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    The Glacier Express Route

    Running between St. Moritz and Zermatt, an iconic rail journey.

    The Bernina Express Route

    A bucket-list-worthy journey with alpine views and sparkling glaciers.

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    Plan your trip with our overland travel experts

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    Pin places on a map to create a custom trip

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About us

We craft bespoke European vacations by land and sea

Stitched together with heritage railroads, sunset sailings, and scenic bus journeys, all itineraries include transportation and accommodations, neatly packaged with free disruption replanning and in-trip support, whenever you need us.

Purpose

Byway is on a mission to help more people discover Europe and beyond by traveling through, not flying over. All self-guided itineraries include overland transportation and accommodations, package protection, disruption replanning, and 24/7 in-trip support from our no-fly travel experts. Whether you design your trip from scratch, travel our favorite routes, or enlist personalized planning help from our team, the result is a seamless slow travel adventure through landscapes, cultures, and the places in between.

Impact report

By opting for trains over planes, supporting locally owned accommodations and venturing off the beaten path away from over-touristed areas, Byway travelers are helping us make a huge impact and spearheading a more sustainable tourism industry.
Read the full report

B Corp certified

As a certified B Corp, we’re continuously held accountable for meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Being a B Corp means committing to a more inclusive, equitable, and regenerative way of doing business.
More about being a B Corp

A slow-travel approach

A slow travel approach prioritizes depth over speed. It doesn’t have to mean “slow” (although it can), but rather prioritizes rich experiences and deep connections over travel bucket lists and Instagram tourist traps.

Our difference

First-of-its-kind technology

Design hyper-personalized overland journeys, powered by the first-of-its-kind overland routing technology. With our maps tool, select destinations and interests, and our tech will connect stopovers via scenic transport legs. Endlessly customize dates, passengers, and stays, with live updates on pricing and availability.

Love the journey guarantee

Every Byway vacation comes with our Love the Journey Guarantee, your promise of expert planning, real human support, and fair treatment if things don’t go as planned.

Read about the guarantee

Sustainability

Swapping planes for trains is the most environmentally impactful change we can make as individuals. Byway makes it seamless and stress-free to travel without stepping onto a plane. Our travelers help save thousands of tons of carbon every year, spearheading the cultural shift toward a sustainable travel industry.
Learn more

Introducing slow travel

As our lives grow ever busier, both the planet and our own souls often struggle to keep up. Our slow travel philosophy helps you connect more deeply with the world and tread lighter on the planet.

Why choose slow travel?

  • Inspiring journeys

  • Meaningful connection

  • Rich experiences

More about slow travel

Slow travel is an approach that takes a conscious and intentional approach to travel. It doesn't have to mean slow in speed (although it can!) but rather prioritizes an integrated approach that centers the journey as an intrinsic part of the vacation. We are present in the here and now, never waiting to arrive, delighting in the joy of traveling through new places and landscapes.
Read more

How it works

  • Luxury travel and accommodations

    taken care of for you

  • Handcrafted, sustainable journeys

    optimized for enjoyment over speed

  • 5-star, on-demand support

    throughout your trip

Finding your perfect trip

  • Design from scratch

    Start with a place or an interest. Our mapping technology will string together your custom places into a tailored overland itinerary, featuring scenic rail lines and delightful stops.

    Create trip
  • Browse itineraries

    All prebuilt itineraries are designed by our expert team. Browse by destination or collection, or browse our full database of trips.

    Browse
  • Contact concierge

    Accessibility needs? Pet-friendly travel? For specialty inquiries, Byway Trip Design is our traditional travel agent service, run by regional experts in overland travel.

    Contact the concierge

What's included

  • Transport

    Customisable, scenic routes across Europe by land and sea

  • Accommodation

    Chosen by you, booked by us, favouring local stays

  • 5* Support

    Personalised trip guide, 24/7 in-trip support, free disruption replanning

Frequently asked questions

How does booking work?

Once you're happy with your trip, click 'continue' to select payment options. If your holiday is more than 8 weeks in the future, you can choose to pay a 20% deposit.

Proceed to fill in passenger details, and any preferences around travel times or other requirements. Next, you’ll be taken to our payment page where you will fill in your card details to make payment.

Once you’ve booked, you’ll receive a confirmation. Within a week, you’ll receive a full Trip Summary including travel time details. Closer to your travel date, we’ll send you a self guided itinerary including check-in details, travel tickets and recommendations for local activities.

What happens if I need to cancel or change my trip?

If you wish to cancel your trip, you must complete and submit our cancellation form. If you have any questions prior to cancelling, please contact us and we will be happy to help.

Since we incur costs in cancelling or amending your travel arrangements, cancellation or amendment charges may apply. Please check our booking conditions for a full list of these charges.

If the reason for your cancellation or change is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim charges. We therefore recommend that you secure appropriate insurance as soon as you have booked your holiday.

Do you provide accessible trips?

Most of our trips can be updated to suit a variety of accessibility needs. All of our journeys are on train, bus, or ferry routes, making it easier to get around and we try to choose hotels that are close to stations or centrally-located where possible.

If you have specific requirements, our expert Trip Design team can build a custom trip for you. Please contact us about your particular requirements.

We’re always looking for ways to improve accessibility. If you have any suggestions, please share them with us at hello@byway.travel.

More FAQs

Who we are

Cat Jones, CEO and Founder

"Byway started when I was on my annual vacation with my family. Each year, we go on a multi-stop trip and make it as sustainable as possible, traveling by train, boat, and bus. The trips are always wonderful - we slow down to appreciate lesser-known locations, bypass touristy hotspots, and feel like we're discovering the world on our terms. But wow, were they a pain to organize and book!

As we've become more aware of the impact of air travel on the climate, the environmental need for simpler flight-free travel has become urgent, and as the pandemic hit, I knew the time had come for this type of travel to take center stage. So I founded Byway to make traveling by land and sea easy, and to help more people discover the joys of flight-free travel.”

— Cat Jones, CEO and Founder

Our team

Four years later, we're a small, purpose-driven team. Train nerds, travel enthusiasts, and experts on a mission to make slow travel mainstream.
Work with us

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