HOLIDAYMAKERS can avoid the airport scrum during summer school breaks by taking the train to Europe's coastal resorts … rail strikes (in Britain and across the Channel) permitting.
Loco2, a train travel search-and-booking engine, suggests these trains to the sun:
FRANCE: BRITTANY COAST – Take the Eurostar to Paris, then TGV direct to Quimper. Picnic and paddle on the fine white sands of Cap-Coz; discover the Celtic heart of Quimper; and older kids can learn to sail at nearby Bénodet. This part of Brittany lends itself to exploration by train, with regional TER services available inland to Auray or out to the coast of the Quiberon peninsula.
FRANCE: BRITTANY COAST – Take the Eurostar to Paris, then TGV direct to Quimper. Picnic and paddle on the fine white sands of Cap-Coz; discover the Celtic heart of Quimper; and older kids can learn to sail at nearby Bénodet. This part of Brittany lends itself to exploration by train, with regional TER services available inland to Auray or out to the coast of the Quiberon peninsula.
Journey time* from eight hours, with an optional stop for lunch in Paris. From £63 one-way.
SPAIN: COSTA BRAVA – Travel by Eurostar to Lyon, and onward by double-decker TGV to Girona. Two new rail routes combine to make this a stress-free journey. A Eurostar from London goes direct to Lyon, avoiding changing trains in Paris. In Lyon, it's a same-station change to the train to Girona or onward to Barcelona, on board the new double-decker Euroduplex service. Bucket-and-spade fun at the white sands of Tamari and tiny yet perfect Sa Caleta, in the shadow of a medieval castle; make a splash at Aquabrava waterpark at Roses; and stroll the ancient walled city of Girona.
Journey time* from 10 hours, with time for lunch between trains in Lyon. From £86 one-way.
ITALY: LIGURIAN RIVIERA - The Eurostar to Paris, then the Thello night train to Milan, and finally a scenic InterCity ride to Sestri Levante. The fun of a night train, with sleeping cabins and a restaurant car, the views of the Ligurian coast from Genoa southwards. Play on the exquisite beaches around Sestri Levante; explore towns such as Portofino; and cycle the coastal greenway from Levanto to Framura.
Journey time* from 16 hours overnight. From £89.50 one-way, including four-berth couchette on the Thello night train.
*Journey times are calculated from London St. Pancras International, London.
loco2.com
SPAIN: COSTA BRAVA – Travel by Eurostar to Lyon, and onward by double-decker TGV to Girona. Two new rail routes combine to make this a stress-free journey. A Eurostar from London goes direct to Lyon, avoiding changing trains in Paris. In Lyon, it's a same-station change to the train to Girona or onward to Barcelona, on board the new double-decker Euroduplex service. Bucket-and-spade fun at the white sands of Tamari and tiny yet perfect Sa Caleta, in the shadow of a medieval castle; make a splash at Aquabrava waterpark at Roses; and stroll the ancient walled city of Girona.
Journey time* from 10 hours, with time for lunch between trains in Lyon. From £86 one-way.
ITALY: LIGURIAN RIVIERA - The Eurostar to Paris, then the Thello night train to Milan, and finally a scenic InterCity ride to Sestri Levante. The fun of a night train, with sleeping cabins and a restaurant car, the views of the Ligurian coast from Genoa southwards. Play on the exquisite beaches around Sestri Levante; explore towns such as Portofino; and cycle the coastal greenway from Levanto to Framura.
Journey time* from 16 hours overnight. From £89.50 one-way, including four-berth couchette on the Thello night train.
*Journey times are calculated from London St. Pancras International, London.
loco2.com
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