I sense your skepticism. The idea that you can enjoy a break in the sun this winter without flying is surely only possible if you’re willing to undertake a journey of epic proportions. But that’s not necessarily the case. While it obviously won’t be as quick as getting on a plane, if you plan things carefully – and maybe consider a stopover or two – it can be quite doable.
After all, that’s what many wealthy Britons did in the 19th century. It is true that they led a quieter life, so a long train journey was compensated by a longer stay at the destination. Furthermore – and this is an important point – they didn’t quite have the same expectations as us when it came to heat. Nice – their favorite destination – provided warmth and light instead of tropical sunshine.
That’s why I’ve picked six suggestions for sunny winter holidays that don’t involve traveling through an airport – broken down by the amount of time each journey takes, and the temperatures you can expect when you arrive.
1. Ferry to Santander then train to Alicante
Prediction: 16-17C, 5 hours of sun
Travel time: 34.5 hours
Of course you can reach any Spanish destination via the Portsmouth-Santander ferry, but I chose Alicante for this route because there is a direct rail link across the country (with an average of three services per day) and because it has such an incredibly mild and sunny winter climate. Smaller resorts nearby include Javea and Denia. You’ll probably have to break the journey overnight in Santander as the ferry arrives in the evening, but that’s easy to make positive. It is a very nice resort harbor with some excellent hotels and restaurants.
The journey: Brittany Ferries’ Portsmouth-Santander ferry takes 27 hours overnight, then the direct train takes 7 hours and 30 minutes. Driving your own car would take about the same amount of time.
Costs: The return ferry fare costs approximately £331 (foot passenger), £814 by car (brittanyferries.co.uk). For rail travel, the Interrail Spain Single Country Pass is probably the best value: from £136 (£159 first class) for three days in one month (myinterrail.co.uk).
2. Train to Nice
Prediction: 11C, 5 hours of sun
Travel time: 9 o’clock
I must admit that the climate statistics for Nice in January and February were not as positive as I expected. But I know from experience that it feels much warmer than the daily maximum of 11 degrees suggests. And certainly, the days are longer and much sunnier than in Britain. Although you may not want to lie on the beach, you can enjoy eating outside during lunch, for example. And together with Marseille it is the easiest and fastest way to reach the Mediterranean by train from Britain. If you want it a bit warmer, you can always wait until March, when Queen Victoria preferred to visit.
The journey: Nine o’clock, via Paris. For my ideal trip, I would take a two or three hour lunch break and spend it at the beautiful Belle Epoque Train Bleu restaurant in the Gare de Lyon (le-train-bleu.com).
Costs: About £200 (eurostar.com)
3. Train to Málaga
Prediction: 14-16C, 5-6 hours of sun
Travel time: 11 p.m
Traveling to southern Spain by train is the fastest way to reach a good warm winter climate without flying. Admittedly, with the fastest connections it’s something of a marathon journey around 23 hours, via Paris, Barcelona and Madrid, and there are no sleeper trains to help. My solution would be to make a virtue of necessity and plan an overnight stop or two along the way – Paris and Barcelona perhaps. Here’s how to make the trip part of the holiday: you can plan some special meals or museum visits during your layover and simply enjoy the joys of traveling in a more relaxed way.
The journey: About 23 hours, via Paris, Barcelona and Madrid.
Costs: Eurostar to Paris from around £100 return (eurostar.com), plus four-day Interrail pass: €258 (£222).
4. Train to Seville
Prediction: 16-17C, 5-6 hours of sun
Travel time: 11 p.m
This involves a very similar journey and travel time to the Malaga route above, but the high-speed line splits at Cordoba and heads inland rather than to Grenada and the coast. Although you miss the sea views, you do get slightly warmer weather than the Costa del Sol, and for a cultural winter holiday there are few more attractive cities than Seville. Again, breaking the trip in places like Paris and Barcelona would make the trip much more enjoyable.
The journey: About 23 hours via Paris, Barcelona and Madrid.
Costs: Eurostar to Paris from around £100 return, four-day Interrail pass: €258 (£222).
5. Cruise to the Canary Islands
Prediction: 18C, 5-6 hours of sun (Tenerife)
Travel time: 3 days (to Madeira)
This two-week cruise to Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands with P&O departs from Southampton in mid-January and offers probably the best value winter sun without a no-fly zone. With fares starting from £1,269 and all meals included, the ship, Iona, will take approximately three days to steam in warmer waters and reach Madeira in the early morning of January 17. Over the next four days there are stops in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote before the return journey, including visits to Cadiz and Lisbon. It won’t be intimate – Iona carries a maximum of 5,200 passengers – but you’ll get a lot of sun and a lot of variety for your money.
The journey: Departs Southampton on January 13th and returns on January 27th.
Costs: Inside cabin from £1,269 all-inclusive (pocruises.com)
6. Cruise to the Caribbean
Prediction: 29C, 7 hours of sunshine (Cozumel)
Travel time: 10 days (to Bermuda)
This option – another P&O cruise from Southampton – only works for those with plenty of time to spare, but with prices from under £70 per day it also offers remarkable value. You need to reserve 35 days on board and you won’t reach Bermuda until day 10, but then the 3,000-berth Ventura follows a long journey along the coast of South America, Central America, with stops in Freeport (Bahamas), Cozumel (Mexico ), Honduras, Belize, New Orleans, Miami and Port Canaveral before returning to the United Kingdom via Ponta Delgada in Portugal.
The journey: Departs Southampton on February 11th and returns on March 17th.
Costs: The 35-night cruise to the Caribbean and the US costs from £2,399 per person, all-inclusive in an inside cabin.
The total journey times mentioned above are indicative and the fastest realistic connections from London by train, or from the departure port by ship. Prices are based on return fares per person, traveling in the third week of January, unless otherwise stated, second class, with overnight accommodation in a seat (cabins available at extra cost). They are subject to change and in some cases booking/reservation fees may also apply. The temperatures shown are for January-February and represent the average daily maximum and the average number of hours of sunshine per day.