A few years ago, I made the decision to travel less by airplane. Especially since Europe has a well-established ground transportation. Therefore, I assumed traveling airplane free would be easy.
I even researched when I did my semester abroad in Mexico if I could go by boat, unfortunately the wind wasn’t in my favor the time I went there and at the time I came back. And I wasn’t flexible in changing the dates to a few months later.
When I escaped the Austrian winter in October 2022, I took an airplane to Spain, mainly because of monetary restrictions.
However, I was sure that on my journey back; I wanted to take the ground route. Even though I knew it won’t be that easy. There is no direct connection, neither is it clear if you should take the bus or train.
Planning the journey from Barcelona to Austria
So, it was mid-May 2023, and I planned my journey back to Austria earlier than presumed. I checked websites after websites, to hunt the cheapest prices. I looked up the best route on google maps and started to book the transportations.
If you are planning an airplane free trip in Europe and you come across a section that has really bad connections, such as here: Barcelona to Zell am See. I recommend doing lots of planning and look up every possibility.
I did not want to do a detour, which would have been via Salzburg or Munich, but thinking back about it now, I believe it might have been better to do a detour.
The websites I used to organize/book my trip:
- Google maps
- Flixbus
- Blablacar
- Trainline
- Raileurope.com
- Sncf-connect.com
- Alsa.com
- Seat61
- Busbud
- Rail.cc
- Omio.com
- Movelia.es
- Oebb.at
Alsa is a cheap bus operator, just like Flixbus, which I came across during my research. I think if I would have booked early, it was cheaper to leave from Montpellier to Zurich. And seat61 isn’t a booking platform but has lots of helpful information about train traveling in Europe.
My airplane free journey
My final route to go from Barcelona to my hometown in Austria was the following:
Day 1:
Barcelona to Girona
train
1h 20 min
11,25 €
I took the overcrowded train to Girona and spent the day there at the Flower Festival. From there, my journey continued to Montpellier, France.
Girona to Montpellier
Blablacar
3 h
16 €
Day 2:
In Montpellier, I had 1 and ½ nights to rest and explore the city. Luckily, I met a guy via couchsurfing the previous summer in Prague who was willing to host me and even show me around.
Day 3:
Montpellier to Zurich
Flixbus
12 h 40 min
93,98 €
My airplane free journey continued on Monday morning. Very early at 1 am I left the house to take the tram to the Flixbus station.
On this journey, I had to change buses at Lyon, where I had also a 2-hour break, in the early morning. During the break, I went for breakfast at a close-by hotel. Hotels are usually the only once offering breakfast that early in the day. So treated myself to a delicious breakfast buffet. Before, the journey continued.
The bus driver was funny. He was very chatty and offered me yoghurt. After refusing a few times I said “I’m vegan”, his responds was “There is no meat inside”.
Planned: Zurich to Wörgl
Train
4 h
37,70
This would have been the journey. If not, everything got messed up in Zurich. The original train journey I would have been on got canceled (last minute). Although I could have taken another train connection at the same time. But that wasn’t clearly communicated on the platform and displays.
So, my airplane free journey was prolonged by the Swiss and Austrian train operators.
Reality: Zurich to Innsbruck
Train
4 h 20 min
18,80
That was the reality, the point where my journey exceeded 24 hours. After communicating with the Swiss trainline and the Austrian I got an 18 € refund (so I did not pay the 37,70 € but “only” 18,80 €).
I had a little breakdown at Zurich train station because of that. I really thought everything will go smooth. Here, I realized I need to improve my reaction to uncertainty. Although sometimes I’m good at it.
It was because the delay affected not only me but also my sister and her boyfriend. While I was waiting at Zurich train station, they were already in Tyrol to do a day trip and then pick me up (from Wörgl).
Innsbruck to Zell am See
Car
2h
20 €
Total travel time from apartment to house: Montpellier to Zell am See—26 hours 10 minutes.
The challenge at Zurich main train station
The thing that went wrong in Zurich was that the train I booked they canceled. The announcement board they wrote I should go to the platform 3. There was a train I did not know where it was going. It was a stressful situation, since the train departed at something around 18:40 and I was standing there wandering if I can take it, I was even sprinting back to the platform I was before.
After this nerve-racking and stressful experience, I went to the information desk. They told me I could have taken the train at platform 3. The nice lady at the desk told me she knows it is bad communicated. I waited for almost 2 hours at the platform and only 10 minutes before the departure of the train they announced the cancelation of the train. Although I could have taken an alternative, but life was testing my response to uncertainty. In the end, you are always wiser.
Total costs
Transportations (within cities): 163,23 €
Food: 35,08 €
Luggage storage or extra payment: 18,5 €
Flying is often a lot cheaper, depending on the season and destination. I haven’t checked the actual airplane prices for this trip.
Conclusion of traveling airplane free in Europe
Honestly, I’m not sure if I would do such a “on the ground journey” again. I could have taken more time, stay a night in Zurich or even in Lyon. But I just wanted to go home.
It can be fun if you do it realized, just see where you go/end up. And of sure you see so much more than going by plane. Just traveling through Switzerland was beautiful.
The downside is that on a self-organized journey, no one tells you what the fastest and best route would be. Unexpected circumstances can make your trip even longer. As it was the case for me. So, invest a lot of time in research to find the best route for you.
If the route you are planning to take covers a railway, it is most of the time easier (although German trains are known for their unreliability).
Safe Travels! And have fun exploring Europe airplane free.
The author of the blog
Lisi is an adventurous, mostly solo traveler from Austria. She likes to travel slowly, discover underrated countries/regions, and of course, learn about cultures. She has been traveling the world and creating travel content since 2016. With a degree in tourism management and a passion for travel and cultures, she wants to tell stories that inspire her readers and help them travel more consciously.
