It can be daunting travelling to Europe from the US, especially if you plan to visit more than one country. Will they speak English? How are hotels different to what you’re used to? What can and can’t be pre booked? Is everything closed on Sundays? The best advice for your vacation in Europe is to plan and prepare before you travel – for a full list of hints and tips for a hassle free trip to Europe, read on. Before you go At the planning stage, try not to squeeze in all the sights and all the cities. Allow time to explore towns and lesser known places.. Check that your passport is up to date ..read more

As temperatures cool, classic summer destinations transform. Promenades, once jostling with beach-goers, are now quiet enough to hear the swell of the sea. Birds migrate across winter sunsets, and there's a renewed slowness and authenticity to even the most sought-after spots in Spain, France and Portugal. For those willing to go against the grain of summer travel, there’s the promise of something enchanting. A sense of being privy to a secret. A new take on familiar summer favourites. As the calendar months roll on, consider this an invitation to revisit nostalgic holiday destinations in a f ..read more

As the heat of summer dwindles away, the proposition of travel shifts. Instead of chasing sunshine, winter travel offers an invitation to embrace the cold. Open water swimmers might be enthusiastically nodding their heads, but for a large portion of the population, holidays have become synonymous with summer, often limiting us to peak season, peak prices and peak crowds.  I first dipped my toe into winter travel on a long weekend to Paris with five of my oldest friends. In deepest darkest December, we boarded the earliest Eurostar wrapped up in thick coats, sturdy boots and scarves, and ..read more

Around 8% of all the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from tourism and at least 2.5% of global carbon emissions can be attributed directly to flying. The industry needs to change in order to preserve our planet, whilst still being able to enjoy exploring it  - a pressure point that has caused a huge amount of greenwashing in this space. The best way to ensure authentic change is to be transparent, and this is why we’re launching our newest feature: carbon labelling for every trip! CO2 per trip Find out how much CO2 your Byway holiday will cost, and how that compares to going by by pl ..read more

In the world of travel, sustainability is not just an environmental issue; it's also a social one. One that has as much to do with carbon impact as it does with the well-being of local people. From cultural exchange to the local economy, community well-being to environmental conservation, the positive benefits of tourism are varied. Socio-economic impact is an important part of the sustainability picture and a top consideration for impact-minded travellers. Benefits to the local economy are perhaps one of the most frequently cited perks of tourism: supporting businesses, creating jobs and enh ..read more

There’s nothing like skiing in the freezing white mountains with the sound of silence loud in your ears. Being active outdoors has every kind of mental health benefit and you’re up close to nature at her most beautiful. But with Europe warming and winters shortening, skiing is facing a crisis.  Ski resorts are increasingly at risk from the trend of warmer and wetter winters. The European State of the Climate Summary is an in-depth report that provides climate monitoring funded by the EU and the 2022 publication is a sobering read: “Europe has been warming faster than any other continent i ..read more

Flight-free travel has been steadily growing for the last couple of years. More and more people are talking about it, and Byway bookings have been increasing rapidly each year. It’s a noticeable shift in the industry that’s starting to snowball. We wondered, do wider statistics back this up? To find out, we partnered with OnePoll to ask holidaymakers about their travel plans. Sure enough, the results show a growing interest in flight-free holidays and a desire to travel more sustainably. Dive into the findings below: A preference for flight-free travel is growing Two in five (42.5%) of UK ho ..read more

Convenience shouldn’t be the biggest priority when it comes to your holiday. If you want to take care of yourself and have a more in-depth, enjoyable experience, then don’t rush. Take it slow. Cat Jones, Byway’s founder and CEO, points to the parallels of slow travel and eating delicious, lovingly cooked slow food: "Slow travel is like slow food. The ingredients (hotels, transport, activities) are good for locals and for the planet. The recipe (route) is optimised for quality rather than speed. The result is often a much richer travel experience with depth of flavour and story." A richer exper ..read more

So you’re interested in train travel in Europe? Great! More people using public transport lowers emissions and accelerates government investment. You’re easing pressure on overtouristed areas and you have the pleasure of travelling through Europe, rather than flying over it.  Long lines in European airports this summer means more people are turning to trains for their holiday: transfers to the airport, minimum check-in times and understaffing in passport control and security, all add up to trains sometimes being the surprise winner over planes for speed. And unlike airports, trains are su ..read more

Are you planning to visit a beach, go hiking, swim in a lake or enjoy the view from a mountain peak on your next holiday? Leave No Trace is a global movement encouraging you to take only photos and leave only footprints. Leave No Trace started in the US as a standard for backcountry ethics, but its seven principles have become the best point of reference for anyone spending time in the great outdoors (even if it’s in your local park). The seven principles of Leave No Trace Plan Ahead and Prepare Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces Dispose of Waste Properly Leave What You Find Minimis ..read more