Havering Friends of the Earth

Holiday by Train

by Rosina Purnell; first published 7-Feb-2025

Braithwaite station during a Lake District holiday in 1964 - Stan Robinson

Planning a holiday? Why not consider taking a break by train? We should all be trying to fly less frequently for the sake of the environment and now train travel is much improved both here and in Europe.

Greater Anglia's new fleet includes bi-mode trains which are more environmentally friendly, and the newly named Gainsborough Line takes you to the delightful town of Sudbury with its water meadows and art gallery. One can also visit Norwich which is good for shopping, plus having a castle, cathedral and vibrant market.

The Eurostar takes one hour forty minutes to reach Lille from St. Pancras. There's only an hour check in time needed. A twenty-minute walk from Lille Europe station and you could be sampling a local Flemish beer and a hearty meal in the buzzing Lille old town square.

European cities are now much easier to reach from Eurostar destinations Paris or Brussels. Trains from Paris now run to various locations in the south of France and even Barcelona. From Brussels and then Cologne, one can take the scenic route along the Rhine Valley to various German towns of interest like Mainz or even Heidelberg.

For the more adventurous, one can arrange for example an overnight sleeper to Berlin and even reach places like Lake Como. The excitement of a train journey is no comparison to hanging about in anonymous airports with the long check in times to board, then waiting to recover your luggage at the destination. The Man in Seat 61 is an excellent British website which takes you through all the hoops of European train travel, even advising about suitable watering holes and restaurants. How attractive it is to sample a coffee and croissant at a station café in Paris at the end of a pretty relaxed train journey.

The Elizabeth Line has opened up train travel from Romford. One can easily get to Paddington now, which also opens up trips to the West Country without the hassle that used to be the case. Cardiff, Exeter and even Penzance are places reached on the Great Western Railway.

The once in a lifetime holiday to Disneyland is not to be dismissed, but holidays closer to home can also have excitement - providing wonderful countryside or stimulating city breaks with different food and drink and a complete change of scene.

Train travel is less damaging to the environment than flying and can also now provide destinations which are stunning, relaxing and easy to reach.