Travelling responsibly
Small groups, long stays, local hotels and trains wherever they make sense.
Small groups, long stays and trains are good for the places we visit as well as for you. This is what we do on every tour.
- Rail instead of short flights wherever a train takes under six hours
- Local, owner-run hotels and restaurants
- Guides paid a fair day rate, including travel days
- A part of every booking goes to a footpath or heritage project on the route (sample)
Getting there by train
Most of our European tours start at a railway station. We send you the train times from the nearest hub with your documents, and our planners book the tickets if you ask.
Lisbon
Overnight or daytime connection
From Madrid
Edinburgh
About 4 hours 30 minutes
From London
Bolzano
About 4 hours
From Munich
Kyoto
About 2 hours 15 minutes
From Tokyo
How we plan a tour
Four rules decide every itinerary we sell. They are why our tours look slower on paper.
At least two nights in most places
Changing hotel every day is tiring. Most stops on our route lines are two or three nights long.
Under three hours on the road
We split long transfers with a stop for lunch or a walk, or we take the train.
Small, owner-run hotels
Rooms with character, breakfast made in the house, and money that stays in the town.
A guide who lives there
Our guides are from the regions they show you and speak the language of the people you meet.
Tell us where you want to go
Send a trip enquiry or call the office. A travel planner replies within one working day with dates, places and the full itinerary (sample).