Forget flying, traveling overland is the best way to see Europe

Traveling overland is my favorite way to explore Europe. 

Europe has incredible train and coach networks, and you can reach loads of places by public transport. Whilst flying is sometimes unavoidable, many short-haul flights in Europe are avoidable. 

When planning a trip, I think it’s a good habit to ask ourselves “Could I do this journey overland?” It is often a question of time, and if you can invest the time in overland travel, you’ll be rewarded!

When I travel overland, the journey becomes as much a part of the trip as the destinations I visit. Flying often feels like a quick way to get from A to B rather than an exciting adventure. 

I’ve done many overland trips in Europe, and I love it! My most recent overland trips took me from Wales to Bosnia and Herzegovina. I traveled over 2,000 miles, through 6 countries and took 9 trains and 1 coach to reach Sarajevo. I arrived in Sarajevo having had an adventure. I visited 8 cities and learned a lot about Europe en route.

There are many adventures for you to have in Europe. Here’s why you should consider ditching the flights and traversing Europe overland! 

Have an adventure

I get a real sense of adventure from traveling overland. The distance, the scenery, the people, and the sensory experiences, all make for a great adventure.

Traveling overland in Europe can be really easy. I’ve been on trains that work like clockwork, coaches that are fit for VIPs, and shared cars that feel like private taxis. Each and every journey is different and offers opportunities for a new experience. 

Yet, there are moments when traveling overland can be testing. Like the time I stood on a train platform on the Slovenian/Croatian border in the early hours of the morning, unsure when or whether the night train would arrive, I began to question my love of overland travel! 

But when the train finally appeared at 3 am, and I was greeted by the views of the Croatian coast in the morning, it all felt worth it. And it felt like I had been on an adventure. Would I do the journey again? Absolutely. But I’d pack more snacks.

Travel spectacular routes

There are spectacular train routes and roads in Europe that allow you to see so much more of the continent than if you were to fly from place to place. 

For example, in Montenegro, you can cross the Mala Rijeka viaduct, Europe’s highest railway bridge in Europe. You can wake up on the Adriatic coast after sleeping on a night train to Split. You can feel like you’re on top of the world when you drive on an Alpine pass. You can see rural villages when you’re winding through the Bosnian countryside on a coach.

My recommendation? Plan some beautiful routes when you travel overland, and don’t be afraid to take a diversion to experience a memorable journey. 

Sense of distance and achievement 

Traveling overland gives me a sense of achievement that I rarely get from flying. 

I don’t feel proud of myself for rocking up at an airport and sitting on a plane. Whereas, rocking up to a train station at 4 am and changing trains three times before figuring out the local bus network to arrive at a destination? That fills me with a sense of achievement and pride. 

It’s not even about overland travel needing to feel like hard work. A simple 4-hour coach journey still gives me a sense of achievement. 

The biggest difference for me is that you sense the distance when traveling overland. 

When my head is in the clouds (literally speaking), I have no idea how far I have traveled. Whereas, when you’re down on earth watching the world go by, you can appreciate the distance. And you can better appreciate the efforts of your journey. 

Take in the scenery, hidden gems, & glimpses of normal life

You get to discover hidden gems and appreciate the landscape by traversing it overland. Sometimes you know to expect incredible views, but other times it comes as a total surprise. I love just looking out the window and taking in the scenery. 

Admittedly, sometimes the scenery is not very inspiring. But I’ve come to appreciate the fact that overland travel gives you the opportunity to get a glimpse of normal life in a country, something that can be hard as a tourist. Even when traveling on miles and miles of Autobahn in Germany, you’ll see villages, castles, farms and city suburbs. 

Discover new, unexpected places

There is loads to see in Europe! The flexibility of overland travel opens up the possibility of exploring new, unexpected places. You’ll often have to have to change trains or coaches, which provides the perfect excuse to hop out and explore. 

On one overland trip from London to Poland, I had to change trains at Görlitz, a small town on the German/Polish border. I hadn’t ever heard of the town but I thought I might as well have a look around. I had a flexible train ticket and nothing to lose. 

I left my luggage in a locker at the train station (a facility in most German train stations!) and set off for a few hours.

I stumbled upon Görlitz during a Medieval festival and the town was beautiful. There was a charming atmosphere, interesting stalls and events, music, and food. My afternoon in an unexpected town became a highlight of my trip! 

Meet new people 

I often find that trains and coaches are a little more sociable than planes. I’ll regularly end up chatting to people I am sitting next to, which is a great way to meet locals, get travel tips, and learn more about a country. 

On long overland trips, it can feel somewhat of an endurance test! The people around you quickly become moral support and you form a bond based on your shared experience. 

From being offered Rakija at 2 pm by my neighbor on a coach in Croatia to chatting to my neighbor in a night train compartment in the Netherlands, I cherish the interactions I’ve had with people whilst traveling overland. 

Enjoy more flexible & spontaneous travel

One of the joys of overland travel is that you can be more flexible and spontaneous than when flying. 

There are many ways to flexibly travel overland. Check out the Interrail ticket, a Europe-wide rail pass which allows you to travel very spontaneously and visit many places.

Even without an Interrail ticket, you can often buy flexible tickets, or just buy tickets spontaneously. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, I bought coach tickets on the day of travel and made my route up as I went along.  

I’ll caveat this by saying that you do sometimes need to book overland travel in advance. For example, you need to reserve the Eurostar from the UK to mainland Europe and many night train routes in Western and Central Europe. 

On the whole, overland travel offers flexibility. But you don’t want to miss your dream train trip, just because you haven’t planned a bit. 

Overland travel is more climate-friendly

I can’t write about why traveling overland is better than flying without mentioning the obvious environmental reasons. Plane travel is particularly bad for the environment and emits a hefty amount of CO2 emissions. For example, my train journey from Amsterdam to Vienna could have emitted 120 kg less CO2 emissions than a flight.

Check out the easy-to-use and super cool calculator on EcoPassenger to compare the environmental impacts of different modes of transport. 

The reality is that climate change could ruin many tourist destinations. So, if we love exploring the world, we should do our bit to look after it. 

Fewer luggage limits 

I hate weighing (and re-weighing) my bags before flying. I always get stressed that I’ve packed too much (because usually I have), and I worry about unexpected costs at the airport. 

It’s such a relief when I travel overland because I don’t have to worry as much about luggage! I’ve transported an artist’s easel from Germany to the UK by coach and traveled with a heavy bag, containing several (small) bottles of vodka from Poland to Germany. This would have cost more and been a right faff on a plane. 

Although there are some luggage limits on coaches and trains across Europe, bags are rarely weighed and restrictions are far more lax than flying. It’s common to pay around 2​​€ per bag on coaches in the Balkans, but that’s nothing compared to the 50€ charged by plane companies. 

📚 Related Reading: Packing List for Europe

My top tips for traveling overland 

Traveling overland in Europe is relatively easy, but here are my top travel hacks to know:

• Buffer time – Always allow enough time for travel connections – you can’t assume a bus or train will be on time! 
• Get someone else to plan! – There are now a few companies, such as Byway, offering pre-made flight-free package holidays with companies.
• Do your research – It’s always a good idea to do some research before setting out for overland travel. For research on train travel in Europe (and the world), I can’t recommend Man in Seat 61 highly enough.
• Think about your train ticket options – Choose a ticket option that fits with your budget and meets your requirements. For flexible travel, you might be best buying a Europe-wide Interrail pass, individual country passes, or a specific country’s own ticket, like Germany’s 49 Euro ‘Deutschlandticket‘.
• Consider the coach – Travel by coach is sometimes cheaper than train, and more convenient for reaching areas that aren’t on the rail network. I tend to use these bus companies: Flixbus, Eurolines, and Centrotrans.
• Check your ticket restrictions – Don’t get caught traveling with the wrong ticket! Always double-check your ticket’s restrictions and conditions. You may need to buy additional seat reservations for some services.
• Enjoy it! – Make the most of overland travel and all the new experiences you have!

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Thanks for reading! Traveling overland is an amazing way to explore Europe. Have you done a lot of overland travel in Europe? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Next up, check out my article on why I cringe when backpackers say they’re “doing Europe.”