Travel trends 2025
2024: the year in which more frequent fliers than ever got hooked on overland travel. Driven by a desire to inject the journey back into travel, with increasing awareness of the carbon impact of flying, we saw a staggering 40% of Byway customers swap planes for trains (compared to 27% in 2023). We waved a collective goodbye to the ‘fly and flop’ holiday, in favour of adventure, multi-stop trips, and richer experiences.
As we’re writing these trends, instead of the populous ‘where to go in 2025: hotlist of locations that are trending’ (a breeding ground for driving overtourism), we want to rethink how we’ll travel. Because to us, travel is more about the journey than the destination.
Looking ahead to 2025, the 200th anniversary of the modern railway, it’s the perfect time to rekindle a love for rail and shake off the hold the airline industry has on travel. We’ll be booking earlier, becoming undertourists, stopping in superbly sustainable accommodation, chaining our trips, enjoying the luxury of time, travelling the seasons and living life in the quiet carriage. We’re looking forward to seeing the journey 2025 takes us on.
Trip chaining
C: Justin Owers, 2024
We’re seeing the trend of ‘trip chaining’ (combining multiple stop-offs for errands on a daily commuter route) breaking into leisure travel. More travellers are dipping their toes into multi-stop travel, saving time and money, and opening up more possibilities for travel that combine multiple ‘holidays’ in a single adventure. 2024 saw Byway travellers incorporate an average of 4.5 destinations into a single trip and we anticipate this will continue to grow in 2025. These kinds of trips allow travellers to get more out of their holidays, combining Italian cities with Swiss mountains, European capitals with Norwegian fishing towns and Medieval old towns with Galician countryside.
The luxury of time
Forget yachts and private jets; a truly luxurious holiday doesn’t have to be about splashing the cash. One of the biggest things that can feel like a real treat is actually time - time to relax and be present. It’s encouraging to see that sabbaticals are on the rise, with 12 per cent of companies in the UK offering paid career breaks, while 53 per cent offer unpaid leave to give their employees a proper break. And more people than ever are taking advantage of this. In 2024, we saw our average length of trip booked with Byway’s Concierge team go from 9 days in 2022 to 14 days in 2024, and we expect this to continue in 2025. We also saw an increase in demand for bespoke trips over a month-long, including this 51-day trip to Portugal and this 58-day trip to Germany. These trips are rich in experiences and far more memorable than a first-class flight.
Undertourism
People want to travel where they’re welcomed wholeheartedly. Amidst anti-tourism protests in Barcelona and measures elsewhere to monitor the influx of short-term rentals, avoiding overtouristed hotspots is high on this year’s agenda. In the Netherlands, we’ll expect to see more people swapping the jam-packed capital for quintessentially Dutch towns like Breda, and in Spain, people swapping Catalonia for the Green Coast, with more attention on up-and-coming cities like Bilbao. Even in the UK, a new interest in beautiful areas away from busy summer spots like Cornwall will see more travellers uncover the East of England (including Norfolk) and towns like Ballater in Scotland.
No FOMO bookings
January is historically the time when most people book their trips for the coming year. However, people are increasingly planning holidays further in advance. We have seen the number of bookings between October and December grow year on year from 17% of the total annual bookings in 2021 and 19% in 2022 to 24% in 2023. It’s set to be even higher in 2024. One reason for this is that customers are becoming more savvy and discerning about which routes they pick and accommodation they book - they’re looking to secure the best picks before the rush of peak booking season. No one wants to miss out on their dream holiday! Trips that often include highly contested accommodation and routes include holidays to Lake Como, the French Riviera, the Highlands (particularly the Isle of Skye), as well as St Ives in Cornwall
In-season travel
Jetting off to catch some winter sun is so … last season. We say it’s time for our mindful travel era: holidays that embrace the season you’re in rather than run away from it. Think springtime bird watching in the Norfolk Broads, or summers cooling off in La Rochelle; autumnal trips tucked away in the Scottish east coast or leaf peeping in The Moselle Valley; winters spent weaving through snow-topped Alpine rail routes or warming up in Roman baths. As the slow food movement is punctuated by cooking with seasonal produce, travelling in tune with the seasons reminds us to reconnect to and care for the planet.
Superbly sustainable stays
Where we stay is a key part of what makes a brilliant trip and people are rightly becoming far more picky about where they choose to lay their heads. With 75% of 2024 travellers saying they plan to travel more sustainably over the next year, eco-conscious hotels will be stepping into the spotlight in 2025. Luckily, the choice has never been better. We are always on the lookout for gorgeous hotels that marry style and comfort with sustainability. Some of our favourites for 2025 include progressive hotels tackling food waste and fine vegan dining to indulgent planet-friendly luxury and sustainably-sensitive renovations. Because being eco-conscious shouldn’t mean compromising on that cushy hotel feeling.
Quietcations
It’s time to turn down the volume. In 2024, we saw the rise of ‘sleep tourism’, with travellers prioritising restful holidays over packed itineraries. We also saw an increase in trips away from touristy hotspots (68% of nights we booked were in non-hotspots). 2025 will be for time off that actually helps you slow down, reset and recharge from the busyness of life.
So, skip the chaos of airports: take the quiet carriage somewhere away from the crowds. Going by train means more legroom and fewer luggage restrictions - so you can quiet your mind with a book to lose yourself in, or a journal to scrawl your thoughts into. And the destination? Quiet spots where you can lose the earplugs and get lost in the sounds of nature instead, like stargazing in a Dark Sky Reserve in Snowdonia, wild swimming in Highland waters or forest bathing in ancient woodland.
The future of rail
This year we saw some promising advancements in rail improvements in UK & Europe and flight-free advocacy.
Labour announced its plan to renationalise rail and improve ticket price systems.
Stay Grounded hosted a pyjama party protest in call for more night trains. In 2024, a third of Byway trips included sleeper trains. Better infrastructure and more sleeper services would help increase interest in flight-free travel.
Spain proposed a ban on domestic flights where a train journey of less than 2.5 hours exists, following France’s lead and adding fuel to the conversations of other countries.
A domestic flight ban petition that opened a conversation and had 10.5k supporters received a response from the UK government.
Celebrities were called out more frequently about their private jet usage, especially during the Superbowl.
Countries have seen success from train passes and climate cards and the conversation on bringing this to the UK is growing.
From 2023-2024, we saw the percentage of bookers who would have flown if they hadn’t booked a Byway holiday rise to 40% (from 27% the year before), showing the growing demand for flight-free options over air travel. So in 2025, it’s clear that better infrastructure and support with the cost of rail travel are essential to meet these demands, and we hope to see momentum around this ramp-up, particularly in terms of shifting aviation’s tax breaks/subsidies into rail. The appetite for change is there - it’s time for regulations, policies and governments to catch up.
Featured trips
Trip chaining
Medieval old towns with Galician countryside
Experience multiple holidays in one: from the bright lights of Madrid to medieval towns like Salamanca, along Portugal’s picturesque Douro Line before exploring foodie northern Spain.
Tthe luxury of time
Slow travel across Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands
Take the time to really experience the beautiful regions of the Low Countries in this 20 day adventure.
Undertourism
Cruise to under-the-radar gem Bilbao
Take the two-night ferry to discover this Basque gem with its unique blend of industrial heritage and modern architecture, epitomised by the iconic Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry.
No FOMO booking
The smart way to book Lake Como
Ride through Switzerland to Lugano before moving to Varenna, a serene Medieval town on the eastern shores of Lake Como set against the backdrop of the Grigne mountains.
In-season travel
Winters weaving through Alpine rail routes
Embrace the seasons by travelling through spectacular Switzerland to the Alpine village of Arosa. At an altitude of 1,800m, this is the perfect place to enjoy the joys of winter.
Superbly sustainable stays
Eco-conscious comfort in Lisbon
Spend nights in Girona and Madrid before arriving at Solar do Castelo, a sustainably-minded hotel set around an inner courtyard of an 18th-century mansion within the walls of St. Jorge's Castle.
Quietcations
Wild swimming in the Highlands
The Caledonian Sleeper whisks you from the thrum of London through the night to Glasgow. The West Highland Line takes you through the land of the Lochs and Trossachs National Park to peaceful Crianlarich.
