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After the recent air traffic control strikes and technical failures, one might begin to question the appeal of flying abroad for a holiday. So, why not take the train instead? That was the challenge my wife and I embarked on for our family vacation. We decided to take our three teenage boys from London to Athens, journeying through the stunning mountain region of Meteora, using high-speed trains and an overnight ferry, with a stopover in Milan along the way.
We believed that the prolonged journey was justified since it was a two-week break. It also seemed fitting to create a memorable holiday before our children leave home – the eldest will be starting university next year, followed by the middle child 12 months later.
We relied on the indispensable train travel website, Seat61.com, for our itinerary: London to Paris on the Eurostar, then onwards to Milan and Bari in southern Italy on Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa 1000, followed by an Anek Superfast ferry across the Adriatic to the port of Patras. From there, a Hellenic Train would take us to the heart of Athens, and then on to the main town of Meteora, Kalambaka.
Admittedly, this mode of travel is not cheap. The total cost of train and ferry tickets for our family of five exceeded £3,000 – double the price of a direct easyJet flight from London Gatwick to Athens International, and slightly less expensive than British Airways. However, it is worth noting that train companies offer discounted fares for children under the age of 16, unlike airlines. In some cases, children can even travel for free.
After a morning journey on the Eurostar, we enjoyed lunch at a restaurant in Paris near our connecting train station, the Gare de Lyon. From our table, we watched people and admired the view of the Eiffel Tower. As our train departed, we observed the transition from rural France to Alpine villages, catching glimpses of Mont Blanc and appreciating the charming suburbs of Turin.
The key risk associated with mass transportation is who you end up sitting next to, which can be daunting for a seven-hour journey. Since we were a family of five, either my wife or I had to volunteer to take our chances with the other passengers.
During our journey, we shared a compartment with some inconsiderate TikTok users who had their phones on full volume and a momentarily crying baby (thankfully, it did not last long). However, we also met a 90-year-old woman from Winchester who was traveling to Turin with her 65-year-old daughter for a classic car enthusiasts reunion. Both of them owned classic Bugattis from the 1920s; the mother was eagerly awaiting the return of her car from the mechanics so she could resume her trips to the shops. Interestingly, she had become a fan of train travel on the continent. “I’m rather fed up with flying,” she remarked.
If I could change anything, I would have taken my time and extended our stay at one of our stopover destinations. Booking accommodation near our stopover in Milan was a wise decision. The modern “aparthotel” was just a few minutes’ walk from the monumental Milan Centrale, allowing us to quickly reach our train the next morning while grabbing coffee and pastries on the way. The food options on board were limited but generally satisfactory. During the Milan-Bari leg of our journey, we enjoyed pasta, ciabattas, craft beer, and juice, all while admiring the beautiful Italian beaches and olive groves through the window. The Hellenic Train surpassed that with its restaurant car, complete with white linen tablecloths and a three-course dinner for €8.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t avoid the dreaded rail replacement bus service. The narrow gauge railway from Patras to Athens is currently undergoing upgrades, so the track only reaches halfway to its destination.
Was it all worth it? Absolutely. It took us two and a half days to reach Athens, compared to a three and a half hour flight. However, we were not cramped in an airplane cabin. As I rode the Athens Metro, I couldn’t help but feel a bit smug as I watched tired passengers struggling with their suitcases, just arriving from the airport.
The time we had to talk with each other was priceless. Our boys had been away at a youth camp in the week before our departure. I doubt I would have learned as much about their adventures if we hadn’t spent prolonged periods of time together. I would have liked to chat with my youngest son about his recent GCSEs, but he wanted to show me the bass guitar he had been eyeing on the iPad. That was okay too. On the other hand, the middle child was eager to return home quickly, yearning for his own bed, as we traveled back to London.
If I could do it all over again, I would probably slow things down a bit and consider taking an extra day at one of our stopover destinations.
On our return journey, we only spent 45 minutes in Bari, deliberately strolling as slowly as possible in the heat from the ferry port to the train station, making sure not to miss our connection – our boat had docked an hour late.
We noticed another British family making the same journey with younger children. As we approached the station concourse, the youngest boy in their group stopped and sighed. “Daddy, next time we come to Bari, can we stay overnight,” he said.
Jonathan Moules writes the FT’s Week Ahead newsletter. Be the first to read our latest stories – follow @ftweekend on X.
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