Slow and overland travel
Dear the Journey Between Places
- Reading time
- 3 minutes
Dear Journey,
We usually think of you as the boring part. The bit between arriving and leaving. But some of the best hours of a trip happen on a train watching fields go by, or on a ferry deck with the wind in your face.
What we love
♥Night trains
Fall asleep in one country and wake up in another. Several European night train routes have been revived in recent years.
♥Ferries
Island-hopping by ferry is slower, cheaper than flying and full of views.
♥Scenic railways
Lines like the Glacier Express in Switzerland are journeys in their own right.
What we'd tell a friend
- Planning
- Websites like The Man in Seat 61 are excellent for planning overland routes.
- Rail passes
- Interrail and Eurail passes can be good value for multi-country trips in Europe.
This is general guidance. Prices, timetables, opening hours and entry rules change, so please check the official sources below before you travel.
Handle with care
Overland travel often has a lower carbon footprint than flying, especially for shorter distances.
Before you go
- The Man in Seat 61 (rail travel guide) ↗ (opens an external site)
- Interrail ↗ (opens an external site)
Dear Journey, we will not hurry you.
With love,
The WTWL Team
Written September 2026
Spotted something out of date? Send us a correction.
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