The best flight-free holiday destinations from the UK for 2026 – UK Times

With the risk of strikes, airspace closures and cancellations amid a jet fuel crisis, booking your seat on the plane doesn’t guarantee its departure – and the aviation industry has been known to throw a spanner in travellers’ holiday plans.

Avoiding high prices at the airport doesn’t mean you’re restricted to the British Isles. Soggy camping trips in Cornwall and lengthy road trips for a Scottish staycation may seem the most obvious way of travelling without taking off, but there are also plenty of exciting European destinations accessible by rail or ferry.

Perks of packing for a train or boat instead of the airport not only have the stamp of sustainability but also the luxury of a slower travel experience. Far fewer carbon emissions are produced on relaxing rail journeys spent gazing out the window, and step-on cruise holidays from Southampton promise a less frantic pace than air travel.

As more travel companies move to offer flight-free holidays, here are the best no-fly destinations from the UK that are worth clipping your wings for.

Read more: Inside the destinations rewarding people for being better tourists

Best flight-free holiday destinations from the UK

Edinburgh, Scotland

Caledonian Sleeper train: London – Edinburgh

The best thing about sleeper trains may not be the quality of your snooze or the length of the journey, but with time to stretch out, snack and gaze wistfully out the window, an overnight journey to some of Scotland’s highlights is well worth avoiding the airport. A train ride to Edinburgh promises leafy boulevards, a medieval Old Town and bagpipes that backdrop shopping on the Royal Mile.

How to get there

The Caledonian Sleeper runs several routes between London and Scotland – to Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Fort William and Edinburgh – with its London to Edinburgh overnight service usually lasting less than eight hours. Passengers can board from 10.15pm the evening of departure and stay on board until 8am the next morning. Prices for a double en suite room for one start from £380.

Read more: Best hotels in Edinburgh, reviewed

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Eurostar: London St Pancras – Amsterdam

Famed for its flower fields, cycle culture, canals and stroopwafels, Amsterdam is a charismatic city break made all the more eco-conscious by taking the train. The wonderfully walkable city has eclectic museums, creative eateries and green spaces from Rembrandtpark to Vondelpark, with free-spirited locals leading the way for a slowed-down travel experience embracing coffee shop culture.

How to get there

Eurostar resumed direct services from Amsterdam to London St Pancras International in February 2025, with direct international rail travel from the UK to the Netherlands taking around 3 hours and 52 minutes. Standard fares start from £39 each way and include up to two pieces of luggage and one small daypack.

Read more: Best boutique hotels in Amsterdam, reviewed

Bourg-Saint-Maurice, French Alps

Eurostar Snow train: London St Pancras – Bourg-Saint-Maurice

Train it to the slopes of the French Alps to trade long and winding coach transfers up the mountain for a window seat journey to Lille before transferring on to Chambery, Albertville, Moutiers-Salins-Brides-les-Bains, Aime-la-Plagne and Bourg-Saint-Maurice – the heart of French ski territory – in around eight hours. Eurostar Snow train services include a generous luggage allowance and spacious seats.

How to get there

Inghams Ski offers seven nights, self-catering, at Arc 1950 Le Village Apartments in Les Arcs, from £1,307pp for 2 January 2027 departures. Includes all rail travel, transfers, an extra ski day and an overnight stay in Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

Read more: Eurostar have rebooted their ‘ski train’ – here’s why you should give it a go for your next snowy holiday

Dublin, Ireland

Irish Ferries: Holyhead – Dublin

A short sea crossing from Wales, the Irish capital Dublin dances with literary history and buzzy pubs serving best-in-class pints of Guinness. Between pours, there’s a coastline of idyllic spots for sea swimming, Georgian streetscapes to stroll and food trucks with cult followings for tacos and vegan delights awaiting the other side of the ferry.

How to get there

Head to Holyhead, north Wales, to cruise across the Irish Sea to Dublin in 2 hours and 15 minutes with Irish Ferries. Up to four sailings depart daily with return tickets from around £147 per vehicle, depending on the season.

Jersey, Channel Islands

Condor Ferries: Portsmouth – Jersey

One of the British Isles’ sunniest shores, Jersey is a joy for sea sports, award-winning museums and beach bathing just a sail from Portsmouth. Forget flights to the south of France, this Channel Island has 44 miles of golden coastline, foodie festivals and forgotten forest spaces to kick back and relax on indulgent weekends away full of fish dishes and stiff cocktails.

How to get there

Condor Ferries connects Portsmouth to Jersey six times a week during peak season. Crossings take 10 hours and 20 minutes, or just four on less regular high-speed sailings. A foot passenger return starts from £80 – upgrade from a seat to a cabin for an additional fee of around £48.

Read more: For a real ‘budget’ break – how to do the Channel Islands like a tax exile

Norway

Celebrity Cruises: Southampton – Haugesund – Flam – Olden – Arctic Circle (Cruising) – Tromso – Honningsvag – Arctic Circle (Cruising) – Molde – Stavanger – Southampton

A cruise might not be the best for cutting down emissions, but a multi-stop sail of Norway’s dramatic fjords can be a step-on experience from the UK’s southern coast. With more than 1,700 named fjords in Norway, the best views are from the water, with ample opportunities to see the northern lights and colourful fishing houses on the coast.

How to get there

Set off from Southampton with Celebrity Cruises for a 14-night round trip to the Norwegian fjords.The Nordic adventure on Celebrity Apex starts in Flam on the world’s longest and deepest fjord before stopping in Tromso, Geiranger and Alesund. Cabins start from £2,119pp on the ‘Norwegian Fjords & Arctic Circle’ cruise departing 6 June 2026.

Read more: The best Norwegian fjords cruise holidays

Lille, France

LeShuttle: Folkestone – Calais

This northern French city is within driving distance of the UK if you take the Channel Tunnel. With modernist châteaux, macaron vendors and a Flemish old town, Lille offers French art, architecture and cuisine – a pint-sized Paris of sorts – to those who choose to make the drive onto the Continent.

How to get there

Road trip to Lille with LeShuttle via a 35-minute leg from Folkestone to Calais through the Eurotunnel. With pets welcome, four departures an hour, and up to nine people included in fares, prices start from £96 per vehicle each way. From Calais, it’s less than a one-hour and 20-minute drive to Lille.

Read more: I stayed in the new Saint-Tropez White Lotus hotel