How to find winter sun without jetting off

Getting your sunshine fix without flying sounds impossible – but by rail and sea there are plenty of ways to do it. Nick Trend reveals the options

Isense your scepticism. The idea that you can enjoy a break in the sun this winter without flying anywhere is surely only possible if you are prepared to undertake a journey of epic proportions. But that’s not necessarily the case. While it obviously won’t be as quick as hopping on a plane, if you plan things carefully – and perhaps consider one or two stop-overs – it can be perfectly feasible.

After all, that is what many wealthy British people did in the 19th century. True, they lived a more leisurely life, so a long train journey was offset by a longer stay in the destination. Also – and this is a key point – they didn’t have quite the same expectations as we might when it comes to heat. Nice – their favourite destination – delivered warmth and light rather than tropical sunshine.

So I have picked out six suggestions for sunny winter escapes that don’t involve a schlep through an airport – broken down by the amount of time each journey requires, and the temperatures you can expect when you arrive.

Total journey times given below are indicative and reflect the fastest realistic connections from London by train, or from the port of departure by ship. Prices are based on return fares per person, travelling in the third week of January unless stated otherwise, second class, with overnight travel in a seat (cabins are available at extra cost). They are subject to change and in some cases a booking /reservation fee will also apply. Temperatures given are for January-February and represent the average daily maximum and the average number of sunshine hours per day.

Ferry to Santander then train to Alicante

16-17C, 5 hours of sun Travel time: 34.5hrs

Of course, you could reach any Spanish destination via the Portsmouth-Santander ferry, but I have selected Alicante for this route because there is a direct rail connection across the country (with an average of three services per day) and because it has such an incredibly mild and sunny winter climate. Smaller resorts nearby include Javea and Denia.

You will probably have to break your journey overnight in Santander, because the ferry arrives in the evening – but that necessity is easily made into a positive. It is a very pretty resort-port with some excellent hotels and restaurants.

The journey

Brittany Ferries’ Portsmouth-Santander ferry takes 27 hours overnight, then it is 7hrs 30mins by direct train. To take your own car and drive would take about the same amount of time.

The cost

The return ferry fare costs from about £331 (foot passenger), or £814 with car (brittanyferries.co.uk). For the rail journey, the Interrail single-country Spain pass probably offers the best value: from £136 (£159 first class) for any three days in one month (myinterrail.co.uk).

Train to Nice 11C, 5 hours of sun Travel time: 9hrs

I confess, the climate statistics for Nice in January and February were not quite as positive as I expected. But I know from experience that it feels much warmer than the 11C daily maximum suggests. And certainly, the days are longer and much sunnier than in the UK. While you may not want to lie on the beach, you can comfortably eat outside at lunchtime, for example. And, along with Marseilles, Nice is the easiest and quickest Mediterranean destination to reach by train from the UK. If you want it a little warmer, you could always wait until March – which is when Queen Victoria preferred to visit.

The journey

Nine hours, via Paris. For my ideal jour- ney I would plan to include a two or three-hour lunchtime break and spend it at the wonderful Belle Epoque Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon (le-train-bleu.com/en).

The cost

About £200 (eurostar.com)

Train to Malaga

14-16C, 5-6 hours of sun Travel time: 23hrs

Travelling to southern Spain by train is the fastest way to reach a properly warm winter climate without flying. Admittedly, at around 23 hours with the fastest connections, it is something of a marathon journey, via Paris, Barcelona and Madrid, and there are no sleeper trains to help. My solution would be to make a virtue out of necessity and plan one or two overnight stops on the way – Paris and Barcelona perhaps. That way you make the journey part of the holiday: you can plan a couple of special meals or museum visits during your stop-overs, and simply enjoy the pleasures of travelling in a more leisurely way.

The journey

About 23 hours, via Paris, Barcelona and Madrid.

The cost

Eurostar to Paris from about £100 return (eurostar.com), plus four-day Interrail pass: €258 (£222).

Train to Seville

16-17C, 5-6 hours of sun Travel time: 23hrs

This involves a very similar journey and travelling time to the Malaga itinerary above, but the high-speed line divides at Cordoba and heads inland rather than down to Grenada and the coast. While you miss out on sea views, you do get slightly warmer weather than on the Costa del Sol and, for a cultural winter break, there are few more engaging cities than Seville. Again, breaking the journey at, say, Paris and Barcelona would make the journey much more enjoyable.

The journey

About 23 hours travelling via Paris, Barcelona and Madrid.

The cost

Eurostar to Paris from about £100 return, four-day Interrail pass: €258 (£222).

Cruise to the Canaries

18C, 5-6 hours of sun (Tenerife) Travel time: 3 days (to Madeira)

This two-week Spain, Portugal and Canary Islands cruise with P&O leaves from Southampton in mid-January and probably offers the best-value no-fly winter sun of all. With fares starting at £1,269 and all meals included, the ship, Iona, takes roughly three days to steam into warmer waters, reaching Madeira in the early morning of January 17. Over the following four days there are stops in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote before the return voyage, which includes visits to Cadiz and Lisbon. It won’t be intimate – Iona carries 5,200 passengers – but you get sunshine and variety for your money.

The journey

Departs Southampton on January 13, and returns on January 27.

The cost

Inside cabin from £1,269 all-inclusive (pocruises.com)

Cruise to the Caribbean

29C, 7 hours of sun (Cozumel) Travel time: 10 days (to Bermuda)

This option – another P&O cruise departing Southampton – only works for those with plenty of time to spare, but with prices starting at less than £70 a day, it also offers remarkable value. You need to commit to 35 days on board and you won’t reach Bermuda until day 10, but after that the 3,000-berth Ventura follows a long sweep around the southern United States and Central American coasts, with stops at Freeport (Bahamas), Cozumel (Mexico), Honduras, Belize, New Orleans, Miami and Port Canaveral before returning to the UK via Ponta Delgada in the Azores, Portugal.

The journey

Departs Southampton on February 11, returning on March 17.

The cost

The 35-night Caribbean & USA cruise costs from £2,399 per person, all-inclusive in an inside cabin.

gSanta Justa railway station in Seville – an ‘engaging city for a cultural break’, with temperatures hitting 16-17C hWarm glow: Nerja beach near Malaga, 23 hours from the UK by train – but break the journey in Paris and Barcelona

iSea change: forget the plane and take a P&O cruise to Santa Cruz de La Palma jLet the ferry take you to Santander, then travel by train to Alicante

gThe sun-baked station in Nice, ‘the easiest and quickest Mediterranean destination to reach by train from the UK’