Skip to main content
Byway logo - Homepage
Byway logo - Homepage
  • Collections
    • Best train holidays
    • Sleeper trains
    • Last minute
    • Lifetime adventures
    • Ski
    • Family
    • Short breaks
    • Sustainable stays
    • Beach
    • Budget-friendly
    • Luxe
    • Winter
    Image

    Dog-friendly

    Fido in tow? We've got you. Curated itineraries for you and your pup.

    Image

    Short breaks

    Short-on-time-trips, from city breaks to country escapes.

  • Destinations

    Countries

    • About
      • About Byway
      • How it works
      • Concierge
      • Sustainability
      • Newsletter
      • Gift cards
      • Refer a friend
      • FAQs
    • Contact
    • Journal
    • My account
    Build trip

    • Contact
    • Create a trip
    • FAQs
    • Foreign Travel Advice

    • Jobs
    • Press
    • Partnerships
    • Affiliate

    • Best train holidays
    • Europe by train
    • Trends

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of use
    • Your agreement with Byway
    • Site accessibility
    • Online safety

    Planet-friendly holidays and sustainable travel inspiration, fortnightly to your inbox

    Read our Privacy Policy before signing up.

    *

    Privacy Policy (required) *

    InstagramTikTokTwitterFacebook

    Site content © Byway 2025

    hello

    Short breaks by train

    Certified B Corporation

    Top booked trips

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

    Byway Concierge

    Unique requests? Concierge will create your holiday by hand.

    Learn more

    Byway Maps

    Craft your own personalised journey with our interactive map.

    Build trip

    Expertly routed

    Powered by two million miles of expertise

    Support, not supervision

    Disruption replanning, journey guide and in-trip chat

    More sustainable, by design

    Land and sea journeys with locally-owned stays

    France

    • Lille short break

      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.

      See trip
    • Dijon short break

      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.

      See trip
    • By train to Monet's garden

      Vernon-Giverny

      Cross the channel to Paris before heading northwards to Vernon, just a bus ride away from Monet's gardens in Giverny.

      See trip

    The UK

    • Glasgow and Edinburgh

      Edinburgh, Glasgow

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

      See trip
    • Snowdonia

      Betws-y-Coed

      Base yourself in the heart of Snowdonia, surrounded by ancient woodland, lakes and mountains, blanketed by wildflowers in spring and snow in winter.

      See trip
    • 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.

      See trip
    • Gateway to the Isles

      Oban, Glasgow

      Spend a few nights in lively Glasgow before staying in the seaside town of Oban, the perfect base to explore the many surrounding islands.

      See trip
    • Norwich and Hoveton

      Hoveton, Norwich

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

      See trip
    • York and Malton

      York, Malton

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

      See trip

    Belgium

    • Short break to 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.

      See trip
    • Short break to Bruges

      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.

      See trip
    • Ghent short break

      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.

      See trip

    Rest of Europe

    • Break to Turin

      Turin

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

      See trip
    • Zurich short break

      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.

      See trip
    • Cologne short break

      Cologne

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

      See trip

    The Keukenhof

    Spring highlight

    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.

    See trip

    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!

    See trips
    Trustpilot

    Looking for something else?

    Create a tripContact Concierge