Few who had to travel anywhere in Europe in May can forget the inconvenience of grounded planes after the eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajoekull. While the ash produced some of the clearest skies seen in a long time in places such as London by preventing carbon dioxide emissions, it remains a serious worry for people as they start making travel arrangements for their summer holidays. Images of all the affected travellers on standby in London hotels make us all wonder: Is air travel the best option for me?
If we are reluctant to take to the skies with the birds, fearing those ominous, billowing grey clouds,
perhaps we should look to the example set by the fish. We have all heard of cruises on mammoth boats skipping from port to port, but have we all considered the positive aspects of travelling by ferry to our holiday destination or even going on holiday in a canal boat or on a long-distance sailing excursion?
Ferries are inexpensive and a relatively green travel option. Most journeys last for a couple hours and can take you to neighbouring locations that you may not have explored before. Ferries leave from the UK for all over Europe, not just France, and can cost less than 100 pounds (comparable to an Easyjet flight). They don’t involve the hassel of long queues for security or checking in baggage either. Travelling on ferries, you can take in the sights and landscapes and move about freely instead of being cramed into small plane seats like sardines in a can.
There are also many companies throughout Europe willing to lease their boats to excited individuals eager for an alternative holiday. Some holiday packages will offer an onsite crew to assist with the more complex aspects of travel, such as operating a sailing boat. Others will simply let you take their boats out on the open water, leaving you nothing but an emergency number and an instructional guide for assistance.
These trips are varied in their design and depending on what you want out of the holiday, you may end up sleeping anywhere from a cabin onboard to one of the many luxurious hotels in Rome. Best of all, this kind of trip can begin in your own country, so a quick car or train trip will get you to the port, and flying can be avoided altogether.
Robert Frost once said: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.” Frost’s point is clear – the journey is just as important as the destination. Early explorers such as Christopher Columbus and even travellers of the early 20th century no doubt recognised this fact, but the point has resonance for the contemporary traveller too, especially in the wake of the recent volcanic activity, which threatens to continue intermittently throughout the summer. Boats provide a less-travelled route for holidays, making the hours passed in transit just as important as those on the beach on the other side.