Short breaks by train

Top long weekend holidays

Search short breaks designed by sustainable travel experts including overland travel and accommodation.

Build a trip

Tell us what you’re after. Our tech will create a personalised holiday for you.

Build trip

Byway Concierge

Unique requests? Concierge will create your holiday by hand.

Flight-free made easy
All transport and accommodation included

Journeys you’ll love
Created by sustainable travel experts

5 star support
Access on-demand support while travelling

France

  • Hop over the channel

    Lille

    Oh-so-cool neighbourhoods, vibrant fusion food and vintage markets. Meet the capital of the Hauts-de-France region and rising star of regenerative tourism.

  • Beaches and Bordeaux

    Bordeaux

    Explore honey-hued streets, art museums and bustling wine bars. Take a day trip to the seaside, Europe's largest dune and the cool waters of the Arcachon Basin.

  • History and gastronomy

    Dijon

    Burgundy's capital and UNESCO site, Dijon's walkable centre is filled with half-timbered medieval and Renaissance buildings dating back to the 15th century.

Spring highlight

The Keukenhof

Each Autumn, seven million bulbs are hand-planted across the Dutch Keukenhof in Lisse. By spring, the fields bloom with miles of tulips lined with footpaths and cycle routes for easy exploring.

The Netherlands

  • A vegan long weekend

    Rotterdam

    The second-largest city in Holland, characterised by striking modern architecture, sustainable urban design and a rising plant-based food scene.

  • Regal Apeldoorn

    Apeldoorn

    On the edge of the Hoge Veluwe National Park, Appeldoorn’s regal, historic centre extends out into miles of biodiverse countryside, easily explored on foot or by bike.

  • Colourful, cultural Delft

    Delft

    The home of Vermeer, Delft Blue pottery, and lazy Saturday bric-à-brac markets along the canal. Perfect for enjoying museums without the crowds.

UK short breaks

  • Forest holiday in North Wales

    Forest holiday in North Wales

    Betws-y-Coed

    Go off-grid in the mountains of Betws-y-Coed. The Rocks hostel in Snowdonia is all wood beams, log fires and life’s simple pleasures.

  • People on the beach with surfboards in Falmouth

    Wellness weekend in Falmouth

    Falmouth

    Enjoy a wellness weekend in Falmouth. Book into the spa, get your cold water fix in the Cornish sea, or discover your creative side at an arts class.

  • Classic Yorkshire

    York and Malton

    An ode to God's own country. Explore York and Malton, both Yorkshire towns that inspired two classic authors: JK Rowling and Dickens.

  • Green grass and tree lined path leading to McCaigs Tower in Oban

    City to sea

    Glasgow and Oban

    Stay in lively Glasgow, with its rich heritage, before heading to the seaside town of Oban for relaxation and wildlife-spotting.

  • Broads National Park

    Norwich and Hoveton

    The Broads is Britain’s largest and most wildlife-rich wetland. Spend a weekend exploring fens and woodlands along its gentle waterways.

  • Scotland city break

    Edinburgh and Glasgow

    Two nights. Two sleeper train journeys. Two Scottish cities. Enough galleries, restaurants, and live music to make you go back for more.

Belgium

  • Go green in Ghent

    Ghent

    With parks and nature reserves, Ghent is a city green to its core: home to the largest car-free zone in Europe and Belgium's 'Veggie Thursday' movement.

  • Bruges by rail

    Craft, beer, and craft beer

    Bruges

    Leafy canals, gingerbread houses and cobbled streets, with a history of lace production and a beer culture so good it's been declared UNESCO Heritage.

  • brussels by rail

    Foody Brussels

    Brussels

    Brussels ticks all the boxes of culture, nightlife and gastronomy, from Michelin-starred dining to paper cones of moules-frites washed down with Belgian beer.

More European city trips

  • turin by train

    Turin

    Authenticity meets glamour: Turin’s charachterful crumbling Roman old town opens up to palatial squares and elegant city parks.

  • zurich by rail

    Zürich

    Forget what you know of this Swiss financial hub and discover the West’s buzzing warehouse galleries and bars. All backdropped by Alpine views.

  • Cologne

    One of Germany’s most diverse cities, with a bounty of museums that range from chocolate to perfume, modern art to Roman history.

How long does it take?

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

Looking for something else?