— Bart Quinton-Smith, Managing Director, First Choice

Byway’s role

When you opt for a flight-free First Choice x Byway holiday, we sort out all the travel and accommodation for you, in one ABTA-protected package.

That means it’s easy to swap planes for trains for a slower, lighter-impact way to travel. Byway holidays also include sustainable, locally-owned accommodation and take you off the beaten path, away from the tourist hotspots. 

Travellers often want to make more sustainable holiday choices but don’t know where to start – with trips powered by Byway, flight-free travel just got a whole lot easier for First Choice customers. 

 42%

of UK holidaymakers seek flight-free travel to reduce carbon footprints

43%

of UK holidaymakers would rather take a train, ferry or bus than fly

 45%

of UK holidaymakers who took overland travel would do it again

First Choice x Byway

Search flight-free holidays designed by sustainable travel experts including overland travel and accommodation.

Here’s the minimum time you’ll need for a relaxed round trip starting from London. We do other departure stations, too.

How long does it take?

What is a Byway holiday?

Flight-free made easy
All transport and accommodation included

Journeys you’ll love
Created by sustainable travel experts

5 star support
Chat with your trip lead on WhatsApp

Learn about Byway’s positive impact

We’re a certified B Corp, which means we really are committed to sustainable goals and using our business for good.

Last year alone, our customers saved 170 tonnes of carbon by opting for trains over planes (that’s equivalent to a whole forest!). We’re excited to see this number grow each year as more customers go by train, boat and bus.

  • A world in which flight-free holidays are the norm, and a vibrant sustainable travel ecosystem flourishes away from the beaten path.

  • 1. Reduce the climate impact of travel by making flight-free holidays mainstream.

    2. Boost local economies and facilitate environmental recovery by drawing tourists away from hubs suffering overtourism to the wonderful places in between.

    3. Increase the proportion of tourist spend on sustainable products and services by prioritising partnerships with sustainable businesses.

  • 1. Love the journey: Making slow travel mainstream is a journey we approach with the optimism and openness needed to learn and grow.

    2. Trust and be trusted: Trust in each other is the foundation of our team. We share insights widely and are grounded in openness.

    3. Mainstream means everyone: We listen to, respect, amplify and support all stakeholders.