London to Italy and Athens rail vacation

Planet

You couldn't get a more inherently sustainable way to travel than by train. Not only is it a wonderful way to see landscapes change as you traverse a country, or in this case almost an entire continent, but it has an extremely low carbon footprint compared to flying or using vehicles. On this trip we travel by train all the way through to Bari, in Puglia, before taking an overnight ferry to Greece and reconnecting with the trains there.

As part of our Responsible Travel policy, we advise customers to take reusable water bottles with them on tour. Our local leaders do not actively distribute single-use plastic water bottles. Where picnics are necessary on trains, our local tour leaders suggest local cafes or delis where things like sandwich wrapping will be in paper, rather than pre-packaged plastic affairs.

As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.

People

As well as visiting the cities of Rome, Athens and Pisa during this tour, we strive to take you to smaller, less touristy destinations that allow you to spend money within local communities, at shops and local restaurants. For example, in Kalavryta, Greece, we stay in a mountain village of only 2,000 inhabitants, where we'll eat out at family-run establishments. Not only does that give us an opportunity to experience the traditional cuisine of rural Greece but it also helps support the local economy.

This trip also visits a number of small-scale producers which we'll have the chance to support through purchasing their various products. Places such as the Putignano Azienda Nuovo Muretto) organic farm where local cheese is made, a bakery in Altamura where DOP bread is made each morning, and an olive oil mill that produces oil using both a traditional and a modern press.

As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.