TRAIN getaways are on track to be the hottest way to travel next year.
First Choice saw an increase of 75 per cent in traffic to its flight-free pages in the weeks after it launched.
And research from YouGov’s Travel and Tourism report, reveals that a third of 18-to-34-year-olds want to explore sustainable travel on their next trip.
So if you’re looking for inspiration, we’ve gathered up some great train breaks in accord with the season.
SPRING: BELGIUM
SPRING is one of the most beautiful times to visit Belgium.
Colourful wildflowers begin to blanket the meadows and the leaves turn green once more.
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Best of all, it’s the off-season, so you’ll manage to ditch the crowds on this getaway to Ghent and Brussels.
You’ll spend two days in the arty city of Ghent, before heading over to Brussels to explore the flea markets or sample the legendary beer.
The four-day Ghent and Brussels trip starts from £519pp, based on two adults sharing one room and includes train travel from London St Pancras on April 2.
SUMMER: ITALY
PICTURE yourself sipping wine and tucking into spaghetti as you soak up the sun from a rustic rooftop.
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One of the best parts of this eight-day Italian adventure is that the travel between destinations is also a highlight.
Beginning in the northern city of Turin, with its alpine backdrop and excellent restaurants, you’ll catch the sleep train to Rome, which is bursting with culture and ancient architecture.
The Your Journey To Italy trip costs from £958 per person, based on two adults sharing, and includes train travel from London St Pancras on June 6.
AUTUMN: FRENCH RIVIERA
THE weather is still in the twenties along the French Riviera in the autumn, and you’ll get to admire some of the prettiest sunsets on this six-day rail adventure.
Kick things off in Marseille which is drenched in history and is France’s oldest city.
Be sure to visit Le Panier while you’re here, a district on top of a hill overlooking the sea with walls covered in street art.
You will then get some glam beach time on the pebbled shores of Nice, dining on the freshest seafood, before rolling onto the city of love, Paris.
The six-day Journey To The French Riviera is from £832pp, based on two sharing, and includes train travel from London St Pancras on September 28.
WINTER: GERMANY
The country is home to some of the best Christmas markets, dishing up warm bratwursts drizzled in sauce and washed down with steins of beer and mulled wine.
The seven-day tour starts in Cologne, famed for its Kölsch beer, and then winds its way to Berlin for Europe’s largest eco-market, crammed full of festive goodies and artisan craft stalls
You will get to experience the best of two worlds when you cross the border into the Netherlands to explore its capital city, Amsterdam.
This city is the perfect spot to end your Christmas getaway, with some excellent nightlife and pretty canals which reflect the street lights at night.
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The Journey To Germany getaway is from £857pp, based on two sharing, and includes train travel from London St Pancras on December 5.
To book any of the above, see byway.travel.
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Sophie Swietochowski
