Hit the rails

More travellers are letting the train take the strain when going on holiday, as we rediscover the joy of the journey and look at ways to make our breaks greener.

Eurostar and Trainline chiefs say interest in European breaks by rail is up, with new services such as Nightjet increasing options for sleeper services across the continent.

Lonely Planet recently published its first train tourism guide, with top itineraries including Olso to Bergen in Norway, The Black Forest Railway in Germany, and Locarno in Switzerland to Domodossola in Italy.

Inspired? Also check out Zero Altitude (The History Press, £16.99) by travel editor Helen Coffey, a reformed frequent flyer who challenged herself to find cleaner ways to see the world.