Green Travel on a Budget

Given all the hype around no-frills airlines, it's easy to believe that flying is the cheapest travel option. Even if you'd really love to travel in a greener way, it can be hard to ignore the seductive low prices flaunted by the airline industry. The good news is, there are plenty of alternative ways to travel on holiday that minimise your carbon footprint without breaking the bank. Below are suggestions for how to find those elusive cheap tickets that make taking the train, ferry or coach even more appealing that flying.

Train travel is one of the most relaxing ways to travelCheap Train Travel
The train is usually the fastest, smoothest and easiest way to travel, offering maximum comfort and minimum fuss at the point of departure - a marked contrast to the endless queueing and checks at an airport, plus the added pleasure of watching the scenery unfurl outside your window - from jagged mountains to azure coastline and patchworks of lush farmland.

Some Examples of Low Prices
Okay, so you're sold on train travel, but isn't it expensive? Admittedly lengthy trans-continental journeys can stack up in price, but prices even as far as Italy can cost as little as £126 return for the train from the UK to Milan or £135 for a return train to Rome from the UK, train to Florence from the UK or the train from the UK to Venice, which compares very favourably with flight prices - and instead of having to get from an airport miles out of town, you alight right in the city centre.

On Eurostar, the comparison is even better, particularly if you take the train from London to Paris (or vice versa), with return fares starting at £69, making the city centre - city centre journey in far less time than the plane. For travel within the UK, booking far enough in advance (tickets are typically released 12 weeks in advance) can ensure very cheap train fares for even relatively long distances (eg. London to Edinburgh for £12, Birmingham to Manchester for £5.50 or Newcastle to Plymouth for £18) - find tickets on thetrainline.com. For details of how to get to a huge range of destinations across Europe by train, check out our Train and Ferry Journey Planner - we've also compiled a list of top tips for booking the lowest possible fares (see below) as well as specific tips for booking the lowest train fares.

Book a cheap train ticket in the UK

Book a cheap international train ticket

The ferry can be a brilliant bargain. Photo © Stena LineCheap Ferry Travel
The ferry is also a great option for budget travellers. Of course, it only covers journeys across the sea, but as an island nation this serves us well. Getting to most UK ports is easy on public transport - some have train stations connected to the ferry terminal, and easy transfers by shuttle bus, local transport or taxi are available elsewhere. In our Train and Ferry Journey Planner, we explain how to get to the port - and onward travel from your port of arrival - for the most popular ferry routes operating out of the British Isles. Taking the Ferry can be a wonderful experience - not only do you get to the fresh sea breeze and wonderful views (plus the chance to do a spot of whale and dolphin watching), ferries these days are comfortable and offer a huge range of facilities and entertainment, from gourmet dining to cinemas and swimming pools.

Some Examples of Low Prices
For longer journeys, such as the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Spain (Santander), taking the ferry can be a saving on other forms of transport, as the price starts at under £50 one way and includes a night's accommodation. Typical Channel crossings or journeys between the UK and Ireland start at under £25 each way, and it's only £7.90 from the mainland to the Isle of Wight (single). Like most forms of transport, the trick is to book early, but even late in the day, ferries can compare extremely favourably with over-inflated last minute flight prices. You can also benefit from combined rail and sail offers, that offer fares from as low as £24 from the UK to Ireland with SailRail or £29 on the ferry from the UK to the Netherlands with Stena Line's dutchflyer - Stena Line also offer a combined coach and ferry package, with fares starting at £25. The operator is also currently running a Students travel for free by ferry offer.

Book a cheap ferry ticket

Cheap Coach Travel
Whilst the coach might not be the most immediately appealing option, long gone are the days when it meant a bumpy ride with no air conditioning, a blocked toilet and questionable smells. Many of today's long distance coaches are smooth, comfortable and spacious, offering an experience more akin to a train than a city bus. Journey speeds might not compare to trains (in Western Europe at least), but where the coach really comes into its own is on price: put simply, it's really, really cheap.

Some Examples of Low Prices
Companies such as Eurolines offer a huge network of journeys across Europe (including between the UK and the continent) for rock bottom prices - from London tickets start at £15 one way to Paris or Amsterdam, £38 to Prague, £49 to Barcelona and a variety of return journeys at £55. There are also regular offers, and you can often book the cheapest seats until fairly near your date of departure. It may take longer to get there, but there's little hassle - you know you'll be dropped off at a centrally located coach station in your destination city.

Book a coach from the UK to the rest of Europe and beyond with Eurolines

General Tips For Getting the Cheapest Tickets

• Book Early Tickets are generally released around 3 months in advance for trains (usually a similar period for coaches and often further in advance for ferries, though this can vary), and this is when the lowest fares are available. Fares almost never go down, so if you know the dates on which you want to travel and you find a good fare – book it immediately!
• Be Flexible If you can be flexible with times, or even dates, of travel then this can give you access to the cheapest available fares.
• Travel Off-Peak Travel off-peak to avoid paying the highest fares. 
• Ticket Alerts If you don’t mind your inbox being filled with messages and offers from transport operators, then sign up for ticket alerts. thetrainline.com, for example, has a Ticket Alert system that allows you to input your journey information, and they will contact you when the cheapest tickets for it become available. 
• Two Singles Can Be Cheaper Two single tickets can be cheaper than a return ticket, so always check out prices for both options. Last Spring Anouk travelled to Cornwall for £30 return from London by buying two single tickets at £15 each – a super off-peak return is £82.60! A similar rule applies when looking at ferry or coach tickets, and it's always best to look into all price combinations.
• Try A Sleeper Service Travelling overnight - particularly on trains and ferries, where you'll get comfortable sleeping accommodation - can sometimes save your overall costs. 
• Look Into Package Deals Sometimes a package offer that includes a hotel can be cheaper than the price of return tickets alone, and you’re not obliged to stay in the hotel that is included in the package. For example, Eurostar runs hotel-inclusive deals from £44 in Brussels, a cheaper price than all but the very lowest return train-only fare; Condor Ferries runs Condor Breaks ferry and hotel packages and Irish Ferries also offer package deals that can present attractive prices, saving on your holiday total.
• Special Offers If you have flexibility with your dates, or haven't yet decided on your final destination, it's always a good idea to have a look at operators' special offers, which can offer significant savings, and which are usually flagged up obviously on their home pages.