Girls trip to Italy (by train) part i | Slow travel diary

Last October my friend Emma and I took a girls trip to Italy by train. For this slow travel diary I show part i of our journey from London to Lecce.

We took the Eurostar from London to Paris and had lunch in Paris before taking the TGV train from Paris to Milan. We stayed overnight in Milan and spent the next day exploring the city before taking the sleeper train from Milan to Lecce.

Italy is one of the most popular holiday destinations for people in the UK. So I’m hoping that showing how much more of an adventure it is to travel by train will inspire others to choose slow travel over flying.

A few years ago I quit flying for holidays and since then whenever I go away I travel by land or sea, mainly by train or ferry.

If you’re interested in learning more about sustainable travel and seeing what other flight-free holidays look like I will be uploading more videos in the future which explore both.

For now though I hope you enjoy this video and see you soon!

TIMESTAMPS

Intro 00:00
London St Pancras 01:08
Eurostar to Paris 01:58
Lunch in Paris 02:30
TGV train from Paris to Milan 03:29
Arriving in Milan 05:53
Outro 07:01

HOW LONG IT TOOK

London - Paris | 2h 20
Paris - Milan | 7h
Overnight stay in Milan
Milan - Lecce (sleeper train) | 8h 40

PRICE

London to Paris Eurostar | from £52 one-way/£78 return
Paris to Milan TGV | from £25 each way
Milan to Lecce sleeper train | from £29

WHERE TO BUY TICKETS

ROUTE OPTIONS

London to Paris (2h 20) - Paris to Milan (7h) - Milan to Lecce (8h 40)
- Day 1 Depart London 9:22 - Day 2 Arrive Lecce 16:15
- Eurostar from £52 one-way/£78 return, TGV from €29 each way, Frecciabianca day train from €29.90
- Quickest and cheapest option
London to Paris (2h 20) - Paris to Milan (7h) - Milan to Lecce (sleeper)
- Day 1 Depart London 9:22 - Day 3 Arrive Lecce 9:24
- Eurostar from £52 one-way/£78 return, TGV from €29 each way, Sleeper from £29
- Longer and more expensive when you add in the cost of a cabin or couchette but gives you more time to see Milan and more fun with the sleeper

TRAIN VS PLANE (calculations made in October 2021)

Train option 1
18h + overnight stay in Milan
From £178 return
60-70kgC02

Train option 2
18h + overnight stay + day in Milan
From £178 return (£219 with couchette; £236 with cabin)
60-70kgC02

Plane
8h (direct flight from Stansted including transport to and from airports and check in + security)
11h 30 (indirect from london city including transport to and from airports and check in + security)
From £234 return (£122 for flights; £92 for taxis to and from Lecce; £20 for train to and from Stansted airport)
430kgC02 (indirect flight)
350kgC02 (direct flight)

MUSIC

CONTACT

SOURCES

Skyscanner

[kovie]

I'm a huge fan of train videos so it was inevitable that the YouTube algo would eventually bring me here and I'm glad that it did. Nice video and can't wait to see the followup. Many years ago I traveled by train with a friend from Paris to Venice on a sleeper and it was such a great trip. There really is no better way to travel in Europe than by train. I've driven and flown as well (I don't think I've taken buses other than city buses or to the airport but I dislike buses in any case) and vastly prefer trains. Not just for their obviously eco-friendly qualities which is important to me too but because they're so much more pleasant than trains and the views are often spectacular. Plus, nothing beats sleeping, showering and eating in a dining car on a train as incredible scenery rushes by.

[mcachraf]

I like traveling by train it's my favorite 😀🇪🇸🇩🇪🇫🇷

[schumache]

I love traveling by train. If horses don’t count, it’s my favorite way to go anywhere. This looks like such a beautiful trip

[mumtaz]

Very good
I like this so lovely, very nice, thanks my dear Sarah

[bigbudda]

Such a great video, would love to visit one day, will definitely do it by train!

[steveshaw]

Thanks for another great vid Sarah. Train really is the way to go. London to Italy so easily!

[RoelBaardman]

I hear the Italians are also providing a high speed train service between Paris and Milan. It's supposed to be very good as well.

[hannahbland]

Definitely want to do this trip now (and not just for the vegan quiche!) - it looks stunning!