Three experts in flight-free travel joined the National Geographic Traveller (UK) Travel Geeks panel on 1 November to share their experiences of travelling ‘Europe: by road, rail and sea’.

Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK) editor, Glen Mutel steered the discussion quizzing the panel on everything from new and interesting routes to their all-time favourite flight-free trips.

Here’s some of the great advice they shared:

– When asked to recommend a good weekend destination for no-fly beginners, Helen Coffey, travel editor at The Independent said: “Rotterdam (or anywhere in the Netherlands); Antwerp or Bruges in Belgium; the OG, Paris!”

– Writer and videographer Richard Hammond told viewers to look out for new sleeper train services popping up across Europe, such as the EuroNight service between Stockholm and Hamburg (enabling travel by train between London and Stockholm within 24 hours), and the launch of Midnight Trains in 2024.

– Train and ferry trips “provide great leisure time,” said Richard. Helen loves nothing more than being “completely uncontactable” for short bursts at sea. “It’s not just about getting from hotspot to hotspot, it’s all about those in-between places,” added freelance journalist, Rebecca Lowe.

– Overland travel doesn’t have to be expensive. Sign up for alerts on train ticket websites, try split ticketing and be flexible about your dates to get a better deal.

– Hostels aren’t just for young people – they’re great for anyone travelling on a budget.

– You don’t have to be a pro-cycler to attempt a trip like Rebecca’s. “The wonderful thing about going through Europe is you can start from outside your front door, and you can learn on the road” — which is exactly what she did.

– Jumping into more terrestrial forms of travel like train, ferry, bus and bike imbues journeys with a newfound quality of delight, adventure, and the thrill of anticipation. And that goes right from the planning stages to the trip itself.

A recording of last night’s session is available now. Watch the recording and fill out our feedback survey for the chance to win one of 10 pairs of free Food Festival tickets.

Plus! Keep your eyes peeled for the next session of Travel Geeks, coming up soon…