I had to fly between New Zealand and the UK, but when I was in Europe I was able to take public transport and travel surface. I took the train from London to Dorset and on to Hampshire, where I boarded a ferry that takes a day to sail to Spain.
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In Santander I got a couple of buses to take me to Hondarribia, where I was working for a couple of weeks on my books (see earlier posts on A Basque Diary). Then I took the little ferry across the River Bidasoa to Hendaye in France. The 9.12 am train from Hendaye got me to Paris in time to catch the Eurostar to take me through the Channel Tunnel and be back in London at 5.39 pm that same day.
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It is a slower, more contemplative way of travel and I’m lucky to have the time to do it. I can’t work on the bus (except for daydreaming), but I can on the train and ferry, especially since they now usually have wifi.
It’s a lot nicer than flying.